My Birding World – Page 10 – A Birding Blog by Elizabeth Olin

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

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, 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!

California Wildfires

November 16, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

I step outside to an unfamiliar grey-orange cloud draping itself across the horizon. My brain tries to make sense of the air and pretends that it’s the iconic San Francisco fog rolling in from the bay. My watery eyes and burning lungs argue that the heavy fog is actually smoke.

Gomes Park in the Smoke, 2018

The Bay Area has been covered in smoke for a week and Friday was so far the worst day with an AQI of 246 in Oakland (0-50 is good air, 300+ is hazardous). The deadly Camp Fire continues its wrath, destroying everything in its path. Simultaneously, LA is battling fires. California feels like it’s in the midst of an apocalypse, and sadly the destruction is dismantling lives.

Birding typically offers me an escape from life’s worries. Each day this past week, I slip on my N95 disposable mask, breathe in its plastic-smell that I hope is properly filtering the smoke, and squint my burning eyes in search of birds. Some days it seems like the bird activity is minimal. I wonder if this is due to the fires.

Western Gull Against Smoky Sky, Moss Landing, 2018

One thing I’ve noticed is how eerily quiet it is, like stepping into an acoustically-treated room. When I hear a bird chirp, its voice is magnified against the deadened air.

I was delighted to see a hundred European starlings whistling in a whirlwind of mimicry upon a telephone wire. A Bewick’s wren pops out of a bush expressing its feelings with a crabby call that sounds like glass marbles scraping together. A distant call in the distance alerts me to a peregrine falcon flyover, and I catch sight of it just in time to watch it glide through the orange haze.

My Birding Day – No Name Trail

October 29, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

Today my husband and I drove down to Fremont, which is one of our favorite birding areas. We heard that Bonaparte’s gulls were visiting Coyote Hills Regional Park (originally reported by local expert Jerry Ting), so we made sure to stop at this rich birding hotspot for the day’s birding destination.

We parked at the Quarry Staging Area and set-up our scope and tripod in preparation for seeking out water birds. The sun was still intensely warm – when will the cool autumn days finally arrive? I slathered on sunscreen while listening to the sweet, melancholy song of the nearby golden-crowned sparrows.

A variety of birds enjoying the flowing water. 2018

The short walk to our destination featured deep blue sky and wispy clouds overhead. One by one, western meadowlarks flew by giving us a quick glance of their yellow stomachs. I spotted an American kestrel on a bare branch and watched as she preened herself. Through the scope, I could make out the brown-striped feathers and intricate head markings. It was beautiful to watch.

I was still in a grumpy mood about the unusually intense sun and lack of nearby shade, but that mood quickly shifted to excitement when we reached the aptly-named No Name Trail and spotted the Bonaparte’s gull. This little gull was in its winter plumage with its identifiable black “ear” patch and black bill against an otherwise white head. It was cute to watch as it slowly scanned the surface and gently dipped into the water to grab a morsel of food.

What I saw next made my heart leap. I was so focused on the gull that I neglected to see, or hear, the egrets close by. Typically, I’ll see a few together at a time. This time I saw nearly 150 snowy egrets squabbling with each other and several dozen great egrets focused on their seafood buffet, sponsored by the roaring water spewing out of a pipe. The noise of the egrets crabbing at each other was loud and I attempted to record it on my phone, but the powerful wind muddied my recording. Then another surprise. As we looked through the scope and binoculars, we spotted another Bonaparte’s gull! Then another, and another – wow ten! Wait, there’s more sitting on the water over there… Thirty in total! I was ecstatic to simply see one let alone dozens!

Snowy Egrets, 2018

We watched the birds for nearly an hour and decided to return to the car. We were delighted to watch a Say’s and black phoebe harass each other for the prized perching branch, spot house wrens in the bushes, and get a quick glance of a merlin as it flew off into the distance.

My Birding Day – Briones Regional Park

October 25, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

Yesterday, I visited Briones Regional Park, which is located in the East Bay. It was the middle of the week and there was a striking absence of park visitors at the Bear Creek Staging Area. When I stepped out of the car, I was greeted with a cool, crisp breeze. A chorus of bird calls and chip notes sprang from the ground. Dark-eyed juncos, white-crowned sparrows, and golden-crowned sparrows ignored my presence as they focused their attention on finding sustenance.

Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2018

The hike up Abrigo Valley Trail was unusually quiet. I hardly spotted or heard any birds except for three red-tailed hawks that were ever-present during the two-hour hike. Up, up, up I walked along the dirt trail until I reached a picnic area. I had visited this spot over the summer and found the rare indigo bunting which made itself at home amongst the luscious purple-flowered thistles that took over the landscape. The bunting was long gone, but white- and golden-crowned sparrows (which I affectionately call “crown sparrows”), lesser goldfinches, and western bluebirds danced atop the crisp, dried thistle remains. When I closed my eyes, I could hear the thistle rattle against the breeze.

Dark-eyed Junco, 2018

The walk back yielded more birds – odd as it was the noon hour and general wisdom suggests that birds are more active at dusk and dawn. Fall birding is not as musical as spring birding when birds are singing for mates and announcing their territories. Instead, I had to rely on picking out slight movements in the trees, which is a difficult task when the leaves are blowing in the wind. But the patience is worth it. I saw an oak titmouse grab something fat and green and repeatedly smack it against a branch. A female Townsend’s warbler flew into my view while I watched the titmouse. I caught a bigger movement out of the corner of my eye and out popped a Nuttall’s woodpecker with crisp white lines down her back. I accidentally scattered a dozen or so dark-eyed juncos that were expertly camouflaged on the ground, flicking their diagnostic white-lined tail feathers in retreat.

It was a joy to spend time watching the day-to-day activity of our local birds and be present in nature.

Non-Native Birds of SoCal

October 19, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

Egyptian Goslings, Orange County, 2011

I grew up in Orange County but didn’t get into birding until after I moved to the Bay Area, so I always enjoy our visits back to SoCal. In the last several years I’ve witnessed new birds flocking to the area. Many of these species look quite exotic with brightly-colored bills, unique feather patterns, or long tails. They can be found in various parks and neighborhoods.

Mandarin Duck Pair, Orange County, 2016

My sister and I began our birding adventures many years ago and we enjoy swapping stories, as she lives in Orange County and I in the Bay Area. I recall one day receiving a text from my sister when she was in LA. She sent a picture of a strange robin-sized bird with a dark back, white front, and very distinctive facial coloring. But what stood out the most was the sharply-pointed crest on its head. Not being well-versed in bird anatomy at the time, I searched for “bird with pointed feathers on head” on Google. After sifting through countless images, I found it: the red-whiskered bulbul. At the time we figured it was an escapee from a zoo. Little did I know that this Asian species was slowly establishing itself in LA.

Scaly-breasted Munia, Orange County, 2018

One of the first non-native species I personally saw in Orange County was the scaly-breasted munia. Also known as the nutmeg mannikin, these tiny birds made their way over here from Asia. I was in SoCal this weekend and watched these little creatures dance in the grass and fly across the field with long sticks of wispy plants to another location presumably to build a nest.

Bronze Mannikins, Orange County, 2018

Alongside the scaly-breasted munia were bronze mannikins. Similar in size to the munias, these little ones hail from Africa. These birds have a distinctively dark head, brown back, and bright white breast/underparts. Apparently both these birds are captured for the pet trade.

Pin-tailed Whydah, Orange County, 2018

Other non-native species in Orange County include the Japanese white eye with its heavy bold white eye ring, the pin-tailed whydah with its orange beak and long black tail, and the Egyptian goose with deeply pink legs and chocolate melting around its eye.

While non-native species certainly catch the eye, I always take time to appreciate and admire our local birds. More on that in another post.

A Case for Patience

October 6, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

There is no “right” way to go birding. You can take a short stroll, relax on your porch, hike, drive (but don’t get too distracted by the birds!), bike, boat, kayak, you name it. Personally, I enjoy slower-paced walks or hikes that allow me to not only look for birds, but also listen for their vocalizations and observe their behaviors in more depth. An added bonus is that I get to enjoy general nature more – flowers, butterflies, fallen leaves, insects, spiders, and tree bark patterns all command my attention while birding.

