Date: 4/18/25 12:06 pm From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] A Few Migrants
Surf Scoters were on the move this morning at the Sutro Baths, with
hundreds rafting well offshore, hundreds more heading north, and roughly
150 heading into the Gate. Red-throated Loons were heading north in
smaller numbers, maybe close to a hundred. A single small flock of Brant
went by in the distance, and my first of the year Humpback was northwest of
the terrace during most of the two hour watch.
Over at North Lake, a female Western Tanager and a very noisy young male
Bullock’s Oriole were mixed in with scores of Yellow-rumpeds.
Brian Fitch
Date: 4/17/25 4:34 pm From: Trent Orr via groups.io <TrentWOrr...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] lingering wintering birds (including Grace's Warbler) and other misc. observations
The Swinhoe’s white-eyes Dom reported being in trees near the corner of Frederick & Clayton at the beginning of April were still there this afternoon around 3:30 p.m., flying frequently from tree to tree. Thanks for that tip, Dom!
Trent Orr
Date: 4/17/25 3:26 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] Corona Hill Bird Hike this Saturday April 19th
There are still several spots left for this Saturday's bird hike on Corona Hill.
This walk starts at 8 a.m.and is made possible by The Randall Museum (San Francisco Recreation & Parks) and The Randall Museum Friends.
We will spend a couple of hours in restored grassland, coastal scrub, Coast Live Oak savannah and urban edge habitat as we search for passing migrants and look for locally breeding species while taking in the display of wildflowers and scenic views of San Francisco.
The hike features a couple of moderately steep trails and staircases and weather is variable so dress appropriately. After the hike check out the Randall Museum (no admission fee!) or grab a snack or cup of coffee from Cafe Josephine.
Date: 4/17/25 10:42 am From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] BV & Corona
Just back from a long cool walk around Buena Vista and Corona Heights.
Probable migrant highlights included Northern Flicker, Olive-sided
Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and several each of Orange-crowned and
Wilson’s Warblers at BV. On CH there were more of the same warblers as
well as a singing Black-headed Grosbeak on the lower north slope, and a
singing Lazuli Bunting in grass just below the peak.
Brian Fitch
Date: 4/17/25 9:35 am From: Bob Toleno via groups.io <bob...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [CALBIRDS] April migration: Late and Slow! , Some annual early questionable reports
Not a study, but one anecdotal piece of data: five years ago in March, my
local mockingbird was on my roof singing, and i could identify at least a
dozen different species that it was imitating. I thought it might be fun to
teach it a new song, so i got my bluetooth speaker and played Common
Poorwill song a few times. He became immediately attentive, actually flying
in a little closer when he heard the playback. Less than a minute later, he
was singing a perfect rendition of a Common Poorwill song. (The nearest
breeding habitat for that species is at least 20 miles from my house.) Over
the course of the next three years, i heard him continue to insert Common
Poorwill song into his repertoire. I think he must have died or moved to a
different territory a couple years ago, because i haven't had a male
mockingbird singing actively from my yard since 2023.
So, it's not a study, but i can verify that at least one mockingbird had
the ability to retain a song for at least three years after hearing it just
a couple times.
Bob Toleno
Hayward
On Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 9:25 PM Ralph via groups.io <sharks_hockey_maniac=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> I had a Lesser Goldfinch doing a Western Wood-Pewee call in my backyard in
> Stanislaus County a couple weeks ago. I wondered if it might have heard an
> early migrant or if it just remembered the call from a previous season.
> Does anyone know if there has ever been a study of how long goldfinches, or
> even mockingbirds, for that matter, retain songs/calls they’ve learned to
> mimic?
> --
> Happy birding, and, as always, may the light be with you,
> Ralph Baker, Riverbank, CA
>
>
>
Date: 4/16/25 9:25 pm From: Ralph via groups.io <sharks_hockey_maniac...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [CALBIRDS] April migration: Late and Slow! , Some annual early questionable reports
I had a Lesser Goldfinch doing a Western Wood-Pewee call in my backyard in Stanislaus County a couple weeks ago. I wondered if it might have heard an early migrant or if it just remembered the call from a previous season. Does anyone know if there has ever been a study of how long goldfinches, or even mockingbirds, for that matter, retain songs/calls they’ve learned to mimic?
