| Home | |
| Trips | |
| By Year | |
| By Type | |
| By Destination | |
| Bird Gallery | |
| Backyard Birds | |
| Winter Creek Birds | |
| Left Coast Birder | |
| Links | |
San Francisco Bay Area, California
January, February, March 2008
Synopsis
In January, I was sent down to the San Francisco Bay Area (more specifically Marin County) for work. During a few moments of free time, I was able to enjoy the area. I went on the short loop hike (0.7 miles) of the Tiburon Upland Nature Preserve located in Marin County (north of San Francisco). The trail looped through oak, chaparral, and a little grassland. It was somewhat steep with switchbacks and provided a view of the bay from the top of the trail. A few flowers were already in bloom, which was quite a shock for me considering it was in the 20s back home.
I also was able to visit the John Muir Woods National Monument. I took a short hike through the grooves of towering redwoods - the last remaining stand in the area - a vestige of what the entire area used to hold. There are short, paved trails in the main canyon of the monument. Well-maintained dirt trails branch off the paved trails and lead upward to the further reaches of the monument and into the adjoining Mount Tamalpais State Park.
One of our work sites was at Bodega Bay. There were many places to explore in the area - including the beautiful bluffs over looking the ocean. The Sonoma Coast State Beach is located on the outer coast of Bodega Bay. This long stretch of sandy beach was great for a stroll and for beach combing. The Say's and Black Pheobes seemed to call it home. And many Sanderlings, American Pipits, and a lonely Snowy Plover came for a visit or vacation for the winter. The bay itself was full of birdlife. Bodega Bay is a coastal wetland, which is a very important environment for a wide variety of birds. When I was there during the outgoing in coming tides, I saw many sandpipers including Willets, Marbled Godwits, Turnstones, Sanderlings, Yellowlegs and other peeps. Egrets and Herons were abundent, as were the many grebes, diving ducks, and Brants. Views from the road were pretty good. There are also some regional parks located around the bay, though they charge a fee. I would have liked to be able to spend more time birding there than working!
Top
Pictures
| Golden Gate Bridge | |
 |
Double-crested Cormorants, San Francisco Bay |
 |
Huge flock of Double-crested Cormorants, Alcatraz in the background |
 |
Surf Scoter, San Francisco Bay |
 |
San Francisco waterfront |
 |
Coit Tower, San Francisco |
 |
Bay Bridge, San Francisco |
 |
Heerman's Gull, San Francisco Bay |
 |
 |
Brown Pelican, San Francisco Bay |
 |
Brown Pelican trying to swallow its meal in peace, San Francisco Bay |
 |
Down the hatch! Brown Pelican, San Francisco Bay |
 |
Brown Pelican, San Francisco Bay |
 |
Killdeer, Tiburon, CA |
 |
Killdeer, Tiburon, CA |
 |
|
 |
Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
Death Camas, Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
Long-petaled Iris, Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
Hounds-Tongue, Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
Indian Warrior, Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
View from Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve Note the orange leaves of the dying oak tree, caused by Sudden Oak Death (SOD) a problem afflicting the area. |
 |
Tiburon Upland Nature Reserve |
 |
 |
Muir Woods National Monument |
 |
Muir Woods National Monument |
 |
Muir Woods National Monument |
 |
Muir Woods National Monument |
 |
Sunrise at Tiburon |
 |
Black Turnstones on the rocks, Bodega Bay |
 |
Coastal plants at Bodega Bay |
 |
California coast |
 |
|
 |
 |
Sonoma Coast State Beach |
 |
Sand dunes around Bodega Bay |
 |
Foggy morning at the sand dunes |
 |
Moon setting over the dunes |
 |
California Quail are a common site and sound at Bodega Bay. |
 |
Bodega Bay was full of seabirds, sandpipers, and wetland birds.
The bay is one of the few coastal wetlands in the area. |
 |
A Great Egret and a Great Blue Heron look for a meal.
