Pier 94, San Francisco, CA

Another day out with the California sea blite (Suaeda california) monitoring at Pier 94 is always a good day. Today was particularly good because I spotted a couple Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) that had come to the north basin. One of the smallest seabirds found their way into the San Francisco Bay on their migration north.

There were at least two nesting birds at the site, too. An American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) was nesting near the rip rap, which is how I spotted the first phalarope swimming in fast circles.

Later, while we were trying to complete our monitoring, we discovered an angry Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) that was very happy when we were out of her way. Those birds can live up to their "vociferus" species name! She had 4 eggs, but the nest was very low so I'm not hopeful that they'll not get washed away by the tide.

Falcon Cam in San Jose, CA

I wish more cities would highlight their wildlife in the city like this great cam that is focused on a nesting Peregrine Falcon in San Jose atop of City Hall.

Check it out: http://sanjose.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=91

How about a snowy plover cam in San Francisco or a least tern cam in Alameda?

You can read about the KQED story online: http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/25/falcon-fascination-update/

Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park, Oakland, CA

I had a moment to before sunset to do some birding at the seasonal pond near Damon Slough tonight. It was very cool to see the breeding plumages of so many birds. First time for me to see a Black-bellied Plover with a black belly!

The cast of characters this evening included:

1. Black-bellied Plover
2. American Avocet
3. Black-necked Stilt
   
4. Long-billed Dowitcher
   
5. Greater Yellowlegs
6. Killdeer
7. Willet
   
8. Cinnamon Teal
9. Blue-Winged Teal
   
10. American Widgeon
11. Gadwall
    
12. Mallard
13. Greater Scaup
    
14. Western Grebe
15. Great Blue Heron
    
16. Canada Goose
17. American Coot

Pleasure Point in Capitola, CA

While not technically a birding trip, I couldn't help but watch the birds while I awaited between sets of waves while surfing for two days at Pleasure Point in Capitola, CA. I saw my first BROWN PELICAN of the spring fly overhead. Out in the water, I shared the waves and kelp forest mostly with Pelagic Cormorants (with white spots of their breeding plumage showing) and Double-crested Cormorants with a few Western Grebes and Western Gulls paddling by as well. It was a lot of fun to see the sea otters (3-4 of them) and harbor seals (2-3) come in so close. I thought I saw a Northern Fulmar fly overhead, but I can't be certain because it happened so fast.

Saw a few Mallard Ducks fly out of the river area and even noticed a Greater White-Fronted Goose come down the river that was mostly filled with American Coots and various Gulls.

Wildcat Creek Trail, Richmond, CA

It's official. I'm a bird nerd. I bought my first spotting scope - albeit a cheaper one - and couldn't wait to test it out today at Wildcat Creek Trail in Richmond as part of the ongoing Richmond Bird Census. It's next to a sewage treatment plant, which oddly has more birdlife at low tide than the adjacent wetlands.

In the park and wetlands, we saw -

• Northern Harriers
• Redtail Hawks
• Osprey
• White-tailed Kite
• Turkey Vulture
  
• Mockingbird
  
• Red-winged Blackbird

Over in the sewage treatment plant -

• Burrowing Owl that had taken up residence along side the pond under the pavement.
  
• Snow Goose
• Greater White-Fronted Goose
• Canada Geese
• Greater Yellow Legs
• Black-necked Stilts
• Gadwalls
  
• Green-winged Teals
• Northern Shovelers
• Mallards
• Buffleheads
  
• American Coots
  

Alameda Wildlife Refuge

This morning, I joined about a whopping 80 participants who came to the Alameda Wildlife Refuge for the last workday of the year before the California least terns come back to breed. The Friends of Alameda Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fawr.org) organize work parties on the second Sunday of each month from September through March, then keep watch over the terns during their nesting season from April through August. The endangered California least tern colony is threatened with construction of a VA facility inside what was supposed to be a wildlife refuge.

Each year, about 800 California least terns fly over a thousand miles from the south to Alameda, CA, to breed. The nearest large colony is 150 miles to the south! Habitat loss has driven the terns northward looking for a refuge and now that refuge is threatened despite alternative locations nearby that are outside of the refuge. Look at Golden Gate Audubon's website for information about how you can help fight to protect this endangered species habitat and community open space.

I saw a few birds in between cleaning up the mountains of plastic rubble. There was a redtail hawk on a nearby building with its nest. In the wetlands, the American avocets had changed into their orange breeding plumage. Killdeer flew about chastising the people for being in their territory. I saw a Pacific loon among the Canada geese, scaups, and western grebes.

