Date: 4/29/26 11:18 pm From: Josiah Clark via groups.io <josiah.clark621...> Subject: [SFBirds] April 22 SF Bicycle Big Day belated report
One week ago today, Cedric Duhalde and I did a SF big day by bicycle
encountering 125 species on the day.
Nothing less than 10 to 25 from the northwest were are only other options.
(Of course, East winds are far and away the best conditions for an attempt
like this.) But my feeling was anything to avoid biking in northwest winds
all day…again.
April 22 Spring showers in the morning, followed by light south winds
all day was the forecast. What this day revealed about spring migration in
these conditions the city was the salient reward.
Dawning rain gear in the dark we pedaled around Lake Merced quickly
getting Sora and stubbornly trying for green Heron and Virginia rail for
way too long (more than 10 times?) as we awaited dry conditions.
Over at Fort Funston, we were greeted by hundreds of Sandlerling on
the beach. Mixed in were least and Western sandpipers, semi palmated
plovers and Dunlin mixed in. All the peeps stopped in the reverse condition
so to speak, the south wind that is. Just so rafts of Pacific loons loafed
on the water awaiting the prevailing north winds they need to fly into to
carry them to the Arctic.
Meanwhile Common murres were moving in mass going south. Sorting through
them for murreletts I scoped a lone southbound Rhinoceros Auklet flying
southwest. I was not able to get Cedric on it so it was a dirty bird, as
were the only 2 Pine Siskins Cedric had later.
Making stops along the great highway, just before giving up Cedric spied
what appeared to be THE last remaining snowy plover of the season laying
hidden in the sand by Lawton st.
A quick spin through Pine Lake turned up Bullock’s and Hooded Orioles,
House Wren and Band-tailed pigeon.
Scoters were scarce. The turnstone was solo. The Surfbirds had flown
on and tattlers were absent. Onwards through Golden Gate Park scoring
Cedric’s stakeout late Ruby Crowned Kinglet at Mallard Lake and barn owl
nearby. The wood duck at Lloyd, the last pair of ringneck ducks at Heron
Lake, where the hooded Mergansers had recently left, about-two weeks before
the cities last shoveler left there for the season.
Two late Townsend‘s and Cassin’s Vireo atop strawberry Hill were
holdovers from the previous day. Also not migrating, but holding over.
Should this rain storm have been preceded by a big movement of birds, there
may have been a genuine “fallout” as one might hope for in rainy spring
conditions.
The spirit of the day was distinct. Large dark panels of cloud cover
contrasted sharply with bright blue sky. A light sprinkle and mist passed
over like a shifting mood. A warm breeze arose from the south. There were
raptors, swallows and wt swifts in the air, not moving but stalling on
their trip north.
Jamming over to the Presidio we picked up the burritos but few new
birds. We were sitting down about five minutes at Presidio Hills before the
local wrentit pair started sounding off.
Inspiration point had perhaps the most Dramatic flight of the day as the
air mass turned from cool to hot. Rather suddenly an osprey and then
hundreds of swallows of passed over. Scopes came out aimed at the sky and
horizon. Five species of swallow included rough-winged and Cliff. Like a
clot in the migration bloodstream stuck between air masses, this swarm of
experienced migrants quickly took advantage of strengthening winds and
clearing skies to the east. We would soon follow.
Lazuli Buntings in the inspiration point grasslands got our juices flowing,
and we had high hopes of more migrants by the El Polin spring, but it was
not to be. No Swainson’s Thrush. No love with the lover’s lane chat
neither.
With the hour getting late and no “for sure” birds on our originally
planned much longer, mid city route over mt Sutro and thtough Glen Canyon,
we opted to go straight down to the bay and Crissy Field where we scored
our only great egret of the day.
At Ft. Mason, we were were stymied by construction at every turn.’Tis
a breeze to reach Sue Bierman by bicycle. Here almost immediately Cedric
found a western flycatcher. It was as weird as usual in the bushes down
there, but not very birdie and clearly time to move along.
At Pier 94 and Herons head we got the Gadwall pair in the flooded
parking lot. (Damn ballzy birds! Those things almost look like they’re
ready to set up shop and breed in there.)
A stealthy female American Kestrel stole the show in the adjacent
industrial wastelands, suggesting she probably has a yet to be discovered
nest in one of the buildings or towers nearby…This would be the first
breeder in the city in years.
Over at Yosemite Slough there were lesser scaup in the rather hefty scaup
raft but nary an goldeneye. It was what we expected but nothing more.
Perhaps 500 Short-billed Dowitchers flying tututuing over Candlestick on a
re-orienting flight was our last bird of the day.
It was sunset on the Bayside, and without a ripple, the bay was uncommonly
still for spring. The sublime moment in itself was something to celebrate…
We would go on and not find a great horned owl or anything else at night
back at Lake Merced or beyond on my ride back through the park to the inner
richmond.
Somebody may ask why bother to do a big day if you’re not gonna break
the record?
For the record-We never expected to break any records. For the love of the
game. For the spirit of the day. For the birds!
