Oct. 2010 Field Trips
Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trips
October 2, 10, 11, 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Debi Shearwater and Shearwater Journeys leaders, debi@shearwaterjourneys.com
These seabird trips offered by Shearwater Journeys are aboard the new Captain Pete and leave from the Huck Finn Center, Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay. Some excellent sightings were made in 2009, including a Short-tailed Albatross and White-chinned Petrel (second record for North America, first live sighting). It is expected that these trips will be very popular. Half Moon Bay is easy to reach from San Francisco, the East Bay, or Silicon Valley. We may be able to reach seabirds such as storm-petrel flocks more easily than from other ports. For general trip reports, go www.shearwaterjourneys.com and click on Trip Reports, or see the blog www.shearwaterjourneysblogspot.com.
Cost is $128 for GGA members (nonrefundable), $148 for nonmembers. To make reservations, please send payment to Debi Shearwater, PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024.
Jewel Lake
Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley
Friday, October 1, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Leader TBD
Monthly first Friday trips at Tilden. Meet at the parking lot at the north end of Central Park Dr. for a 1-mile, 2-hour-plus stroll through this lush riparian area. Phila Rogers has been leading the trips, but a different leader will be on the October trip.
Butterfly Walk
UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Saturday, October 2, 3 p.m.
Sal Levinson, sal.levinson@gmail.com
Meet just inside the garden entrance. We will walk through the garden in search of host plants to such butterflies as skippers, buckeyes, blues, pipevine swallowtail, and mylitta crescent. Bring binoculars (close focusing are best) and a field guide if you have one. Rain cancels. The garden charges a fee to nonmembers. Please RSVP to Sal if you plan to attend.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Sunday, October 3, 8 – 10:30 a.m.
Alan Ridley, allanrid@pacbell.net; Helen McKenna, 415.566.3241; Ginny Marshall; Dominik Mosur, polskatata@yahoo.com
Meet at the front gate of the garden in Golden Gate Park, 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way. This delightful section of the park has several micro-habitats that attract an array of resident, migrant, and vagrant birds. This monthly trip is oriented toward helping beginning birders develop their skills in spotting and identifying birds. The SF Botanical Garden now charges $7/person if you are not a SF resident or a Botanical Garden member. Please bring identification for residency and membership status.
Corona Heights
San Francisco
Friday, October 15, 8 – 10 a.m.
Charles Hibbard; Brian Fitch; Dominik Mosur, polskatata@yahoo.com (leaders will vary by month)
Meet in front of the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, at the end of Museum Way off Roosevelt. We will enjoy views of the city and bay as we circle Corona Heights, checking the east canyon woodland and north forest for residents and migrants, as well as monitoring hilltop scrub and south cliff.
Bike Trip — Millbrae to Foster City
San Mateo County
Saturday, October 23, 8:45 a.m.
Kathy Jarrett, 510.547.1233, kathy_jarrett@yahoo.com
Meet at the Millbrae BART Station at 8:45 a.m. at Rollins Rd. and Millbrae Ave. East Bay BART riders passing through MacArthur BART will take the 7:34 a.m. train for SFO/Millbrae. The trip will follow the SF Bay Trail from Millbrae to Foster City (about 7 miles) and continue around Foster City (about 6.5 miles). Return will be from the Belmont Caltrain station. Caltrain is on an hourly schedule on weekends; it departs Belmont Station northbound at 1:48 p.m. and arrives at Millbrae at 2:08 p.m.
The mostly flat route is on the SF Bay Trail and other bike paths, mostly paved, some on bike lanes and some on city streets. Dress for variable weather. Bicycle helmet required. Bring lunch and liquids. Rain cancels. Reservations are not necessary, but an email or phone call is appreciated.
Car: From San Francisco, take US 101 south about 12 miles. Take exit 420 for Millbrae Ave. and turn right at E. Millbrae Ave., then right at N. Rollins Rd. to the parking lot for Millbrae BART. BART schedules: www.transitinfo.org. SF Bay Trail: http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov.
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park
Oakland
Wednesday, October 27, 9:30 a.m. – noon
Hilary Powers, 510.834.1066, hilary@powersedit.com; Ruth Tobey, 510.528.2093, ruthtobey@gmail.com
Meet at the large spherical cage near the Nature Center at Perkins and Bellevue. We will bird around there, then go up the garden path toward Children’s Fairyland or walk down the lake toward Embarcadero, after which we will cover what we missed. The lake will be fairly quiet, but residents such as woodpeckers and herons should be out in force, and the earliest winter migrants should be making an appearance.
