Natural History Wanderings

 

Today I led my first organized bird trip at Eastshore State Park in Berkeley, CA. We walked two miles from Gilman St. to University Av. along the shoreline and through Berkeley Meadow.

The weather was good as the temperature was  high 50’s to start, 60’s most of the day. Mostly Sunny and only a slight breeze.   We started a little past high tide so we were able to watch shore birds come into the mudflats and shoreline to eat.

The habitat is protected marine water (S.F. Bay), rocky shoreline, mudflats, sandy shore, coastal scrub and restored meadow. Berkeley Meadow is still dry and the seasonal ponds are still non-existent. Hopefully, they will be wet and have waterbirds later this winter if El Nino materializes

Plants in bloom were Gumplant, Anise, California Poppy, Lizard Tail , California Fuchsia. Butterflies seen were several Monarchs and Cabbage White. A Black-tailed Hare was also seen.

Forty-six bird species were identified today. Most abundant were Greater Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, and American Coots. Best birds were a Northern Harrier and Say’s Phoebe. Interesting behavior observations included watching Gulls stir up water to attract food and lots of Turnstone rock turning. Cooperative birds allowed us to observe side by side comparisons of Western and Clark’s Grebes and Western and Ring-billed Gulls. I didn’t do much bird counting due to focusing on leading trip.

Click read more to see a list of bird species seen today.

 

Eastshore SP–Berkeley access Bird List

45 species (+1 other taxa) total

Nov 21, 2015 8:10 AM – 12:00 PM

 

Canada Goose  X

American Wigeon  X

Mallard  2

Greater Scaup  X

Surf Scoter  1

Bufflehead  X

Ruddy Duck  X

Horned Grebe  2

Eared Grebe  1

Western Grebe  X

Clark’s Grebe  X

Double-crested Cormorant  X

Brown Pelican  X

Snowy Egret  X

Turkey Vulture  X

Northern Harrier  1

Red-tailed Hawk  1

American Coot  X

American Avocet  10

Black-bellied Plover  1

Killdeer  10

Willet  X

Whimbrel  1

Marbled Godwit  X

Black Turnstone  15

Least Sandpiper  X

Western Sandpiper  X

Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher  X

Bonarparte’s Gull 1

Ring-billed Gull  X

Western Gull  X

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  X

Anna’s Hummingbird  X

Black Phoebe  3

Say’s Phoebe  1

American Crow  X

Chestnut-backed Chickadee  X

European Starling  X

Yellow-rumped Warbler  X

White-crowned Sparrow  X

Golden-crowned Sparrow  X

Savannah Sparrow  X

California Towhee  2

Red-winged Blackbird  X

Brewer’s Blackbird  X

House Finch  X

 

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25936259