Lee Karney, a longtime Golden Gate Bird Alliance volunteer, passed away on January 3, 2017 at the age of 84. Lee was a regular participant in our monthly habitat restoration sessions at Pier 94 in San Francisco, and documented those sessions with photographs. You have undoubtedly seen his vivid photos on our web site and in many issues of our newsletters! The following remarks were delivered by GGBA Volunteer Coordinator Noreen Weeden at Lee’s memorial service last weekend. 

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Initially I met Lee through Golden Gate Bird Alliance, where he was a member of the San Francisco Conservation Committee. As an architect for 45 years in the Bay Area, he put his knowledge and background to work in several local projects including the India Basin development comments. He submitted letters and met with our district supervisor in support of the Standards for Bird Safe Buildings ordinance, which was passed in San Francisco in 2011.

Lee Karney taking photos at the 2012 SF CBC dinner / Photo by Ilana DeBare

Lee became an avid wildlife photographer in his retirement, and offered to contribute his photography skills to Golden Gate Bird Alliance. He submitted beautiful bird photographs that he had taken locally for articles in our newsletter. Over a 10-year period, his impressive photos of birds were seen by thousands of people. His photographs of people enjoying volunteering or attending events inspired others to volunteer or participate. He photographed at Harding Park, Golden Gate Park, McLaren Park, Ocean Beach, Crissy Field and most frequently at Pier 94. He also photographed outside at our Volunteer Appreciation picnics, Birdathon fundraising events and Christmas Bird Counts, as well as the indoor CBC celebration dinners.

Photo by Lee Karney Photo by Lee Karney

Bird photographs taken by Lee were published in the 100 Birds of Heron’s Head field guide, which was provided free to beginning birders and school kids in San Francisco.

Lee was able to talk with people of all ages and backgrounds, from Cub Scouts to Girl Scouts and Eagle Scouts, from at-risk high school students to U.C. Berkeley students, people from the neighborhood, interns, and millennials from corporate groups participating in community service. He was able to make people feel at ease. Lee got people to smile since his own smile was sincere.

Lee generously provided transportation to volunteers that needed a lift and he also encouraged people to get together after planting or weeding at habitat restoration events.…

For the fifth consecutive year, Golden Gate Bird Alliance is partnering with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to create nesting opportunities for White-crowned Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Western Bluebirds, and other species at the Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park.

GGBA volunteers work with park department staff once a month to create habitat and maintain nest boxes at the edge of the paddock.

During their most recent work day in March, volunteers removed invasive weeds and planted native species that would attract White-crowned Sparrows to nest. They also relocated some Tree Swallow nest boxes in an effort to improve nesting success in the 2017 breeding season. During the fall, volunteers had cleaned out the boxes and documented contents such as eggs that did not hatch.

Removing invasive weeds at the Bison Paddock

“Because of our partnership with the Golden Gate Bird Alliance and our passionate volunteers, San Franciscans can enjoy watching birds and bison thrive in Golden Gate Park,” said Phil Ginsburg, SF Rec and Park General Manager. “We welcome the public to join us in our efforts to restore parks and natural areas, and encourage the return of wildlife in our City.”

The goal of the restoration project is to create habitat and nesting opportunities for White-Crowned Sparrows, a species that is diminishing in San Francisco. The Nuttall’s subspecies of White-Crowned Sparrows live along the California coast year round, while other subspecies spend only the winter here. White-Crowned Sparrows nest in a clump of vegetation on the ground or at the base of a bush or short tree. The nests are made of grass, leaves, twigs, pine, moss, bark, hair and feathers. The sparrows lay between two and five eggs in each clutch. By contrast, Western Bluebirds and Tree Swallows prefer to nest in the elevated boxes installed by GGBA and Rec & Parks.

Installing nest boxes for the 2017 nesting season at the Bison Paddock / Photo by Eileen Richey Nest boxes for Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds / Photo by Eileen Richey

“We’ve been delighted to work with Rec & Parks to enhance the habitat by the paddock for wildlife and people,” said Cindy Margulis, Executive Director of Golden Gate Bird Alliance. “Our members have cherished this remarkable park since our founding a century ago.  Restoration is one of the ways we can sustain the marvels of nature in urban parklands.”

“It’s so rewarding to work with volunteers to restore wildlife habitat and witness the fruits of our labor – it’s also nice to get outside and improve the parks that we love,” said Kimberly Kiefer, Director of Volunteer Services at SF Rec and Park.…

Editor’s Note: Natasha Lowery is the instructor for our newest class, a five-week workshop in Appreciating Birds: Journaling and Field Sketching that starts on April 11. A 2016 graduate of Tulane University in environmental biology, Natasha may be our youngest instructor ever! Her enthusiasm and welcoming attitude will make this class rewarding for anyone who is fascinated by birds and nature, even people who feel “I can’t draw.”

By Natasha Lowery

Some of my fondest childhood memories are watching my mother sketch on the shores of the Russian River, and enduring my fathers never-ending science and math questions on our way to outdoor adventures. In my mind, my father stood for the pragmatic, rational aspects of science while my mom represented the emotional, and spiritual nature of artistic life. It wasn’t until I was introduced to field journaling that I was able to reconcile these two parts of myself.

