Pacific Raptor Report FALL MIGRATION 2015 RAPTOR OBSERVATORY Thirty-Seven PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GOLDEN GATE RAPTOR OBSERVATORY

We banded 650 Cooper’s —like this adult­—in fall 2015. For 2015 and for all 33 years of banding, Cooper’s Hawks are our most trapped species— more than 14,000 since 1983. [Photo by George Eade] C o n t e n t s DIRECTOR’S NOTE/GOLDEN GATE AND THE NEXT SURGE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE/Allen Fish ...... 1

GGRO ANNOUNCEMENTS/Allen Fish ...... 2

RESEARCH NOTE/WHERE HAVE GOLDEN GATE RAPTORS NESTED?/Chris Briggs...... 4

IDENTIFICATION FOCUS/THREE TAILS FOR THE JUVENILE BROADWING/Allen Fish ...... 9

HAWKWATCH 2015/WHY WE WATCH/Holly Thomas...... 12

BUG COUNT 2015/ODES AND LEPIDOPTS, YEAR 2/Natasha ...... 14

HAWKS ON THE MOVE/BRINGING CITY KIDS TO HILL/Natasha Lekach and Elan Carnahan...... 15

IN CONVERSATION/THIRTY YEARS OF ‘FOLLOWING THE CHILD’ TO HAWK HILL /Laura Booth ...... 16

RADIOTELEMETRY 2015/UP AND AWAY/Mike Hall ...... 17

BANDING 2015/JUST LIKE FLY FISHING?/Jeff Robinson...... 21

BAND RECOVERIES 2015/LONGEVITY OF REDTAILS, AND OF THE PEOPLE WHO BAND THEM/Nancy Sue Brink...... 23

PEREGRINATIONS/A WINTER RAPTOR RETREAT TO RUSH RANCH/ Natasha Lekach, Steph Szarmach, and Laura Booth...... 30

DONORS...... 32

VOLUNTEERS...... 33

COVER IMAGE: THIS JUVENILE WHITE-TAILED KITE WILL LOSE ITS RUST-BROWN COLLAR SOMETIME NEXT SPRING. [PHOTO BY DAVE HARPER]

THE GOLDEN GATE RAPTOR OBSERVATORY IS A PROGRAM ­­­­­OF THE GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVANCY IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

2 NUMBER 37 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GOLDEN GATE RAPTOR OBSERVATORY DIRECTOR’S NOTE Allen Fish Golden Gate and the Next Surge of Citizen Science

here is a great confluence happening in the to the planet, is in fact environmental world . It is the melding of a spiritual journey . Tthe time and talents of non-professional In many national people with the needs of long-term, scientific parks like the Golden data collection . It is happening in part because Gate National Rec- of access to the internet . But it is also rooted in reation Area, the Na- the opportunity to participate in scientific in- tional Park Service vestigation of the planet . (NPS) staff hold up Some call it citizen science, insofar as we are a standard for non- all citizens of a mysterious planet with much to professionals (vol- investigate . Others call it community science or unteers-in-parks) to public participation in science . It is easy to see participate in signifi- that it has been around for as long as there have cant scientific work been humans . We are, according to UC Berkeley in the park: wildlife psychologist Alison Gopnik, testing the world tracking, studying and processing our results like scientists—from geological processes, the time we are in the crib . Only in the last few intertidal monitoring, hundred years did science become professional- restoring native plant ized, decreed and degreed, and even then, some communities, and re- of the world’s great scientists have been ama- moving invasive spe- teurs . cies—to name a few . Why is this recognition of volunteers in sci- It is one thing for ence happening now? What brought about this park founders to have coalescing, this new wave of weekend research waved a flag to show by non-doctored, non-lab-coated people? I that Bay Area people deserve to have close ac- Will Rose measures the curved length of a Redtail’s think it comes from many directions . Some of cess to an urban national park . It is a far deeper wing with a wing ruler. the most critical: 1) Never have so many people act to say that people deserve to have mean- [Photo by Jen Gale] had so much access to great libraries of infor- ingful, long-term, valued work in their national mation through the internet; 2) Many people park . It is deep in its bravery and its expense . have the ability to record reliable data; for ex- Volunteers are expensive . But it is the natural ample, to photograph animals, plants, stars, and tendency for all humans to deepen their con- events with digital cameras and upload their nection to the landscape in which they live, and records to databases with thousands of other Golden Gate will always need to respond to such like-minded nerds; 3) Science journalism—the push and pull with the Bay Area community . translator of jargon, mathematical models, and How do we create opportunities for increased statistical equations from Ph D. . to layperson— community science and fully embraced volun- has never been better; and finally, 4) There is teer work, without losing sight of the manage- profound meaning in this work—personal and ment goals that protect the park and its flora global . It touches the infinite . and fauna? How do we keep the local communi- As we get older, many of us yearn to know ties so connected to the goals for the NPS that that we have contributed to this planet; per our neighbors become our best supporters, our Mary Oliver’s phrase, what will you do with your most responsible constituency, even our most one and precious life? Contribution to science, invested colleagues? How do we create systems

