• An Owl by Any Other Name

    By Joe Galkowski

    The ghost owl, death owl, white owl, monkey-faced owl, church owl, and my favorite: the hobgoblin owl, these are just a small selection of the common names used for barn owls. The Latin name for the species is Tyto Alba which simply means white owl. Seems like an appropriate moniker, so why so many other names for the world’s most common owl? Most likely their nocturnal nature, eerie calls, white feathering, and completely silent flight, inspired men to create myths and legends of the barn owl’s connections with death and the afterlife and those stories have led to the different names being adopted.

    The Native Americans who lived in what is now Yosemite National Park, believed that if a warrior lived life without honor, that after death, he would return to earth as a barn owl. If, however, he lived a good life, with integrity and courage, he would come back as a great horned owl. As a person who spends a fair amount of time with both species, I can say that great horned owls do seem braver around people and they are tougher birds. That said, barn owls have always been my favorite.

    Female Barn Owl nesting in Oak cavity by Joe Galkowski.

    This Spring, I enjoyed watching a barn owl nest that was in a large cavity of an old oak tree. When the nest was first discovered, the female was incubating eggs. At least five of them successfully hatched. Later, we marveled at how her five owlets cuddled together on cold mornings, shared food, and even occasionally groomed each other.

    Barn Owl family by Joe Galkowski

    Barn owl young hatch over a period of a few weeks so there are dramatically different size owlets in a barn owl nest. I knew that the moms leave the nest when the youngest owlet is able to self-regulate their own body heat, but I did not expect to see the older owlets taking care of the younger ones. Notice the difference in maturity levels. Also, the monkey-faced owl name makes sense to me when looking at the owlets.

    Owlets by Joe Galkowski

    Barn owls are one of the most widely distributed birds on the planet. They live on every continent except Antarctica. They also often live in close proximity to people, sometimes nesting in man-made structures such as, well… barns, hence the currently accepted name.  It should be clear though, that no matter what name you use for these wonderful birds, seeing one is a true gift.…

  • High on birds: Birds of the Sierra

    By Eric Schroeder

    The first afternoon of the Golden Gate Bird Alliance class on Birds of the Sierra was going well. The twenty-one class members along with co-leaders Bob Lewis and Eddie Bartley and Eddie’s partner, Noreen Weeden, had assembled at Yuba Pass and began birding immediately. The first bird we saw was a Cassin’s Finch—a common enough bird for many birders, but a new one for me. Twenty minutes later Bob and Eddie identified one of those very pesky Empidonaxes, the Dusky Flycatcher, another first for me.

    Great birds just kept coming: Mountain Chickadees, a Red-breasted Sapsucker, two White-headed Woodpeckers. Things got even more interesting in the final fifteen minutes with the sighting of two Evening Grosbeaks—again a new species for me. As we were turning to head back to the cars, I looked overhead and saw a raptor, an accipiter, I thought. I called it out to the group and Bob and Eddie were on it quickly. After a brief conference they concluded it was a Northern Goshawk, which Sibley Birds West describes as “rare.” For me, however, it wasn’t just rare, it was also new.

    Birds of the Sierra class, by Noreen Weeden

    GGBA’s Sierra birding class had been on my radar for a couple of years. Each time I considered registering for it, however, the timing wasn’t quite right. Furthermore, I had heard that this class was very popular. This year I planned ahead, blocking off the time on my calendar months in advance. And on the day the class went on sale at 10 AM, I was ready—at my computer, with the GGBA webpage open. As the clock struck the hour, I hit “submit”; later that day I received the confirmation email that I was in. Now all I had to do was arrange a place to stay since I remembered that Bob had said housing could be hard to find in the Sierra Valley area. He had recommended the Canyon Ranch Resort near Sierraville, the most central location for the area we’d be exploring—northern Sierra county and southern Plumas country.

    When I got Carla on the phone later that day, she told me she only had one cabin left. “I’ll take it,” I said. She told me it was her two-bedroom unit. “I’ll take it,” I said. She seemed skeptical but took my credit card information and said the cabin was mine. Luckily for me, Bob put out the word that I had room to spare.…

  • Lobbying for birds at the state Capitol

    By Ilana DeBare

    Cynical folks like to joke about the “turkeys” who serve in elected office.

    But we encountered only one turkey last Wednesday during a full day of citizen advocacy at the California State Capitol – a live Wild Turkey strolling across the building’s north-facing steps!

    Meanwhile, inside the building, we received a warm welcome as we met with our state representatives and their legislative staff.

    A dozen Golden Gate Bird Alliance members traveled to Sacramento last Wednesday to take part in Audubon California’s annual Advocacy Day. Some of us – including Janet McGarry, Chris Winn, and Marjorie Powell – were old hands who had done this in prior years. Others were new to Audubon lobbying.

    GGBA members outside the governor’s office. GGBA members meet with San Francisco Assembly member David Chiu,.

    Veteran or novice, everyone had a great time. These were friendly conversations. We’re fortunate that our Bay Area representatives are, by and large, supportive of environmental protection and wildlife conservation.

    But even liberal, pro-environment lawmakers aren’t necessarily familiar with issues affecting birds – which is why it’s so important that Audubon members make their voices heard.

    As part of that, we started the day with dozens of other Audubon members from around the state at a breakfast orientation led by a familiar face — Mike Lynes, the former Executive Director of GGBA who is now Policy Director for Audubon California.