--
Happy birding, and, as always, may the light be with you,
Ralph Baker, Riverbank, CA
Date: 4/15/25 8:12 am From: David Armstrong via groups.io <darmstrong99...> Subject: [SFBirds] Presidio walking Big Day
Hello SF birders -
Yesterday Dom, Matt, Bob and I covered 14 miles on foot, over the course of 10 hours, hitting the main Presidio hotspots in a quest to tally as many bird species as we could find. Conditions were challenging, with a foggy start to the day and a cold and windy end - nonetheless we managed a total of 94 species starting with duetting Great Horned Owls at Rob Hill Campground at dawn and ending with a Northern Mockingbird seen at Lobos Dunes near the end of our walk. We had relatively few ducks (only 3 species), gulls (also 3) or shorebirds, in large part because the water level was too high at Crissy Lagoon and Quartermaster Reach. We mostly missed out on migrants as it seems the action yesterday was on the hilltops above the fog. We did manage a few late overwintering birds including Ruby-crowned Kinglets (2), Hermit Thrush (1) and Fox Sparrow (1). Swallows put in a good show (we saw the 5 expected species) as did swifts (1 Vaux's and numerous white-throated). Other highlights included a singing Wrentit along the upper part of Battery Caulfield Road, a late Belted Kingfisher at Crissy, and a splendid alternate-plumaged Horned Grebe at the west end of the lagoon, one of the very few birds we saw there. Surprising misses included Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and Red-throated Loon. All in all a great day in the field! Dom's detailed checklist with notes is here.
Happy spring birding -David
Date: 4/12/25 6:00 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Other migrants
I spent some time seawatching at the Cliff House yesterday as well. Highlights were three Brant, heading north (the first in SF since January), and two Bonaparte's Gulls. Elegant Terns are back in fairly large numbers.
Date: 4/12/25 4:23 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Recent Migrants at Fort Mason - Lark Sparrow, Black-head Grosbeak, etc.
Migrants have been trickling through Fort Mason over the past week. Last Sunday (3/6) there was a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER. On Monday (3/7) I had my FOS BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (which could have been the overwintering bird). Tuesday saw three WESTERN KINGBIRDS, a WARBLING VIREO and a WESTERN FLYCATCHER. On Wednesday a YELLOW WARBLER was in the garden. Today a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER was in the Battery and a LARK SPARROW was in the garden. Other hyper local notes of interest - the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS are now mostly in full alternate plumage and singing, as are YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (including some Myrtles). A active SPOTTED TOWHEE in the garden this morning was the first one at Fort Mason in a while. PIGEON GUILLEMOTS are back around lower Fort Mason.
Date: 4/11/25 1:53 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] City Bird List for March
15 new species were added to the list for March, slightly below our long term March average of 17 species. New species included Winter Wren, Purple Martin, California Thrasher, Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk and Vaux's Swift.
The end of month total stands at 206, 13 species lower than last year's end of March total of 219. You can see the complete list at https://sfbirds.net/2025-city-cumulative-list
Date: 4/10/25 4:33 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] spring migration breakthrough and other misc. observations
After a noticeably slow start there was an uptick in migration today (4/10/25) on Corona Hill. A mixed flock of in the live oaks on the north side of the hill included -
Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird - female, Allen's hummingbird was last noted nesting here in 2019. Nashville Warbler (first of spring, uncommon in spring - only my third for this site) Orange-crowned Warbler (4) Wilson's Warbler (a somewhat late fos for this site, with a range of 3/18 - 4/19 over the past 13 years, median arrival date 4/5)
Here's some additional misc. observations since the spring Equinox:
White-winged Scoters - 2 flew by the south end of Ocean Beach during a seawatch on 3/23
Band-tailed Pigeons - the resident population in the area of Forest Hill/Mount Sutro/Laguna Honda continues to be observed on a near daily basis through the first week of April. multiple birds and courtship behavior
Vaux's Swift - bucking the trend of late migration there's been an early push of these through the region including a single bird seen flying over Inspiration point in the Presidio on 4/5
Rufous Hummingbird - a migrant adult male was displaying on Mount Sutro at the Summit 4/3
Turkey Vultures- 24 tallied over Battery Godfrey 3/24, 8 over Inspiration Point 4/5 with 5 of these taking off from a night roost in Julius Khan Eucalyptus Grove , 8 over City College 4/6
Sharp-shinned Hawks - 20 from Battery Godfrey 3/24, singles over Corona Hill (4/8 -10) and 2 from Mount D yesterday
Cooper's Hawk - 5 from Battery Godfrey 3/24, pairs in various stages of breeding have also been noted recently from Corona Hill/City College
Bald Eagle - 2 from Battery Godfrey 3/24, Corona Hill 3/25, Mount Sutro 4/3, Corona Hill 4/4, Inspiration Point 4/5.
Northern Flicker - pair observed copulating on Mount Sutro 4/4 by D. Scali ("The Nest Whisperer") and company was intriguing. Flicker recolonized SF as a breeder quite recently starting in the Presidio in 2013 but have not been confirmed breeding away from there and the Land's End area. Last year a couple of Flickers were seen in the area of Mount Sutro in the summer. I suspect this may be a response to habitat restoration taking place here as the Eucalyptus plantation is thinned out.
