Author: mtomaiko

Ebird List Link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S66413137

Date: 03/30/2020

Location: Presidio of San Francisco, San Fransisco County (37.78738, -122.47458) at an elevation of approximately 243 feet (74 meters). Refer to the map for where observations were recorded.

Site Description: Observations were done along a trail in the Presidio. The site consisted of a series of rolling hills at a moderate elevation. The first portion of the trail went through a forest area that contained dense amounts of tall pine and gum trees. The other portion of the trail was open-aired and covered in dense vegetation lower to the ground, for example, various types of shrubs and bushes. The most abundantly observed species were: White-crowned Sparrows (6), Common Ravens (5), American Crows (4), Swallow species (4), Anna’s Hummingbirds (3), Red-tailed Hawks (3), Stellar’s Jays (3), and Chestnut-backed Chickadees (2). Other species observed were: a Rock Pigeon (1), a Mourning Dove (1), a Turkey Vulture (1), a House Finch (1), a Fox Sparrow (1), a Song Sparrow (1), and an unidentified Sparrow species (1).

Species Account: Several types of sparrow species were located low to the ground on the first portion of the trail. I had some difficulty with their identification because many of them looked similar. I was able to identify many of them as White-crowned Sparrows. However, there was another single sparrow that had a more rounded and slightly larger body than the White-crowned Sparrows. I also noticed that its the plumage on its body was a browner color and had more distinct lines than the other sparrows. The major identification factor actually happened to be its behavior, the sparrow continuously kept hopping in place as it dug around in the dirt. The bird was identified as a Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) are of the order Passeriformes and family Passerellidae. They are larger sized sparrows with a chunky body and darker plumage. Their plumage is noted to have thicker streaking than seen in other sparrows. The sparrows typically have a small, gray colored head. Across different regions, the Fox Sparrow’s body color can vary: bright foxy red, gray, and sooty brown. The red colored sparrows are observed primarily in eastern and northern regions. The gray and sooty brown sparrows are observed in the western regions. Their beaks are stout and they have medium length tails. Fox Sparrows typically inhabit woodlands and areas with high density of low ground vegetation. Fox Sparrows spend the majority of their time on the ground and under vegetation. They are ground foragers that eat a diet of seeds and insects. This particular species of sparrow exhibits a unique beahvior when it forages, they jump and scratch at the soil with both feet at once. The call of a Fox Sparrow is described as a rich, whistling. Males sing in the spring when they are defending their nesting territory. Fox Sparrows are a migratory bird, they breed and nest in the far north and western mountains; then will return south for the winter months. Both males and females provide food for their nestlings.

Sources:

1. “Fox Sparrow – EBird.” Ebird.Org, https://ebird.org/species/foxspa. Accessed 1 April 2020.
2. “Fox Sparrow – Audubon Guide to North American Birds.” Audobon.Org. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/fox-sparrow#. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020

Narrative: Observations occurred along a trail over 0.75 miles. The weather was partly cloudy with mild winds. The temperature was around 57 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit. Moderate diversity of species was observed across the area with rather low abundance of birds. This trail is frequented by people with dogs, so I imagine that the birds have learned to stay hidden and potentially off the ground. I was able to heard many different bird calls and songs, however, in the densely packed vegetation that covered the area I was unable to locate many for proper identification, ultimately leading me to miss a great number of species that were present. Over the duration of the trip (60 minutes), thirteen species were observed. I noticed that there were numerous amounts of insects across this site, for example dragonflies and bumblebees, so I expected to observe many insectivores. This was confirmed by the different species of sparrows that I saw. There were several unique beahviors of species I observered throughout my trip. The first thing I noted previously in my species account. The Fox Sparrow’s characteristic hopping while it foraged for insects on the ground helped me to identify it as different from the other sparrow species. The second thing I noticed was small birds frequently flying over my head at higher speeds in an undulating fashion. This led me to the assumption that it was some species of swallow. Unfortunately I was unable to get a good enough view of their features as they zipped by to capture their key features for identification. The third behavior helped me to identify crows from ravens. I noticed a flock of black birds flying high overhead. The birds were soaring and gliding, only beating their wings a few times every once in a while. I concluded that the species must have been a raven. I was able to confirm this when the species came a little lower to the ground, its wings were more pointed. This is different than a crow’s wings, which would be blunted and more splayed out at the wingtips.

