How Early do you Start Birding?
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Mike Bush
Hi SLOCO Birders - We pretty much all agree that birds are active early in the day, and then not so much throughout the rest of the day. Yes, they still feed, yet seem to be less energized than the first thing in the morning. As an example: Tom Edell and I began our birding walk at Oso Flaco this morning at 7:02. Our walk along the interior roadway - the tunnel - was extremely birdy. So many bird songs in the air it was hard to decipher where they were all coming from, how many there were and just what birds were making the songs and calls. It was fantastic! We walked onto the boardwalk across Oso Flaco Lake and waited for Least Terns to reappear as we had only a distant initial look. When we were walking back along the roadway to the parking area, we noted just how NOT BIRDY it was - just 90 minutes later. In some stretches it was almost silent. You can see our eBird report HERE. This time of year can be a personal challenge for me to get out 'early' to bird - compared to the Christmas Bird Count when 7am was sunrise, and being out at that time didn't seem so bad. NOW the sunrise is at 5:48am. I was outside my house in an oak woodland in Los Osos this morning just before sunrise - and lots of birds were already singing! If you think you are getting out early to start birding, and arrive ready-to-go at 8am, the birds have already been up for two and a half hours at this time of year. [Not all birds are created equal. For example, raptors wait for the day to heat up to soar on thermals. Shorebirds and gulls perch on the sand overnight and the tides are often the best factor for good viewing.] Oh! And without Daylight Savings Time, sunrise would be at 4:48am!!! See how easy we have it by getting a very early start just after 6am?? Marsh Wren singing at Oso Flaco Lake at 7:20am: "I've been singing for an hour! Where have you been??"  Mike Bush Los Osos, California
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Alvaro Jaramillo
Mike Very nice summary! I do want to mention some oddballs though:
Vireos like to sing in the middle of the day. In fact, they sing more in the middle of the day than they do in the morning.
California Towhees do their song more often in the evening than the morning. This is weird!
Some species have “dawn songs” that you only hear before or right at sunrise, many Tyrant Flycatchers do this. From pewees to kingbirds.
Warbler flight songs, and not all of them do it, are more likely near dawn than at other times of the day. Locally a species that will take to the air and sing away is the Common Yellowthroat!
Many warbler species have two major song types they give. One tends to be territorial, the other tends to be for mate attraction. In species that have two song types, the territorial one tends to be given in the dawn period much more commonly than the rest of the day. Hopefully I did not switch the two around, I am going off the top of my head on this 😊. But it is interesting, and perhaps more applicable in the East than here, but it does happen in some species.
Again, nice commentary Mike. Alvaro
Alvaro Jaramillo
From: slocobirding@groups.io <slocobirding@groups.io> On Behalf Of Mike Bush
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 9:41 PM To: SLOBIRD CALIF <slocobirding@groups.io> Subject: [slocobirding] How Early do you Start Birding?
Hi SLOCO Birders -
We pretty much all agree that birds are active early in the day, and then not so much throughout the rest of the day. Yes, they still feed, yet seem to be less energized than the first thing in the morning.
As an example: Tom Edell and I began our birding walk at Oso Flaco this morning at 7:02. Our walk along the interior roadway - the tunnel - was extremely birdy. So many bird songs in the air it was hard to decipher where they were all coming from, how many there were and just what birds were making the songs and calls. It was fantastic!
We walked onto the boardwalk across Oso Flaco Lake and waited for Least Terns to reappear as we had only a distant initial look. When we were walking back along the roadway to the parking area, we noted just how NOT BIRDY it was - just 90 minutes later. In some stretches it was almost silent. You can see our eBird report HERE.
This time of year can be a personal challenge for me to get out 'early' to bird - compared to the Christmas Bird Count when 7am was sunrise, and being out at that time didn't seem so bad. NOW the sunrise is at 5:48am. I was outside my house in an oak woodland in Los Osos this morning just before sunrise - and lots of birds were already singing!
If you think you are getting out early to start birding, and arrive ready-to-go at 8am, the birds have already been up for two and a half hours at this time of year. [Not all birds are created equal. For example, raptors wait for the day to heat up to soar on thermals. Shorebirds and gulls perch on the sand overnight and the tides are often the best factor for good viewing.]