Purple Martin -3+ were noted by m.ob from Battery Godfrey 3/24
Cliff Swallow - Battery Godfrey 3/24 was the first arrival for the county
Golden-crowned Kinglet - remnants of last fall's irruption were still lingering to the end of March. a pair at inspiration point 4/5, with one of them singing was notable and worth following up on in upcoming weeks. Golden-crowned Kinglet has been confirmed breeding in SF
Western Bluebird - nest building noted at McCoppin Square 4/4 (female carrying nesting material into cavity) as this species consolidates its expansion in SF into smaller parks and green spaces
American Goldfinch - scarce in SF in recent years and possibly extirpated as a breeder. 5 from Battery Godfrey 3/24, singles over Inspiration Point 4/5 and Corona Hill 4/9
White-throated Sparrow - a white-stripe morph associating with Golden-crowns at Sunnyside Rec 4/6 may have been a migrant or hold-over wintering bird
Orchard Oriole - the wintering bird at Elk Glen was singing away 3/27, hasn't been reported since but might still be around
Orange-crowned Warbler - a healthy count of (9) were noted during on a one way transect of Glen Canyon 4/6 where this species is a possible breeder
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Swinhoe's White-eyes - 3 birds were still present on Waller Street @ Clayton 4/3.
Date: 4/7/25 4:21 pm From: San Mateo County Bird Alliance via groups.io <office...> Subject: [SFBirds] Thurs. April 10 Meeting - A Rose by Any Other Name
Join us on Zoom this Thursday, April 10, at 7:00 PM. The monthly meeting's presentation is A Rose by Any Other Name with J.R. Blair
J.R. Blair will present a discussion of the complexities of scientific name changes. What are the rules for naming new species? Why are some species “split” and others “lumped” by taxonomists? How does the concept of subspecies apply to taxonomic decisions? Why are certain groups of organisms moved to a different genus or family? Indeed, why are brand new categories, such as families, established at all? J.R. will also briefly open the can of worms that are common (i.e., English) names and how they are affected by scientific name changes. However, please note that we will not be discussing the controversy surrounding eponymous English names.
J.R. is the former Director of the San Francisco State University, Sierra Nevada Field Campus. He was a lecturer of Biology at SFSU for twenty years. You may have met him on one of our field trips. He's an engaging speaker, and this promises to be a good discussion!
Date: 4/4/25 5:01 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Three Oriole Species at Fort Mason this morning
ORCHARD ORIOLE, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and HOODED ORIOLE were all in the Fort Mason Community Garden this morning. Two WESTERN KINGBIRDS flew over as well, with one stopping to catch wasps in a Eucalyptus tree.
Date: 3/31/25 11:53 am From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] Continuing Winter Wren
The wren found by Rajan more than a week ago was still present this morning in Golden Gate Heights Park. I arrived before sunrise based on John and Keith's note from Saturday, but the bird didn't sing until around official sunrise, which was invisible in the hilltop mist. The first round of song was not at the previously noted coordinates, but higher up, at the intersection where the paved loop trail meets itself. The bird moved downhill to the west, then south and east, passing the previous coordinates a little before finally showing itself as it sang. It sang almost constantly for more than 30 minutes before going silent, with no double calls at all, and only two bursts of scolding.
A truncated seawatch at the Sutro Baths offered more than 1000 Common Murres, most southbound in variously sized lines, and a Gray Whale spout very close to the end of a rainbow. No pot-o-gold jokes... Brian Fitch
Date: 3/26/25 7:18 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Juv Bald Eagle headed toward Twin Peaks at 12:54p
A correction /(and an apology to Mr. Dan Foldes) regarding my post yesterday.
Thanks to some helpful comments from Rajan Rao I took a second look at my digi-bin photos of the eagle reported yesterday and Dan was 100% correct in calling it a young Bald. So there were actually two species of Eagle moving simultaneously yesterday and I might be a bit cooked from standing in the sun the past couple of days.
But hey, as some guy said recently - if you’re never misidentifying you’re not trying.
Date: 3/25/25 2:11 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [CALBIRDS] Potential SHORT-TAIlLED HAWK over San Francisco - 3/24/25
Some follow up to the report of the Short-tailed Hawk.
I've received direct and second hand feedback regarding this bird.
Some are convinced this bird looks good for Short-tailed- HOWEVER - some
equally experienced observers think the photos are better for a Red-tailed.
From Brian Sullivan : "I don't think it's a Short-tailed Hawk. Dark morph
harlani, and its intergrades, are much more likely, and from what I can see
in the photo, this bird checks all those boxes. The biggest key field mark
for harlani, and its intergrades, is the 'dipped in mud' tail tip, with a
smudgy, messy appearance that goes all the way to the tip of the tail. That
kind of tail pattern is wrong for STHA, which has a much neater black
subterminal band. Additionally, the wingtip pattern and formula are wrong
for STHA, being more typical of RTHA, with slightly banded outer primaries
and P9 being just shorter than P8. On STHA, P10 is very short, and P9 is
much shorter than P8, creating a more pointed winged look in this posture."
any additional input is welcome and please don't hesitate to post publicly
on the listserv for all to read.
