Jan. 2010 Trip Reports
Consumnes Preserve
January 10, 2010
Leader(s): Rusty Scalf
# of participants: 46
# of species: 77
It was a cool day with some fog. We sighted great numbers of Tundra Swans as well as Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen, Sandhill Crane, Wilson’s Snipe, Yellow-billed Magpie and Horned Lark.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
January 3, 2010
Leader(s): Ginny Marshall, Dominic Mosur and Allan Ridley & Helen McKenna
# of participants: 45
# of species: 40
Participants on the regular first-Sunday bird walk at the SF Botanical Garden enjoyed a mostly sunny morning with a cool breeze from the west. As usual the weather in January was much better than August in the Botanical Garden. We split the 45 participants into
three groups that observed a total of 40 species throughout the Garden. A small flock of golden-crowned kinglets and a turkey vulture fly-over were the more exceptional birds of today’s walk.
ArrowheadMarsh/MLK Shoreline Bicycle Trip
January 1, 2010
Leader(s): Kathy Jarrett
# of participants: 12
# of species: 53
Soras and Clapper Rails were highlights of the mid-day high tide, with about 5 Soras visible at one time. A Virginia Rail was lurking under a gum plant but eluded us. The seasonal wetlands at Garretson Pt had ducks, Avocets and Stilts. Surf Scoters and ducks were on the bay, and also a Common Loon. Burrowing Owls were at mounds 1 and 2 but were not visible from the main drive into the park but from the trail next to the handicapped parking near the entrance.
Jewel Lake, Tilden Park
January 1, 2010
Leader(s): Phila Rogers
# of participants: 11
# of species: 22
I was surprised and delighted to pull into the parking lot at Jewel Lake to discover a group of about 10 people assembling on this first day of the new year. Dave Quady was once again able to join us and because he completed the walk, I’m sending along his notes and comments.
“On Friday, January 1, 2010 I helped Phila Rogers with her regular first Friday of the month bird walk to Jewel Lake, in Tilden Park. We began at 8:30 am. Phila left at about 10:00 am, and I continued with most of the group until nearly 11:00 am. Today we lingered at the end of the road, then walked slowly down the fire trail to the Jewel Lake dam. I took the group a short distance west along the dam, then we retraced our steps. I met George Peyton who was there to begin his year list. Today I recorded only 19 species on the trip. Others reported hearing a Northern Flicker and a Song Sparrow that I missed. Otherwise I believe I recorded everything that anyone else did.
On our walk back to the parking area I saw a small bird foraging beneath the low vegetation on the east side of the road that I believe was probably a Winter Wren (by size, quickness of movement, habitat and foraging behavior, and overall coloration — warm reddish brown above, unspotted, but seen only with my naked eye at about 20 ft range because I had lent my binoculars to a participant. I chose not to count it. I was surprised that we did not encounter any sparrow flocks (except for a few juncos), or many warblers.
Weather was fine: a few sprinkles early that posed no difficulty, calm, mostly cloudy, about 50 degrees. The Mallard flock (10) on Jewel Lake included one female that quacked enthusiastically. Other ducks on Jewel Lake included: Bufflehead 3 (two females and one male), Common Goldeneye 3 (two females and a male whose face pattern was only faintly developed so its white mark looked crescent-like by it head profile screamed “Common”), Hooded Merganser (three females). A White-tailed Kite, a surprising flyover, heading northeast. My park bird!”