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https://ebird.org/checklist/S66415425

Ebird List Link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65463699

Date: 03/05/2020

Location: Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, Marin County, (38.027411, -122.515583) at an elevation of approximately -5 feet (-1.524 meters). Refer to the map below for where observations were recorded.

Site Description: The site would be classified as a valley, surrounded by mid to larger-sized mountains. Mount Diablo was located to the East, and Mount Tamalpais was located to the west. General topographical features of the site included a freshwater marsh, irrigated pastures, storage ponds, and a saltwater marsh. Most of our observations were done at the first and largest pond on the trail. This pond had three small islands with shoreline areas and areas of dense vegetation at their centers. The shores of the ponds were lined by a variety of grasses and rushes. The area overall had a very sparse amount of trees. The irrigated pastures located around the edge of the ponds provided a large open-aired environment. The most abundantly observed species were: Red-winged Blackbirds (300), Mallard Ducks (52), Tree Swallows (30), Cinnamon Teals (30), American Coots (19), Canadian Geese (18), Double-crested Cormorants (15), American Crows (12), Green-winged Teals (10), White-crowned Sparrows (10), Marsh Wrens (11), Snowy Egrets (9), Common Mergansers (7), Common Gallinules (7), Northern Harriers (6), Black-crowned Night-Herons (6), Northern Shovelers (6), Black Phoebes (5), and Short-billed Dowitchers (5). Other species observed were: Eurasian Collared-Doves (4), Wilson’s Snipes (4), American White Pelicans (4), European Starlings (4), Common House Finches (3), Gull species (3), Killdeers (3), Mute Swans (3), Blue-winged Teals (2), American Wigeons (2), Pied-billed Grebes (2), White-tailed Kites (2), Red-tailed Hawks (2), Golden-crowned Sparrows (2), Common Yellowthroats (2), a Song Sparrow (1), a Wrentit (1), a Common Raven (1), a Downy Woodpecker (1), a Turkey Vulture (1), a Great Egret (1), a Forster’s Tern (1), a Greater Yellowlegs (1), and a Bufflehead (1).

Species Account: A unique bird call was heard coming from inside the dense vegetation near the edge of one of the marsh areas. The call was very high pitched and was exhibited in bursts of threes. The call would best be described as a “wichety-wichety-wichety” noise. Based on its call, I assumed it would be some type of songbird. It took several minutes of waiting in silence before the bird moved to a higher-up area in the dense vegetation, making it more easily spottable. I thought that the bird was either really alert in our presence, or that remaining low in vegetation was a characteristic of its behavior (for example, when foraging). The first thing I noticed when locating the bird through my binoculars was the distinctive features of its plumage near the face. The throat of the bird was a brilliant bright yellow which highly contrasted with the black mask across its eyes. The bird was identified as a Common Yellowthroat. Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) are of the order Passeriformes and family Parulidae. They are medium to small-size songbirds, more specifically warblers. To scale, their body size is slightly smaller than that of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Their body shape is round, with a rounded head and slightly rounded tail. Their beaks are small and pointed, which aids in insect foraging. The males have a bright yellow throat, black eye mask, and thin white line separating the upper part of the mask from the olive-brown color of the rest of the body. The females also have a yellow throat and olive-brown body color but lack the black eye mask. This type of bird inhabits open areas with thick, low vegetation. For example, the marsh in which we observed our Yellowthroat. As insect foragers, they spend a large amount of their time in the thick, low vegetation searching for food. Yellowthroats are short-distance migratory birds, moving to the southern United States for winter. During migratory periods, Yellowthroats may join other warblers in mixed flocks. The males are the ones that sing the “wichety-wichety-wichety” song we heard. However, both sexes make a “chuck” noise.