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
On Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 7:21 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Yesterday, a group of 7 birders gathered on hallowed Battery Godfrey at
> the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge to observe diurnal migration .
>
> At approximately 11:30 a small/compact looking Dark Morph buteo flew over
> our position heading north in the direction of Marin County.
>
> Many photos were taken and a lively discussion ensued. Some thought the
> bird looked good for an exceptionally early Broad-winged. Others were
> stymied as study of photos revealed marks inconsistent with that species
> and Brian Fitch half jokingly mentioned maybe it was a Short-tailed.
>
> Since then a number of observers with experience in Latin American
> hawkwatch have opined privately that this bird appears to be Short-tailed
> Hawk. This would be a first state record and will be submitted to the CBRC
> shortly.
>
> A checklist with photos can be seen here:
>
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S220612166 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S220612166> >
> Dominik Mosur
> San Francisco
> (posting for Hugh Cotter, John Facchini, Brian Fitch, Rachel Lawrence,
> Yvette MacDonald and Keith Maley)
>
>
>
Date: 3/24/25 2:29 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Local Interest Fort Mason yesterday and today - Thrasher, Kingbird, Wilson's Warbler
A FOS HOODED ORIOLE was at Fort Mason near the General's House yesterday. The best highlight today was a very co-operative CALIFORNIA THRASHER in the garden, the first time one has been reported from Fort Mason. A FOS WILSON'S WARBLER and a FOS WESTERN KINGBIRD were in the Battery this morning. CALIFORNIA SCRUB JAYS and SONG SPARROWS were carrying nesting material, and the number of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS has increased to more than 50, many in alternate plumage. One of the BULLOCK'S ORIOLES was still present.
Date: 3/22/25 12:45 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] apparent WINTER WREN @ Golden Gate Heights Park
Thanks Randy,
That’s really good news. That should really help support the review
process.
For Rajan and others:
FYI: it is possible to capture sufficiently clear audio of a WIWR candidate
with just your phone and the Merlin app (as I did), but it generally means
having the bird calling loudly and close and/or at a time of day or when
there’s less background roar from traffic etc (e.g. early on Sunday
morning).
And to give a sense of time expectation for CBRC review, it likely won’t be
quick. The first bird I found from late November is still pending review.
I’ll look forward to this bird hopefully meeting what’s needed for
acceptance.
Zac Denning
Albany
On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 12:09 PM randycollignon via groups.io
<randycollignon...> wrote:
> Good advise Zac. I got some snippets of the chimp/bark calls of the
> possible Winter Wren with a handheld field recorder this morning at close
> range with Keith. I work nights, so I need to get to bed but should have
> them uploaded to Ebird by tomorrow morning for people to analyze, and will
> submit to CBRC. I also got song and chattering calls. Challenging bird to
> ID, but that kind of makes it a fun attempt.
>
> Best,
> Randy Collignon
> SF
>
> On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM, Zac Denning wrote:
>
> Awesome find Rajan!
>
> I very much defer to the experts, but based on feedback from the 3 WIWR
> candidates I encountered this Winter, this seems at least promising. The
> sonogram for the bark calls looks as expected, with stacked inverted
> chevron shaped harmonics, and with the highest energy portion below 4 KHz.
>
> I’m not sure if software would improve things, but to help rule out the
> uncommon ‘tweener’ calls (that I understand PAWR can occasionally make), a
> better recording may be helpful. This would ideally show the shape of the
> lowest harmonic band in the sonogram, which is indistinct / overwhelmed by
> background noise in these sonograms. Ethan Monk and others are far more
> expert in this, but that’s what crude understanding I’ve gleaned from
> recent birds.
>
> Also, based on my recent experience, there seems to be a very short window
> in which WIWR can be more easily observed. All 3 birds that I saw were most
> easily observed at the initial encounter and for a very short period
> afterward. After that, the bird may go deep into cover, may stop responding
> to pishing or playback, or may perhaps move on. So now would be the time to
> try to get better recordings of this bird!
>
> That’s what little I know - and the experts will have better feedback I’m
> sure. Nice find once again!
>
>
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 8:39 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> Good morning SF Birders,
>>
>> Yesterday afternoon (3/21/25), one of our young superstar birders, RAJAN
>> RAO, discovered an apparent WINTER WREN at Golden Gate Heights Park.
>>
>> Here's Rajan's list with recordings and photos:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/S219870675 >>
>> Several people who have experience with Winter Wren expressed that
>> it sounds really good for a potential winter wren but more documentation
>> would be great.
