San Mateo County, CA: 10/7/07
Every year the Point Reyes Bid Observatory holds a bird-a-thon to raise money for its important work on bird research and conservation. Teams of people try to see as many species of birds as possible in a 24 hour period soliciting donors for each species seen. Our group, Jennifer Rycenga, Garth Harwood, and I, would attempt to see as many species as possible in San Mateo County on October 7, 2007. We met at Jennifer’s house in Half Moon Bay at 3:30 AM. It was extremely cold just 36 degrees as we headed out into the cold dark night looking for owls. We were very successful with the owls immediately finding a Barn Owl near Jennifer’s house. We pulled off of Highway 1 onto Verde Road and pulled up to an invisible pond where a Virginia Rail responded immediately to my Sora imitation. It never fails! That set off a Coot and Mallard as well. We drove down Higgins-Purissima Road but couldn’t coax out a Great Horned Owl. So we went over to Butano State Park to try for Western Screech-owl. Someone was again camping in the no camping area so I didn’t feel bad about making noise at that ungodly hour until Garth pointed out that the ranger probably told them to camp there as overflow since the campground was full. If I had been that camper I would have been furious. Even though we tried to be quiet I’m sure it was distressing the poor camper who had to hear us play screech owl tapes and chat in low tones about mysterious noises in the night. Finally the screech owl answered our tapes; just as we were departing the camper was unzipping his tent to see what all the commotion was about. Outside of the park we pulled off and listened to more strange noises. I pointed out the spectacular formation in the sky of the beautiful crescent moon with Venus and Regulus above and Saturn below. Jennifer got her spotting scope on it and we all checked out the rings on Saturn.
Next we drove Gazos Creek Road where we shivered terribly in the cold night air. Our sacrifices paid off though for not only did we hear a Northern Saw-whet Owl but amazingly Garth detected the faint hoots of a Long-eared Owl and then a Northern Pygmy Owl. We congratulated ourselves on our owl success and talked about how great it would be if we could also get the Short-eared Owl for a clean sweep of San Mateo County owls but it wasn’t to be. It was so cold we were all relieved to get back in the heated car for the drive over to Pigeon Point. Our timing was flawless as we got out to the viewing deck just as the sun was coming up in the east. The sea was calm but we had no luck with alcids at all. However, we were so lucky to get on a Parasitic Jaeger and then a Pomarine Jaeger. We were upset at having missed the alcids but decided to go directly to Pescadero for land birds. Garth showed us a field good for sparrows. Some dead beats in an AT&T truck watched us warily. An interesting sparrow popped up briefly that I am convinced was a Brewer’s Sparrow but it would not turn adequately to confirm the facial pattern and we never could see it again. Pine Siskins were in a willow tree nearby and Lincoln’s Sparrows were plentiful. Back on Pescadero Road we stopped at the intersection with Highway 1 as Jennifer believed we could get a gnatcatcher there. No gnatcatcher graced us with its presence but Garth honed in on the biggest surprise of the day, a Grasshopper Sparrow. I didn’t get the greatest look but it was the closest match. We scoped the beach and marsh at Pescadero State Beach but came up empty. So we parked illegally on Highway 1 scanning the marsh next to the makeshift gravemarker while Jennifer avoided a collision. I spotted a Blue-winged Teal in between two Green-winged Teals. Next we debated whether we should make another try for alcids at Bean Hollow State Beach where I had seen them regularly in September or continue on for land birds. We decided to continue on and went next to Memorial Park on Pescadero Road. We couldn’t find the target bird from the bridge but after a short walk in we found two resident American Dippers. I brought a big bag of snacks for everyone in order to discourage Jennifer from her nasty habit of stopping at MacDonalds on Big Days. It worked! She stopped and bought some tasty smelling artichoke bread from the Pescadero Market instead and snacked on my healthy snacks in between.
It was time to get over to the bay side of the county for land birds and shore birds. Unfortunately this is not so easy from Half Moon Bay because October is pumpkin picking time in HMB and hordes of people clog the only thorough fare from Highway 1 which skirts the ocean to the Bayside, Highway 92. There was a tense moment in the car as Garth became impatient with a hideous traffic snag and insisted we turn around and try Sharp Park in Pacifica. Jennifer held her ground and was insistent; we waited for the pumpkin pickers to clear out and eventually made it half way up Highway 92 to our destination, the cemetary, where we saw lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers and another big surprise, a Chipping Sparrow, a tough bird in San Mateo County. The traffic wasn't so bad on the other side of the hill as we headed down to Highway 101 for our next stop at Coyote Point on the San Francisco Bay. Few passerines were in the trees but we picked up lots of shorebirds and added an early Lesser Scaup to our list. From Coyote Point we drove to Redwood City for the famous Radio Road extravaganza. There were hundreds of ducks on the pond at the end of the road and our only rarity of the day, a Pectoral Sandpiper. On the way back out of Redwood City we stopped at another strange pond behind the Nob Hill Supermarket where Garth found a Green Heron. We could not locate the Redhead that had been seen earlier in the week and time was running out so we left. Jennifer promised that our next stop would yield four species. We went to the richest area in the county, swanky Atherton, where I joked we were not dressed well enough, to some local park that was full of landscaped areas of non-native plants with intermittent oaks and the curious planted redwood. I was dubious but Jennifer delivered pulling out a flock of promised Cedar Waxwings, two California Thrashers, and two Oak Titmouses. Best of all the bathroom was extremely clean. We left wealthy Atherton for my least favorite place, the impoverished and dangerous, East Palo Alto, where I was once nearly run over by a deranged idiot on a go-cart in the middle of a national wildlife refuge, to the Ravenswood section of the San Francisco Bay NWR. I hate that place. No sooner were we out of the car than I was standing in a pile of trash looking at a torn out fence around the Bay and watching yet another moron on a motorcycle riding back from the refuge. Not only was it dangerous and horrible but we weren't seeing much either. Garth spotted a Sora and next a Barn Swallow. We were recluctant to leave nevertheless because we had not scored on our only chance in the county for a Ring-necked Pheasant. I stopped to point out to Jennifer the no motorized vehicles or bicycles sign when boom two Pheasants shot out of the canal and flew right in front of all of us. Then it was over to my rail haunt the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. Jennifer and Garth thought it was more dangerous than Ravenswood NWR because there were no residences around and thus less witnesses. The wind had picked up considerably and it was once again cold. Not only that but it was low tide and not a rail in sight. We tried mightily but could not get a Clapper Rail to make so much as a peep. Every other time I have been there four, five, six Clapper Rails are not uncommon but no cigar this time. No rails at all revealed themselves. Garth thought that we should await sundown there because he felt sure a Short-eared Owl would show up. As the temperature dropped, the sun sank, and no owls appeared we threw in the towel and ended the day with a disappointing 136 species.
By: Michelle Brodie
10/8/07
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