Sources:

1. “Common Yellowthroat – EBird.” Ebird.Org, https://ebird.org/species/comyel/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020.
2. “Common Yellowthroat Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Www.Allaboutbirds.Org, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Yellowthroat/id. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020.
3. “Common Yellowthroat – Audubon Guide to North American Birds.” Audobon.Org. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/common-yellowthroat. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020

Narrative: Observations occurred along a trail over 1.13 miles. The weather was cloudy with mild winds. The temperature was around 60 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Great diversity and abundance of species were observed across the area. Over the duration of the trip (207 minutes), forty-two species were observed. There were several behaviors I noted down for some of the species that I found interesting and potentially helpful for future identification. There were groups of different songbirds hiding in low vegetation near the edge of the water, they moved around very quickly and it was really difficult to identify them. However, I noticed that the Marsh Wrens all had their tails cocked upwards to the sky, which made distinguishing them from sparrows and other wrens easier. I also noticed that the Red-winged Blackbirds were gathered in large groups and were extremely vocal. Mixed in with the Red-winged Blackbirds were some European Starlings. I found it really interesting for two species to be mixing together and getting along. This contrasted with the interaction I observed between a Northern Harrier and American Crow. The Northern Harrier was flying in the open above an irrigated pasture, low to the ground and likely hunting. Swooping in from another direction, an American Crow mobbed the Northern Harrier. The crow appeared to annoy the Harrier enough that it flew away, leaving the area to the crow. It was really fascinating to me to be able to see two types of interactions between species in one environment, ranging from mutual acceptance of the presence of each other to purposely driving one another away.

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Ebird List Link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65448032

Date: 02/27/20

Location: Redwood Creek and Muir Beach, Marin County (37.8622617, -122.5747671) at an elevation of approximately 0 feet (0 meters). Refer to the map below for where observations were recorded.

Site Description: General topography of the site was relatively flat with medium-sized hills surrounding the area. Sightings were done along the Redwood Creek trail, starting inland and then looping out towards Muir Beach on the coast. The habitat would best be characterized as a riparian zone. The creek running through the area was lined by dense to moderately packed willow trees, as well as various varieties of grasses and brushes. Closer to the coast trees became sparser and brush became the dominant vegetation, creating a more open-aired environment. The most abundantly observed species were: American crows (15), Black Phoebes (6), Turkey Vultures (5), White-crowned Sparrows (5), Song Sparrows (5), Red-winged Blackbirds (5), Anna’s Hummingbirds (4), Pygmy Nuthatches (4), Fox Sparrows (3), and Lincoln’s Sparrows (3). Other species observed were: Wrentits (2), American Robins (2), Common Finches (2), a Great Blue Heron (1), a Northern Harrier (1), a Red-shouldered Hawk (1), a Red-tailed Hawk (1), a Downy Woodpecker (1), a Peregrin Falcon (1), a California Scrub-Jay (1), a Steller’s Jay (1), a Chestnut-backed Chickadee (1), a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1), a Lesser Goldfinch (1), and a California Towhee (1).

Species Account: A bird was spotted soaring high in the open air above the hills near the coast. The most common birds that I have observed exhibiting this same type of soaring behavior are Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures. The bird was a great distance away, but close enough that I did not see a red tail, eliminating the possibility of it being a Red-tailed Hawk (assuming that it was an adult and had enough time to develop its red tail feathers). The bird soared with its wings in a “V” shape, which appears similar to the flight of the Turkey Vulture. However, the soaring bird did not have a red, featherless head and had distinctly lighter plumage than the Turkey Vulture would. I noticed that the bird would soar around in circles for a while and then plunge down, which led me to believe that this bird is predatory and was hunting for food. From the distance I was at, I did not hear the bird make any sort of call or noise. From the brief glimpses, I caught of the bird’s face it had almost owl-like facial features, which included bright eyes and a flatter, disc looking face. The bird was identified as a Northern Harrier. Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius) are of the order Accipitriformes and family Accipitridae. They are medium-sized hawks with slender bodies, broad wings, and long, rounded tails. The plumage of males is grey and white, while females are brown. Their most distinctive feature is the white patch at the base of their tail. As adults, both sexes have bright yellow-colored eyes. Their disk-shaped faces and stiff facial feathers are similar to that of an owl, helping to direct sound when hunting for prey. The Northern Harrier’s diet consists of small mammals, such as rodents. They hunt for their prey flying low in grasslands and exhibit aerial diving. They are found most commonly inhabiting areas of open fields and marshes. During courtship or when being mobbed by other birds, Northern Harriers may be heard making a fast and repetitive series of high-pitched “kek” noises. Male Northern Harriers may have up to five different mates and provide food for his mates and offspring while the female incubates the chicks.