>>
>> I stopped there yesterday evening to follow up and was not able to
>> relocate it hearing only a typical Pacific Wren at the same spot. BUT, a
>> visit at sunrise today turned up both a Pacific and the putative WINTER
>> WREN at these approximate GPS coordinates :
>> 37.74947, -122.4689
>>
>> Do note that this is a state review species so if you go see the bird
>> and manage photos/recordings please submit them to the California BIrd
>> Record Committee at this link:
>> https://californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html >>
>> Happy Spring,
>>
>> Dominik Mosur
>> San Francisco
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
Date: 3/22/25 12:09 pm From: randycollignon via groups.io <randycollignon...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] apparent WINTER WREN @ Golden Gate Heights Park
Good advise Zac. I got some snippets of the chimp/bark calls of the possible Winter Wren with a handheld field recorder this morning at close range with Keith. I work nights, so I need to get to bed but should have them uploaded to Ebird by tomorrow morning for people to analyze, and will submit to CBRC. I also got song and chattering calls. Challenging bird to ID, but that kind of makes it a fun attempt.
Best,
Randy Collignon
SF
On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM, Zac Denning wrote:
>
> Awesome find Rajan!
>
> I very much defer to the experts, but based on feedback from the 3 WIWR
> candidates I encountered this Winter, this seems at least promising. The
> sonogram for the bark calls looks as expected, with stacked inverted
> chevron shaped harmonics, and with the highest energy portion below 4 KHz.
>
>
> I’m not sure if software would improve things, but to help rule out the
> uncommon ‘tweener’ calls (that I understand PAWR can occasionally make), a
> better recording may be helpful. This would ideally show the shape of the
> lowest harmonic band in the sonogram, which is indistinct / overwhelmed by
> background noise in these sonograms. Ethan Monk and others are far more
> expert in this, but that’s what crude understanding I’ve gleaned from
> recent birds.
>
> Also, based on my recent experience, there seems to be a very short window
> in which WIWR can be more easily observed. All 3 birds that I saw were
> most easily observed at the initial encounter and for a very short period
> afterward. After that, the bird may go deep into cover, may stop
> responding to pishing or playback, or may perhaps move on. So now would be
> the time to try to get better recordings of this bird!
>
> That’s what little I know - and the experts will have better feedback I’m
> sure. Nice find once again!
>
>
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 8:39 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io (
> http://groups.io ) <dominikmosur= <gmail.com...> > wrote:
>
>> Good morning SF Birders,
>>
>> Yesterday afternoon (3/21/25), one of our young superstar birders, RAJAN
>> RAO, discovered an apparent WINTER WREN at Golden Gate Heights Park.
>>
>> Here's Rajan's list with recordings and photos:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/S219870675 >>
>> Several people who have experience with Winter Wren expressed that it
>> sounds really good for a potential winter wren but more documentation
>> would be great.
>>
>> I stopped there yesterday evening to follow up and was not able to
>> relocate it hearing only a typical Pacific Wren at the same spot. BUT, a
>> visit at sunrise today turned up both a Pacific and the putative WINTER
>> WREN at these approximate GPS coordinates :
>> 37.74947, -122.4689
>>
>> Do note that this is a state review species so if you go see the bird and
>> manage photos/recordings please submit them to the California BIrd Record
>> Committee at this link:
>> https://californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html >>
>>
>> Happy Spring,
>>
>> Dominik Mosur
>> San Francisco
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
Date: 3/22/25 11:08 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] apparent WINTER WREN @ Golden Gate Heights Park
PS - there seems to have been an astounding number of proposed WIWR
observations this year. I really wonder if this was a bigger than usual
influx of birds? Or, are birders just better primed to notice them? I
suspect it’s some of both.
I for one, wasn’t looking for WIWR this past winter (and I had never
studied them), though I had observed birds in the midwest over the past
year. Certainly, finding my first bird made it easier to recognize the next
one I encountered. But I suspect that any time one is found, it maybe
raises awareness a little more for everyone.
Or, but to play devil’s advocate, perhaps this year wasn’t unusual at all,
and they’ve been under our noses the whole time in similar numbers,
skulking in undergrowth and making their less than attention catching barks
- and only now are they being noticed.
In any case, the glut of WIWR reports, assuming some of the pending
candidates are accepted, may soon contribute to this bird meeting CBRC’s
threshold, and being taken off of the review list?
Either way, this will remain a truly challenging ID.
Pardon the aimless musings …
Happy birding,
Zac Denning
Albany
On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Awesome find Rajan!
>
> I very much defer to the experts, but based on feedback from the 3 WIWR
> candidates I encountered this Winter, this seems at least promising. The
> sonogram for the bark calls looks as expected, with stacked inverted
> chevron shaped harmonics, and with the highest energy portion below 4 KHz.
