Two White-tailed Kites continue at Candlestick, hunting in close proximity over the northeastern fields. These seem to be reliable overwinterers here this year.
Date: 2/1/25 3:51 pm From: Carter Kremer via groups.io <carterkremer...> Subject: [SFBirds] Leucistic Junco
Very pretty and tolerant leucistic junco in the trails by bunny meadow (37.7735120, -122.4616549) if any photographers are looking for something to spice up the winter birding.
Looks like it was also found and tagged as an aberrant individual a week or two ago on another checklist.
Date: 1/22/25 1:00 pm From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] A Few Good Year Birds
Elk Glen Lake was showing off two of the three oriole species seen there in
recent months, as the adult male Orchard was in the reeds and the female
type Bullock’s was in the big eucs northwest of the lake. At Ocean Beach
near Lawton, I had a nice count of approximately 80 Snowy Plovers.
Yesterday at Heron’s Head, a lone Long-billed Dowitcher was in the main
pool, close enough to see its plain gray breast, hunched back, and very
long bill with only binoculars.
Brian Fitch
Date: 1/21/25 2:40 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] White-eyes establishing(?), and overwintering misc.
This morning while biking to work along Waller Street in the Haight I heard some unfamiliar to me calls from the row of Pittusporum street trees between Clayton and Ashbury and tracked them down to at least (3) WHITE-EYES. Swinhoe's is the species which has become well established in Southern California (LA, Orange, San Diego counties, and now apparently northern Baja as well.) In the past couple of years there has also been a continued presence of what are being reported as Swinhoe's White-eyes in the East Bay in from Richmond south to downtown Oakland.
Here's a list of previous records of White-eyes in SF (all reported as Swinhoe's)
8/17-9/1/2015 - Sue Bierman/Ferry Park. 12/30/2020 - East Presidio/Simond's Loop 12/31/20 - 1/6/21 - Moscone Park ( a few blocks east of the 12/30 report) 5/21 -6/1/2021 - Glen Park (this bard was had a small band so an obvious escapee) 10/31-11/3/2021 - Waller Street (a few blocks away from today's observation) 12/29/23 and again 3/31/24 - Baker @ Union yard - close to the end of 2020 early '21 sightings
Today's observations appears to be the first of MULTIPLE birds so perhaps this species is becoming established locally as well. White-eye ID can by tricky so anyone encountering these birds is encouraged to attempt voice recordings.
Some other observations from the start of the year:
Greater White-fronted Geese - the pair first reported at Stow Lake and various other locations around Golden Gate Park since 10/22/24 continued this morning 1/21 on the path across from Heron Island. quite tame and photogenic.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS - the two (now SY - second year) males continued at the Stanyan Trailhead to Mount Sutro as of 1/15.
Bald Eagle - there has been a spate of sightings over SF of adult and immature birds to start the year so an apparent 2nd year bird over Corona Hill 1/10 was only mildly surprising but nonetheless a thrill to catch on a lunch break
American Barn Owls - the hanging of multiple nest boxes for Barn Owls seems to be paying off. On the evening of 1/10 one was observed flying out of the Arboretum toward Stow Lake. An early morning walk through West Golden Gate Park on 1/12 netted three separate Barn Owl sightings around the Central Maintenance Yard, the Bison Paddock and North Lake. A Barn Owl observed on 1/1 on Mount Sutro off the Fairy Gates trails could not be counted for the year list. This bird was dead up in a cypress tree and being plucked/fed upon by a Red-tailed Hawk.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER - the bird found by Liam Murphy on 11/15 on Hippie Hill was still present this morning, it favors the well drilled Banksia and Norfolk Island Hibiscus trees along the edge of the path on top of the hill
ORCHARD ORIOLE - the bird found on the CBC 12/27 was still at Adam Rogers Park yesterday 1/20 (park entrance at Ingalls and Oakdale in the Bayview), it appears to like hanging out in the flowering Cape Honeysuckle at the near the park entrance
Nashville Warbler - the bird found on the CBC 12/27 by Sarah Burton was at the Stanyan trailhead to Mount Sutro on 1/15. This might be a returning bird as one also wintered in the area 2023-24
WILSON'S WARBLER - the bird first reported in early October then again in mid November and on the CBC 12/27 was still in the Albizzias around the Lake Merced Boathouse/Harding Park entrance on 1/13 and seen again as recently as 1/19. It appears a second bird is also wintering around the Impound Lake /Concrete bridge - also observed on 1/19 (Travis Smith)
Also, not reported to the list , Adrian Hinkle found a rather early arriving adult male ALLEN's HUMMINGBIRD at Pine Lake on 1/8/25.