I started out at dawn at the Cliff House for a sea watch. Hundreds of Elegant Terns were flying south but I only found two Parasitic Jaegers harassing them. I saw all three loons, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, and Red-throated Loon. There were a few Common Murres flying back and forth and several Black Turnstones on the rocks.
Next I stopped at E. Fort Miley which is part of the GGNRA behind the VA Hospital. There were many birds flying about the open area including, California Towhee, a first of season White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Song Sparrow. I heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Downy Woodpecker and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew in as I was leaving. I walked behind the Palace of Legion of Honor the the East Wash which runs down the Coast Trail between tees on the Lincoln Park Golf Course. There were many volunteers pulling out non-native plants in the wash but despite the activity there were many birds in the wash as well. I saw Townsend’s Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Purple Finch, Anna’s Hummingbird, and Fox Sparrow.
From there I drove to MacArthur Street in the Presidio and parked. I walked along the drainage ditch where I had the Baltimore Oriole last Monday and saw Townsend’s Warbler, a late Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and House Finch. I walked over to El Polin Spring to see if any interesting thrushes had arrived and not finding any I proceeded up the trail that goes up to Inspiration Point. On October 20, 2005 I found a second county record Wood Thrush on this trail but today there was little activity. It was an overcast cool day. On my way back down the trail I saw a birder peering into the spring and saw it was the dreaded, arrogant Paul Saraceni. I did not want to ruin this fine morning by having to talk to the Doubting Thomas who refused to acknowledge my second county record Lark Bunting last year. I will never forgive him for that. So I tried to turn around and make it to my car through the woods. Unfortunately I got enmeshed in a blackberry ramble on a steep slope. I was afraid the residents were going to call the park police on me or worse that I would be crawling out of the woods when those boys were on their way up the trail and would have to make something up like I saw an owl or something. I got back on the Inspiration Point Trail and then headed north on a perpendicular trail that got me back to drainage ditch and back to my car.
From there I drove to Lobos Creek where there was very little activity except for:
Red-tailed Hawk, Townsend’s Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Then I moved on to Kobbe & Upton where I saw two Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Townsend’s Warbler. I was going to look for raptors from Ft. Scott but it was partly cloudy and after 40 minutes not a single raptor so I left.
Since I wasn't having much luck I decided to look for the American Bittern that had been report from North Lake in Golden Gate Park. I am not a chaser and I am not a lister. I have one list-- my North American Birds list and that is it. I think listers and chasers are completely neurotic. I figured it was safe to look for the bird due to the hour 2:00 PM and that most people had already seen it. I looked from the west side of the lake to the east side where it had been reported and saw a birder on a bike. After awhile he pedaled over to me and it was Matt Zlatunich, one of the nice Big Year Participants from last year. He told me about a Tropical Kingbird he had found and sure enough there it was flycatching right above us. We couldn't find the Bittern but saw a late Warbling Vireo in the willows and then Matt left. As I was heading back to my car I could have sworn I saw a Great-tailed Grackle and was looking when this man approached me and asked if I wanted to see the Bittern. I said sure and there it was right out in the open beside the lake on the west side. The Tropical Kingbird was in the trees above it making a very memorable for the small group of birders who had collected there. Other birds at North Lake were Townsend’s Warbler, American Wigeon, and Common Yellowthroat.
I tried Middle Lake but there was a huge party going on with very loud music and drinking and all I saw was a Great Egret.
Next stop was N. Lake Merced which has not had much this season due to the construction to install the statue of Juan Bautista de Anza and the removal of several vile eucalyptus trees. I did see Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, Marsh Wren, and American Goldfinch.
There had been a few juicy sightings at S. Lake Merced the day before and in the morning so I was hesitant to go there but I thought at this late hour who would be there (it was nearly 5;00 PM). Silly me. There were three chasers there chasing. I didn't see any of the sighted birds, Least Bittern, White-winged Dove, or Philadelphia Vireo but I did find 2 Soras, a Green Heron, and a Common Moorhen. I also saw one Yellow Warbler and a Common Yellowthroat and that was the end of a fabulous day of birding San Francisco County. Total species: 76
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