Our nest cam Ospreys hatch their second chick!

Our nest cam Ospreys hatch their second chick!

ByGGBA

Now we have two Osprey chicks!

Richmond and Rosie, the Osprey pair at the center of our live video feed in Richmond, hatched their first chick on Friday morning, May 12! Then their second hatched on Sunday, May 14, Mother’s Day. Osprey fans suggested and voted on names for the two youngsters — Whirley (in honor of the Whirley Crane where the nest is sited), and Rivet (in honor of the nearby Rosie the Riveter memorial).

Here’s a clip of the first chick and parents shortly after it hatched:

And here are some photos from the video feed of new the new arrival:

The new chick is already holdings its head up and demanding food! Shirley, the older chick, receives bits of fish from one parent while the other stands watch on May 12. Note the second egg nearby, which had not yet hatched.

“Ospreys are successfully nesting along the edges of San Francisco Bay for the first time in recorded history,” said Cindy Margulis, Executive Director of Golden Gate Bird Alliance. “The presence of these charismatic raptors highlights the environmental progress that’s been made in our region, and underscores the opportunities for people to help Ospreys prosper here. We believe that witnessing the life of an Osprey family along our urban shoreline can inspire the whole community to protect Ospreys and other Bay Area wildlife.”

Nest and wildlife cams have become a media phenomenon in recent years: Last year, a nest cam focused on Bald Eagles in Washington D.C. drew over 63 million views. The Bay Area’s Peregrine Falcon cameras have been popular for a while too. However, the unique vantage point of the Whirley Crane nest will thrill wildlife watchers as the Ospreys are raising their family on historic real-estate, with a commanding view of the Bay and the S.F. skyline from the nest camera.

Night image with infrared camera

Ospreys are one of nature’s wildest raptors, yet they are now choosing to breed near people – even using human-made structures like the Whirley Crane. While Ospreys historically nested along Northern California lakes, none had been documented nesting on the Bay’s edge before the 1990s. Their numbers started growing in the 2000s, and by 2016 there were 42 known Osprey pairs nesting and 51 new Osprey fledglings joined the summer population last season.

Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s new Osprey nest cams operate 24/7, with infrared cameras allowing night viewing without disturbing the birds. …

Spring 2017 Gull is available
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Spring 2017 Gull is available

ByGGBA

The new edition of The Gull newsletter for Spring 2017 is now available online.

Learn about how we helped secure an upgraded haulout for harbor seals, Brown Pelicans and other water birds in Alameda.

Also get the scoop on birding at Vollmer Peak, the secretive Sora, and our Albany shoreline bird survey.

Of course this issue of The Gull also includes GGBA news updates and the calendar for our Speaker Series in April, May, and June!

Click here to read it: TheGull_Spring2017.

P.S. If you’re a GGBA member who receives the printed edition of The Gull by mail but would like to switch to online delivery by email, contact our office at ggas@goldengatebirdalliance.org. It saves postage and paper, plus you’ll get your copy earlier than by post.…

Docents explain Lake Merritt’s birds

Docents explain Lake Merritt’s birds

ByGGBA

Take a stroll around Lake Merritt this spring and have our friendly docents help you learn about the birds! Golden Gate Bird Alliance volunteers will be stationed on the north edge of the lake (near the nesting islands and Rotary Nature Center) every other Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon:

Saturday March 25
Saturday April 8
Saturday April 22
Saturday, May 6
Saturday, May 20
Saturday, June 3

They’ll help you identify the Double-creted Cormorants and other birds nesting on the islands, as well the ducks, herons and other birds that frequent the lake.

Originally an arm of San Francisco Bay, Lake Merritt  was designated as a wildlife refuge by the state Legislature in 1870 — the first wildlife refuge in the country. At that time, the lake still had thick wetlands ringing its shores and providing habitat for thousands of water birds.

Lake Merritt before urban development. Photo courtesy of Oakland Public Library.

The late Paul Covel, a Golden Gate Bird Alliance activist, became the City of Oakland’s first naturalist in the mid-20th century and oversaw construction of a sanctuary for injured birds at the lake and construction of the Rotary Nature Center.

Today the lake is healthier than in past decades, since bond funds allowed the city to widen the channel connecting it to the Bay and admit more tidal flows. Species commonly found at the lake include Double-crested Cormorants, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Snowy Egrets, Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads, Greater and Lesser Scaups, White Pelicans, and grebes.

Read more about Lake Merritt’s birds and history on our blog. Then come out and visit with our docents!

Birding at Lake Merritt today / Photo by Ilana DeBare

 …

There’s still time to support Birdathon 2017!

There’s still time to support Birdathon 2017!

ByGGBA

Springtime means nesting, migrants, bird song and… Birdathon!  Our biggest and most enjoyable fundraiser of the year takes place throughout the month of April, but we also welcome contributions during May. Our goal is raising $60,000 to protect Bay Area birds.

Birdathon culminates with the fun Birdathon Awards Celebration on Saturday, May 13, an informal garden party in a stunning setting in the Oakland Hills. Registration is now officially closed. But if you missed the deadline, want to volunteer, need directions, or have any other questions, please contact Ilana at idebare@goldengatebirdalliance.org.

There’s still time to support Birdathon! Click the link below to make a tax-deductible contribution. Bay Area birds will thank you.

 

Big Six Hours in Oakland teamThe 2016 Birdathon team for Big Six Hours in Oakland Releasing a rehabilitated Brown Pelican during the 2016 International Bird Rescue Birdathon trip.…
Bring 100 for 100

Bring 100 for 100

ByGGBA

What’s the best birthday present you can give to mark Golden Gate Audubon’s 100th anniversary?

Help us grow!!

We want to enter our next century as an even stronger advocate for Bay Area birds. So we’re asking each of our members to recruit one friend to join Golden Gate Bird Alliance during 2017.

As a small thank you, we’re offering cloisonné pins with our Centennial logo to the first 100 members who recruit a friend to join GGBA. We’ll send you a pin… AND your friend a pin. We’re calling this campaign “Bring 100 for 100.”

Here’s what to do:

Think of a friend who loves birds, enjoys the outdoors, cares about nature and conservation, or might simply want to explore a fun new hobby.

Tell them about Golden Gate Bird Alliance — the 150+ free field trips we offer each year, our birding classes and guest speakers, and our work in habitat restoration, conservation advocacy, nature education, and citizen science. (And tell them what a friendly, welcoming community we are!)

Invite them to join. Share the news of our 100th anniversary, the Bring 100 for 100 campaign, and the offer of free Centennial pins.

Or buy a membership for them as a gift for their birthday, anniversary, or “just because!”

Your friend can sign up at http://goldengatebirdalliance.org/bring100, or through this button:

 

Thank you in advance for helping us grow! This is a wonderful way to help launch Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s second century.

Plus you’ll be able to share our field trips, classes, guest speakers, and volunteer work days with your friend. Happy birthday to us,and happy birding for both of you!

NOTE: The Centennial pin offer applies only to recruitment of people who have never been members of Golden Gate Bird Alliance before. It’s fine if they are already a member of National Audubon; they just need to be new to GGBA.…

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