Habitat Potential Birding Tactics

Josiah Clark
San Francisco: Thursday, November 15
6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 pm program

When it comes to making every moment count in birding, how one looks is at least as important as where one looks. Drawing on strategies developed for birding Big Days and Christmas Bird Counts, this presentation aims to reveal tactics that will help birders and naturalists improve their methods of coverage and ultimately find more species. We will explore the anatomy of a route, comparing and contrasting different birding methods and styles including skimming vs. digging, and how to allocate time in various habitats when trying to maximize ones species count.

This presentation will also note dozens of bird and plant species, focusing on important resources that provide for local birds and wildlife. Josiah will share conservation related information on the limiting factors of vulnerable and declining groups, including cup-nesting songbirds, precocial young and birds of open habitats. This presentation aims to help naturalists both find more species and become more informed conservation advocates

Josiah Clark grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Defining moments of birding experiences include: observation and mist-netting on Southeast Farallon Island; extensive travel, study, and tour-leading in Latin America; and a 24-hour birding and bicycling marathon in Marin County during which he spotted 158 species. Josiah owns Natures Acres Nursery and  Habitat Potential Consulting. Both are dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating productive wildlife habitats in the human landscape.