See Alcatraz Island with Golden Gate Bird Alliance field trip leaders on these upcoming dates:
Wednesday, May 12: Bob Lewis, bob@wingbeats.org – All spots are FULL.
Wednesday, June 9: Eddie Bartley, eddie@naturetrip.com
8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

This trip, scheduled monthly through the spring, is offered exclusively to Golden Gate Bird Alliance Supporting Members and is limited to 10 participants. Expect to see numerous breeding birds: Western and California Gulls, Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and Black Oystercatchers.

Reserve your spot by contacting Stephanie Strait, GGA Office Manager, ggas@goldengatebirdalliance.org or 510.843.2222. Once you have received confirmation, book space on the ferry with Alcatraz Cruises at 415.981.7625 or www.alcatrazcruises.com. Buy a ticket ($26) for the 9 a.m. Early Bird Tour. Tickets sell out several days in advance, so reserve as soon as possible. The ferry departs from Pier 33, near the corner of Bay St. and Embarcadero. Each walk is about 1.5 hours.

The ferry boards at 8:30 a.m. and sails at 9 a.m. Participants can stay as long as they like on the island.…

The Sierra in late spring is a wonderful place for birds, with meadows alive with Wilson’s Snipe, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Wilson’s Phalaropes; the mountains buzzing with nesting woodpeckers (Black-backed, White-headed, Hairy, and Williamson’s and Red-breasted Sapsuckers), Mountain Chickadees, Cassin’s Finches, warblers and flycatchers (Dusky, Hammond’s, Gray and Olive-sided); and the calls of bittern, snipe and Sandhill Cranes carry through the night.  We’ll offer two classes.  All activities are in the Sierra, both classes are limited to 35 students.  Plan ahead!

Initial meeting place for both classes is the Yuba Pass parking lot on highway 49 between Sierraville and Bassetts.  Additional details will be provided upon registration.  For old hands at this class, the Sierra Valley Lodge has changed hands and room availability there is uncertain (we’ll update info on the GGBA webpage as it develops).  Students will be responsible for their own lodging reservations, but suggestions include

• Golden West Saloon Restaurant & Motel in Loyalton (530) 993-4467
• Canyon Ranch Resort in Sierraville (530) 994-1033
• Sierra Hot Springs Resort and Retreat in Sierraville (530) 994-3773
• Sierraville Motel & RV Park, Hwy 89 (530) 994-3751

Birds of the Sierra – I

Bob Lewis (Bob@wingbeats.org) and

Rusty Scalf (RScalf@sonic.net)

Thursday, June 10, 3 p.m. through Sunday, June 13 at noon.

Fee:  $99 for GGA members, $109 for non-members, including one unforgettable dinner at SF State’s campus in Bassetts on the 11^th.

Birds of the Sierra – II

Bob Lewis (Bob@wingbeats.org) and

Eddie Bartley (eddie@naturetrip.com )

Thursday, June 17, 3 p.m. through Sunday, June 20 at noon.

Fee:  $85 for GGA members, $95 for non-members, does not include any meals.…

November 2, 2009
Update:10:00am
Golden Gate Bird Alliance sent volunteers to locations around San Francisco Bay to monitor for and report on any oiled birds or wildlife over the weekend. 
On November 1, 2009 the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) reported collecting dozens of oiled birds from a collection center from Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda

The US Coast Guard posted an update about the 400 to 800 gallon oil spill which occured 2.5 miles south of the San Francisco Bay Bridge on October 31, 2009

Update: 3:00 p.m.

The Coast Guard now estimates that the spill is less than 100 gallons, which is fully contained, and that the clean up is in progress.  Golden Gate Bird Alliance has not received reports of oiled wildlife yet, but we will continue to monitor the situation and report updates here.

Original Post: 10:30 a.m.

October 30, 2009

Berkeley, California

The U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish & Game are responding to an oil spill in San Francisco Bay this morning at approximately 6:30 am.

More information is available from the U.S. Coast Guard at: http://www.uscgsanfrancisco.com/go/doc/823/367415/

as well as the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) at: http://www.owcn.org/.

IMPORTANT:  We remind the public that oil is very toxic and that they should not go down onto beaches near the spill or try to handle or capture oiled wildlife.  If oiled wildlife are found, please call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.

Golden Gate Bird Alliance emergency trained personnel remain on alert awaiting instructions from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

Contact Info: Mark Welther, Executive Director, Golden Gate Bird Alliance

(510) 843-2222, mwelther@goldengatebirdalliance.org, https://goldengatebirdalliance.org…