Field Journal – Redwood Creek/Frank Valley
Date and Location:
10/18/23 – Redwood Creek/Frank Valley
Site Description and Conditions:
60s; cool, warming to full sun after a foggy start. This trip was split into two adjacent sites; the first site along Banducci Rd included a trail with multiple habitats, along forested areas with some smaller shrubs and scrub, along with some species like the Stinging Nettle. Trails were mostly flat along this stretch. The Western side on the trail exhibited more forest-type habitats, while the Eastern side was more expansive with better views of birds in flight.
The second part of this trip took us to Frank Valley, where we started at a meadow and made our way ENE along a trail adjacent to some hills through heavy forested areas along Redwood Creek with some good open views along the way. Tree canopies were high enough to shield a lot of the sun; this made for damp conditions with cooler temperatures.
Narrative: The first part of this trip yielded good looks at a variety of birds, both perching and in flight. Overhead, large groups of Band-tailed Pigeon and Pine Siskin were seen; at ground level, there were some notable observations, including the Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, multiple Northern Flickers, a (supposed) Great Horned Owl, along with multiple Scrub-Jays and many Chestnut-backed Chickadees. As temperatures climbed and the sun broke through the clouds/fog, observations became much easier.
After a short drive, we were taken to a beautiful, newly-built trail through the woods, with expansive views within this forested area allowing for many observations and resonant calls to be picked up. Here, we saw finches, jays, and many wrens like the Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, along with more chickadees and a few raptors flying overhead (notably, three Red-tailed Hawks).
Species Account: Red-breasted Sapsucker — Sphyrapicus ruber
A woodpecker in the family Picidae, measuring roughly 8 inches in length with a wingspan from 14-16 inches…”medium-sized” for a woodpecker. Striking plumage with red on the head and breast, a white slash on the shoulder, and white mottling on the back. Usually found in the types of habitats we saw on this trip; found in coniferous/mixed forests, with distinctive drumming noises (like Morse code) as it methodically drills into bark.
Home Time – Lands End
For this week’s Home Time I returned to Lands End to examine the same trail I visited earlier in the semester; as I expected, there were some differences in the environment, some species were no longer able to be seen up close (fewer individuals observable by sight, many of the same species were picked up by Merlin, however). Regardless, this was still a great trip as it provided both sweeping views of the ocean, birds in flight like the Brown Pelican, numerous cormorants, as well as the species I observed last time; an apparent hotspot for the Anna’s Hummingbird along the trail as well as multiple Black Phoebes, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Pygmy Nuthatches.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S156152866
Merlin Meditation – Lands End
During this trip I remained stationary at one end of the trail near the Presidio Golf Course, where I was able to pick up numerous species; of note was the Dark-eyed Junco, with its very repetitive, almost perfect vocalization of the same note in succession for about 2 seconds with breaks in between. This species in particular was lighting up Merlin constantly during this entire trip, particularly near the golf course.