|
Parula continues
Stephen J. Davies <sdavies@...>
With the return of cooler temperatures and an onshore breeze, it looks like
most of yesterdays migrants moved out of here. The Northern Parula is still here however - it was singing conspicuously from treetops around the West Wash at 7:45am. Stephen Stephen J. Davies San Francisco, CA Tel: 415 776-6321 Email: sdavies@socrates.ucsf.edu
|
|
|
|
Re: FW: Parula continues
Alan Hopkins <ash@...>
I believe that N. Parulas have nested in Marin and possibly along Gazos
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Creek Rd. in San Mateo Co. I believe Parulas are dependent on �Spanish Moss� hanging from the trees � a habitat we lack in SF. Alan Mark W. Eaton wrote:
|
|
|
|
Wood Duck at N. Lake
Alan Hopkins <ash@...>
The Wood Duck was still at North Lake. A year bird for me.
Alan
|
|
|
|
FW: Parula continues
Stephen J. Davies <sdavies@...>
I suspected this too. Didn't Parulas nest out on Pt Reyes some years ago?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message-----
From: Harry Fuller [mailto:Harry_Fuller@zd.com] Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 2:24 PM To: sdavies@cgl.ucsf.EDU Subject: RE: [SFBirds] Parula continues Kevin says trhere's a female too, possibly mating pair? A few years ago a pair of Am Redstarts actually mated and nested at Phipps Ranch near Pescadero, way out of their range
|
|
|
|
Re: FW: Parula continues
Mark W. Eaton <mweaton@...>
"Stephen J. Davies" wrote:
Way out of their current range, I'd guess. I don't have Grinnell and Miller here, but I think NOPA historic range was well up the coast, much farther than they did recently. Also, NOPA are more or less regular, though rare, breeders in Monterey County, if recollection serves... Unfortunately, I'd guess that their chances of success are probably about as good as the Olive-sided Flycatcher in the wash... :-( Mark -- Mark Eaton mailto:mweaton@pacbell.net SFBirds Web Page http://home.pacbell.net/mweaton Golden Gate Audubon Web Page http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org "Money can add nothing to what I already have. What enables me to live better is ideals. Besides, money is like snow in winter. It accumulates slowly, but melts away rapidly." - Ba Jin, July 1944, from the Epilogue of "Garden of Repose" (Foreign Language Press, Beijing, China, first edition 1988. ISBN 0-8351-1055-9)
|
|
|
|
Too hot to work
Allan Ridley <aridley@...>
Hiked the riparian corridor of Glen Canyon in the heat of late morning
wednesday, pines popping, birds panting and hanging out in family groups right down at the water. Observed parents with ambulatory young of the following species: dark-eyed junco, song sparrow (both parents and 4 juv. in one instance), bushtit, downy woodpecker, scrub jay, lesser goldfinch, house finch(mucho), white crowned sparrow, modo, eust, hosp and red-tailed hawk (up in cypresses, 2 adult and one noisy juv. flying & calling). Adult & juv. Anna's hb hawking insects in close proximity. Also in the willows: 2 wilson's warb and above in the cypress black-headed grosbeak - singing. A pair of pigmy nu were repeatedly visiting a hole in a cypress and a pair of white-crowns were mating nearby - everyone panting - lots'o young birds in evidence right now. The creek was alive with birds drinking and bathing, feeding and just hanging out. I feel a need to say a word about Luis Baptista who always found time to enchant my ornithology students with his insights on bird communication and many other fascinating examples of the unique capabilities of birds. He possessed and encyclopedic mind and delighted in making connections with history and contemporary events and using his knowledge of several languages to reveal shades of meaning in scientific terminology. His ideas often seemed to flash along ahead of us drawing us to new insights and understanding. He loved to share his knowledge and did so with twinkling humor, artfully whistling and making faces. Have you read his book on the Biology of the Columbiformes? It's full of unexpected information (and humor)... such as the importance of sunbathing and the variety of sunbathing pigeon postures. His enthusiasm and energy seemed boundless. I once lamented the fact that both of the ornithology texts suitable for high school students (Pasquier and Corral) were out of print. His immediate and enthusiastic response was, "Let's write one! We'll co-author ...." It seemed a great idea but I was a bit slow on the uptake I'm afraid. A busy man with commitments galore, he scheduled a morning each fall for the past 10 or 12 years for talking with the students and showing them through the highlights of the study skin collection. He also worked more extensively with some of the students who chose to return to the academy to volunteer in birds & mammals. Such a bright light so suddenly extinguished leaves us for awhile in the dark. Allan
|
|
|
|
Re: FW: Parula continues
Harry Fuller <harry_fuller@...>
|
|
|
|
ruddies
Harry Fuller <harry_fuller@...>
Hugh, Dan, Alan, anybody: are the baby Ruddy Ducks at south Merced worthy of
some kind of write-up? would it be worth "North American Birds" for example?
|
|
|
|
Re: ruddies
Mark W. Eaton <mweaton@...>
I thought small numbers of RUDU breed in various locations in the Bay Area.
Mark Harry Fuller wrote: -- Mark Eaton mailto:mweaton@pacbell.net SFBirds Web Page http://home.pacbell.net/mweaton Golden Gate Audubon Web Page http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org "Money can add nothing to what I already have. What enables me to live better is ideals. Besides, money is like snow in winter. It accumulates slowly, but melts away rapidly." - Ba Jin, July 1944, from the Epilogue of "Garden of Repose" (Foreign Language Press, Beijing, China, first edition 1988. ISBN 0-8351-1055-9)
|
|
|
|
Re: ruddies
Alan Hopkins <ash@...>
Harry,
I think the Ruddies are worth writing up � even if they don't make it in N. American Birds. Alan
|
|
|
|
Re: ruddies
Dan Murphy <murphsf@...>
Hi Harry,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I think we have old records for Ruddy Ducks reproducing at LM. I don't think it should be a NABirds report, but I do think this is just what should be in the Gull. It's incredible how important those old Gulls are for learning about birding in the past. They published all field trip reports until we had too many trips to report on. That forum should continue to be a significant local source of information about such things as relatively common birds nesting in our area. Actually the Ruddy Duck record is a pretty good one since they don't nest in the City every year. Best, Dan Harry Fuller wrote:
Hugh, Dan, Alan, anybody: are the baby Ruddy Ducks at south Merced worthy of
|
|
|
|
Hooded Warbler at Mt Davidson June 17, 2000
Calvin D Lou <calvlou@...>
This morning at 805Am, There was a singing male Hooded warbler at Mt
Davidson. From the intersections of Dalewood and Lansdale, Take the trail up the hillside, listen for the bird on the left near the concrete post in the middle of the trail. Other birds band-tailed pigeons, cb chickadees, pygmy nuthatches, mockingbirds, lesser goldfinches, robins, scrub jays, winter wrens, wc sparrow, song sparrow. Calvin :
|
|
|
|
South Bay
Harry Fuller <harry_fuller@...>
Nice day in South Bay today:
Many Curlew and Willet at Palo Alto Baylands, nesting Stilt and Avocet Kites, Harrier, Marsh Wrens At Charleston Slough: Pintails (>5), Ruddy Ducks, many Les Scaup, one Bl Simmer, nesting Forster's Tern, female Ho Merganser, Cin Teal more nesting Stilt and Avocet, Common Yellowthroat, more Willets Pair of Burrowing Owls on First Avenue west of Mathilda where the new Yahoo HQ is being built, a modest 800K square feet says the sign...they have burrow right along road next to parking lot at Bldg #174
|
|
|
|
[Fwd: [pen-bird] Pac Bell Park birds]
Mark W. Eaton <mweaton@...>
|
|
|
|
Fort Funston Quail, Sea Otter and other sightings
Alan Hopkins <ash@...>
On Saturday June 15, I visited Fort Funston to check the quail. I was I
got to the restoration/quail area at about 9 and it took over a hour to see or hear any quail. I was about to give up when a male quail ran from the valley on the west side of the path to the low-growing acacia on the southeast side of the path. Hidden inside the acacias he started giving the single �Caw� calls. At that point I re-traced my path along the equestrian path to a good vantage point near the Sunset Grove. After some more time the male appeared, and then shortly there after the lame female appeared. The birds fed in the area by the black plastic for some time and then went back to the brush and out of sight. As I was walking back I heard the, or a, male calling from a different area somewhere along the ridge near the lone pruned cypress, but I never saw the bird. Last year I spotted the male Fort Funston quail with chicks on June 20. At that time the chicks could just make short flights, which would mean they were about ten days old. It is interesting that the chicks were being led by the male, this is usually the female's task. Last year I never saw a female quail at FF. I wonder if the lame female could have produced last years chicks? This would explain why the chicks were being led by the male. If this were true, it would be an incredible story of survival. I was amazed that she lasted a week! Other Fort Funston sightings: There was a lone Sea Otter due west of the Bank Swallow Parking lot. Large numbers of Common Murres were flying south. There were Pigeon Guillemot both flying south an feeding off shore, and there were lingering Pacific Loons, Western and Clark's Grebes and Surf Scoters. The Bank Swallows were zipping about. There are at least three male Bewick's Wrens singing on territory. There are high numbers of White-crowned Sparrows and Cowbirds. When visiting Fort Funston I have discovered that it is much more pleasant to park along the Great Highway just to the south of the closed Bank Swallow Parking lot and walk in from the north. If you walk south along the Great Highway there is an entrance to FF that allows you to access the trail without going down to the beach. From the trail there is good seabird scoping, the wildflowers are wonderful, and there are far fewer dogs to contend with.
