Blog Posts Archive - Page 49 of 137 - Golden Gate Bird Alliance

Birdathon Pinnacles

Editor’s Note: If you want to hear more Birdathon stories like this one, please come to our Birdathon 2019 Garden Party and Celebration on May 19. Learn more here.

by Ryan Gilpin and Melissa Orozco

Golden Gate Bird Alliance organized a birdathadon trip in Pinnacles National Park with a goal of seeing the elusive California Condor. The condor is one of those birds that probably we’ve seen before, but we could never be certain because they were so far away. Fortunately for us, Rusty Scalf quickly and effectively led us on a great hike with amazing views of condors.

A beautiful day in Pinnacles National Park

A small group of birders met at 9 AM on the east side of the park at the Visitor’s Center. The weather was mostly sunny and warm with temperatures in the upper 60s. We scanned through the Turkey Vultures soaring above while Acorn Woodpeckers called and flew back and forth between the oaks in the parking lot. As the group gathered up we had good views of a Bullock’s Oriole, Western Kingbirds and Western Bluebirds with Golden-crowned Sparrows and Spotted Towhee calling around us.

Bush poppies (Dendromecon rigida)

We consolidated in cars, drove up to Bear Gulch and started up the Condor Gulch Trail. The dense blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) forest made for an easy hike up the ravine. Orange-crowned Warblers and Anna’s Hummingbird were calling and zipping back and forth. The first part of the walk was easily more about the wild flowers and plants than the birds. Rusty pointed out many great plants throughout the hike such as the big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca), California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), bush poppies (Dendromecon rigida), streambank springbeauty (Claytonia parviflora) and pipestem clematis (Clematis lasiantha). The wild flowers were great; it wasn’t a super bloom, but the wildflowers were reason enough for the walk.

Streambank springbeauty (Claytonia parviflora)

As the trail started getting steeper and the vegetation cleared, we had great views of the distinctive rhyolite cliff faces. Suddenly, “Condor!” and a bunch of pointing around us. Three birds flew over our heads, one went to the right where we lost track of it, while the other two flew to the cliffs. We got the scope on the rounded rock where they landed and found a fleshy face visible just over the top of the rock. …

Hummingbird Saga

Text and photos by Chlem

Spring 2019. San Francisco. Garden. Pear tree. The Anna’s Hummingbird is back. She first appeared in 2017, building her nest all by herself, using whatever she could find. She used spider web to tie it. Some lichen to decorate for camouflage and because it is an antiseptic. This phenomenal bird is tiny but mighty. The more I learn about hummingbirds, the more I believe this to be true. This year she built her new nest in the same tree. It is very stable, with a lot of small branches all over, making it tricky for any other bird to trespass.

She had 2 eggs, which is the norm. White, the shape and size of jelly beans.

Then, she sat.

She has to leave to feed herself frequently. Hummingbirds eat every 15 minutes as they have a high metabolism, the highest among animals. She and her babies will eat a mixture of nectar and insects. The incubation is about 16 days (12-22). Two years ago, the eggs developed stains. The mother left and the nest fell to the ground. This time, all went well, and one baby, a nestling, came out. Two days later, the second one.

When she is not sitting on the nest, she flies or perches as she cannot walk or hop. She moves on the branch left and right. In the air, she goes up, down, right, left, forward, backward and upside down! Her regular speed is from 50 miles/hour to 90 miles/ hour.

She likes any plant with bright fiery hues of red, orange or yellow. She has tiny hairs on her tongue to lap nectar. She can hear better than humans but cannot smell. She sees in ultraviolet light and can see further than humans. She can visit about 1,000 to 1,500 flowers and will remember each of them and how long it will take for the flower to refill with nectar.

Hummingbirds belong to the family of the smallest birds on the planet and there are more than 325 species. Some hummingbirds migrate up to 500 miles. Anna’s Hummingbirds do not migrate and you can see them year round in the Bay Area. In extreme cold they will go into torpor. They live about 3-4 years, weigh less than a nickel and can eat their size in a day. They can stick their tongue out 13 times/second. The female is mainly green and grey with some iridescence on her throat.…

Cathedral Birds in Stitches

Text and photos by Michael Lampen

Editor’s Note: The choir-stall needlepoint at Grace Cathedral is just one example of how artists have been connecting birdsong and human-song for centuries. For further exploration, and an opportunity to hear bird inspired music, please join GGBA for a fundraising concert in Berkeley, Flights of Fancy: A Musical Celebration of Birds. Go here for more information.

Hiding in plain sight on the choir-stall seat cushions of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral is a cornucopia of Northern California fauna. Some seventy seat cushions display needlepoint images of 34 mammal species, 16 fish species, 37 insects and invertebrates, and 94 bird species. Another 18 bird species are in the wall stalls. Associated plant species and natural settings are also included. Designed by artist Eula Getty Capron (“Eugenia”) of Sausalito, the series was crafted by 122 faithful Episcopalian stitchers from many diocesan parishes. Installation in 2000 honored the 150th anniversary of the Episcopal Church in California, and the beloved saint and lover of nature for whom San Francisco was named.

