Today was an odd day in the city for mammals and birds. There were 3 coyotes sleeping in a raised bed in Fort Mason when I arrived at 8 am and after I’d done an hour or so circuit of FM, 2 of them were sleeping in the same spot, seemingly exhausted. 

On Crissy field there seemed to be a mass drowning of gophers, I counted 10 drowned gophers on the surface,on a walk straight across the field so who knows how many were on the rest of the field or underground. Seems odd that they are so maladapted to storms?

Then at lake Merced I heard a commotion and an osprey calling. It had a live bird flapping in its talons. The bird’s was dark with a pale band on the underwing but comparatively large though not as large as a coot. Judging from the size and what was around it was most likely a ruddy duck! I have never seen an osprey with anything but a fish..

So no rarities but bizarre occurrences!

Good  birding

Rachel​
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