Birding the Bay Part 2

As incredible as the Marin hike was, it was not the best day. The best day was the next day. I woke up early and headed off to Lafayette Park, a park in the middle of the city that is a local oasis. Although non-native, the Red-masked Parakeets frequent there, but it was my best chance for Townsend's Warbler and Pygmy Nuthatch. Townsend's Warbler migrates through the western half of Texas, but it winters and migrates through coastal California. Pgymy Nuthatch can only be found in certain areas of Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, but California has large areas that have their habitat.

The park is not very big at all, with a tiny 25x25 area at the top surrounded by trees. Allen's and Anna's Hummingbirds were flying around and the morning chorus was full of sounds that I did not recognize. The first treat was a breeding plumage Yellow-rumped Warbler. We get these all the time in Texas, but they are almost always in their dull winter plumage. I was stunned at how beautiful the breeding plumage was. As I followed the path I stopped to stare at a male Anna's Hummingbird, but I got distracted by a small bird flitting around the trees. The small bird was clinging to the tree when I ID'ed it. Pygmy Nuthatch! Wingo! A call got my attention that I'd only ever heard in Big Bend. I saw the distinct flight pattern and instantly knew I had an Acorn Woodpecker. The highlight sighting, though, was the last one that I had there. A Townsend's Warbler offered up some great views, and it is prettier in person than in field guides, let me tell you.

Acorn Woodpecker. The lighting and trees made it hard to get good shots, but the Acorns are stunning woodpeckers

Male Anna's Hummingbird. All the good birds had the sun right behind them

My next stop for the day was Stow Lake at Golden Gate Park to go after Steller's Jay and Mew Gull. Steller's Jay can be found in the Trans-Pecos area of Texas, and in the right habitat it is common in the Rockies and west of them. Mew Gull is exclusively found on the West Coast, wintering in the continental US and breeding in northern Canada and Alaska. I'm atrocious at learning gulls because there are so many cycles for each bird, but luckily Mew Gull is much smaller than the abundant Western and California Gulls I'd been seeing. Fox Sparrow was a common lifer at Golden Gate Park, but the highlight was a close up view of 2 Steller's Jays in a tree. They're stunning birds, and I missed them when my Davis Mountains trip got cancelled in December. The Mew Gull was also clearly present.

Mew Gull

Black Phoebe at Stow Lake

My planned last stop for the day was Crissy Field at the Presidio to look for wading birds and ducks. Fog was rolling in and it suddenly got cold, which felt real nice. I scanned the bay from the beach and it was empty, or so I thought. I pulled my bins down and right in front of me were 2 Red-throated Loons! I missed them when were in Dallas in December and January, and they were quickly becoming a nemesis bird. Now I had 2 right in front of me. That leaves American Oystercatcher as the last nemesis bird from 2017 that I got in 2018, as I now have American Goldfinch and Barred Owl.

Red-throated Loon in winter plumage. They're stunning in breeding plumage.

I walked for 3 miles from Crissy Field to Fisherman's Wharf, stopping along the way to see Buffleheads and a Long-billed Curlew at Crissy Marsh. The next big event was at the municipal pier. I had Western Grebes everywhere, but there was another black and white bird chilling off to the side. I gave a holler that confused everyone around me as I ran to get a better look at my prize. I had seen Common Murre's in Alaska in breeding plumage, but this was a good find. I got incredible looks, and with a pep in my step I headed back to where my family was staying. The next day would be just as good.

Common Murre in winter plumage

The last full day in San Francisco gave me an opportunity to go after some new birds. My mom, dad, and sister went to an art museum in Sutro Heights, so of course I had to go to the Sutro Baths ruins to see what I could see.  The Sutro Baths are a small area, but there are a few massive rocks in the water that are prime shorebird and gull habitat. I was hoping for a Heermann's Gull. They winter in California and are year round residents in Baja California, and they were for sure a longshot. Realistic birds were Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, and Sanderling. Sutro Baths are on the Pacific, not the bay, which I hoped would give me a little bit of diversity. Spoiler: it did. 

The views were stunning, and as I walked into a cave I saw two black lumps. Excelsior! 2 Black Turnstones! I walked into the cave and got some fantastic views of the water, I was stoked to get those turnstones. As I walked the shoreline I saw plenty of Sanderlings, which are also on the Texas coast. I scanned the huge rocks in front of me for the distinctive red bill of the Heermann's Gull, and at the end of the rock I saw a red bill! Unfortunately it was not a gull, but a Black Oystercatcher, a great consolation prize. I'm so glad I got at least one of the two oystercatcher species, once I move to Houston that'll be top of my to-do list, as California does not get American Oystercatchers.

I started to head back, when a yellow legged bird came out on the shore. It was the best bird of the day: Surfbird! I CLEANED UP at Sutro Baths, getting almost every bird I hoped for besides Heermann's Gull. I'm kicking myself because I was a few days too early for Pigeon Guillemots that are now being seen there. 

Black Turnstone

Surfbird (L) with a Sanderling (R). Surfbird is probably the bird of the trip

The day offered one more surprise. The 2 biggest misses of the trip were Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Bushtit. Luck changed when we went to Telegraph Hill before to walk around. I didn't bring my binoculars or camera because I didn't plan on any birding. Luckily I know the call, and I got a glimpse of Chestnut-backed Chickadee. There is a mystery bird that I am not counting because I had no way of telling what it was, but from a distance I am almost certain it was Black-throated Gray Warbler. Great way to end the trip!

Birding San Francisco is a must, especially for Texans. They have completely different species than we get in Texas, and the diversity of habitat provides for a ton of species. If I had more time and if this was a trip centered around birding, I would have gone to Ano Nuevo to the south, and Point Reyes National Seashore in the Marin area. The Farallon Islands are another must do trip that I couldn't get a full day to do, but that should be a priority for any birder. Given that I wanted to spend time with the fam and time/weather constraints I couldn't do this, but somewhere down the line I plan on coming back! 

Overall, 115 species is pretty fantastic for a 4 day trip, and I'm at 132 on the year, which is probably higher now after the Hooded Warbler I got earlier this morning! Big April is coming up. I'm leading a walk on Saturday morning, next Saturday I'll be shorebirding on the Bolivar Peninsula and then hopefully stopping by High Island, and May is gonna see some big moves as I'm planning on a Big Bend/Davis Mountains trip! I'd love to hit up San Antonio and South Llano River SP if I can find a time and buddy to go with me as well.

Happy birding!

Western Grebes, Municipal Pier in San Francisco