Date: 10/1/26 11:27 am From: pauldonahue9 via groups.io <charadrius1...> Subject: [pen-bird] Pillar Point
Dear birders,
After seeing an eBird checklist from September 28th, Teresa Wood and I went down to Pillar Point yesterday morning to look for the Lark Bunting and White-winged Dove. We missed both of those birds, but when we walked down to the edge of the harbor for a look, we saw a suspicious-looking backlit small gull on the water very close to shore. When we got closer, I realized it was a juvenile Sabine’s Gull, a bird I had not realized was being reported there. An injured/sick male Surf Scoter was also along the beach nearby.
I then had the all too common Pillar Point birding experience. While I was photographing the gull, a dog and off-leash dog owner approached from the east. The dog, repeatedly charging into the water, flushed the gull far out into the harbor. At the same time, two more dogs and their off-leash owner approached from the west. Those dogs charged the scoter, driving it into the water, then, joined by the first dog, all three jumped into the water and swam after the duck, driving it farther out into the harbor.
As with the last time at Pillar Point that I saw dogs chasing birds, I had very nasty words with both off-leash owners - an extremely unpleasant experience. There are lots of birds at Pillar Point, and lots of rarities show up there, but I’m afraid it’s going to have to be a very rare bird to get me back to the place.
from Google AI
Dog leash laws apply everywhere throughout Pillar Point Harbor and its surrounding property, parking lots, and nearby coastal bluffs.
Key Harbor Leash Regulations
Mandatory Leashes: San Mateo County and the harbor area require dogs to be securely leashed at all times. There are no designated off-leash zones or voice-control areas within the harbor or at adjacent
Wildlife and Environmental Protection: Because the harbor and adjacent coastline function as a sensitive marine sanctuary protecting nesting seabirds and local wildlife, off-leash violations or wildlife harassment carry severe penalties and fines up to $10,000
Leash Length: Leashes must generally be restricted to a maximum length of 6 feet (and 4 feet or less if visiting or parked in specific zones like the harbor's RV park areas).
Clean-Up Rules: Owners must clean up and bag all pet waste, disposing of it promptly in provided garbage bins.
Paul Donahue
959 Anza Drive
Pacifica, California 94044 USA
(650) 738-0429
<charadrius1...>
