June Trip Reports
Lake Merritt
June 23, 2010
Leader(s): Hilary Powers and Ruth Tobey
# of participants: 12
# of species: 28
The Double-crested Cormorants are still nesting in huge numbers, and standing shoulder to shoulder on the floats. Five White Pelicans, all with brownish heads were preening in the enclosed area, including one with the remnant of a breeding bump. Two Canada Goose families had four goslings trailing along. About ten Great Egrets were on one of the islands looking like they were creating a rookery, but it’s too late in the year. We had good brief looks at a Green Heron stalking the shoreline of the farthest island.
San Leandro to Hayward Bicycle Trip
June 12, 2010
Leader(s): Kathy Jarrett
# of participants:
# of species: 28
28 species was pretty good for an exceptionally windy warm day. We battled the wind
almost all the way, both bicycling out to the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center from San Leandro’s Marina Park and back-and also from San Leandro BART to the shoreline and especially back. Species normally seen on this trip were absent, some of which would be attributed to the time of the year. We were surprised to find a large group of Black-bellied plovers and some Willets just north of Johnson’s Landing (near the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center) and pleased to see a large rookery of Forster’s Terns on an island in the marsh nearby. Avocets and stilts were actively feeding in the bay at low tide and moving into the marshes later. The male Ruddy Duck was brilliant red with the blue bill and accompanied by two females. We saw at least one juvenile stilt and a family of Canada Geese. It was the first time we had seen crabs in the pond off the deck of the Interpretive Center, which might explain a lot of the Forster’s Terns nearby.
Lake Merritt
May 26, 2010
Leader(s): Hilary Powers and Ruth Tobey
# of participants: 8
# of species: 35
The Double-crested Cormorants are nesting in huge numbers using every available twig of support for their nests on the islands. A small flock of Western tanagers were feeding just west of Children’s Fairyland. We watched a Cooper’s Hawk catch and consume a small bird, probably a chickadee, sparrow or titmouse. One lone Lesser Scaup female remains at the lake.
Alcatraz Island
April 12, 2010
Leader(s): Allan Ridley
# of participants: 4
# of species: 20
It was a good morning birding the island. Between participants missing out by not getting boat tickets in time and the very iffy weather, we ended up with four of us: 2 Audubon members, Betsy Berberian and Ken Osborne, NPS water-bird docent Ed Ryken, a docent-in-training and myself. Weather was dramatic with great clouds, warm sun, periodic showers and strong winds when we came around to the west side at each end of the island. Ed Ryken, waterbird docent for the NPS on Alcatraz was very knowledgeable of the birds, their behaviors and likely locations and helpful with Alcatraz lore as well. Western gulls were claiming nesting sites on the parade ground, in the garden beds…just about everywhere! The gulls were involved with courtship bowing, calling and mating. Many were up in the wind soaring, joined by the ravens. We had an intimate view of a Cooper’s Hawk who appeared to have brought down a pigeon but was frightened off the carcass by our group, flew up to a fence post in clear view. Our only mammal sighting was a harbor seal bobbing head up along the west shore.
Jewel Lake
April 2, 2010
Leader(s): Phila Rogers
# of participants: 15
# of species: 22
Today we had a low bird count, with few songs and calls at a time which is usually very active. Two female Buffleheads and Common Mergansers were still on the lake.