Sets of stall cushions focus on specific bioregions; the Coast Ranges/Point Reyes, San Francisco Bay, the Farallon Islands, the Sierra Nevada, Monterey Bay and the Deep Sea/Pacific Ocean. The Monterey Bay set is devoted almost entirely to sea otters. Clergy stalls also have California fauna relating to clerical roles such as the golden eagle for the cathedral or bishop’s stall. Individual wall stalls include several additional mammals and birds. In the Franciscan spirit, all stall kneeler cushions display in needlepoint the full text of Hymn 400, “All Creatures of Our God and King.”

Some of my favorite needlepoint renderings show birds in motion such as the flock of sandhill cranes, the dancing” egrets, and the mountain quail covey running from unseen danger past a startled marmot. Other personal favorites are the black oystercatcher, scoter duck, and colorful puffins. As a cathedral choir alumnus I also have a soft spot for the “chorister” cushion. A wall stall cushion close to the organ console, it shows 12 songbirds and honors the choristers whose voices fill the cathedral with song at Sunday services and weekly evensong. As singing goes, perhaps the most deserving bird depicted in the cushion is the western meadowlark, and the least deserving the western bluebird. Choristers, like birds, also cover a range of vocal ability. I was, I suppose, a Wilson’s Warbler at best. (A full list of species and their choir-stall locations can be found here.)…

Sierra Valley Photography: An Abundance of Raptors

Text and photos by John Ehrenfeld

Editor’s Note: You can have the opportunity to join John on our bonus Birdathon trip Field Photography with the Napa Ospreys. Find out more here.

If you are interested in learning more about the Birds of the Sierra, there are still spots available in our upcoming class. Go to goldengatebirdalliance.org/education/classes/ for more information.

At the end of February I was fortunate enough to lead a GGBA Photo Workshop to California’s beautiful Sierra Valley. It was a little different than some GGBA trips as the focus was on photography as well as birding. Raptors was the name of the game this time of the year.

The Sierra Valley is located north of I-80 and west of Lake Tahoe; a beautiful agricultural Valley surrounded by the Sierra mountains near the small town of Sierraville. With the possibility of bad winter weather and hazardous driving conditions in February, we were careful to keep an eye on the weather and were pleased that it looked good enough to go. We were able to book reasonably priced rooms for all six of us, at the Canyon Ranch Resort, a quaint group of rustic cabins on a picturesque stream in the woods. It was perfect.

Day One: We met in the hotel living room Saturday morning. We got to know everyone and had an hour to chat informally about photography and answer some questions both creative and technical. Good group dynamics are always important and are directly proportionate to the trip’s success and we had a great group. A couple of excellent birders, a medical researcher, a filmmaker and a teacher.

Off we went, car pooling to make the trip and stopping along the way manageable. At the end of town behind a feed store was a large group of birds feeding so we stopped and got our feet wet shooting them. Highlights were perched and flying Black-billed Magpies, Cassin’s Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, a Red-tailed Hawk perched high in a pine tree and various Sparrows. It was fun and we all got to adjust our camera settings and get the feel of the light and snowy backgrounds we would deal with all day.

Our target area was about twenty miles away, a series of farm roads and agricultural fields covered in snow that are known for an abundance of raptors. On the way we saw a pair of Bald Eagles, one perched and one in flight, which is always a thrill.…

The Magic of Mitchell Canyon

By Steve and Carol Lombardi

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally ran in March 2016. We’re rerunning it now to remind folks of the special quality of this birding hotspot and to allow those interested time to register for our Birdathon 2019 trip to Mitchell Canyon. You can learn more about the trip here.

The north slope of Mt. Diablo near Clayton offers one of the best birding spots in the East Bay. Mitchell Canyon is a shady, steep-sided, north-facing canyon with varied habitat and more-or-less permanent water. It provides easy access to both the casual stroller and the serious hiker/biker/equestrian. (Birding by horse? Now, there’s a concept.)

The canyon is a delightful place to bird year-round, but becomes spectacular from late April to early May. This is when migrant warblers, flycatchers, and others make brief visits on the way to their summer breeding grounds. And the canyon’s resident breeders show up and make themselves known with their songs.

While you’re there, don’t spend all your time looking up into the canopy. Be sure to enjoy the plethora of spring-blooming wildflowers alongside the trail. The canyon is one of the best places to see the Mt. Diablo globe lily (Calochortus pulchellus Benth.) among many other wildflowers.

Because of the canyon’s steep sides and deep shade, the area provides several different habitat types. Pine-oak woodland, riparian, grassland, chaparral, and sage scrub are all accessible in a relatively short walk.

Mitchell Canyon in springtime, by Scott Hein

Mitchell Canyon in the dry season, by Matt Guziejka

All northside trails into the park eventually lead to Mitchell Canyon (see the park map listed below). From the Clayton entrance, Mitchell Canyon Road follows Mitchell Creek and runs moderately uphill for about two miles through oak woodland and riparian habitat. It then breaks out of the trees and becomes a steep climb through chaparral and scrub, eventually emerging onto Summit Road in the main part of the park after several strenuous miles. If you’re out for a morning bird walk, the beginning of the steep portion is a good place to turn around. Of course, if you want to hike to the 3,800 foot Mt. Diablo summit, you’re welcome to do it.

A more moderate spring bird walk would start in the Mitchell Canyon visitor center parking lot. Begin by birding in the oaks around the parking area for oak breeders like White-breasted Nuthatch, and “parking lot” birds like quail and turkey.…