Afterward, I stopped by Lake Merritt - the center of my "birdiverse" - to see what changes are happening amongst the birds. The tufted duck remained near the bird islands and was spotted among the Greater and Lesser Scaups. The Western and Clarke's Grebes were dancing on the lake at times. In addition to the pied-billed grebe, I saw eared grebes and horned grebes that are beginning to shift into their amazing breeding plumage - a sure sign that spring has come. Five species of grebes calling Lake Merritt home right now. I also saw -

• Common Goldeneyes
• Canvasback Ducks
• Ruddy Ducks
• Bufflehead Ducks
  
• Mallard Ducks
• American Coots
  
• Snowy Egrets
• Great Egret
• Black-crowned Night Herons
  
• Double-crested Cormorants
  
• Ring-billed Gulls
• Western Gulls
  

Now if only people would stop feeding the birds! I can't even tell you how many people were feeding the pigeons and ducks. It's too bad Oakland won't post signs. Bread to a hungry bird is like popcorn to a human - just filler without much nutritional value. Plus, it ends up benefiting birds like pigeons and geese, which are overabundant in the area. The leftovers can attract rats and other pests. Please don't feed wildlife! It's a lot of fun, but the consequences are too great for birds, people, and the environment.

Instead, plant a bird-friendly backyard or restore wildlife habitat if you love birds and other wildlife. That's the best thing you can do for them!

Heron's Head Park, San Francisco, CA

After doing an interview at Pier 94 with the San Francisco Examiner, I headed over to Heron's Head Park down the road. It's a great birding location that never fails to be a good time. Before leaving Pier 94, there were a pair of American Kestrels and a pair of mocking birds flirting on the fence.

The best part of the trip was seeing the HARLEQUIN DUCK again that I saw first at Pier 94 around October, then again at Heron's Head Park during the December 27th Christmas Bird Count.

Also out at Heron's Head today included:

1. Common Goldeneye
   
2. Red-breasted Merganser
3. Black Oystercatcher
4. American Avocets
   
5. Dunlin
   
6. Black-bellied Plover
   
7. Long-billed Curlew
8. Willet
9. Snowy Egret
   
10. Greater Scaups
11. Belted Kingfisher
12. Least Sandpiper
13. Spotted Sandpiper
    
14. Horned Grebe
15. Western Grebes
    
16. American Widgeons
17. Ruddy Ducks
18. Buffleheads
19. Surf Scoters
20. American Coots
21. Double-crested Cormorrants
    
22. Mew Gulls
    

Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area, San Francisco

After participating in Saturday's docent training program through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, I went out to take a look at the threatened Western Snowy Plovers that spend most of the year at the beach. There were four plovers on the back dunes of the beach that were scurrying around as kites flew overhead, paddle ball was played on the beach, and several off-leash dogs walked by - all competing for the small area of the beach designated as the Wildlife Protection Area. Looks like we'll have plenty of opportunities to do outreach to the public about sharing the shoreline in San Francisco.

Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Just went on a quick trip to see if I could find some of the birds that I've heard were at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. I got a glimpse of a female Wood Duck in the evening, but didn't see other birds that I'd read about online.

Afterward, I went to Strybing Arboretum and listened to an interesting talk about Alaskan bird areas under threat from oil development and logging.

Sunday at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in Oakland

Today, Golden Gate Audubon volunteers joined East Bay Regional Park District staff at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in Oakland to do some weeding on a rocky island within the restored wetlands that is used by American avocets and black-necked stilts for nesting. Avocets and stilts will start breeding soon. We are starting to see more of the avocets molting into their beautiful breeding plumage. It was a great opportunity to help the birds in a tangible way just before their breeding season and to get inside the area normally closed to the public. Braving the cold and rain, we pulled out a heeping truckload of weeds and hopefully made the island more inviting to nesting birds by making a dent in the tall stinkwort.

Through the rain, we got an up-close look at several species of birds, including:

• Two Northern pintail duck drakes (males) - whose population has declined by 77 percent in 40 years
  
• Marbled Godwits - on the Audubon Watchlist
  
• American avocets
• Black-necked stilts
• Greater scaups - another common bird in decline whose population has decreased 75 percent in 40 years
  
• Northern shovelers
• American widgeons
• Buffleheads
  
• American coots
  
• Western gulls
• Ring-billed gulls
  
• Turkey vulture
• Ravens
  

Harding Park restoration site at Lake Merced in San Francisco

On Saturday, I was at the Golden Gate Audubon restoration day at Harding Park, which is on the golf course at Lake Merced in San Francisco and part of the Natural Areas Program. While there pulling weeds with 31 volunteers, I spotted the wintering OSPREY skimming the lake and fishing in their distinctive way. I had not seen an osprey before at Lake Merced so it was quite a treat. The osprey had a brief encounter with a red-tailed hawk just as we were loading up the tools and calling it a day.

