Natural History Wanderings

The Golden Gate Birder reports that the San Francisco Christmas Bird Count set what could be a new record for the number of species  — 183. This is a preliminary number and may go up or down slightly as the compilers review the data.  Here are some highlights:

• Two Snowy Plovers (including one banded bird) at the Presidio, and 24 at Ocean Beach – good news for this threatened species.
• A Clapper Rail at Heron’s Head Park.
• Over 2,000 Western Sandpipers at the South San Francisco shoreline.
• Fifty-four Western Bluebirds in the Crystal Springs area. (But no quail.)
• A Long-tailed Duck and Harlequin Duck in Pacifica.
• Gray Catbird that has been spending time at the Arboretum.
• Two Great Horned Owls at Land’s End for the first time in ten years.
• Black Oystercatchers that did a spectacular “sky dancing” aerial display at Land’s End.
• Borrowing a golf cart from the Olympic Club golf course for counting on the course!

Read more about the San Francisco Christmas Bird Count at SF Christmas Bird Count – 183 species? | Golden Gate Audubon Society.