>
> I’m not sure if software would improve things, but to help rule out the
> uncommon ‘tweener’ calls (that I understand PAWR can occasionally make), a
> better recording may be helpful. This would ideally show the shape of the
> lowest harmonic band in the sonogram, which is indistinct / overwhelmed by
> background noise in these sonograms. Ethan Monk and others are far more
> expert in this, but that’s what crude understanding I’ve gleaned from
> recent birds.
>
> Also, based on my recent experience, there seems to be a very short window
> in which WIWR can be more easily observed. All 3 birds that I saw were most
> easily observed at the initial encounter and for a very short period
> afterward. After that, the bird may go deep into cover, may stop responding
> to pishing or playback, or may perhaps move on. So now would be the time to
> try to get better recordings of this bird!
>
> That’s what little I know - and the experts will have better feedback I’m
> sure. Nice find once again!
>
>
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 8:39 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> Good morning SF Birders,
>>
>> Yesterday afternoon (3/21/25), one of our young superstar birders, RAJAN
>> RAO, discovered an apparent WINTER WREN at Golden Gate Heights Park.
>>
>> Here's Rajan's list with recordings and photos:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/S219870675 >>
>> Several people who have experience with Winter Wren expressed that
>> it sounds really good for a potential winter wren but more documentation
>> would be great.
>>
>> I stopped there yesterday evening to follow up and was not able to
>> relocate it hearing only a typical Pacific Wren at the same spot. BUT, a
>> visit at sunrise today turned up both a Pacific and the putative WINTER
>> WREN at these approximate GPS coordinates :
>> 37.74947, -122.4689
>>
>> Do note that this is a state review species so if you go see the bird
>> and manage photos/recordings please submit them to the California BIrd
>> Record Committee at this link:
>> https://californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html >>
>> Happy Spring,
>>
>> Dominik Mosur
>> San Francisco
>>
>>
>
>
Date: 3/22/25 10:09 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] apparent WINTER WREN @ Golden Gate Heights Park
Awesome find Rajan!
I very much defer to the experts, but based on feedback from the 3 WIWR
candidates I encountered this Winter, this seems at least promising. The
sonogram for the bark calls looks as expected, with stacked inverted
chevron shaped harmonics, and with the highest energy portion below 4 KHz.
I’m not sure if software would improve things, but to help rule out the
uncommon ‘tweener’ calls (that I understand PAWR can occasionally make), a
better recording may be helpful. This would ideally show the shape of the
lowest harmonic band in the sonogram, which is indistinct / overwhelmed by
background noise in these sonograms. Ethan Monk and others are far more
expert in this, but that’s what crude understanding I’ve gleaned from
recent birds.
Also, based on my recent experience, there seems to be a very short window
in which WIWR can be more easily observed. All 3 birds that I saw were most
easily observed at the initial encounter and for a very short period
afterward. After that, the bird may go deep into cover, may stop responding
to pishing or playback, or may perhaps move on. So now would be the time to
try to get better recordings of this bird!
That’s what little I know - and the experts will have better feedback I’m
sure. Nice find once again!
Zac Denning
Albany
On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 8:39 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Good morning SF Birders,
>
> Yesterday afternoon (3/21/25), one of our young superstar birders, RAJAN
> RAO, discovered an apparent WINTER WREN at Golden Gate Heights Park.
>
> Here's Rajan's list with recordings and photos:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S219870675 >
> Several people who have experience with Winter Wren expressed that
> it sounds really good for a potential winter wren but more documentation
> would be great.
>
> I stopped there yesterday evening to follow up and was not able to
> relocate it hearing only a typical Pacific Wren at the same spot. BUT, a
> visit at sunrise today turned up both a Pacific and the putative WINTER
> WREN at these approximate GPS coordinates :
> 37.74947, -122.4689
>
> Do note that this is a state review species so if you go see the bird
> and manage photos/recordings please submit them to the California BIrd
> Record Committee at this link:
> https://californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html >
> Happy Spring,
>
> Dominik Mosur
> San Francisco
>
>
>
Several people who have experience with Winter Wren expressed that it sounds really good for a potential winter wren but more documentation would be great.
I stopped there yesterday evening to follow up and was not able to relocate it hearing only a typical Pacific Wren at the same spot. BUT, a visit at sunrise today turned up both a Pacific and the putative WINTER WREN at these approximate GPS coordinates : 37.74947, -122.4689
Do note that this is a state review species so if you go see the bird and manage photos/recordings please submit them to the California BIrd Record Committee at this link: https://californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
Date: 3/20/25 1:18 pm From: Liam Murphy via groups.io <liammsf...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] lingering wintering birds (including Grace's Warbler) and other misc. observations
I did hear the Grace's sing twice, weakly, when I saw it on Feb 22nd.
