2016 SF CBC — low numbers, high spirits
By Blake Edgar
A second straight year of crisp and clear weather marked the 34th annual San Francisco Christmas Bird Count on Tuesday December 27. Despite the sunshine, a recurring theme for the day was relatively low numbers of many birds, as well as birders. Some teams ended up being shorthanded for the amount of ground they had to cover. In some cases, vast amounts of experience helped to compensate for fewer bodies — Pacifica’s three-member counting crew, for instance, possessed 99 years of cumulative local CBC knowledge — but teenagers on at least two teams brought fresh eyes and also made valuable sightings.
At the Compilation Dinner, count co-organizer Siobhan Ruck announced a preliminary total of 175 species, including 14 rarities. That’s a decrease from last year’s total of 186 species and the 2014 total of 184 species.
Among the species eluding all observers this year, according to preliminary results: Wood Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Ridgway’s Rail, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Bonaparte’s Gull, Hermit Warbler, Horned Lark, American Pipit, and Great-tailed Grackle. Several teams reported surprisingly low numbers of some typically common species, such as Bushtit, Varied Thrush, American Robin, and House Finch. “My feeling is that Bushtits are disappearing,” said co-organizer Alan Hopkins.
Of particular concern is the status of our state bird. Only the Sweeney Ridge (San Mateo County) team recorded California Quail, so it may be that this species has been extirpated from San Francisco. A lone male had been observed as recently as this spring in Golden Gate Park.
Another discouraging result involved an apparent decline of Brown Creeper. Six teams noted its absence or presence in unusually low numbers during their recaps at the Compilation Dinner. Presidio team leader Josiah Clark remarked that although this area generally yields a double-digit tally of creepers, this year only a single bird was seen. He wondered whether this “mini apex predator” might be facing an insufficient food supply of spiders.
GGBA Executive Director Cindy Margulis opened the Compilation Dinner at the Presidio’s Log Cabin by thanking count co-organizers Siobhan Ruck and Alan Hopkins, count co-sponsor the Presidio Trust, dinner caterer La Mediterranee, and several volunteers. As GGBA prepares to commence its centennial year, Margulis put in a plug for an exhibit debuting at the State Building in San Francisco on January 3 to celebrate the past century of the society’s efforts in citizen science, engagement, and conservation. “We want to bring that story out to the communities,” she said, “and have them realize that we’re not just a bunch of crazy birders.”
Here are some highlights from the 2016 San Francisco CBC, as reported by each team’s leader at the dinner:
Group 1 (Downtown): 51 species, most notably a Pacific-slope Flycatcher in Jefferson Square and a rare sighting, still to be confirmed, of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Alta Plaza Park.
Group 2 (Fort Mason to the Palace of Fine Arts): 69 species, including an assortment of raptors, an estimated 3,000 gulls responding to a herring run, 355 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Bullock’s Oriole, and 117 Red-masked Parakeets.
Group 3 (Presidio): 110 species, among them an unusually high number (5) of Common Yellowthroat, an unusually low number (1) of Brown Creeper, 624 White-crowned Sparrows, 260 Anna’s Hummingbirds, 72 Townsend’s Warblers, 11 Wilson’s Snipes
Group 4 (Eastern Golden Gate Park): 56 species, the lowest total in this area for the past 12 years, with notably low numbers of Brown Creeper, American Robin, and thrushes and an absence of Bushtit, Downy Woodpecker, and finches of any species. Only three counters participated for much of the day, however.
Group 5 (Land’s End): no team member present at the dinner to report.
Group 6 (Western Golden Gate Park): Low numbers overall, in contrast to a successful pre-count scouting trip, with only a single Brown Creeper, a pair of Lesser Goldfinch, and surprisingly no Killdeer or Bushtit. Highlights included Wilson’s Snipe, Nashville Warbler, and 30 Snowy Plovers.
Group 7 (Ocean Beach and San Francisco Zoo): 55 species, with gulls well represented on the beach but no shorebirds except for Snowy Plover. No Bushtits and at most two each of Brown Creeper, American Robin, and House Finch. Two species of note were a large flock of Barn Swallows and the return of the Eastern Phoebe for a second consecutive year.
Group 8 (Glen Canyon Park to Buena Vista Park): 55 species, with two highlights recorded from the Laguna Honda Hospital parking lot, an Orange-crowned Warbler and a flyover by an immature Ferruginous Hawk
Group 9 (Bernal Heights and Potrero Hill): 64 species, lower than usual numbers of waterbirds observed at Pier 94 but highlights for the day included Red-necked Grebe, 4 Say’s Phoebes, and Western Bluebird at Bernal Heights.
Group 10 (Bayview from Heron’s Head Park to Candlestick Point): 71 species, including Tricolored Blackbird and White-tailed Kite
Group 11 (McLaren Park): 32 species, a low total for this location, with high numbers of American Robin, Common Raven, and Common Yellowthroat but a dearth of Bushtit and absence of typically seen thrushes, Brown Creeper, and American Kestrel.
Group 12 (South San Francisco waterfront): 101 species, with numbers of diving ducks having rebounded from the previous year (including Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck, and Bufflehead) and high counts for Western Sandpiper (4,500), Least Sandpiper (over 500), and Dunlin (700). Both Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitcher were counted, along with Pacific and Red-throated Loons and a juvenile Snow Goose (seen at Oyster Point).
Group 13 (Lake Merced): 117 species, boosted by setting up a sea watch from the end of Sloat Boulevard that captured Long-tailed Duck among others. Several thousand Red-throated Loons formed a massive cloud heading offshore, while less conspicuous Virginia Rail, Sora, and Green Heron were spotted at Lake Merced. Other highlights included 700 Sanderlings off Fort Funston, 27 Marbled Murrelets, Ancient Murrelet, Red Phalarope, and Caspian Tern, a new species for this area.
Group 14 (San Bruno Mountain): 60 species amounts to the lowest total for this site in several years, despite a strong start with sighting a Peregrine Falcon. No Brown Creeper or woodpeckers were recorded and only a single Cedar Waxwing. Highlights included at least 245 Yellow-rumped Warblers and a California Thrasher responding to a call.
Group 15 (Sweeney Ridge): 82 species, just one species shy of tying the record for this area, with notable birds including Double-crested Cormorant, Cackling Goose, and seven raptor species.
Group 16 (Pacifica): 83 species, highlighted by Black Scoters offshore and a Barn Owl in the skirt of a palm tree
Group 17 (Colma and cemeteries): no team member present at the dinner to report.
Click here to view an album of photos from the count on Facebook. (You do NOT need to be a Facebook member to view the album.
Click here to view some more photos of the count from the San Francisco Examiner.
Blake Edgar is a science writer and editor for U.C. Berkeley. An avid hiker and birder, he intends to take part in the 2017 Christmas Bird Count.