Take a moment to observe nature. I enjoyed these fall-colored leaves during a stroll, 2011.

It’s worth taking a moment to pause and take in your surroundings. For those of us living in a bustling city, it helps to counteract urban frenzy by lingering in one location and letting your senses take over. I’ve had several birding trips where this led to finding rare birds or observing interesting behaviors with the usual suspects. One story in particular comes to mind to illustrate this point.

This week, my husband and I were slowly walking through one of my favorite parks down a paved trail. I’ve walked this trail countless times and have a good idea of where certain birds hang out. On this particular day, we noticed a flurry of activity in the redwoods. Instead of conducting our usual quick scan before moving on, we stopped and examined each and every bird that popped into our vision. The majority of the birds were the energetic Townsend’s warblers and chestnut-backed chickadees. Brown creepers emerged and I watched them spiral up trunks digging for insects on the bark. After about 15 minutes of observing, I noticed a bird that upon first glance I thought was yet another brown creeper, except it seemed more boldly patterned. Focusing my binoculars onto the bird, I realized it was covered in heavy black-and-white stripes all over its head and body – an aptly-named black-and-white warbler! Quick, take pictures, this is a rarity for this area! We stayed in this spot for nearly an hour excited to watch a bird that does not live around here. Patience and careful scanning sure paid off.

Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District

October 2, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

When one hears “wastewater treatment plant,” birding may not be one of the first activities that comes to mind. In fact, these offer a rich birding experience as a variety of birds take advantage of the ponds and plant life. You can find sandpipers, ducks, sparrows, warblers, even birds of prey. While I’m sure some sanitation plants may test the limits of stench, I’ve quite enjoyed a couple with no odors detected thus far.

Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District

This brings me to Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District located in Marin County. Admittedly I’ve only been here twice, but each time I left with a solid list of birds. Containing four ponds with fields all around, it offers a sanctuary for birds of all types. My favorite are the mute swans, which I didn’t know existed in California let alone in the North Bay. Since then I’ve learned that they are occasionally around the East Bay.

Mute Swans, 2018

The paths around the ponds are pleasant with locals walking their dogs or jogging, while birders scan the area with binoculars glued to their faces. Ponds attract water fowl, blackberry bramble and fennel attract warblers and sparrows, and the trees collect woodpeckers and owls. The fields will produce white-tailed kites, hawks, turkey vultures, and more.

If you go, be sure to wear sun protection as there’s not a lot of shade and it can get warm during the summer.

Check out the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District eBird hotspot list.

Fall Has Arrived

October 1, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

Fall is without a doubt my favorite season. The sun is no longer beating its hot rays directly overhead and instead casts a gentle blue hue at dusk and dawn. The air is getting crisp and the brown, smoky skies are replaced by a familiar deep blue. Here in the Bay Area most of our trees stay green throughout the season, but there are occasional pops of red, yellow, and orange colors in sporadic trees.

Immature White-crowned Sparrow, 2011

Of course, birding is exciting for me in the fall. While we say goodbye to many of our bird friends who fly south, we welcome our winter visitors such as the white-crowned sparrows. Sometimes, birds that missed a turn on their normal migration route spend a day or two in our area and birders get a rare glimpse of an eastern species without having to leave the state. The birding world becomes a flurry of activity and excitement as amateurs and professionals alike rush out on a hot tip to see a new bird spotted just hours earlier. It’s a great way to meet new people and swap stories of other birding adventures.

Recently, I heard a call that I haven’t heard since early spring – the squeaky call of an American wigeon. I jumped into the air with joy upon hearing the call as it always brings a smile to my face. When I approached the pond, I realized that I was struggling to remember names of other winter ducks. “What’s that plain-gray duck called? It starts with a ‘G.’ I think… … … gadwall!” Time to dust off the field guide and brush up on my winter birds!

Welcome to My Birding World!

September 29, 2018 Elizabeth Olin

Welcome to My Birding World! I was inspired to create this blog so that I could share my passion for birding. I hope to inspire others to take a moment from their busy schedules to enjoy birds and appreciate nature.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 2010