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Field Lab Entry 10 – Mt. Tamalpais

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Mt Tam: https://ebird.org/checklist/S153920864

The Pole: https://ebird.org/checklist/S153920864

Date:  November 1, 2023

Location(s):  

  1. Mt. Tamalpais | 37°55’19.7″N 122°36’13.9″W | 2,578 ft
  2. The Pole | 37° 55′ 25.7664”N 122° 35′ 46.3452”W | 2,571 ft

Site Description:

  1. Mount Tamalpais AKA Mount Tam, is a mountain peak located in Marin County, California. It has a wide range of habitats and diverse topography like rugged slopes, forested areas, and views of the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It’s part of the California Coast Ranges. The landscape includes steep cliffs, rocky outcroppings, and deep canyons. There are different habitats such as mixed conifer forest, oak woodlands, chapparal, grasslands, and coastal scrubs. Some key bird species include Acorn Woodpeckers, Peregrine Falcons, Band-tailed Pigeons, Red-tailed Hawks, and Turkey Vultures.
  2. The Pole is a viewpoint located near Mount Tam. It is characterized by hilly/rocky terrain and a significant elevation with beautiful panoramic views. It is diverse and similar to the characteristics of Mount Tam. There are a variety of habitats such as mixed conifer forest, oak woodlands, and chaparral areas. Key bird species are similar to those found on Mount Tam such as Acordn Woodpeckers, Peregrine Falcons, etc.

Species account: The Merlin (Falcon columbarius) is a small to medium-sized falcon known for its sleek, compact body and agile flight. They are typically 9-13 inches in length and have a wingspan of 20-26 inches. Their appearance is distinctive because of its grayish bluish plumage on their upperparts and orangish brownish underparts. Adult males typically have a bluish gray bsck with a black crown and mustache like markings while females and juvenile Merlins have a streaked pattern on their chests. Merlins are know for their swift, dynamic flight. They’re skilled hunters and feed on small birds. They are adaptable birds and are found in a range of habitats such as the edges of forests, in grasslands, and along coastlines. A merlin flew over us while we were sitting on Mount Tam waiting for action!

Merlin (bird) - Wikipedia

Narrative:

We left campus for Mt. Tam around 8:20 AM and reached around 9:05 AM. It was a nice day, a little breezy but got warm later. We walked around Mount Tam seeing and hearing our smaller birds, our Dark-eyed Juncos and California Scrub Jays were the popular ones for that day. We went to a nice area with a beautiful view of the mountains and waited for bird action, and got to see a Merlin fly over us. We also got to see a cute yellowish Western Meadowlark sitting on the line. After 2 hours, we headed over to The Pole which was literally another part of Mount Tam. We chilled for about a good 15-20 minutes on the rocky cliff with a beautiful panoramic view. We then headed over to Mt. Tamalpais State Park – Stinson Beach with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Before heading to the trail, we got beautiful views of many Acorn Woodpeckers. We could literally hear them drumming the trees. After that we went on the trail and chilled, saw a lot of Band-tailed Pigeons, Turkey Vultures, and Red-tailed Hawks. We then took class photos before heading back. We then headed back and on the ride back Paavani and Tammy fell asleep on my shoulders on the way back, literally dislocated my shoulders LOL!

Photos:

Sources:

  1. Sibley, D. A. (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds. Knopf. 
  2. https://ebird.org/species/merlin

Field Lab 8 Entry – Redwood Creek/Frank Valley

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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:

 

Sources:

  1. Frank Valley Road (muir woods road) near Muir Woods National Monument. Marin County Public Works. (2023, August 25). https://publicworks.marincounty.org/frank-valley-road-near-muir-woods-national-monument/#:~:text=Muir%20Woods%20Road%2FFrank%20Valley,to%20as%20Muir%20Woods%20Road.
  2. Northern Flicker – eBird. (n.d.). https://ebird.org/species/norfli
  3. Redwood Creek at Muir Beach. Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. (2020, April 2). https://www.parksconservancy.org/projects/redwood-creek-muir-beach