Oh! And without Daylight Savings Time, sunrise would be at 4:48am!!! See how easy we have it by getting a very early start just after 6am??
Marsh Wren singing at Oso Flaco Lake at 7:20am: "I've been singing for an hour! Where have you been??"
Mike Bush Los Osos, California
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Ok, first of all I gotta say - to paraphrase a rather funny shampoo commercial- I’m never not birding! 😜 My favorite time early-wise is when I first open my front door at about 6am to go out and fill the feeders. There’s already a flock of Nutmeg Mannakins (Spice Finches?) in our big ash tree waiting for me, as well as the Scrub Jays who love to attack the peanut suet cake right away. The Eurasian Collared Doves are also active already, as well as the many Lesser Goldfinches that appreciate the feeder fare, and House Finches following soon. I’m not a fan of the non-native species but whaddaya do? Occasionally I get some really neat unusual birds, like the year I had a White Winged Dove visit. I take care of my elderly mother so mostly bird at home, and I’ve taught she and my husband to identify a few!
Happy Birding, all! Susan Crawford Orcutt & Laurel SLO -- Dreamzville.com (Home of Dreamzville Radio), San Luis Obispo.
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I have assisted in a few banding and point count projects. We were always in the field with equipment set up and ready 30 minutes before first light.
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John Seidel Men argue, nature acts. Voltaire
On Jun 2, 2022, at 8:07 AM, Susan Crawford <dreamzville@...> wrote:
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Chris Van Beveren
I can't do birdwalks anymore, but we can set the iPhone on the sill of a slightly open window, set to Merlin, to see what is calling early. Today it was a vigorous concert from a Bewick's Wren. Chris Van Beveren 565 Baywood Way Los Osos CA 93402 Phone: 805 215 3737 becktravel@...
On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, 09:41:47 PM PDT, Mike Bush <mbushii@...> wrote: Hi SLOCO Birders - We pretty much all agree that birds are active early in the day, and then not so much throughout the rest of the day. Yes, they still feed, yet seem to be less energized than the first thing in the morning. As an example: Tom Edell and I began our birding walk at Oso Flaco this morning at 7:02. Our walk along the interior roadway - the tunnel - was extremely birdy. So many bird songs in the air it was hard to decipher where they were all coming from, how many there were and just what birds were making the songs and calls. It was fantastic! We walked onto the boardwalk across Oso Flaco Lake and waited for Least Terns to reappear as we had only a distant initial look. When we were walking back along the roadway to the parking area, we noted just how NOT BIRDY it was - just 90 minutes later. In some stretches it was almost silent. You can see our eBird report HERE. This time of year can be a personal challenge for me to get out 'early' to bird - compared to the Christmas Bird Count when 7am was sunrise, and being out at that time didn't seem so bad. NOW the sunrise is at 5:48am. I was outside my house in an oak woodland in Los Osos this morning just before sunrise - and lots of birds were already singing! If you think you are getting out early to start birding, and arrive ready-to-go at 8am, the birds have already been up for two and a half hours at this time of year. [Not all birds are created equal. For example, raptors wait for the day to heat up to soar on thermals. Shorebirds and gulls perch on the sand overnight and the tides are often the best factor for good viewing.] Oh! And without Daylight Savings Time, sunrise would be at 4:48am!!! See how easy we have it by getting a very early start just after 6am?? Marsh Wren singing at Oso Flaco Lake at 7:20am: "I've been singing for an hour! Where have you been??"  Mike Bush Los Osos, California
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Kaaren Perry
Love this Chris! What a great idea and love your report of the Bewick's Wren via Merlin from your cracked window. Inspiring to say the least. 😊
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Again, thanks Mike, this time public thanks for starting this discussion on sloco… lots of fun and learning along the way! Perfect!
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svlrchrd
Bird activity: Folks, I have been in and out of birding since 1984. I'm in Avila Beach and go to Pismo SP oceano campground several times a week. I only report to SLO list and to ebird if a cosmic bird. What I see for this location is when sun hits the the trees , the insects pop, followed by the birds. This spring has been nada for rare birds. Best regards, Rick Saval
On Thu, Jun 2, 2022 at 6:35 PM Kaaren Perry <surfbird1@...> wrote:
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