On Tuesday, my spouse and I travelled 1750 miles (2,800 km) from our dwelling of thirty years in Morelia, to the area by which I grew up, the San Mateo Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Space in California. This isn’t a birding journey; we are attempting to cope with many logistical life points which have collected over the previous a number of years. However will I chicken? In fact I’ll!
The truth is, I have already got.
Each time I’ve made this journey lately, I’ve hoped to have the ability to take part in a subject journey of the native Sequoia Audubon Society. And every time, my schedule and theirs didn’t mesh. However this time, it turned out that not one, not two, however 4 S.A.S outings had been deliberate for the times we’d be up right here.
I gained’t be capable to go to all of those. However I used to be up shiny and early on my first full day right here, for the primary accessible subject journey. (The second, on this very Saturday morning, is predicted to coincide with some heavy, late rains. I anticipate that nobody shall be going.) We went to Woodside’s Jasper Ridge Organic Protect, and a restricted-access part, at that.
My solely different expertise with an Audubon Membership subject journey anyplace, on a chilly October morning within the American Midwest, was frankly sort of a bust. However this one was a beautiful expertise. Leaders Emily and Sonny have been very educated, and clearly had a lot expertise in making outings satisfying for a combination of skilled and starting birders. And sure, a number of of the of the dozen or so “followers” have been additionally very educated. A pair of girls appeared to know extra about crops and butterflies than about birds, which I loved.
Kudos additionally to Davena, who managed the signups for the journey and different logistics. She has been sharing all kinds of data with me about seabird sightings alongside the San Mateo county Pacific coast, since she discovered that was a possible space of progress for me. In response to my record, which by some means ended up being the official group record, we noticed 41 species in about 4 hours. 23 have been birds I may additionally anticipate to see in Michoacán, which would be the topic for a later publish. 11 have been new for my California lifelist. Of those, two have been “eBird lifers”. I had a lot hoped to see California Quails, which I noticed many instances as a toddler rising up in California, however had by no means seen as an eBirding grownup. To my shock, I had additionally by no means included a Wild Turkey on an eBird record earlier than Tuesday. Each have been welcome additions.
Two different species additionally warmed my California-boy coronary heart. After I was a teen, Band-tailed Pigeons discovered my birdfeeder by the home by which I lived. Their wingbeats appeared like clapping once they would take off. So by the point we had 30 of them coming for cracked corn, I’d hear thunderous applause each time I opened our dwelling’s again door. The neighbors, complicated these for undesirable Rock Pigeons, finally complained, and I needed to shut down the Band-tailed Pigeon buffet. (At Jasper Ridge, we noticed 20. In idea they are often present in central Mexico, however I’ve solely seen a pair there.)
And a giant a part of the soundtrack of my hill-climbing days needed to do with somewhat chicken known as the Wrentit, a California specialty with a name like a pingpong ball bouncing down stairs. None have been seen at Jasper Ridge, however their name rang out all over the place.
After which there was my one true lifer for the journey. I had identified to my neighbors an odd cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk name as we got here round a bend within the path. Then we heard what is perhaps drumming. Lastly, a birder up entrance cried out, “A Pileated Woodpecker!”, and all of us rushed up for a incredible view of this, the third-largest surviving woodpecker on the planet. It was busy knocking large chunks of bark off a tree department, and didn’t appear in any respect involved about our presence. Davena cried out, “My nemesis!”
Sadly, this excellent encounter occurred simply after my “new” (used) journey digital camera ran out of cost. We’ve got far to go earlier than I’ll get that relationship so as, I can guarantee you. This publish’s small variety of pictures serves to substantiate that truth.
The 2 birds on the high of this publish are Double-crested Cormorants, seen on the Reserve’s reservoir.
On Sunday I’ll be off to the coast for my subsequent Audubon Society subject journey. I’m hoping to do higher with my “new” digital camera.
