February, 2010 Trip Reports
Las Gallinas Sewage Ponds
March 10, 2010
Leader(s): Bob Lewis
# of participants: 20
# of species: 52
Crisp but sunny day, with harriers chasing a Red-tailed Hawk and ravens chasing a kite. The swallows have returned in force, with 4 species circling over the ponds and meadows. Notable were two white (probably snow) geese, a Eurasian Wigeon, Green Heron and two posing Lincoln’s Sparrows.
Pinnacles National Monument
February 28, 2010
Leader(s): Bob Lewis and Rusty Scalf
# of participants: 26
# of species: 44
We were fortunate to have beautiful weather in the middle of a period of storms. Seven California Condors, including a copulating pair, were the clear highlights of our trip along with the first park record of a Virginia Rail. Golden Eagle, California Quail, Yellow-billed Magpie, California Thrasher were other memorable species.
Delta Cruise on Delphinius
February 20, 2010
Leader(s): Bob Lewis
# of participants: 28
# of species: 70
28 GGAS members enjoyed a gap in the rainy weather aboard the Delphinus, on a tour in the Delta from Antioch. Thousands of Tundra Swans, Snow/Ross’s Geese, White-fronted Geese; Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail and American Wigeon. We had great looks at American Bittern, Beaver, swimming Racoons and a glimpse of River Otter.
Richmond to Berkeley on the Bay Trail Bicycle Trip
February 15, 2010
Leader(s): Kathy Jarrett
# of participants: 8
# of species: 53
With a great deal of fog we started at S 51st St in Richmond, went north to Meeker Slough, then south ending at the Sea Breeze Market in Berkeley in bright sunshine. The wind was practically nonexistent and the water was calm. From Richmond to Albany we saw quite a few Green-winged Teals and a number of other ducks. We had a good discussion about identifying a Bufflehead, finally going to the bird book and seeing that our bird looked exactly like the picture of the 1st winter male Bufflehead; there is a resemblance to the Ruddy Duck, but the bill was wrong and upon closer examination we saw that the feathers on the sides of the head were showing a great deal of white through the black. Near the racetrack in Albany we saw quite a few Surf Scoters. It was then that the fog retreated and we could see birds away from the shoreline. A Loon was spotted, then Ravens. We turned off the trail just north of University Ave in Berkeley and saw a Northern Harrier, Red-Tailed Hawk, White-tailed Kite and a Cooper’s Hawk in that vicinity. The Cooper’s Hawk posed for us for a long time on the top of a telephone pole.
Jewel Lake, Tilden Park
February 5, 2010
Leader(s): Phila Rogers
# of participants: 5
# of species: 16
Five participants in the regular monthly Jewel Lake walk had the pleasure of seeing four river otters cavorting in the lake. This may well be the “Gang of Four” that spent several days earlier at Jewel Lake. They may have shown up doing the night, as an early morning walker reported them. They don’t appear to be feeding at the moment — simply enjoying themselves on this fine February morning. When they will leave or where they will go next is anyone’s guess, but the best possibility is that they may be coming up from the EBMUD reservoirs over the hill. (In spite of their aquatic preferences and short legs, they can walk long distances overland). They were sharing the lake with five Hooded Mergansers, several male and female buffleheads and one Green Heron standing on a log on the far side of the lake near the otter haul-out spot.
Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park
January 27, 2010
Leader(s): Hilary Powers and Ruth Tobey
# of participants: 13
# of species: 42
The clear highlight of today’s trip was the first-ever sighting of a Red-necked Grebe at the lake; we got great scope looks at that bird. But a close runner-up was a single tree with three woodpecker species: Downy Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker and a Red-breasted Sapsucker. The Canada Geese are pairing up. We watched two female Common Goldeneye fighting each other near a displaying male. Groups of male Common Goldeneye were practicing their displays. The White Pelican is starting to get his breeding bump on his beak.