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for capturing the scientific services and results provided to us by skilled community scientists, GGRO ANNOUNCEMENTS Allen Fish from birders to botanists, geologists to sociolo- gists? How do we better organize ourselves to anticipate and manage interest in community- THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION CONFERENCE driven science in the parklands? Thirty-three years ago last November, I was tossed in the A local urban national park is a particularly back of a van with duffels and a handful of other UC Davis perfect vehicle for engaging citizen scientists . undergrads. Terry Schulz and John Aikin, co-instigators, The motivation to volunteer one’s time—the fire delivered us to Salt Lake City for the 1982 Raptor Research that lights the interest—is often not global, nor Foundation (RRF) conference. even regional; it is local . People volunteer be- I’d never been to a scientific conference but the next cause they form a connection with something in few days were nothing less than exciting, as I heard talks their backyard, even their watershed . from leaders in raptor biology: This is the scale of the Golden Gate National Clayton White, Tom Cade, Joe Parks . It is the neighborhood . Ours is the perfect Hickey, Noel and Helen Snyder, landscape for seeing broad-scale community sci- Steve Herman, Fran Hamerstrom. ence as a critical strategy toward future park Like the bibliography from a great management . And this is the perfect time . raptor book. I do not say that last part lightly . If there is not It’d always been in my head to a critical scientific mission to be served, there gather a RRF conference in the San should not be a community science approach . Francisco Bay Area, but I waited There must be a long list of considerations be- too long, and prices skyrocketed in fore starting a community science project: what the past decade. But what about Sacramento? is the value of the data, urgency of the data, con- Last November’s RRF meeting in Sacramento was a nection to other projects, suitability to volunteer tremendous success with some 450 raptor biologists, skills and style, funding and fundability, avail- naturalists, and aficionados gathered to hear about the ability of volunteers, staff capacity to monitor biology of Golden , raptors and climate change, the and train and evaluate volunteers and their data . impacts of wind turbines on birds of prey, the ecology of The list goes on and on . island raptors, and dozens of other topics—rat poison im- The staff of many of our parklands and public pacts, the use of drones to study nests, and the use of sat- lands must decide soon how they might receive, ellites and cell phones to study migrations. or not receive, more community volunteers Success of the five-day program rested squarely on working at a much greater level of involvement the shoulders of more than three dozen GGRO volunteers than we have seen in past decades . and staff that moved mountains, particularly the ex- I believe we are about to see an explosion of in- ecutive team of Laura Young, Kris Vanesky, Chris Briggs, terest in the national parks, a tidal force of com- Christine Cariño, and Candace Renger. We were bolstered munity volunteerism that will greatly challenge by the Parks Conservancy staff who taught us tons about our budgets . Perhaps we can create systems now accounting and by the RRF board and leaders who orga- that might allow us to be organized and ready . nized the scientific programs. The great thing here is that these community Thanks to all who stepped forward to help, and to our scientists are the same people who will most fer- great donors, particularly the volunteers and donors of vently visit, and vote for the preservation of na- GGRO, and the Greg Hind Endowment. You made this tional parks . Their passion for service, and our event possible, and I got to fulfill a dream. Together we ability to incorporate that passion, will keep the celebrated a half-century of research on, and conserva- national parks relevant into the future . tion of, wild birds of prey. For information on joining the Raptor Research Though recently obsessed with dragonflies, GGRO Director Allen Fish starts his 32nd migration season in Foundation yourself, check out the RRF website at the in 2016 . raptorresearchfoundation.org. It costs about 80 cents a week. [Logo illustration by Lynn Bantley, design by Bill Prochnow] Bill by design Bantley, Lynn by illustration [Logo

