Field Lab 8 Entry – Redwood Creek/Frank Valley

Redwood Creek/Frank Valley:

Date: October 18, 2023

Location(s):

Redwood Creek (37.5249° N, 122.2011° W): https://ebird.org/checklist/S152921895

Frank Valley (37.8820346° N,-122.5750637° W): https://ebird.org/checklist/S153015368

Site Description:

Redwood Creek has a diverse habitat with a variety of trees (pine trees), shrubs, coastal scrubs, and wetland vegetation. Key bird species include Northern Flickers, Band-tailed Pigeons, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, etc.

Frank Valley is a valley located in Marin County. It is a pretty flat valley surrounded by gentle slopes, hills, and mountains. The valley consists of various habitats like oak woodland, grassland, riparian woodland, etc. Some key bird species that can be found in Frank Valley include Acorn woodpeckers, California woodpeckers, Western scrub-jay, Oak titmouse, Brown creeper, Yellow Warbler, etc.

Species account: Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Northern Flickers are a medium-sized woodpecker about 11-14 inches long. They have brown upperparts with black bars and white underparts with black spots. Males have a red or yellow mustache stripe. They are usually active during the day and spend most of their time foraging on the ground. They have powerful bills that help them dig for ants, beetles, and other insects. They are also known for their drumming behavior which they use to communicate and defend their territory. They can be found in various habitats such as forests, woodlands, meadows, and even urban areas. They are distributed throughout North America. These woodpeckers are monogamous, with pairs that form during the breeding season. They nest in tree cavities where they lay their eggs. We saw a Northern Flicker perched on a tree and got a very close look at it through the scope.

Narrative: We left for Redwood Creek around 8:22 AM, the weather was pretty clear and got very sunny/warm later. We reached around 8:57 AM and walked the creek looking for birds. We got some pretty close looks at Turkey Vultures and flocks of Pine Siskins. We then went to Frank Valley around 11:20 AM which was very close to Redwood Creek. The first thing we saw was a Raven chilling in the grass. We then all crossed a trail and then a little creek/swamp type of thing over the logs, survival of the fittest🤣 On the cross back, Paavani dipped both her shoes in the creek💀 I wish I could attach the video here LOL. We got to see the Brown Creeper at Frank Valley which was pretty cool. We started to head back to USF around 12:15 AM. Overall, it was a nice day to be birding!

Photos: