September 24th & 25th, 2012: Migration in my Backyard

       As most of you birders have probably realized, migration has really picked up: vagrants are appearing all over the place, and the northern breeders are flying south to their wintering grounds. Though school and homework has halted much of my birding, I nevertheless managed to experience this incredible phenomenon. This past weekend, I was looking outside with my binoculars at some House Finches and Dark-eyed Juncos, resident birds that spend all year here. White-crowned Sparrows flew into the yard to join the feeding frenzy. These were the "Nuttall's" subspecies, that are also residents, unlike the migratory "Puget" or "Gambell's" subspecies, that breed further up north. Suddenly, I noticed with my binoculars a different bird. This sparrow species is also migratory: it breeds from British Columbia up to Alaska, and winters from Washington state, down to northern Baja California. This species is the Golden-crowned Sparrow, a bird that comes to my yard every year, and in large numbers. This one was the first of the season for me, so this was a tell-tale sign that migration was really picking up in my neighborhood. Earlier that week, I had a nonbreeding Clay-colored Sparrow that socialized with the White-crowned Sparrows. This rare bird for the coast breeds in central Canada, migrates through the midwest, and goes to Mexico, where it spends its winter. This bird occurs in the Bay Area annually, but in low numbers. This year however had been a good year for them, with over two sighted in San Francisco, another sighting in San Mateo County (other than mine), and a sighting on the East Bay. Anyways, all I was saying was that the sighting of this rarity announced migration to me. The arrival of the Golden-crowned Sparrows was another sign of migration.

   

       The following day, the Golden-crowned Sparrows were in much bigger numbers, with over 20 individuals. However, in this mixed flock of sparrows and finches, I noticed a much smaller bird. It seemed smaller than a Zonotrichia, but about the same size and shape as a Melospiza. I knew immediately that this was the first arrival of a Lincoln's Sparrow in my backyard.

Lincoln's Sparrow
(notice the buffy tones overall,
and the fine streakings on the face and breast.)

       This individual winters in my backyard every year. I see him so often now that he's deserving of a name. I decided to cleverly name him Abe (after our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln).

      

       After finding my old friend, I kept on looking deep into the shrubbery hoping to find another migrant. I didn't want to spoil myself so I decided to put my binoculars down. But as I was doing so, I noticed a very light, almost rufous-colored sparrow. I put my binoculars back onto my face, and fixed myself on this sparrow. Unfortunately, this bird was hiding behind a clump of leaves on my olive tree, making it impossible to confirm identification. I had an idea of what it may have been, but there was no way of knowing for sure until it hopped into view. However, luck was on my side, and the bird flew to an open-ish perch, allowing me to get a decent view of this bird. It was a White-throated Sparrow, an eastern bird that is uncommon on the west coast, but nonetheless found each year. This was only the second time that I've seen this species in my yard. It may perhaps have been the same individual, but last year's bird arrived much later in the season. In fact, I hadn't heard of any recent reports of this bird in the Bay Area, so I called my friend Logan Kahle (another incredible Bay Area teen birder), and asked him if this bird is early. Indeed, this bird is a little early, and he said that it may be the first record for California this season. I found this to be very interesting, and extremely cool! Having California's first record of a White-throated Sparrow in my backyard is pretty awesome!

White-throated Sparrow
(notice the bold, white supercilium, with the yellow lores,
and the obvious white throat.)

      Migration is an amazing and complex phenomenon that stirs up much excitement for birders. If you haven't gone out birding, and experienced this incredible happening, it really is a shame because there is  nothing like it. Who knows, maybe you'll find some great birds right in your own backyard, like me!

September 23rd, 2012: Coyote Point and Radio Road Ponds

        Every two weeks, my mother and I volunteer at the Coyote Point museum: Curiodyssey. This museum is a miniature zoo that shows local biodiversity in its exhibits. All of the animals there are found in or around the Bay Area. Animals in this museum include American River Otters, North American Badgers, Bobcats, and many more. However, whenever I volunteer, I spend most of my time in the aviary, with all the birds. There are many species of birds in the aviary including Cattle Egrets, Band-tailed Pigeons, a Greater Roadrunner, and 3 Yellow-billed Magpies.

One of the Yellow-billed Magpies
(notice the yellow bill, the black hood, the white belly,
and the blue on the wings)

       As I was doing my walk around the museum, through their flower garden, I noticed a lot of bird activity. On the ground were several "Sooty" Fox Sparrows, that have just recently migrated south from their breeding grounds in Alaska and British Columbia. In the trees were Townsend's Warblers that have also migrated south from their breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest. Both of these species were foraging alongside Dark-eyed Juncos and Chestnut-backed Chickadees respectively. A small Pacific Wren hopped onto a wooden railing, and almost immediately jumped back into the thickets. As I was leaving, a single Pacific-slope Flycatcher flew into view, a distant Nuttall's Woodpecker called, and several Yellow Warblers picked worms off of the canopy branches.

     Before heading home, I wanted to stop by Radio Road Ponds, in Redwood City. This water treatment plant is by far the best one I've ever visited for birding. It is situated right at the edge of the bay, so many different water birds appear. As we arrived, the typical birds whinnied and socialized. The American Avocets, the Long-billed Dowitchers, the Willets, and the Marbled Godwits were the most numerous of the sandpiper-like birds. However, there were also a couple Black-necked Stilts that very carefully stepped through the shallow water. There was also another sandpiper that I was after. It had been reported several days ago, but I still hoped that it had remained a little while longer. It didn't take very long for me to find this bird. It was on an open sandbar alongside a Least Sandpiper and a resting Western Gull. This bird was a Pectoral Sandpiper, a sandpiper that breeds in the high arctic and winters in South America. This bird was an overdue lifer for me, and I'm glad that I finally found one. 

Pectoral Sandpiper
(notice the coloring and streaking on the breast,
and the sudden cut to white on the belly.
Notice also the reddish color on its cheek and at the base of its bill.)

      This was definitely the highlight of my outing to Radio Road Ponds, but I did also find many other interesting birds. There were many Northern Shovelers and Green-winged Teals that dabbled in the water, searching for nutritious aquatic plants. Ducks are different from other birds in that they breed during the winter. However, they migrate north to summer, and then return south to winter, like most migratory birds. Because their breeding season is nearing, these ducks are transitioning from their nonbreeding plumage to their breeding plumage. This overlap is called their "eclipse plumage".

Eclipse plumaged Green-winged Teal
(notice the rufous coloring on the head, and the green speculum.) 

Eclipse plumaged Northern Shovelers
(notice the massive bills, the greenish heads,
and the yellow eye.)

      Other duck species around were Northern Pintails, a few American Wigeons, and a single female Blue-winged Teal.

Nonbreeding Northern Pintail
(notice the blue-gray bill, the pintail,
and the streaky sides.)

Female Blue-winged Teal
(notice the blue speculum, the white double eye-arc,
and the brown eye line.)

      As we walked to the other pond, a flock of 14 Black Skimmers flew over the water in perfect formation, almost as if they had choreographed the entire thing. Black Skimmers are larids that are typically found along the east and the gulf coast. However, there is a population of these birds in southern California, and another here in the Bay Area. The flock here stays only within a restricted range in the Bay Area; Radio Road Ponds is the furthest north that I've seen them, and Shoreline at Mountain View is the furthest south. 

Black Skimmers
(notice the bicolored red and black bill,
the long black wings, and the all white underbelly and
underwings.)

      What's interesting about these birds is that their bills are shaped in a bizarre, yet very useful way. The lower mandible of this bird is longer than the upper mandible. This proves very handy when you see it feeding. It'll skim the water's surface with its lower mandible in the water, and the second the bird feels a fish in its bill, it'll snap its bill so quickly, that the fish doesn't have any chance of escaping. 

      As the skimmers were flying around, American White Pelicans sat and preened themselves on some open sandbars, alongside a lone Canada Goose.

American White Pelicans and a Canada Goose

     We arrived at the other pond, where there usually isn't much activity, but it's always good to check. And I was glad that I did check, for in the water there two Red-necked Phalaropes in nonbreeding plumage. Though these birds are typically pelagic, they can be found inland during their migration. This was by far the greatest view I've ever had of this species. I have seen Red-necked Phalaropes at Radio Road Ponds in the past, but never at such proximity.

Nonbreeding Red-necked Phalarope
(notice the black teardrop shaped marking behind the eye,
the extremely thin bill, and the streakiness on the back)

       On the long strip, separating the two ponds, was a plethora of Ring-billed Gulls. Mixed in the flock  were a couple California Gulls, and a few Western Gulls. Greater Yellowlegs sat down, soaking in the sun, while Willets quarreled right by them. 

Ring-billed Gulls

      As we were about to leave, a little Common Yellowthroat hopped around in the shrubs by the water. As I'm trying to point out the warbler to my mother, I noticed two Brown Pelicans flying over. This was the first time I had seen Brown Pelicans at this location, and it was the first time I'd seen an American White Pelican and a Brown Pelican during the same day, let alone the same location. 

Brown Pelican
(notice the long, arched wings,
and its massive bill)

      This was a pleasant way to conclude my visit to Radio Road Ponds. This day proved to be very fruitful, what with a lifer, the exceptional views of a small, pelagic bird, and the sight of a new bird for this location. I can't wait to return later in the season, when all these ducks molt into their breeding plumages, to create a rainbow of waterfowls in this urban birding oasis.