Sources:

1. “Northern Harrier – EBird.” Ebird.Org, ebird.org/species/norhar2. Accessed 6 Mar. 2020.
2. “Northern Harrier Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Www.Allaboutbirds.Org, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/overview. Accessed 6 Mar. 2020.Narrative: Observations occured along the Redwood Creek trail over 1.16 miles. The weather was sunny with clear skies. The temperature was around 70-74 degrees Farenheit. There was a great diversity of birds spread throughout the area. Over the duration of the trip (146 minutes), twenty-five species were observed. I had a bit of difficulty with the identification of the sparrows. However, at one point I was able to view the Lincoln’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow all nearby each other on the ground while they foraged for food. The Lincoln’s Sparrow had much lighter colored plumaged than the White-crowned Sparrow and the Fox Sparrow. I also noticed that the Fox Sparrows exhibited a very unique behavior, jumping up and down while it was foraging for insects. None of the other sparrows appeared to exhibit this same behavior. Another unique behavior I had the opportunity to observe was mobbing behavior between a Red-tailed Hawk and a Red-shouldered Hawk. Both were soaring up high in close proximity, using the winds near the coast. The Red-tailed Hawk began doing a sort of diving motion near the Red-shouldered Hawk, eventually leading to the Red-shouldered Hawk flying off in a different direction. The observations on this trip were expected to be done closer to eye level since there was a vast amount of medium-sized willow trees. However, we actually ended up doing most of our observations up in the sky or in some of the higher trees. One of the most memorable birds I saw was the Downy Woodpecker, it was sighted on the trunk of a very high, dead, and hollowed out looking tree. I got a great view of it’s beautiful black and white plumage, as well as its bright red spot on top of the head before it disappeared into a hole in the trunk.

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Ebird List Link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64792297

Date: 02/20/20

Location: Rock Springs Mount Tamalpais, Marin County (37.910211, -122.612658) at an elevation of approximately 1,000 feet (304.8 meters). Refer to the map below for where observations were recorded.

Site Description: General topography of the site consisted of numerous hills varying in elevation. Sightings were done continuously along the Rock Springs trailhead. Some sightings were done in denser forest areas, while others were done in more open areas. The habitat would be accurately described as an oak coniferous forest that also had pine trees, Douglass fir trees and moderate varieties of grasses and shrubs. The most abundantly observed species were: Acorn Woodpeckers (18), Dark-eyed Juncos (6), Band-tailed Pigeons (6), and Ruby-crowned Kinglets (4). Other species observed were: Red-shafted Northern Flickers (3), Chestnut-backed Chickadees (3), Common Ravens (2), California Scrub-Jay (1), and Red-tailed Hawk (1).

Species Account: A bird was spotted on the trunk of an oak tree in the shade exhibiting woodpecker-like behavior, drumming into the tree’s trunk. Besides the drumming, the bird did not exhibit any noise or vocalization. I noted that the bird was alone and did not appear to be apart of a flock. The bird remained positioned on the trunk the entire time I observed it, so I was able to get a good view of some of its features. Since the bird was holding onto the trunk, I was unable to view the features on its belly and underside. However, from what I could see the bird had very unique plumage. There were two main things that stood out to me. The first was the bird’s distinct, uniform black stripping that covered its back and wings. The second was the bright red malar on both sides of the face. The bird was identified as a Red-Shafted Northern Flicker. Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) are of the order Piciformes and family Picidae. They are large-sized woodpeckers that have brown bodies, black backs, and black spotted chests with a black crescent-shaped mark. Another feature they have that makes them easily identifiable during flight is their white rump. There are subspecies of Northern Flickers which can be distinguished by the color under their wings, for example, the Red-shafted versus the Yellow-shafted. The Yellow-shafted Flickers are found primarily in eastern and northern North America while the Red-shafted Flickers are found primarily in the West south through Mexico. They mainly inhabit open woodland areas where they can ground forage for insects using their slightly-curved bills to dig. The interesting thing to note about this species of woodpecker is that they prefer ground foraging, as compared to tree hammering. However, they do use trees as nests, creating holes in them for their eggs. Northern Flickers utilize tree drumming as a form of communication, along with their loud and piercing yelps. The Northern Flickers are also noted to be one of the few North American Woodpecker species that are strongly migratory, moving south for the winters.