2 NUMBER 37

A panoramic view of the Madison Peregrine Symposium Reunion at the RRF Conference in Sacramento. [Photo by Allen Fish]

STAFF CHANGES professionalism, scientific rigor, to our new staff members . Dr . Christopher Briggs and deep commitment to citizen SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS announced his departure from science, we are sorry to lose him . GGRO after four years as our But in May 2016, we welcomed As might be expected, hosting Research Director . It is all for two new staff in two new the Raptor Research Foundation’s good, however; Chris followed positions . Teresa Ely will be 49th conference in November his wife Dr . Cynthia Downs to a our Banding Manager, and Step 2015 took much of our time terrific professorship at Hamilton Wilson will be our Hawkwatch last year, but we also kept up on College in New York State, where Manager, while also overseeing scientific presentations at some Chris will also be a lecturer while our outreach work and Telemetry key conferences . Great thanks he makes his next plans . studies . to our authors, especially Teresa, Chris joined GGRO as research Tony, and Kris . director in 2012, just as our FISH, AM. February 2015 . Does founding banding and research citizen science conceal an im- director Buzz Hull was retiring portant dichotomy between after nearly three decades . The crowd-sourced and place-based transition was smooth, as it science? Preliminary results from should have been, since Buzz had the citizen point-of-view . Poster . hired Chris once before to be our Inaugural Conference of the 2000 GGRO RoboLure Intern . Teresa Ely and Step Wilson Citizen Science Association, San Chris was 20 then, taking a break Jose, CA . from his undergrad career at Teresa Ely herself was one of Virginia Tech, and we took a risk GGRO’s interns back in 2008, and VANESKY, K, P PARKER-SHAMES, & CW on a youngish intern, enthusiastic has since carved out a career as BRIGGS . April 2015 . Hematology and ready to learn about birds of a travelling raptor biologist with and body condition in migrating prey . great experiences in migration Red-tailed Hawks . Poster . Chris brought GSM tracking studies, Veracruz among them . Research in the National Parks technology to GGRO . He She earned her Master’s degree Symposium, NPS . , prepared the GGRO’s first IACUC, at the University of Nebraska this CA . and compiled a new research year . FISH, AM. April 2015 . Beyond prospectus for our coming Step Wilson previously served apples and oranges—shining decade . Chris reminded me what GGRO as a volunteer bander back light on the rift between crowd- statistics were (no small feat), in the 1990s, then took a break to sourced community science and and started a tradition of inviting do raptor field studies across the place-based community science . GGRO interns to his home once U S. —with. international stops in Presentation . Research in the a month to review the statistics Israel and Mexico, as well . Please National Parks Symposium, NPS . in scientific articles . Chris’s introduce yourself to Teresa and San Francisco, CA . commitment to the GGRO has Step when you cross paths, and never wavered, and as a source of from all of us, a hearty welcome Continued, page 4

