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.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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:
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
Saturday, February 23, 2008
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 -
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
Friday, February 22, 2008
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 -
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
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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?
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?
- tufted duck
- greater scaup
- ruddy duck
- canvasback duck
- pied-bill grebe
- western grebe
- Clarke's grebe
- mallard duck
- coot
- Canada geese
- bufflehead
- great blue heron
- black-crowned night heron
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