Sources:

1. “Northern Flicker.” https://ebird.org/species/norfli
2. “Northern Flicker.” https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/overview

Narrative: Observations occurred along the Rock Spring trailhead over about 4 miles. The weather was sunny with some winds. The temperature averaged at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the duration of the trip (150 minutes), nine different taxa were observed. I noted that the diversity of birds was significantly lower than observed at other sites in the past. I also noted that of these nine taxa, we only observed about 44 individuals in total. The abundance of birds observed was also significantly lower than at other sites in the past. I was surprised by this because I expected that numerous amounts of species and individuals would be flourishing in this denser forest environment that contained a vast variety of vegetation. The ecology of the environment would have catered to all sorts of birds, from ground foragers to tree foragers. Throughout our walk along the trail, I noticed that the Acorn Woodpeckers were observed in groups of at least five, but usually more. I also noticed that the Acorn Woodpeckers were extremely vocal, they exhibited a raspy sort of trilling noise in a repetitive fashion. I also heard the call of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee several times, a high-pitched and squeaky undulating sound. Although I didn’t directly observe many of them by eye, their call was very uniquely identifiable.

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Ebird List Link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64772250

Date: 02/13/2020

Location: Bolinas, Marin County, CA (37.9062,-122.6506) at an elevation of approximately 36 feet (11 meters). Refer to the map below for where observations were recorded.

Site Description: General topography of the site was flat, although we did drive up the Marin Headlands to get to the area. Sitings were done along the edge of Bolinas lagoon, which I would describe as a mix of mudflats and marshes. The site contained moderate vegetation consisting of a variety of riparian scrubs, Eucalyptus trees, and Cypress pine trees. The most abundantly observed species were: America Wigeons (200), Larus sp. (150), Long-billed Curlews (81), Northern Pintails (11), Double-crested Cormorants (10), Snowy Egrets (8), Buffleheads (6), Marbled Godwits (6), Western Gulls (6), Great Egrets (5), and Turkey Vultures (4). Other species observed were: Northern Shovelers (3), Anna’s Hummingbirds (2), Killdeer (2), Great Blue Heron (2), American Crows (2), Eurasian Wigeon (1), Mallard (1), Osprey (1), Red-tailed Hawk (1), Common Kingfisher (1), and California Scrub-Jay (1).

Species Account: Common Kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) are of order Coraciiformes and family Alcedinidae. They are a small bird about the size of a Sparrow. Common Kingfishers inhabit fresh and brackish water habitats surrounded by vegetation; this includes lakes, rivers, streams, swamps and ponds. Common Kingfishers are identified by their metallic blue plumage on their heads, upper bodies, and wings. Lower plumage is orange, with chestnut-colored coverts on the ears and chin. They have short tails with long, sturdy beaks and short, rounded wings that create a whirling sound when in flight. Common Kingfishers are characterized by their shy and inconspicuous nature, however, they are easily detected by their high-pitched and easily identifiable shrill call. They spend their time perched over water where they capture their meals. A Common Kingfisher’s diet consists of fish, aquatic insects, and small crustaceans which they obtain by diving. They are extremely territorial birds but will merge their territories in spring for mating.

Sources:

1. “Common Kingfisher (Common).” ebird.org/species/comkin2.
2. Miesle, Jeannine. “Common Kingfisher.” Common Kingfisher | Beauty of Birds, Avian Web , www.beautyofbirds.com/commonkingfishers.html.

Narrative: Observations occurred along the lagoon edge spanning 4.48 miles. Over the duration of the trip (127 minutes), twenty-two different taxa were observed. The weather was cold and cloudy, with an average daytime temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit. We did not observe many species soaring compared to other warmer days and noted this was likely because birds were saving energy expenditures. Many birds were observed congregated and resting in large flocks, for example, the American Wigeons, Gulls, and Long-billed Curlews. Counting with exact precision was difficult, so estimations were often done to the best of our ability. When logged on eBird, the sighting of the Common Kingfisher in this location was flagged as rare. The Kingfisher was spotted resting on the telephone wire about the lagoon.

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