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FISH, AM, CW BRIGGS, LF JESUS, JM HULL, RESEARCH NOTE Chris Briggs WASHINGTON & AC HULL . June 2015 . Three decades of scientific esultsr from the citizen scientists Where Have Golden at ’s largest raptor migration site . Presentation . American Association for the Gate Raptors Nested? Advancement of Science . San Francisco, CA . or several decades, wildlife biologist Pete Bloom has BRAKE, AJ, HC WILSON, RV PERICOLI, & AM FISH . been tracking—via banding and telemetry—Red-tailed November 2015 . A recently expanding Hawks breeding in southern California . He’s found that nesting population in industrialized locations F in the summer after nestlings fledge, many birds move north, of San Francisco Bay . Poster . Raptor Re- returning south again in late winter . For years, we’ve been search Foundation . Sacramento, CA . waiting to see some evidence of one of these north-bound OREGON E LY, TE, CW BRIGGS, SE HAWKS, GS KALTENECKER, migrants at GGRO—or at least evidence of one moving back AND JP DELONG . November 2015 . Assessing south again . body condition from migrating American How would we even tell a southern California bird from a Kestrels as a potential cause of a long-term more northerly bird that happens to better follow our “tra- decline . Presentation . Raptor Research ditional” view of migration? This, of course, leads to perhaps Foundation . Sacramento, CA . one of the most-often asked questions from members of the Doing field esearchr is a lot like planting public, our volunteers, and anyone curious about bird migra- very small fruit trees for eventual harvest . tion at the Golden Gate: where do “our” birds come from? Lots of things need to go right—water, Thanks to band recoveries, we have an idea of where a temps, soil, sun, bugs—and, years later, you very small proportion—around 0 3%—of. our migrants end eat plums! Conducting wild bird research up . For a miniscule percentage we even know how they got has some similar aspects, and we have been there using telemetry technologies . But this still doesn’t help fortunate to work with Dr . Joshua Hull, us answer the question, “Where do they come from?” adjunct professor at UC Davis, as he guides NEVADA WAITING FOR BANDED HAWKS students through their graduate research in raptor biology . The most definitive way to know would be by banding and Kat Tomalty has just completed her Ph D. . telemetry of breeding and nestling birds from across western CALIFORNIA work including chapters on the differential North America, to see which ones come through the Marin timing of Red-tailed Hawk migration at the Headlands . And indeed, we do on rare occasion get recap- Golden Gate, and a “10 years later” update of tures of birds first banded elsewhere . P the initial West Nile virus impact on various Just last year we trapped an banded as A raptors . a nestling outside of Fairbanks, Alaska . In 2012, we trapped a C I Three other graduate students are in the Swainson’s Hawk that was originally banded in the nest out- F I early stages of their research . Emily Aber- side of Tulelake, California . And in 2007 we trapped a Redtail SUMMER BAND C RECOVERIES nathy, former GGRO intern, will be working banded earlier that year as a nestling in Riverside County . O with Josh and GGRO on rodenticide impacts But a handful of encounters of individuals banded as nest- C Red-tailed Hawks E on raptors . Breanna Martinico will focus on lings don’t quite add up to a complete picture of where Gold- A population-level differences between rural en Gate migrants come from . N and urban Cooper’s Hawks, while Ryan Bour- Alternatively, Josh Hull used genetics to determine that N bour is attempting to detect prey species for from August through around October 15 (“first-peak”), most Merlins and Sharp-shinned Hawks, conduct- Redtails migrating through the Marin Headlands come from ing DNA analysis of the debris swabbed from the central California area . After October 15 (“second-peak”), the beaks of these largely bird-eating rap- most seem to be from the Great Basin . tors . Both Breanna and Ryan are veterans of But each of those geographic descriptions covers a pretty the GGRO’s sister program, the Belize Raptor broad range . The Great Basin encompasses over 200,000 Miles Research Institute . square miles—most of Nevada, large portions of Oregon and 025 50 100 150 200 Utah, and small portions of California and Idaho . Are our sec-

