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Category: Birding Story

Story that is not specific to a single day

Hints of Fall

Hints of Fall

Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit, Emeryville Marina

Like many birders, I get the summer blues. Breeding season has wrapped up, bird songs have quieted, fledglings are growing up, and frankly it’s too hot for humans and birds alike to be out and about.

But fall is right around the corner. This morning I saw a gaggle of Canada Geese flying silently southward in their V-formation. It reminded me of the flocks of Snow Geese, Ross’ Geese, and Greater White-fronted Geese that winter at the Sacramento NWR. Seeing that V-formation over my apartment was enough to awaken my excitement for the upcoming fall migration season.

Another sign of fall is that shorebird migration has commenced. Already I’m seeing reports of shorebird rarities popping up across the Bay Area. I realized that I’m quite rusty on shorebird ID, so I brushed up my skills by watching a Cornell Bird Academy webinar series on shorebird ID. (Side note: This is an excellent resource if you’re willing to pay $30. It reviews many aspects of shorebird identification, including behavior, habitat, shape, and more.)

One important thing about finding shorebirds is to time your visit with the tides. For example, I like to visit the Emeryville Marina and depending on the tide, I will seek out a different spot. At low tide, a thin mudflat emerges in the harbor, which entices peeps to poke around for goodies. But it’s at high tide that a variety of shorebirds, large and small, collect at the rocks against the trail facing the bay. They are pushed closer to the shore by the rising waters, giving birders a closer look. The same goes with Hayward Shoreline – you want to visit at high tide because the birds are nudged closer to the shore and within viewing range. Take a moment to observe how the tide affects your birds at your favorite shorebird spot!

Look for tide predictions at https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/.

Bird Feeder Blues

Bird Feeder Blues

I woke up to a chilly February morning, grabbed my phone, and surfed through my emails in bed. This is a typical routine for the weekend as I look through my rare bird alerts. One of my emails was from the National Audubon Society advertising a pretty blue bird feeder. A few hours later, I was the proud new owner of a feeder.

I’ve had bird feeders in the past. A finch sock for thistle attracted House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches, but after the roof was redone on our apartment building, we decided to remove the feeder since it made a mess and could have affected the new roofing from our third-story location.

Then I had a hummingbird feeder for a while. Sadly, I forgot to refill the feeder for several days and it was outside cooking in the hot sun. Mold grew inside the glass tube, and despite multiple rounds of bleaching, I couldn’t get rid of it. I didn’t want to harm the hummers, so I threw it away.

Now I’m using a feeder that can attract multiple types of birds. I filled it with no-mess sunflower seeds, and waited.

And waited.

And waited…

February comes and goes. March comes and goes. What the heck? Daily I would stare at the bird-less feeder, jealously hearing all the finches calling outside. Why won’t they come?

With the stay-at-home orders in place, I’m now working from home. No commute means I have some extra time before I start work. I’m spending that extra time in the mornings watching the crows build and tend to a nest and listening to the morning chorus of songs and calls. And watching the bird-less feeder.

On a warm April afternoon, I was in the living room and heard a Lesser Goldfinch sing. It sounded close! I snuck into the kitchen to look at the feeder through the window. Aaaand nothing. Bummed, I went back to the living room. But wait, I heard it again! I repeated my slow approach, and spotted it – a male Lesser Goldfinch downing the seed and singing! It was later joined by a female.

I’ve been watching this pair visit the feeder sporadically throughout the day. I’m happy to finally have some bird action at the feeder.

Return of the Swallows

Return of the Swallows

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow Getting Ready for Nesting, 2016

I step out into the chilly air, reluctantly escaping the warmth of the car. The sky is blue, the hills are green, and the ponds are inviting me to explore the wintering waterfowl. I make my way towards the water when something catches my attention in the corner of my eye. Actually, make that several somethings. Dark shadows are playfully darting in no discernable pattern across the sky. The swallows are back!

Swallows are starting to become active as they arrive back to the Bay Area. Returning from a winter absence to their breeding grounds, they bring a splash of color and excitement to the skies.

We tend to get several types of swallows with some occasional visits by rarities. Barn Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows, and Violet-green Swallows will soon become a common sight. (Tree Swallows are here year-round although seemingly not as active.)

Take a moment to watch the swallows as they dart and dive in a mysterious pattern in the sky. They are a joy to witness.

#GreenFriday

#GreenFriday

Every year, family and friends gather, cook all day for a big feast, crash on the couch with football or The Twilight Zone running in the background, and spend some time reflecting on values and giving thanks.

