Skip to content
  • Home
  • About UsExpand
    • Who We Are
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGBA Code of ConductExpand
      • Violation Report
    • Strategic Plan
    • Annual Report
    • Job Opportunities
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGBA in the News
    • GGBA Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Log In
  • Membership
  • Donate
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
  • EducationExpand
    • Youth Education
    • Classes
    • Birding For Everyone Fellowship
    • Speaker Series
    • Support Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour
  • ConservationExpand
    • Conservation
    • Habitat Restoration
    • Pier 94
    • Cats Indoors
    • Lights Out For Birds
    • Advocacy
    • Backyard Bird Habitat
    • Bird-Safe Buildings
    • Science and Monitoring
    • Ethical Consumption
  • Volunteer
  • Bird With UsExpand
    • Field Trips
    • SF Bay Osprey Cam
    • Classes
    • Travel With GGBA
    • Private Birding Trips
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • Birding ResourcesExpand
      • Birding Sites
      • Binocular/Scope Lending Library
  • Ways To GiveExpand
    • Become a Member
    • Donate
    • Planned Giving
    • Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
    • Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Stocks and Other Securities
    • Corporate Team Events
Golden Gate Bird Alliance

GGAS Field Trip Report

February 26, 2020 – Lake Merritt

Trip Leader(s):

Hilary Powers
Ruth Tobey

Date/Location:

February 26, 2020
Lake Merritt

Trip Info:

Number of Participants: 21
Number of Species: 52

“That’s the bird of the day!” sang out one participant, looking up at a catalpa tree across from the Garden Center. As always when approaching the pair of trees flanking the path about midway though the walk, I’d stopped to point out the horizontal rows of holes in the bark and explain that they were made by Red-breasted Sapsuckers – the slim rusty-hooded woodpeckers that farm these trees, drilling holes and then returning to them to clean out both the sap that bleeds in and the bugs that come to eat the sap. Also as just about always, we scanned the trees, found no sapsuckers – recorded on only seven other occasions in more than a decade of monthly visits – and crossed the street, heading for the garden. Then someone toward the rear of the group looked back and said, “SAPSUCKER!!”

We crowded round and got all the available scopes on the bird, which spent a satisfactory few minutes walking slowly up the trunk and providing good views for all. A number of unusually bright golden Lesser Goldfinches moved through the catalpas while we were watching, adding to the fun.

The day, warm and sunny and windless, was already off to a good start when the sapsucker took center stage. We’d seen Red-breasted Mergansers from the parking lot near the dome cage, along with many of the remaining winter migrants (Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, assorted scaup), plus both a Green Heron and a Belted Kingfisher, two of the showiest attractions of any walk. Strolling past the Nature Center toward El Embarcadero, we’d passed an active Black Phoebe nest and spotted the remaining winter ducks (Canvasbacks and Ruddy Ducks – some actually starting to turn ruddy), plus both kinds of egrets, all five wintering grebes, and the first few Double-crested Cormorants (still crestless and ignoring nest sites) of the season.

Hank-the-Rescue-Pelican (alone last month) had not one but three visitors, all starting to show their breeding bumps. Could this be the year Hank’s company stays? And on top of everything else, we spotted a still-spotless Spotted Sandpiper fossicking around the shore of the bird paddock, looking like a regular despite not being seen since a year ago. Spotted Sandpipers are  fun to watch, and they’d be easy to recognize if they were called “Pumping Sandpipers” or somesuch – they all always waggle their rumps up and down while walking or perching, but they have spots on their otherwise plain white breasts only a few weeks a year, and this wasn’t one of them. 

Also at the lake, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow (the earliest since 2015) buzzed past, possibly scoping out nesting holes in the wall, and perched in one of the bare island trees. In the park, we picked up an American Robin – an uncommon sighting here these days – and the first Steller’s Jay (the dark blue crested one) since 2018.

All told, we counted 52 species – up from last year’s 45, 44 in 2018, and only 39 back in 2017 – so it was an exciting morning, especially as long as we could squint and not-see how few of each kind of duck dotted the lake. Aside from that, and ignoring the basic wrongness of 70-degree-plus sunshine in late February, it was yet another wonderful day at Lake Merritt, where every day has wonders of its own. 

More Reports

July 9, 2021 – Coyote Hills Bike and Bird

What a beautiful day filled with 66 species of birds! The day started off great at 6:30 am with a perfect temperature of 65 degrees,

Read More »

May 26, 2021 – Lake Merritt

Birders have this game. When the day is going well – and more often when it’s going badly – someone will announce “I’d like to

Read More »

June 23, 2021 – Lake Merritt

At the start, it looked like a really quiet morning, with the two leaders and one regular so consistent and so well-informed that he amounts

Read More »

April 28, 2021 – Lake Merritt

Thirteen happy birders gathered for the still-unofficial April 4th-Wednesday walk at Lake Merritt – not quite so many as in a non-pandemic month, but close. 

Read More »

March 24, 2021 – Lake Merritt

The still-unofficial 4th-Wednesday Golden Gate Bird Alliance walk drew 13 birders – much less scary now with so many of us fully vaccinated – and

Read More »

February 16, 2020 – Chain of Lakes Golden Gate Park

Read More »

Our Mission

To inspire people to protect Bay Area birds and our shared natural environment.

Our Vision

A world where birds, wildlife, and all people flourish together.

The Golden Gate Bird Alliance is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-6086896

Contact Us

Golden Gate Bird Alliance 
2150 Allston Way Suite 210 
Berkeley, California 94704

info@goldengatebirds.org

510.843.2222

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST 

Sign up to receive our eGull newsletter and get updates on other Golden Gate Bird Alliance news and opportunities!

Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • About Us
    • Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGBA Strategic Plan
    • GGBA in the News
    • Job Opportunities
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Classes
      • Rotary Nature Center
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
  • Birding For Everyone Fellowship
  • Volunteer
  • Conservation
    • Conservation
    • Habitat Restoration
    • Pier 94
    • Cats Indoors
    • Lights Out For Birds
    • Advocacy
    • Backyard Bird Habitat
    • Bird-Safe Buildings
    • Science and Monitoring
    • Ethical Consumption
  • GGBA Archives
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGBA Press Releases
    • Travel with GGBA – Past Tours
    • Past Speakers
  • Bird With Us
    • Field Trips
    • Travel with GGBA
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • The Gull
    • Golden Gate Birder Blog
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Trip Reports by Year
  • Contact Us
  • Member Login
  • Volunteer Hours Reporting
  • Birding Resources
    • Conservation Info
  • Member Login
  • Membership
  • Blog
  • Donate
    • Planned Giving
    • Smart Giving
    • Other Ways to Give