Field Journal – Hawk Hill
Date and Location:
09/27/23 – Hawk Hill, Marin County, CA
Site Description and Conditions:
Mid 60s warming to 70 (deg. F) under sunny and hazy skies; winds light and variable. The site included multiple habitats, including coastal bluffs, adjacent scrub + brush, and panoramic views of adjacent hills, the Golden Gate, and the oceanside. Various trails connect these habitats and allow for sweeping views; elevation also contributed to the ease of viewing various species over the ocean. The trails used loop around Hawk Hill; at lower elevations mostly viewing coastal scrub habitats.
Narrative:
The focus of this trip was to observe raptors and multiple accipiters while associating with the GGRO hawk watchers. It was quite insightful to see how the team worked to observe, count, and identify various raptors…their dedication was quite impressive. We received a presentation from a GGRO rep who gave us a quick education on identifying sharpies vs Cooper’s which was very helpful. On our way up the trail we identified numerous scrub species, like the California Scrub-Jay, before we perched atop the hill to observe raptors/accipiters. Numerous Turkey Vultures, swifts, Crows, Ravens, and some Cooper’s Hawks/Sharp-shinned Hawks were observed, many riding thermals and circling above at high elevations.
Species Account: Sharp-shinned Hawk – Accipiter striatus
An accipiter in the family Accipitridae, this is one of the smaller hawks in North America with a wingspan around 20 in. Gray with pale orange barring; similar plumage to the Cooper’s Hawk, with a smaller body, more squared-off tail, and quicker wingbeats. Usually feeds on smaller birds captured in flight, stalking feeders in search of prey. 15 were observed on this trip along with its lookalike, the Cooper’s, very high up in elevation…many were very small and somewhat difficult to identify.
Home Time – Crissy Field Lagoon
For this week’s Home Time I chose to explore Crissy Field to identify some shorebirds/ducks/waterfowl. I frequent this area once in a while to walk around; I figured I might as well do some birding here since I’ve previously seen many bird species in the area. On this trip I was able to observe a decent amount of species including the Great Blue Heron, Least Sandpiper, American Avocet, and American Widgeon, among others. This location was notable for its shallow waters, similar to other locations visited this semester. Was nice to see the protected/conserved nature of the lagoon and adjacent areas.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S156122866
Great Blue Heron. Crissy Field Lagoon
Merlin Meditation – Crissy Field Lagoon
Within the area I was able to stop for a bit and focus on the vocalizations of the Vaux’s Swift; there were a few flying overhead that were able to be observed and were relatively loud, even though they fly very quickly and are very small…they had a very distinct vocalization with repetitive, quick, almost tapping noises (somewhat like Morse code)…everything about them was fast and swift.