Conditions were sunny and fairly warm for that date, the sighting was
shortly after 10am.
Liam Murphy
On Tue, Mar 18, 2025, 12:06 PM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Yesterday, 3/17, spent some time wandering around the west side of SF with
> the following to report.
>
> The GRACE'S Warbler (1st SF City/mainland record, first discovered by J.
> Facchini 9/24/24) continued at its usual spot, the loose cluster of
> Monterey Pines and cypresses at the edge of Fort Miley /Lincoln Park Golf
> course at the 40th and Clement entrance. This bird can be extremely
> difficult if not impossible to locate if it isn't calling. I encourage
> people to keep looking for it so we can pin down a departure date; maybe
> you'll be lucky to hear it sing.
>
> On Ocean Beach there was still a large number of wintering SNOWY PLOVERS.
> I tallied over 70 spread out in three groups between Moraga and north of
> Lincoln. It's amazing that they persist here considering no visit is
> without seeing multiple disturbance events, whether chased by dogs or being
> pushed off their roost spots by oblivious beach goers. Snowy Plovers are
> already beginning to enter their breeding cycle on beaches on Point Reyes
> so once again repeat visits, even if you already "got them" for your year
> list, are helpful in establishing when these birds completely depart the
> county. A small number of early migrant Whimbrels (5), Marbled Godwits (3)
> and a healthy count of (1200+) Sanderlings were spread out on Ocean Beach
> as well and also frequently flushed (mostly by one off leash dobermann - a
> repeat offender going on 3 years+ based on my notes.)
>
> Around 1:30 I was walking around the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park when
> I heard then saw a swarm of gulls rising up to the north off Spreckels Lake
> and then stunned to see a LEUCISTIC BALD EAGLE circling overhead briefly
> before departing to the east with an escort of Ravens. This bird had an all
> white head and tail but the body and wings appeared a very light gray,
> comparable to the shade of the mantle on a Herring/Ring-billed Gull. A
> similar (or perhaps the same) individual has been noted on a number of
> occasions now in San Francisco and other Bay Area counties.
>
> I was surprised to not see a single Tree Swallow yesterday around nesting
> boxes at the bison paddock where on the same or earlier dates last year
> large numbers were already prospecting for nests.
>
> On 3/16 following surveys on Mount Sutro migrants of note were an apparent
> _ruber_ ssp RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and an adult male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD,
> both along the Historic Trail near the junction with the Edgewood trail.
> Speaking of Rufous Hummingbirds, the pair of young males first noted on
> 11/1 last year continued at the Stanyan Trailhead together until 2/16. At
> this point the bird with the more advanced plumage was no longer seen but
> the one with incomplete gorget stuck around longer, seen for the last time
> on 3/13.
>
> Another species rarely noted as an obvious migrant was a Say's Phoebe that
> showed up on the recently cleared hillside above Laguna Honda Reservoir on
> 3/14 and hung out the next day but not seen thereafter.
>
> TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS continued to come to scattered offerings behind the
> Sunset Branch library on Taraval and 22nd ave with (13) still present on
> the morning of 3/16.
>
> Finally; multiple SWINHOE's WHITE-EYES continue to frequent the Waller @
> Clayton block in the Haight-Ashbury district. Multiple birds were first
> noted on 1/21 and as of 3/15 at least two can still be found on most
> visits. They seem to like the Ficus tree in front of 1480 waller as well as
> a large Metrosideros on Clayton about 5-6 houses up the hill from the
> intersection and have also been observed flying into the backyard greenbelt
> on the east side of Clayton. As many as 3 have been noted at once but most
> often I'm seeing a pair. For anyone interested in helping monitor the
> possible expansion of this species I've created a eBird Hotspot :
> Haight-Ashbury - Swinhoe's White-eyes around Waller St @ Clayton.
>
> Spring migration should be ramping up any day now and based on the weather
> forecast (warming trend) next Monday and Tuesday look good for movement so
> plan your work/life schedules accordingly.