Buffleheads in the foreground. Marbled Godwits in the background. |
 |
Willets were common in Bodega Bay. |
 |
Snowy Egret, Bodega Bay To see a Snowy Egret feed, click here. |
 |
Marbled Godwit, Bodega Bay |
 |
Marbled Godwit, Bodega Bay |
 |
White-tailed Kite, Bodega Bay |
 |
Ah the Birds! The schoolhouse featured in Hitchcock's The Birds |
 |
The church featured in Hitchcock's The Birds |
Top
Bird List
Common Loon (T, S, B)
Red-throated Loon (S, B)
Western Grebe (T, S, B)
Horned Grebe (T, S, B)
Brown Pelican (T, S)
Double-crested Cormorant (T, S, B)
Pelagic Cormorant (T, S, B)
Brandt's Cormorant (S, B)
Great Blue Heron (T, B)
Great Egret (S, B)
Snowy Egret (B)
Canada Goose (T, B)
Brant (B)
Mallard (T, B)
Ruddy Duck (B)
Surf Scoter (T, S, B)
Bufflehead (T, S, B)
Common Goldeneye (S)
Barrow's Goldeneye (S, B)
Greater Scaup (T, S, B)
California Quail (B)
White-tailed Kite (B)
Osprey (T)
Bald Eagle (T, B)
Red-tailed Hawk (T, B)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Roadside)
Northern Harrier (B)
American Kestrel (B)
Peregrine Falcon (B)
American Coot (S, B)
Killdeer (T, B)
Snowy Plover (B - Sonoma Coast St Beach - 1)
Willet (T, B)
Marbled Godwit (B)
Whimbrel (B)
Greater Yellowlegs (B)
Black Turnstone (B)
Black Oystercatcher (B)
Sanderling (B)
Forester's Tern (B)
Western Gull (T, S, B)
Glaucous-winged Gull (B)
Ringed-bill Gull (B)
Heerman's Gull (S)
Mew Gull (B)
Turkey Vulture (T, B)
Barred Owl(T)
Rock Pigeon (T, B)
Mourning Dove (Roadside)
Anna's Hummingbird (T, B)
Northern Flicker (T, B)
Downy Woodpecker (T, M)
Black Phoebe (T, B)
Say's Phoebe (B)
Common Raven (T, M, B)
American Crow (T, M)
Steller's Jay (T)
Western Scrub Jay (T, B)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (T, M)
Winter Wren (M)
Bewick's Wren (B)
Marsh Wren (B)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (M)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (T, M)
American Robin (T, B)
Hermit Thrush (T)
Varied Thrush (M)
Western Bluebird (B)
Northern Mockingbird (T, B)
American Pipit (B)
European Starling (T, B)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (T, B)
Townsend's Warbler (T)
Fox Sparrow (M)
Song Sparrow - California coastal variety (B)
White-crowned Sparrow (B)
Dark-eyed Junco (T, M)
California Towhee (T, B)
Western Meadowlark (B)
Brewer's Blackbird (T, B)
Brown-headed Cowbird (B)
House Finch (B)
American Goldfinch (T)
T = Tiburon and Marin county (human habitation, eucalyptus, bay, oak, charrapal)
S = San Francisco Bay (bay, marinas)
M = Muir Woods (redwood forest)
B = Bodega Bay and surrounding beaches (open bluffs, rocky shore, marina, bay, open coast, sandy beach)
Other Critter List
Sonoma Chipmunk (M)
Rabbit/Hare sp. (T)
Striped Skunk (T, B)
Raccon (B)
Black-tailed Deer (T, B)
California Sea Lion (S, B)
Harbor Seal (T, S, B)
Top
Information
Tiburon Upland Nature Preserve
Muir Woods National Monument
Sonoma Coast State Beach/Park
Top
|
All material on this website copyright © 2007-2008
Do not use without author's consent Email: NW_Birder@yahoo.com |