Take the 12, N, or NL bus to Grand and Perkins, and walk into the park on Perkins. Best parking is at boathouse lot near spherical cage. Entry (via Bellevue near Children’s Fairyland) is probably free on weekday mornings, but will be $3 if the kiosk is occupied when you arrive.
Cosumnes River Preserve
Saturday, October 30, 9:00 – 2:00
Rusty Scalf, rscalf@sonic.net ; Steve Lombardi, hot-rock@sbcglobal.net
Meet at the main preserve parking lot on Franklin Blvd. First we will survey the wetlands, looking for waterfowl, shorebirds, perhaps a Bittern. Then we’ll walk the woodland trails, looking for riparian woodland birds. We could see otter and beaver as well. Those who wish can join us for lunch at Wimpy’s Marina on Walnut Grove Rd (about six driving miles to the west). Following lunch we will visit another Nature Conservancy holding, Staten Island, and look for cranes, swans, geese and raptors. Be prepared for warm and sunny; be prepared for cold and foggy.
The preserve is located at 13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt CA 95632 (916) 684-2816. http://www.cosumnes.org/
Directions, courtesy of Bob Lewis:
2 hours from Albany
Take Frwy 80 East to Hwy 4 East. Follow 4 to Hwy 160 East. Turn right (east) onto Hwy 12 and enter the Frwy 5 going north. Exit on Twin Cities Road and go east to Franklin Boulevard. Turn south (right) on Franklin and park in the parking lot just past the visitor’s center.
Bird Walk for Beginners and Children at Aquatic Park
San Francisco
Sunday, October 31, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Carol Kiser, Carol_Kiser@nps.gov
Park Ranger Carol Kiser will teach you how to locate and identify some common water and land birds during this easy stroll along the Aquatic Park shoreline in San Francisco.
Bring binoculars and bird books if you have them. Wear sunblock and a hat, and dress in layers. Carol Kiser is park ranger of many years at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and have been leading bird walks since approximately 1990. Parking at aquatic park: there is free four-hour parking at the foot of Van Ness Avenue and there are parking garages in Ghirardelli Square on Beach Street and at the Anchorage Mall on Beach near Leavenworth.
Shadow Cliffs Regional Park
Pleasanton, Alameda County
Saturday, Nov. 13, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Steve and Carol Lombardi, 925/785-0130, hot-rock@sbcglobal.net
Meet in the main parking lot to your left as you enter the park. This is a delightful park with varied habitats and many species in a small area. We’ll get close looks at waterfowl and marsh birds in the ponds, then look for resident and migrant woodland birds in the riparian woods. We should also see raptors (Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk) and waders. Walking is mainly flat on paved and unpaved trails. Water and restrooms on site. Beginners welcome. Bring binoculars. $6 parking fee. Directions: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/shadow_cliffs
San Francisco Bay with Dolphin Charters
Saturday, November 20, 9:45 – 4 p.m.
GGA leader Eddie Bartley
Meet at the Berkeley Marina by 9:45 a.m. for departure at 10 a.m. to see the San Francisco Bay by boat. The largest and one of the most important estuaries along the Pacific Flyway is right in our own backyard. We will cruise San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay waters, home to thousands of wintering birds. Passing Alcatraz, we’ll head toward Point Bonita, where we will tour the southern edge of the Marin Headlands and, weather permitting, travel under the Golden Gate Bridge to the point. Then we’ll head to the shore of Angel Island, under the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, past the Marin Islands and the Brothers and Sisters islands, to Red Rock, and back down along the Richmond shoreline. Many of these areas can be seen only by boat. In addition to wintering ducks, loons, grebes, and gulls, we expect to see resident cormorants, pelicans, and murres, as well as seals and sea lions feeding and basking and, with luck, an occasional porpoise. Dress in layers. Bring binoculars, liquids, and lunch.
Trip is limited to 32 people. Cost is $85 for GGA members, $95 for nonmembers. Reserve by contacting Stephanie Strait, GGA Office Manager, 510.843.2222 or ggas@goldengateaudubon.org. Payment must be received by October 15.