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WASHINGTON

OREGON

NEVADA

CALIFORNIA

P A C I F I SUMMER BAND C RECOVERIES O C Red-tailed Hawks E A N N

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ond-peak Redtails really a mix of To look at this question, I our criteria to be likely breeders, birds from that entire range? What requested data from the Bird none came from southern about central California? This Banding Lab for two species: California (Map, page 5) . Thus, doesn’t even begin to get at other Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks . southern Californian post-fledgling species . I started with birds banded as birds don’t seem to make up a To make progress on this nestlings so we would know where significant portion of our migrants . question, I’d like to start with the they hatched . Next I weeded out Instead, our migrants come largely simplest approach, but one that birds that died before reaching from the greater Bay Area and requires an inferential leap of faith breeding age, birds recovered coastal areas to the north . There (backed with data, of course!) . outside the breeding season, is also a smattering of recoveries When we look at literature from and birds that had been dead for from the Great Basin in eastern raptors, we find that they tend to a while (e g . , . “skeletal remains Oregon, but not farther east . nest near where they fledge, often only”), since the recovery location Some of the GSM (satellite te- within five to 30 miles (though may have been an overwintering or lemetry) data demonstrate that there are many exceptions) . migration area . the mountain pass northeast of For example, Pete Bloom found This should leave only birds that Redding may be a common place that Redtails moved on average <13 were likely trying to breed when for hawks to cross from the Cen- miles in southern California . Stud- they were recovered . When we look tral Valley to the Great Basin, at each of these species the aver- which provides an explanation for age movements between where an why we see Redtails from north of individual fledged and where they there rather than from central Ne- breed is fairly small . Taking our in- vada . Birds farther east or south ferential leap, we can surmise that don’t have good opportunities to individuals that we’ve banded at both cross the Cascades or Sierra GGRO, that meet the same criteria Nevada and make it to the Pacific outlined above (of breeding age, Coast . In contrast, birds from east- recovered during breeding season, ern Oregon that use the Cascades seen alive or freshly dead), are to migrate may find the pass and likely to be within some relatively use it to try to find suitable winter- small distance of their natal terri- ing areas . tory . While the probability of encoun- Banding—or perhaps more ters of our Great Basin Redtails is precisely, encounters of banded much lower than their Bay Area birds—is a numbers game . So counterparts, the results shown let’s break down some numbers: here are at least suggestive . Golden of over 39,000 birds banded at Gate Red-tailed Hawks caught in Many of the Golden Gate Red-tailed Hawks seen in November arrive from nests of the Great Basin or parts GGRO since 1983, we have encoun- November more often come from north. [Photo by Mary Malec] ters for almost 1,400 individuals . the Great Basin (P < 0 05). and far- ies on other species largely agree Among our data, we really only ther north (P < 0 005). . On average that diurnal raptors end up breed- have enough information for Red- these second-peak Redtails travel ing near where they hatched . tailed Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks over 17 miles (27 kilometers) far- to make any broad statements, so ther north than first-peak Redtails . BACK TO THE BIRD BANDING LAB I will focus on those two species— I found only six encounters of Usually these studies are leaving the others to more complex Redtails originally banded as adults contained—they have a study area (and potentially more ambiguous) that met our criteria, with four in and they don’t monitor birds that analyses for another day . the Marin Peninsula and the other may move outside that range— two farther north along the coast . which means there could be some RED-TAILED HAWKS So despite more adults showing up bias . Can these data be trusted? Of the 77 individuals that met in the second peak, it may be that

6 CANADA

MONTANA WASHINGTON

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OREGON WYOMING Cooper’s Hawks

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adults are not necessarily more likely to come from the Great Basin population . However, six recover- ies are insufficient data from which to draw sweeping generalizations .

COOPER’S HAWKS

Cooper’s Hawks come to GGRO from throughout California and western Oregon and Washington (Map, page 7) . However, most in- dividuals seem to come from west of the Sierra or Cascades . There are fewer individuals that would be de- fined as being from the Bay Area, and proportionally more from ar- eas to the north and the south . Of the 45 individuals that met the cri- A good portion of the Cooper’s Hawks seen at the Golden Gate seem to come from nests teria, almost half wouldn’t be con- west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. [Photo by Mary Malec] sidered “local” (i e. ,. from the Sac- ramento Delta south to Half Moon They would be unlikely to be lo- Banding for the sole purpose of Bay) . cated by someone in the densely waiting for recoveries and recap- There was a single recovery forested landscapes where they tures is probably not fruitful for from Baja California . I don’t be- would breed . But the data we have many of the species we see . For- lieve this is an accurate location for suggest that we are mostly seeing tunately, that is not our sole en- a breeding Cooper’s Hawk (since Cooper’s Hawks from coastal areas deavor at GGRO anymore . Band the species infrequently nests in to the north . recoveries are interesting in the the region) so I erased that dot . aggregate; they provide great in- CONCLUSIONS This does stress however that our sight into movements and win- definition of breeders using band Unsurprisingly, there are dis- tering areas, but are only a part recoveries may not without its parate results between Cooper’s of the whole . Genetics, isotopes, flaws or limitations . I could further and Red-tailed Hawks . Species prey analyses, and contaminants refine this technique in another with such different ecological are where we need to keep moving analysis, limiting it to older adults, needs should have different pat- to answer big questions about the or narrowing the dates of the terns, highlighting that our other ecology and conservation needs of breeding season . Birds from later migrants will each have their own these birds . in the season tended to come from story to tell—in due time . There Author Note: After almost four years as further north (P = 0 02). . Interest- seems to be some degree of tem- the Research Director at GGRO, I will ingly, this relationship becomes poral segregation between more be leaving to join my wife at Hamilton stronger when the Baja outlier is northern populations and southern College in central New York . It has been educational and rewarding to help lead removed, suggesting a fairly robust populations . Does that mean they the sterling group of citizen scientists trend . Perhaps it isn’t surprising winter in different areas as well? at GGRO . To gain their enthusiasm and that birds that show up later likely Our picture is still incomplete, energy in the hopes of learning and preserving some part of California’s migrated farther; certainly this is thanks to limited recoveries in ar- natural heritage has been a privilege . true of our Redtail population . eas where people don’t go, and for The thoughtfulness, talent, and com- We can speculate about what species too small to find regularly— petence of the volunteers as scientists we don’t know—for example, such as American Kestrels . Does have been impressive and inspiring . I hope I can take some of the lessons I how many of our Cooper’s Hawks this mean banding as a practice have learned here to New York . –CB come from the Sierra Nevada? should be tossed aside? Not at all .