Just walking back and forth across the bridge I also saw -

• Western grebes
• Pied-billed grebe
• Ruddy ducks
• Double-crested cormorants
  
• California towhee
• White-crowned sparrows
• Scrubjay
  

Many more birds out on the lake, but I was busy pulling weeds and didn't get to look for too long.

Pier 94 restoration site in San Francisco

While out surveying the plants at the restoration site for the endangered California sea-blite (Suaeda californica) at Pier 94 in San Francisco, I checked out what birds were around as the tide was going out. Pier 94 has the world's largest population of California sea-blite and is a successful reintroduction of the species that went extinct in San Francisco in the 1960s, but was reintroduced from a population in Morro Bay, California. In fact, we just had two spontaneous Suaeda plants start along the tide line. If you go birding there, please avoid the intertidal areas and stepping on any flagged native plants, especially the sea-blite.

Some of the bird highlights included -

• Two black oystercatchers, which are on the Audubon Watchlist of threatened birds
• Long-billed curlew, which is also on the Audubon Watchlist
  
• American avocets, which have nested in the past at Pier 94
• Greater yellowlegs
  
• American widgeons
• Greater scaups
• Western gulls
• Canada geese
  

Red is the color of the day in Bodega Bay, CA

This weekend, I finally had a chance to visit Bodega Bay, where I've heard stories of great birding opportunities and that some rare birds had been seen in the area.

By accident, we got there just as tide was going out and it was excellent birding, even from the first parking lot where you could view big flocks of "peeps" and other shorebirds. I was speaking with a birder who reminded me that there had been some rare birds reported by the jetties of the harbor.

I drove down and parked at the end of the road. I found myself a spot on the rocks and started scanning the water for birds. Lucky for me, I got to see the Red-throated Loon and Red-necked Grebe. There were a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers in the bay later. I even got to see reddish head of a Eurasian Widgeon amongst a flock of American Widgeons as I was leaving the area.

Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

This evening I finally had the first opportunity of the new year to visit my local birding spot and the epicenter of my birding universe - Lake Merritt.

Lake Merritt is one of Oakland's many gems. In 1870, the lake's value as wildlife habitat was so acknowledged that it was designated the first wildlife refuge in the United States. It is an amazing wintering ground for birds and I always stop and look even if I'm without my binoculars or bird book. I especially like watching the channel as the tide goes out.

My main goal for the evening was to spot the Tufted Duck that has been wintering on the lake. Tufted Ducks are diving ducks that are smaller than the Greater Scaups that dominate the lake, but because of similar black and white coloring almost blend in if you're not looking. Luckily, as I was watching the Pied-bill grebes and Clarke's Grebes amongst the scaups near the bird islands, I caught the tuft of the Tufted Duck poking out as its head was tucked under its wing in the cooling evening. Tufted Ducks have been regular visitors in small numbers to Lake Merritt over the years, but it's still fascinating to think this bird made it over from somewhere in Eurasia to our humble lake. I think it would be fascinating to do a satellite track of where it flies back to in the spring.

The other interesting thing I saw was a smaller raptor in the trees of the bird island that normally hosts a lot of Double-crested Cormorants. I couldn't ID the bird because it was getting too dark, but I'll be back to see what it was.

What all did I see in my short evening bird walk?

1. tufted duck
2. greater scaup
3. ruddy duck
4. canvasback duck
5. pied-bill grebe
6. western grebe
7. Clarke's grebe
8. mallard duck
9. coot
10. Canada geese
11. bufflehead
12. great blue heron
13. black-crowned night heron

I'm sure that I missed some others, but not bad for just an hour.

Week 4 - Baja California Sur continues

Still in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico this week.

I've been out a few times and have added some more birds to the list of what I've seen here-

1. California Least Terns
   
2. Royal Terns
   
3. Common Terns
   
4. Black-crowned Night Herons
   
5. Tricolored Heron
   
6. Little Blue Heron
   
7. Snowy Egrets
   
8. Great Egrets
9. Reddish Egret
   
10. Western Snowy Plover
    
11. Black-bellied Plover
    
12. Willets
    
13. Eared Grebes
    
14. Semipalmated Plover
    
15. Yellow-legged Gulls
    
16. Sanderlings
    
17. Marbled Godwits
    
18. Belted Kingfisher
    
19. Neotropical Cormorants
    
20. White-faced Ibis
21. White Ibis
    
22. Ruddy Turnstone
    
23. Spotted Sandpiper
    
24. Phainopepla
25. Osprey
    

Week 3: Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Hola!  Greetings from Mexico... Yes, not exactly birding locally on my 3rd week of my "little year", but I've been seeing some great birds here in Loreto, a small village near a marine sanctuary in the southern state of Baja California in Mexico.  