    Then we split into teams to meet with the assembly members and state senators who represent our geographic areas.

    This year our top priority was getting their support for AB 2627, a bill that would partly counteract President Trump’s “reinterpretation” (polite phrase for gutting) of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

    GGBA members meet with Mary Nicely (in red dress), chief of staff for East Bay Assembly member Tony Thurmond. Mary told us how she loves watching a Peregrine Falcon hunt outside the window of the district office in downtown Oakland!

    The MBTA — one of the country’s very first conservation laws — was passed in 1918. Bird advocates were all set to celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. Then the Trump Administration changed the way the federal government interprets a key provision about “incidental take.”

    Through both Democratic and Republican Administrations, the MBTA has always been interpreted to bar both purposeful and accidental killing of migratory, non-game birds. It’s been just as illegal to kill birds through an oil spill or through badly-designed wind turbines as to purposely shoot them.…

  • GGNRA Superintendent Joss Meets with GGBA

    By Philip Gerrie

    In May, Golden Gate Bird Alliance representatives met with the new Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Laura Joss. GGBA has a long history of meeting, and working collegially with, GGNRA superintendents and professional staff. Also attending the meeting from the GGNRA were Michael Savidge, GGNRA Director of Strategic Planning and Partnerships, and William Merkle, GGNRA Supervisory Wildlife Ecologist. The GGBA delegation included Executive Director Cindy Margulis, GGBA Board Member and Co-Chair of GGBA SF Conservation Committee, Sharon Beals, GGBA’s Director of Volunteer Programs, Noreen Weeden, and two active volunteers: Matthew Zlatunich, and Philip Gerrie.

    GGNRA Superintendent, Laura Joss, heads the team managing the National Park Service’s most visited site, a collection of more than 80,000 acres of federally managed historic and ecologically significant properties around the San Francisco Bay, including the Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, Ocean Beach, Fort Funston and the Presidio. She is a 27- year veteran of the National Park Service with a background in resource management. Her current focus is on the safety of staff and visitors, sustaining an environment of respect and transparency, and working to preserve cultural and natural resources.

    Over the past 10 years, GGBA has met with and maintained a solid working rapport with GGNRA’s most recent series of Superintendents, Brian O’Neill, Frank Dean, and Chris Lehnertz. So, we welcomed the chance for a discussion with the newest superintendent in this prestigious seat.

    Brandt’s Cormorants photo by Bob Gunderson

    It struck me at this meeting how similar the mission, intent, and sensibilities of these two organizations really are. Cindy Margulis said that GGBA’s commitment runs deep in working positively to assist GGNRA. Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s mission is to engage people to experience the wonder of birds and to act in support of birds and their habitats. GGBA fulfills its purpose by engaging in local environmental education, undertaking habitat maintenance and restoration projects, and being a consistent voice for protecting public spaces for both people and birds. The same passionate conservation mindset created the GGNRA and Golden Gate Bird Alliance: both of which were founded 100 years ago. Both share commitments to the values of stewardship, education, sustainability, and have deep reservoirs of knowledge and expertise which they share for the public’s benefit.

    There are several ways that GGBA connects its own membership to the GGNRA. GGBA enables people to experience nature and wildlife; educationally through field trips and programs.…

  • Wild Osprey Boat Cruise

    By Melani King

    Osprey boat tour? That was the email subject line from my friend Ann inquiring whether I’d be interested in this boat trip. Of course I would! What better way to check out many of the Osprey pairs from a bay vantage?

    Disclaimer: I am one of the many Richmond and Rosie, sfbayospreys.org-obsessed viewers. And so is my retired husband. Before I leave for work, the webcam site is left up onscreen, full sized, so he can check on them throughout the day.

    So as soon as I signed up, my husband piped in that he wanted to go too.

    Monday morning we swung by to pick up Ann and another friend and drove the short distance from Pt. Richmond to the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor where we boarded Tideline’s boat for the 10:00 am Wild Osprey Cruise. The weather cooperated—calm waters, moderate air temperature, clear skies, and no wind.

    Tony Brake provided background about the increase of nesting pairs within the past twenty years and showed us maps with successful and unsuccessful nest site locations. Ospreys will use quite a variety of structures, including relic cranes, utility poles, industrial light standards, as well as purpose-built platforms, along urban shorelines.

    Photo of Osprey nest in lights by Melani King

    Appropriately, as it was Memorial Day, the first stop was to view the nest atop the Whirley Crane next to the Red Oak Victory ship. Rosie was in the nest with Richmond nearby on the cables.

    As the boat passes by the shore of Brooks Island, a variety of birds can be seen on the sandy spit: Brown Pelicans, the largest known Caspian Tern colony, and Western Gulls.

    Photo of Brook’s Island Caspian Terns by Melani King

    Two ospreys were easily observed sitting in a nest built on a low platform just beyond Sandpiper Spit in Brickyard Cove. This was by far the closest we were able to see these magnificent birds without the aid of a webcam!

    Moving north, along the way, other nests are visible with binoculars including one next to the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge that I see while driving to and from Marin. Passing under the bridge the boat takes us to more nests built atop lighting structures at the ends of piers coming from Pt. Molate. One nest, seemingly empty, reveals some movement—we see chicks. An osprey takes flight from an observation perch and flies to the nest.…