Date: 8/10/26 7:11 am From: Tim Winkler via groups.io <tkwinkler...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Seawatch Highlights
I had an Osprey fly over me returning from Fort Funston at the Oceanside
Water Pollution Plant by the end of Sloat Blvd. on 07/31 and then I spotted
one at Pine Lake in Stern Grove on 08/02. (I also got a good photo) I'm
wondering if we're seeing the same bird.
Thanks for the update.
Tim WInkler
On Sun, Aug 9, 2026 at 8:40 PM Erick Masias via groups.io <erickjmasias=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Some fun highlights from a few days of seawatching. Wednesday 8/5
> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S380253872> had some slow but steady elegant
> tern movement with the terns blasting by low. The local dolphin trio was a
> nice treat, I’ve seen them twice since.
>
>
>
> The interesting thing I noted was only two vessels out on the water which
> was very different than the 47 vessels I saw on Thursday 8/6
> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S380987188> the fishers clearly knew
> something I didn’t because there were much larger feeding frenzies, several
> hundred sooties and a show put on by a squad of three parasitic jaegers
> harassing a local osprey. Does anyone know how these fishing boats knew to
> be out…
>
>
>
> On Saturday <https://ebird.org/checklist/S381366617> 8/8, presumably the
> same local osprey attracted in another jaeger to come over land, not just
> over the beach but past the beach sand and was over chasing over the great
> highway. I went further north to the sutro baths to scout for a larger
> gathering the next day and I saw something so unbelievable to my midwestern
> brain but apparently not too wild for the west coast: a flock of what I
> believe were 19 jaegers seen close to shore. Video can be seen here
> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S381620250>.
>
>
>
> Today <https://ebird.org/checklist/S381727237> 8/9 was slow up north
> despite the sooty show down south but I convinced a nice group of beginning
> to intermediate birders to join me. On most days I had a friend or two out
> with me to experience the magic of seawatching. If you’re familiar with the
> sociological concept of a “third place”, I’m hoping seawatching can be that
> here as I convince more people to come out. It was huge to have more eyes,
> I would’ve missed the close by osprey chases because I was locked in on the
> scope.
>
>
>
> I hope the local ospreys will continue enticing jaegers to come close to
> shore, I’ll be out either at the pollution plant seawatch or Sutro
> Tuesday-Sunday and hope these reports will inspire some of you to join!
> I’ve learned a lot from Paul and Brian and still need lots of help with
> alcids, still feeling pretty useless with non-PIGUs.
>
>
>
> Happy Sunday night!
>
> -Erick
>
>
>