Then Black Friday rolls around and we immediately switch into frantic shopping mode, braving the crowds and traffic to get that TV or hot new toy – purchases which may not even be gifts for others. It’s a frenzy that unravels the thoughtfulness of the day prior.

I’m excited to see a change in the winds with more and more retailers committed to closing on Thanksgiving Day and encouraging nature visits on Black Friday. The Bird Watcher’s Digest (a fantastic birding publication) is promoting a #GreenFriday event. The goal is to get outdoors and enjoy nature thus extending our appreciation to wildlife.

Luckily, here in the Bay Area we have a brief pause in the rain to let the bone-dry soil absorb the moisture and to let us sneak outdoors. Where will you go?

Bar-Tailed Godwits Galore!

Bar-Tailed Godwits Galore!

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Emeryville, 2019

On a previous trip, I missed an opportunity to see a rare Bar-tailed Godwit. It was one of those heart-breaking trips where your eyes, arms, and fingers are numb from endless hours of combing through a sea of bird look-a-likes, and finally deciding that the target bird may or may not be out there but it’s time to call it a day. We’ve all been there and it’ll certainly happen again.

My unfortunate luck from that trip took a surprising positive turn.

Months later, not only did a Bar-tailed Godwit appear in the Bay Area, but it was hanging out with a Hudsonian Godwit! I opted to leave my camera in the car because the location required climbing up a small cliff that offered ropes to assist the adventurous. It was an exceptionally rare treat to see three godwits together, which included the expected Marbled Godwit. I wished that I had a scope, camera, or high-powered binoculars to really absorb their differences.

Fast forward several more weeks, and yet another sighting of a Bar-tailed Godwit appeared on my rare bird alert – in Emeryville, just a hop, skip, and a jump away! This visit offered a very close view of the bird, which allowed me to really study its features as compared with the hundreds of Marbled Godwits that it chose to associate with.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Emeryville, 2019

This winter plumage Bar-tailed Godwit was smaller than the Marbled Godwits, had a white breast compared with the buffy tones of the marbled, and had straight black-and-white barring on its tail (hence the name) that was covered by a layer of black primary feathers. The easiest feature to see in a tight crowd of godwits was the white chest and body, which is how this individual was located that afternoon.

Each time I see a rare bird, it makes me more aware of what I don’t know and how much I have to learn in this field. For one thing, I will be scanning godwits more carefully here on out.

Hanging Out With The Crows

Hanging Out With The Crows

Young crows are vocal, shiny black balls. They follow their parents around while belching out a dry “caw” sound. When a parent gives it food (by cramming its beak down the young crow’s throat), the young crow gives off a call that sounds like what I imagine a dying cat would sound like.

I’ve had coworkers come to me alarmed by this call. I reassure them that the crow is fine, it’s just eating.

A family of crows is intent on feeding on top of the medical building that I can view from my apartment window. Every so often throughout the day, the dying call wails from the young crow as it’s being fed.

I finally carved out some time to watch the feeding in action. I can easily identify the one young crow by its constant calls to be fed, as well as the very red, fleshy mouth it displays while holding its beak open waiting for sustenance.

I watched as a parent unsuccessfully pecked at a very stale piece of bread. I imagined it gave up on the bread when it meandered over to dripping water coming from an air conditioning pipe. I chuckled as it used the meager drops to wet its feathers. But wait, it wasn’t only getting a bath – it put the stale bread into the little puddle that the droplets were forming! That didn’t seem to be working too well, so it shoved the bread into the pipe where the water was running. Success! Moistened bread for the win! Crows are truly geniuses.

Organizing Photographs

Organizing Photographs

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret, 2016

Several months ago, I embarked on a journey to rename 10 years-worth of bird photos. For each image, which includes both the JPG and RAW files, I added the four-letter bird species code. This would allow me to easily locate species I am targeting for a blog post, ID comparison, or to share on Facebook. It’s been a daunting task, but also a good learning experience.

I was worried that I would uncover cases of misidentification, especially in my earlier birding years. I haven’t tackled the Texas birds, with which I am frightfully unfamiliar. A case of misidentification will throw off my carefully maintained written and electronic life list. So far, so good (noting that I haven’t looked at Texas yet…).

I renamed and sorted through countless bird photos for months. In the end, I was left with 140 shots of birds I couldn’t immediately identify. Now the real sleuthing begins. It’s fun to crack open a field guide or two, research media online, and try to puzzle out the features which will all contribute to my continuing knowledge of birds. What fun!