Here's what I've seen so far that I haven't seen elsewhere this year:

• Blue-footed Boobies diving after sardines in the harbor here.  It's an amazing sight to see the 50 or more dive in unison into the water.
• Brown Boobies flying amongst the many other birds hunting for sardines, too.
• Heerman's gulls stealing sardines from Brown Pelicans.
• Hooded Orioles in the brushy trees in front of the house where I'm staying.
• Two Gila Woodpeckers that hopped on the fence across the street looking for food briefly.

The marine protected area here must be helping the vast numbers of seabirds that are found rafting off the coast of Loreto.  If I had a spotting scope, I bet I'd be seeing lots more.  I'll keep updating this as the week goes on.  

I'm arranging a birding trip to San Ignacio Lagoon in January next year that will include seeing the wintering gray whales that come to breed and maybe even some sea turtles.  I'm going to come down again in June if possible to set up the trip and check out the birds.  The local guide has a list of over 200 species just in the lagoon.

GGNRA Big Year kick-off to see the Western Snowy Plover at Ocean Beach

Yesterday, I attended the kick-off event for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Big Year competition. We are trying to see the 33 threatened and endangered species in the GGNRA during the year and connecting that with a personal action to protect them. I encourage others to participate in this great project. Please visit the GGNRA Big Year website: http://www.ggnrabigyear.org/

At the event, we were treated with two raptor species that are success stories of the Endangered Species Act: a Bald Eagle and a Peregrine Falcon. Both raptor species recovered after receiving protection under the ESA and now are no longer listed, which proves that when the ESA is enforced and implemented properly we can preserve wildlife.

A great number of groups and over 250 people participated in the event. The other major highlight of the day was a trip over to Ocean Beach in San Francisco to see the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) that calls the beach home. Up to 100 of about 1,500-2,300 of the total population in California attempt to eek out a life on the busy beaches of San Francisco.

There are two Wildlife Protection Areas (Stairwell 21 to Sloat Ave on Ocean Beach and a section of Crissy Field) that should have limited activities because of the presence of plovers and other struggling shorebirds. In particular, you should ask the National Park Service to keep dogs out of the Wildlife Protection Areas and to have protection year-round, not just July through May. You can submit your comments on the subject by January 22:

By mail:
In the subject of your letter, include a reference to RIN 1024–AD53. Mail your letter to:

Attention: Snowy Plover Protection Rule
Superintendent, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area, Fort Mason, Building
201, San Francisco, CA 94123

Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main

Look for comment reference RIN 1024–AD53.
--------

OK, back to birding... Additional new birds for my list seen at Ocean Beach:

Sanderling	Calidris alba
Marbled Godwit	Limosa fedoa
Willet	Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
California Gull	Larus californicus
Western Gull	Larus occidentalis

A Bird Year Resolution

In 2008, I'm making a New year's Resolution to go birding weekly with a focus on learning more about the birds that live here in the Bay Area. Of course, some of my birding adventures will happen outside of the Bay Area, but I'm committed to knowing my local birds better and seeing how many species I can view during my "Little Year" resolution.

What's a "little year"? Well, birders will participate in competitions to have a "big year" or "big day" or the like. Since I'm only in this to challenge myself and to blog my results, I'm calling it my "little year".

As I started off my new year, the first bird I saw as I was driving back from Lake Tahoe was a raven. Once uncommon in the Bay Area, you see them everywhere now because of the impacts development have made urban environments inviting to ravens, but difficult for other native wildlife.

My first official weekly birding outing will be at the kick off event for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Big Year. It's a great yearlong event to highlight the 33 endangered species that call the GGNRA home and what participants can do to help those endangered species. Participants are challenged to not only find and view the threatened and endangered plants and animals within the boundaries of the GGNRA, but also to complete conservation actions to help those species. The GGNRA Big Year reminds us all that the Endangered Species Act and the National Park System alone are crucial in protecting wildlife from extinction.

I encourage any readers to come to the San Francisco Zoo on January 6, 2008, at 1 PM for the first of many events in 2008. To learn more and to participate, please visit the GGNRA Big Year website: http://www.ggnrabigyear.org/

We will be visiting Ocean Beach in San Francisco to view the Western Snowy Plover, a threatened bird species that struggles to survive on busy urban beaches in San Francisco. This adorable bird deserves a boost in public awareness of how we can all do more to "share the shoreline" with plovers and other shorebirds.