Birding Archive

Good news for birds at the Altamont wind farm January 28, 2013

Posted by Mike Lynes in Birding, Conservation, Golden Gate Audubon Altamont wind turbines / Photo by Elizabeth Pepin/KQED

By Mike Lynes

Our years of advocacy on behalf of raptors at the Altamont Pass wind farm are paying off — with a dramatic reduction in bird mortality there.

Deaths of four key raptor species from Altamont wind turbines dropped by an estimated 50 percent between 2005 and 2010, according to the independent scientific review committee charged with monitoring bird mortality there.

The estimated numbe…

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Birding Hotspot: U.C. Botanical Garden January 27, 2013

Posted by Phila Rogers in Birding, Birding Hotspots Hooded Oriole feeding in the Palm and Cycad Garden / Photo by Ken Wahl

This is the third in a series of occasional reviews of Bay Area birding locations. Do you have a favorite site you’d like to share? Email idebare@goldengateaudubon.org

By Chris Carmichael and Phila Rogers

Strawberry Canyon has it all – a vigorous year-round stream, lush riparian vegetation that  follows the stream, and surrounding hillsides with native coastal chaparral and open grassla…

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Audubon birders in Nome, Alaska January 24, 2013

Posted by GGAS in Birding, International Birding Quartz Creek near the airport / Photo by Steve Lombardi

By Carol and Steve Lombardi

If you’ve only seen Nome as the snow-covered finish line for the Iditarod, well — as Madeline Kahn sang, “You’d be surprised…”

At about 9 p.m. on a June evening, we stepped down from our third aircraft of the day into the pleasantly brisk Nome twilight. Green grass bordered the airfield, interrupted by small patches of snow. A short drive around the city and harb…

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Barn Owls in our urban Bay Area January 20, 2013

Posted by GGAS in Birding Barn Owl / Photo by Bob Lewis

By Lisa Owens Viani

My owl obsession began when I moved to Berkeley in 2003. One evening while on an evening walk with a friend, she pointed out what she thought was the sound of someone breathing with the help of a respirator in a house on Edwards Street. That didn’t seem quite right — I instantly thought “bird” — but I wasn’t expecting to hear owls in such an urban spot.

I called a birder fr…

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Herring! Gulls! Birders! January 13, 2013

Posted by Ilana DeBare in Birding, Conservation Herring run in SF / Photo by Noreen Weeden

By Ilana DeBare

Last week saw one of the first big herring runs of the season in San Francisco Bay.

What’s a herring run? It’s a moment when the tides, weather and salinity are just right for herring to spawn in the bay – thousands upon thousands of them.

Which then draws thousands upon thousands of gulls and other birds.

Which then draws – well, maybe not thousands, but dozens of bir…

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Rapid response for Berkeley Burrowing Owls January 10, 2013

Posted by Ilana DeBare in Birding, Conservation, Golden Gate Audubon Owl by soccer complex on Jan. 9th  / Photo by Ilana DeBare

By Ilana DeBare

Q: What’s more exciting than a new Burrowing Owl roosting site in Berkeley?
 
A: When city officials, park district officials and Audubon activists pull off a super-speedy response to protect the owls!

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Golden Gate Audubon’s volunteer docents were thrilled to find Burrowing Owls at a new site in early Januar…

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In praise of Turkey Vultures January 3, 2013

Posted by GGAS in Birding TV-larryjordan

Remember that old Rodney Dangerfield line:  ”I don’t get no respect?” The same could be said about Turkey Vultures, one of our most common Bay Area birds. So when we saw this post by a TV fan on the 10000 Birds blog, we had to share it with you. Taking a new look at a familiar bird seemed like a good way to start 2013.

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