Bird Sound Recordings

Bird Sound Recordings

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow, Bolsa Chica, 2018

I bird a lot by ear. It’s challenging and yet highly rewarding. It opens up a new world allowing me to discover the birds of the day, which is especially useful if I don’t have my binoculars with me. I’m still learning so much as there are countless songs, calls, and chip notes to memorize. Even birds that I’m quite familiar with will surprise me with “new” material.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow, Coyote Hills RP, 2017

Imagine my delight when eBird and the Macaulay Library released two sound challenges. The April eBird challenge is to submit 20 checklists with a recording and/or photo. Macaulay Library has an even loftier goal of asking birders to submit 90 recordings through the end of October.

Excited, I tried my first recording on my Samsung Galaxy smartphone using Voice Record Pro. I downloaded Audacity to process my recordings. I watched tutorials on how to process and submit recordings according to Macaulay Library standards. There was a bit of a learning curve but I got the hang of it.

As I recorded more, I started to realize how much background noise is picked up. The hum of distant traffic, a bike or car racing by, conversations by hikers, and the ever-present ambulance and police sirens. I began to realize how much I tune out these sound bites constantly. I was frustrated with my noisy recordings. They weren’t clean and clear – why would they want to utilize these?

Mottled Duck

Mottled Duck, Texas, 2018

It dawned on me that this is my birding world. I bird in the buzz of an urban environment. The birds are still here. They are competing with the noise. Capturing my experience for researchers will hopefully contribute to efforts to understand the urban bird experience. So, I will continue to submit my noisy pieces and be more thankful for those rare moments of complete silence surrounding me when the opportunity arises.

Hutton's Vireo

Hutton’s Vireo, William R Mason RP, 2019

Listen Carefully: Lesser Goldfinch Songs

Listen Carefully: Lesser Goldfinch Songs

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch, Pt. Pinole Regional Shoreline, 2015

I like to walk fast. Zip around here and there. Although when I’m birding, I’m averaging about one mile an hour. But when not birding I’m speedy.

Recently my foot has been giving me problems, and the last couple of days it’s forced me to walk around much slower than I prefer. I take it in stride and try to enjoy the new sights and sounds of an otherwise familiar area. Colors are springing up in gardens and birds are more active as they gather nesting materials and fill the air with songs.

Garden Flower

Garden Flower, Berkeley, 2010

Yesterday I spotted a Lesser Goldfinch brightly singing in the early evening in a small tree next to a medical building. Although I was on my way home and my mind was preoccupied with throwing together dinner, I stopped and listened. Familiar dips and crunchy chips filled the air. I heard a Chestnut-backed Chickadee call, but couldn’t find the bird. I heard it again, only to realize that the goldfinch made the call! My attention completely focused on the Goldie and its singing, I heard it demonstrate two more calls: an Oak Titmouse and a Black Phoebe. I ran home and a quick Google search confirmed that Lesser Goldfinches do in fact mimic, although ornithologists are not clear why. What a delightful thing to discover, all because I had been walking slower and enjoying the experience!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have much to be thankful for: a great husband and family, healthcare, a roof over my head, access to healthy food, rain, and of course birds. Take a moment away from the stress or busyness of orchestrating the perfect Thanksgiving meal and watch some birds.

Thanksgiving reminds us of turkeys and in the past few years I’ve observed many wild turkeys on my various outings. When I’m strolling through a park and hear loud noises that sound like a bobcat recklessly falling downhill through a pile of dried leaves, I know I’ve stumbled upon a noisy flock of turkey foraging for food. I’ve spotted turkeys taking quick naps on the UC Berkeley campus and have even seen them in quaint little neighborhoods in the city sitting on a car parked on the street (and probably scratching the paint). They have started to become a nuisance to some residents.

Wild Turkeys

Wild Turkeys, Coyote Hills RP, 2017

My favorite turkey story takes place at Coyote Hills Regional Park. It’s an unusual day if I don’t see, or hear, turkeys rummaging in the hills at Coyote. One sunny day, my husband pulled the car into an open parking slot near the visitor center and we were greeted by a displaying tom. The turkey approached the front of our car and stared a deep, mean glare at us. We decided to stay put in the car until he moved on knowing that these guys can get pretty aggressive. We eventually stepped out of the car and watched as a photographer lowered himself to the ground to get that perfect shot of the display. The turkey slowly sauntered over to the photographer and I could hear the excited clicks of the camera grow more rapid. Someone cautioned the photographer to be careful, but I’ll bet he was getting great close-up shots. The turkey got within striking range, lifted up its wing, and smacked the photographer in the arm causing him to fall over and scramble away. Don’t mess with a tom looking for love!

Happy Thanksgiving!