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IDENTIFICATION FOCUS Allen Fish Three Tails for the Juvenile Broadwing Illustrations by Anna Stunkel

his story starts a few years ago . I was thin bands except for the outer-most (sub- standing on Hawk Hill overlooking the terminal) dark band (across all tail-feathers), TGolden Gate in late September with which was about two times larger than the oth- some GGRO hawk counters . We were having ers (see Fig . 1) . a good Broad-winged Hawk day . (Yes, in The alternate tail type had the same marking California . That means more than 10 in a day ). as above on the outer two tail feathers (what a Lots of Broadwings near each other, some even bird bander would call the number sixes) but the grouped in twos and threes . “Look at those middle 10 feathers (ones through fives) were tails,” I said . “A juvenile right next to an adult!” fundamentally different . They showed two very Indeed, the juvenile had fine, barely visible bold dark bands above and below a prominent bands spanning the width of the tail (classic ju- light band . In other words, they were adult-like . venile, Fig . 1), while the adult had one bold band But only on the central 10 tail feathers (Fig . 3)! in the center of the tail, dark bands above and Part of this outcome is no great surprise for below . But then I looked again, and the “adult” advanced raptor identification readers; in many had vertical, streaky marks on the breast—in birds of prey, the outer two tail feathers have other words, juvenile-type breast marks . An a slightly different pattern than the central 10 adult Broadwing should have rusty barring (hor- feathers (the different pattern may give struc- izontal marks) across the light breast (classic tural support to the outer feathers in the face adult, Fig . 2) . What gives? of the weird wind and airflow at that location) . Maybe that bold-banded Broadwing was a This shows up on accipiters, which often have partially molted adult? Maybe it was an ab- an extra dark band on juvenile outer tail feath- errant juvenile plumage of some kind? I was ers, plus the bands are out of alignment with thinking about this for a few days when George those on the inner 10 feathers . Eade showed me his photos of that same Broad- But something else is going on in juvenile wing day . Broadwings . I started looking online for pictures George got side-by-side shots of those two of juvenile Broad-winged Hawks in flight . Some birds . Both had streaky breasts, but one had had 10 thick-banded tail feathers in the center . about six thin tail bands, the other three adult- Others had only six thick-banded tail feathers looking (thick) tail bands . Looking closer, I could (Fig . 4) . Some had eight . I also found dark morph see other juvenile traits on both birds: lightly juvenile photos with the full range of juvenile marked trailing edges on the wings, and squar- tail types . ish windows in the primaries—both marks for Of 50 juvenile Broad-winged Hawk photos juvenile Broadwings, as they are for juvenile I analyzed, 40 had narrow tail bands (Fig . 1), Redtails . These were both juvenile Broadwings . seven had bold bands (Fig . 3), and three had bold bands in the center tail feathers with at CYBER-BIRDING ON GOOGLE IMAGES least two pairs of narrows on the outers (Fig . 4) . That’s when my interest piqued . I went CHECKING BROADWINGS IN THE FIELD to Google Images and searched on “juvenile Broad-winged Hawk in flight ”. I lined up about A few years ago, I asked GGRO hawkwatch- two dozen ventral views, and then it was clear: ers to help me count the number of narrow- there are at least two tail types among juvenile band vs . bold-band juvenile Broadwings from Broadwings . One type had five to eight equal, Hawk Hill . The survey mostly bombed . Most of