|
|
|
|
Indigo Bunting + Hooded Oriole
Mike Feighner <pac_loon@...>
San Francisco Birders:
Thanks to those who replied to my RFI. Unfortunately I had little time to follow up on all the locations. I tried to track down Calvin Lou's Hooded Warbler but struck out. Directions were clear and concise. I found the concrete post without trouble but still found no Hooded Warbler. The other usuals were all present: Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Raven, Pygmy Nuthatch, Winter Wren, etc. I also visited Glen Canyon Park. I had actually been there on June 3, 2000. On that date there was a calling Olive-sided Flycatcher from behind the so-called Day-Care Center, and several Hooded Orioles were calling from the eucalyptus trees in the park. There wasn't a palm tree in sight anywhere! Today, I hiked northward from the ball park. Right at the ball park there is a stucco building that is the Recreation Center. I continued further northward on the trail until I could see ahead the riparian area and a small bridge to the left to an unsigned two-story building with a balcony. According to one of the regular park visitors of the park this is the so-called Day-Care Center, although it certainly doesn't look like one and has no sign that says such. The Indigo Bunting was in the first eucalyptus tree to the left of the trail north of the Day-Care Center. It didn't stay for long. The Page Mill Road Indigo Bunting in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is much more reliable and much easier to find. A Hooded Oriole was calling from this same tree. Remember there are two trails here. You'll be on the right one if you first cross the small bridge on the left to the Day-Care Center and turn right and walk a short distance just north of the Day-Care Center to the first large eucalyptus tree on the left. -- Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, pac_loon@pacbell.net
|
|
|
|
Ruddy Ducks in SF
Harry Fuller <harry_fuller@...>
|
|
|
|
Monday Strybing Quail Check.
Alan Hopkins <ash@...>
I visited Strybing Arboretum this morning and did not see or hear any
quail. I did see an imm. Red-tail dive-bombing a Great Blue Heron, and an imm. Cooper's Hawk going after the Starlings in the Eucalyptus above the Succulent Garden. Cooper's Hawks are bad news for quail, let's hope it moves on. Alan
|
|
|
|
Re: Monday Strybing Quail Check.
Daniel Murphy <danmur@...>
Alan,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Seems you might be out of luck in your hopes for Cooper's Hawk. I heard about yet another possible nesting pair on Sunday. Seems they're being seen with some regularity at Buena Vista Park. So if the birds remain where they've been seen in recent years we should have that pair west of North Lake and the possibility of another pair around Mallard Lake (only at the rumor level of verification). There was a nest in the zoo last year and birds were seen at the north east end of Harding Golf Course through the nesting season. There is a report from the Olympic Club from a few years ago. So based on recent year's reports, we have 2 nests confirmed (exculuding the nest from a few years ago at Fort Funston), and the possibilty of 4 others. That means we have between 2 and 6 nesting pairs of Coops in SF. Pretty remarkable. Remember too we are seeing more and more Red Foxes. Sounds like a tough future for birds and small mammals. Dan Alan Hopkins wrote:
I visited Strybing Arboretum this morning and did not see or hear any
|
|
|
|
Golden Eagle, Probable Least Tern
Htcotter@...
Hi All,
I just got a call from Dan Murphy who asked that I relay the following: ( or at least I volunteered to do so) Today he got a call from Ed Ely who told him of a Least Tern on the beach at the north end of Fort Funston today. Dan believes that this is probably a good report. Ed also collected a Long Tailed Weasal for all you mammal lovers out there. Dan also told me of a Golden Eagle from Saturday last at the South Tower of the GG Bridge being harrassed by a Western Gull. Dan believes that he sent out an email but maybe I was the only one who missed it - which wouldnt be a first. Just thought you would like to know, I am sure Dan will fill in the details, Hugh
|
|
|