People often view the arts and sciences as distinct entities. But many of the earliest naturalists were artists first, and their artistic skills allowed them to take detailed observations and notes about the plants, animals, and insects that they saw. Both the arts and the sciences have much to learn from each other, and field journaling is a way to break down that barrier and discover the enjoyment that can arise from reconciling the two.

Natasha Lowery and her nature journal

If at this point, you are worried about your “limited”, or “nonexistent” artistic abilities — I use the quote marks because everyone has the potential for artistic prowess! — let me reassure you that this is not something to lose sleep over. In fact, the only prerequisites required to keep a field journal are the ability to see, hear, smell, and/or touch.

A field journal is essentially a catalogue of the observations and musings that you make while in the field. They can be as formal or informal as you please, though a few basic guidelines are encouraged to maintain consistency should your journals be used as a source of scientific data.

Field journals can include both notes and sketches To help learn key ID marks, Natasha also does drawings based on images from field guides

In my class, I will emphasize sketching, as I feel that it is a very intimate way to connect with nature. (And a very useful aid for bird identification!) Most of the exercises we will complete are tasked with activating the right side of your brain, something that the modern education system tends to de-emphasize.…

By Ilana DeBare

Okay, we know why you take part in Birdathon: You love Bay Area birds. You support Golden Gate Bird Alliance. And, last but not least, Birdathon is a lot of fun!

But hey. There are prizes too.  🙂

We wanted to take two minutes to share this year’s prizes for top Birdathon fundraisers. Volunteer Daryl Anne Goldman did a great job seeking out new prizes that would have special appeal to Audubon members. Thanks to Daryl’s efforts, we’re able to offer more prizes than ever before. And these donor businesses deserve public thanks for their support of Audubon and wildlife conservation. Think of them the next time you’re planning a birding getaway! (You can view more photos on our Birdathon Prizes web page. Or — if you haven’t yet signed up for Birdathon — click here for general info on how to take part, or here for the list of Birdathon trips.)

Mendocino vacation package – two nights

Mendocino is a wonderful birding and vacation destination… and our top Birdathon fundraiser will enjoy a two-night stay there in a Guest Cottage at the dramatic Point Cabrillo Light Station! Originally used for storage by the light keepers, the two cottages were restored in 2006 as comfy one-bedroom vacation rentals with magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s just a two-minute walk to the lighthouse on the magnificent headland, from which you can see a great variety of birds and marine mammals. Hiking trails invite you to explore the 300-acre State Historic Park. Pelagic birding trips leave from nearby Noyo Harbor, and the picturesque village of Mendocino is a five-minute drive away. Non-weekend, non-holiday availability.

Complete your Mendocino vacation with two tickets to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg. Known for  their rhododendrons, perennials and heaths and heathers, the gardens are also a terrific birding spot, with over 150 species sighted there. Red-throated Loons are summer residents, and Ospreys, hawks, plovers and sandpipers are found year-round.  Look carefully and you might spot an Ash-throated Flycatcher, a Savannah Sparrow, a Pileated Woodpecker, or a Red-breasted Nuthatch. (Aerial photo by Mark Jones.

Click here for information on the Point Cabrillo Light Station or here for information on the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.

The Jenner Inn – two nights

The historic Jenner Inn offers a spectacular opportunity to enjoy the romance and unique beauty of the Sonoma Coast.…

By Miya Lucas
Sora is the name of a fictional character in a Japanese video game.  Sometimes trying to view a Sora rail is so challenging that you may feel like it is a fictional character as well.
Soras are secretive and stealthy. I enjoy hearing the Sora’s call and song, and occasionally seeing the actual bird, at Las Gallinas Sanitary Ponds in San Rafael, where I lead a monthly field trip with Wendy Beers.  We in the Bay Area are fortunate to live in one of just two regions – northern/central California, and southern Arizona/New Mexico – that are home to Soras year-round. Their preferred habitat is freshwater marshlands, usually with a water depth of 12 to 20 inches.
“Thin as a rail”: The phrase originally referred to a fence or a bar. However, it would be an appropriate phrase for a Sora rail as well.  Although the Sora’s length is 8 to 10 inches, it can compress its chest wall to a width of 1.5 inches, allowing it to walk in and out of thick-growing reeds or cattails. If threatened, it sometimes dives for cover under water and all you can see is its yellow beak sticking out.
Male Sora by Miya Lucas
Female Sora by Miya Lucas
The male Sora is just a tad larger than the female. They look very similar and both have a bright yellow beak, but the female Sora has lighter black coloring on her face and throat.
I especially enjoy hearing the Sora’s call. It reminds me of the childhood game of tag, like a child’s high, sing-song voice shouting….yourit! yourit! yourit!  They also have a loud, fast horse-like whinny that slows down so you can hear each note.  The best opportunity to hear a Sora is during mating season.
They can also be heard at night, in spring migration, and when feeding.
Sora courtship behavior has three stages. The first stage is visual — what I call the flirty stage. The male and female stand near one another for 15 to 30 minutes, watching and being watched. The second stage continues the watching but adds grooming or preening before the other Sora. If all goes well, in about two to four weeks, the Soras move on to preening and grooming each other. Soon afterwards, copulation occurs.
Nest construction is done by both the male and female. The male Sora brings materials, and the female constructs the nest. …