>
> Happy birding to all,
>
> Dominik Mosur
> San Francisco
>
>
>
>
Date: 3/20/25 1:08 pm From: C Lou via groups.io <cdlou37...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] lingering wintering birds (including Grace's Warbler) and other misc. observations
March 20 1230pm.The Grace's Warbler continues in the pines where the wire cross over the trail.Calvin LouSFSent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone -------- Original message --------From: "Dominik Mosur via groups.io" <dominikmosur...> Date: 3/18/25 12:06 PM (GMT-08:00) To: SF Birds <sfbirds...> Subject: [SFBirds] lingering wintering birds (including Grace's Warbler) and other misc. observations Yesterday, 3/17, spent some time wandering around the west side of SF with the following to report.The GRACE'S Warbler (1st SF City/mainland record, first discovered by J. Facchini 9/24/24) continued at its usual spot, the loose cluster of Monterey Pines and cypresses at the edge of Fort Miley /Lincoln Park Golf course at the 40th and Clement entrance. This bird can be extremely difficult if not impossible to locate if it isn't calling. I encourage people to keep looking for it so we can pin down a departure date; maybe you'll be lucky to hear it sing.On Ocean Beach there was still a large number of wintering SNOWY PLOVERS. I tallied over 70 spread out in three groups between Moraga and north of Lincoln. It's amazing that they persist here considering no visit is without seeing multiple disturbance events, whether chased by dogs or being pushed off their roost spots by oblivious beach goers. Snowy Plovers are already beginning to enter their breeding cycle on beaches on Point Reyes so once again repeat visits, even if you already "got them" for your year list, are helpful in establishing when these birds completely depart the county. A small number of early migrant Whimbrels (5), Marbled Godwits (3) and a healthy count of (1200+) Sanderlings were spread out on Ocean Beach as well and also frequently flushed (mostly by one off leash dobermann - a repeat offender going on 3 years+ based on my notes.)Around 1:30 I was walking around the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park when I heard then saw a swarm of gulls rising up to the north off Spreckels Lake and then stunned to see a LEUCISTIC BALD EAGLE circling overhead briefly before departing to the east with an escort of Ravens. This bird had an all white head and tail but the body and wings appeared a very light gray, comparable to the shade of the mantle on a Herring/Ring-billed Gull. A similar (or perhaps the same) individual has been noted on a number of occasions now in San Francisco and other Bay Area counties.I was surprised to not see a single Tree Swallow yesterday around nesting boxes at the bison paddock where on the same or earlier dates last year large numbers were already prospecting for nests.On 3/16 following surveys on Mount Sutro migrants of note were an apparent _ruber_ ssp RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and an adult male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, both along the Historic Trail near the junction with the Edgewood trail. Speaking of Rufous Hummingbirds, the pair of young males first noted on 11/1 last year continued at the Stanyan Trailhead together until 2/16. At this point the bird with the more advanced plumage was no longer seen but the one with incomplete gorget stuck around longer, seen for the last time on 3/13.Another species rarely noted as an obvious migrant was a Say's Phoebe that showed up on the recently cleared hillside above Laguna Honda Reservoir on 3/14 and hung out the next day but not seen thereafter.TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS continued to come to scattered offerings behind the Sunset Branch library on Taraval and 22nd ave with (13) still present on the morning of 3/16.Finally; multiple SWINHOE's WHITE-EYES continue to frequent the Waller @ Clayton block in the Haight-Ashbury district. Multiple birds were first noted on 1/21 and as of 3/15 at least two can still be found on most visits. They seem to like the Ficus tree in front of 1480 waller as well as a large Metrosideros on Clayton about 5-6 houses up the hill from the intersection and have also been observed flying into the backyard greenbelt on the east side of Clayton. As many as 3 have been noted at once but most often I'm seeing a pair. For anyone interested in helping monitor the possible expansion of this species I've created a eBird Hotspot : Haight-Ashbury - Swinhoe's White-eyes around Waller St @ Clayton.Spring migration should be ramping up any day now and based on the weather forecast (warming trend) next Monday and Tuesday look good for movement so plan your work/life schedules accordingly.Happy birding to all,Dominik MosurSan Francisco
Date: 3/20/25 12:31 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Signs of spring at Fort Mason - local interest
Lots of transitional season signs at Fort Mason - House Finches, American Crows, Northern Mockingbirds and European Starlings are all busy building nests. Large numbers of Brandt's Cormorants are staking out their nesting territories on Alcatraz. There's been a notable increase in the numbers of several species that soon will be heading north - including Golden Crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers (many now transitioning into alternate plumage). Townsend's Warblers, Hermit Thrushes and Fox Sparrows have started to sing. Male Brown-headed Cowbirds are arriving and singing - the first arrived last Saturday. Yesterday there were three, and today there were four. The Bullock's Orioles are still there, but moving around more - sometimes they are in garden and sometimes around the General's House. Yesterday I spotted my FOS Western Flycatcher, and today my FOS Warbling Vireo (an early arrival, but not the earliest I've had at Fort Mason - one arrived on March 18th in 2018). The warm weather ahead should bring in more migrants.
Date: 3/20/25 9:03 am From: Bob Hall via groups.io <bilgepump100...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] lingering wintering birds (including Grace's Warbler) and other misc. observations
The Say’s Phoebe was present at our Laguna Honda planting and weeding session yesterday. It was on the side near the bee boxes.
Bob Hall
SF
--
Bob Hall
San Francisco, CA
"There is no better high than discovery." - E.O. Wilson