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the hawks were just too high up to juvenile Broadwings’ “indistinct” dark brown bands, sub-terminal detect the difference . and “variable” bands, often com- band widest; some individuals bined with a dark subterminal show an accipiter-like pattern of WHAT DO THE FIELD GUIDES SAY? band . And this is the true hawk- equal-width dark and light bands ”. What do Sibley, Clark, Wheeler, watchers’ view at many of the Brian Wheeler paints one of Dunne, and Liguori say about ju- eastern and Texas migration sites . each type juvenile tail on Plate 18 . venile Broadwing tails? Do they But bring the birds closer to earth [M] is narrow; [N] is broad . Wheel- talk about these broad-band adult- and you get some better looks and er’s Western Guide (2003) is even like tails on juveniles? How had I better descriptions . more to the point, referencing “two missed this problem of two juvenile Turns out there are a lot of great major types of tail banding” and Broadwing tail types? I started flip- descriptions, if one reads careful- specifying a narrow-banding type ping pages, focusing on the ventral ly . The earliest I could find was in (page 258; plate 261) versus a bold- views of juvenile tails . Clark and Wheeler (2000) on page banding type (plate 262), each with Many guides make reference to 190: “The tail below is creamy with a prominent sub-terminal band .

FIGURE 1: TYPICAL JUVENILE FIGURE 2: TYPICAL ADULT

• 6 to 8 fine bands on all tail feathers • 3 to 4 broad bands on all tail feathers, or • One thick subterminal band • 3 to 4 broad bands on • Streaky or spotty upper breast the center 10 tail feathers with 5 to 6 narrow bands on the outers

• Rufous-brown barred But then I looked again, upper breast and the “adult” had vertical, streaky marks on the breast—in other words, juvenile-type breast marks. An adult Broadwing should have rusty barring (horizontal marks) across the light breast (classic adult, Fig. 2). What gives?

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Jerry Liguori summarizes the across this problem of juvenile at least not the dark morphs we reality of Broad-winged Hawk Broad-winged Hawk tail types, I checked at Golden Gate; 2) Could tail marks in Hawks at a Distance might not have tried to “CSI” this boldness be found in certain nest- (2011; page 51): “The underside of situation . And in doing so, I just ing ranges? Perhaps, but no data the tail is pale with a dark sub-ter- learned one more thing—that exists for this; and, 3) Would tail minal band which is the only band sometimes (4% according to my type proportions on Google Images visible in the field . A few juveniles cyber-sampling above) the bold- hold true at a big Broadwing site show a boldly-banded tail that ap- banded juvenile tail only extends like Cape May New Jersey, Hazel pears identical to those of adults, across six or eight tail-feathers in Bazemore down in Texas, or Vera- but they lack other adult traits, like the center of the tail, and the re- cruz? Maybe; there’s always more a dark trailing edge to the wings or maining outers are narrow-banded . work to be done . rufous underbody ”. I started to work on other ques- My thanks to my predecessors If I had read Jerry’s perfectly tions as well: 1) Is tail boldness and colleagues, and remember: scripted line when I first came tied to dark morphism? Likely not, Read your bird books!

FIGURE 3: “BOLD BAND” JUVENILE FIGURE 4: “CENTER BOLD” JUVENILE FIGURE 5: “CENTER BOLD” DARK MORPH JUVENILE

• 3 to 4 broad bands • 3 to 4 broad bands • 3 to 4 broad tail bands on the center 10 tail on the center six or eight on the center six or eight feathers with 5 to 8 tail feathers; remaining tail feathers; remaining outers narrow bands on outers showing 5 to 8 showing 5 to 8 narrow bands the outers narrow bands • Subterminal band often • Subterminal band • Subterminal band broadest in center often broadest in often broadest in tail feathers center tail feathers center tail feathers • Dark head, body, • Streaky or spotty • Streaky or spotty and coverts upper breast upper breast

