Western SF birding

Sarah was at a jewelry class on Saturday, so I took off and birded western San Francisco.  It was my first visit to the area this year, and I was sure to get some year birds, it being my first birding on the Pacific coast.

 
Belted Kingfisher

 I started at Chain of Lakes in Golden Gate Park,working my way from South Lake, to Middle Lake, then North Lake.  South Lake is sporadic, but sometimes has interesting birds.  This day it was pretty good, with a female Belted Kingfisher making a racket and flying to and fro.  After observing it for a while, I managed to get a photo of it in decent light.

 
Mew Gull

A small group of Mew Gulls and a lone American Wigeon complemented the Mallards and Coots that are always there, and a BlackPhoebe darted out and back.

 
American Robin

An American Robin chirped from high on a treetop as I walked towards Middle Lake.   In the clearing on the south side of the lake, where I’ve often had good luck with warbles, wrens, creepers and nuthatches, I found nothing at all, just the distant calls of Red-winged Blackbirds and Chestnut-backed Chickadees.

Red-tailed Hawk

A lovely Red-tailed Hawk made a flyover, circling a few times before moving onward.   I followed its example and moved onward to North Lake.

 
Magnolia

North Lake, as usual, was pretty birdy, although the light and locations of the birds didn’t yield any good photos.  Along with the myriad Coots and Mallards, many Buffleheads, several pairs of Ruddy Ducks, and a few Pied-billed Grebes floated about on the surface.  Anna’s Hummingbirds zipped to and fro, chasing off foes real and imagined.  A Great Blue Heron hunted in the shadows, and a (presumed) Red-shouldered Hawk called incessantly from the eucalyptus.  It was getting towards sunset, and I wanted to spend some time at Sutro Baths, so I walked back to the car and drove there.

With new visitor center construction, the large parking lot at Merrie Way is closed, and parking is tight at this popular area.  I wound up parking behind Sutro Heights Park on 48th Ave, which was fine, since I planned on walking through that park anyways.   In the park, Pygmy Nuthatches made quite a racket, along with Red-winged Blackbirds and Robins.  I didn’t look too hard, but was a little surprised to see only Nuthatches in the treetops, and no Brown Creepers.

Sutro Baths’ resident (and banded!) Red-tailed Hawk

Crossing the Great Highway, I walked down the path behind Louie’s Restaurant, scanning the retaining wall to its east in hopes of finding a reported Burrowing Owl that’s been there for over a month.  No luck this time, however, so I continued towards the northwest terrace.   One of the resident Red-tailed Hawks put on a good show, flying from a dead snag to perch on a rock, just a few yards from tourists, who took advantage of the occasion, as did I.

 
Buoy, covered in gulls.

At the terrace I met another birder, and we scanned the offshore rocks to see what was there using her scope.  Along with the usual Western Gulls and Brandt’s Cormorants, I spotted a first-year Glaucous-winged Gull and a bunch of Black Turnstones, and she found some Surfbirds.   A Laysan Albatross has been reported in the Golden Gate over the past week, but we didn’t see it (and not having my scope with me, I didn’t really expect to!).

It was getting chilly and dark, so I took some sunset photos and headed home.  Another fine day out, and I netted 7 year birds, none uncommon, but that’s just fine by me.

Location: GGP – Chain of Lakes (S., Mid., N.)
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 18

American Wigeon – Anas americana 1
Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos 20
Bufflehead – Bucephala albeola 10
Ruddy Duck – Oxyura jamaicensis 8
Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps 4
+ Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias 1
Cooper’s Hawk – Accipiter cooperii 1
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis 1
American Coot – Fulica americana 25
+ Mew Gull – Larus canus 6
Anna’s Hummingbird – Calypte anna 5
Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon 1
Black Phoebe – Sayornis nigricans 2
Common Raven – Corvus corax 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – Poecile rufescens 3
American Robin – Turdus migratorius 2
Song Sparrow – Melospiza melodia 1
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus 3

+ = year bird

Location: Sutro Hts / Baths / Land’s End
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 16

Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris 2
Bufflehead – Bucephala albeola 3
+ Brandt’s Cormorant – Phalacrocorax penicillatus 50
+ Great Egret – Ardea alba 1
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis 1
American Coot – Fulica americana 6
+ Black Turnstone – Arenaria melanocephala 4
+ Surfbird – Aphriza virgata 7
Glaucous-winged Gull – Larus glaucescens 1
Western Gull – Larus occidentalis 50
Rock Pigeon – Columba livia 10
Black Phoebe – Sayornis nigricans 1
+ Pygmy Nuthatch – Sitta pygmaea 6
American Robin – Turdus migratorius 2
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus 3
Brewer’s Blackbird – Euphagus cyanocephalus 10

+ = year bird

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

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