11 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

HAWKWATCH 2015 Holly Thomas Why We Watch

here were nearly 200 of us retrieve it, and that someone will be derived from the dispassionate on the 2015 Hawkwatch then do something—what?—to fix collection of data . In fact, what Troster, plus a number of the things that we fear are wrong is most obvious to anyone who irregular counters . Each of us with the world as a habitat for observes us is that we share a brought unique experiences, skills, raptors . That hope, though fervent, relish for the practice of watching motivations, and interpretations strikes me as too tenuous, and too raptors—as a game or competitive to our common task . Each of the 14 rotating teams encountered different weathers, events, and birds . And—if we were doing our jobs—each of us was looking, at any given moment, in a different direction from the rest of our team . The 2015 season was my fifth as a volunteer, so I am more than an apprentice but less than an expert . I believe that I work harder than the average volunteer at acquiring the skills and experiences that al- low me to appreciate the pageant of migration . Also, I confess that one of my pastimes has been to observe my fellow hawkwatchers, both individ- ually and as a community . Although we are a diverse lot, it is clear that The South Quadrant spotter pulls a high Peregrine from the western sky, while West we share many reasons for our Quadrant scopes the Tamalpais ridgeline. [Photo by Nelia White] participation in this program . Naturally, we share support detached from our passions and sport . for the missions of GGRO, one of experiences, to explain the work The expressions of this which is to promote the conserva- and time that we devote to the competition range from the subtle tion of raptors by collecting data practice of watching hawks . to the blatant . We keep score of of their movements around Hawk What’s more, I find that I haveno numbers of birds and species; Hill . But I don’t believe that this ex- passion for collecting data as such . the teams with the highest daily plains why most of us hawkwatch- Do any of us? I found no entries in scores are recognized at our ers are really there . this year’s hawkwatch journal or annual banquet . Any team member Considered only as data, blog expressing warm satisfaction who is first to make challenging numbers of Ferruginous Hawks with the quadrant system, or calls of distant or difficult birds or American Kestrels are simply enthusiasm for the accuracy of the gains status among us—and interesting or alarming statistics . data collected . No one wrote of the perhaps resentment from would- In fact, the data that we collect is rewards of keeping the datasheet . be competitors . When Hawk Hill’s a lot like a message that we stuff For most of us, the rewards of North Quadrant is crowded with into a bottle and throw into the hawkwatching are very different experts (real or pretend), and the ocean . We hope that someone will from whatever satisfactions may sky is full of interesting birds, one

12 NUMBER 37

can almost smell the testosterone attention of all on the Hill, conjured idly as the bird approached . It was, in the air . up a partner for everyone’s enjoy- after all, the only show around . In short, hawkwatching is addic- ment ”. And then, it flew verheado and tive because “winning” requires a This season also had its disap- wheeled east and then north . It combination of dedication, intelli- pointments . Most of us (all but was like having a bucket of cold wa- gence, good luck, and hard-earned those present on November 17) ter splashed over me . During those skill . In this, it resembles poker, or deplored the absence of Rough- few crucial seconds, it just looked football, or any number of other legged Hawks, birds that we cher- too big, and heavy, and bulky to be games . What’s more, the strategies ish on account of the beauty of a Cooper’s Hawk . My internal pat- for winning—whether this means their markings and the graceful tern-matching software turned on improving the day’s “score,” or im- buoyancy of their flight . the flashing amber light that said pressing one’s fellow hawkwatch- For me, however, this was a “!” with a con- ers—can include bluffing . season of Northern Goshawks . I viction that was both unexpected I recall remarking to Tim Behr was absent on November 25, when and entirely involuntary . that a hawkwatcher can make any banders caught and released a ju- Alas, I did not see any of the de- call, as long as he or she makes it venile male . Nonetheless, I believe tails that could have ruled out the with unshakeable confidence, and (with reasonable but not absolute possibility of a short-circuit in my the sighting is so distant or so brief certainty) that I saw two of these own neurons . I saw no spotted un- that others cannot contradict it . birds this season . der-tail coverts, or white eyebrow; Tim’s response was to chuckle, and The first time was after counting the bird was not quite close enough, note that the ploy works best when hours, on October 12 . It had been a or the angle was wrong, for those the person making the ID has an very slow day, with a hot and wind- field marks . After the epiphany, expensive spotting-scope . less afternoon . Since I am not immune to the charms it was not one of my of competition . Any day when my regular days, I stayed RAPTOR-SIGHTINGS IN THE team spots a rarity is rewarding after the team left . I MARIN HEADLANDS DURING 2015 Past 10-Year for the whole team . Any day when I felt lazy; I didn’t wish Average 2015 Season 2003-2014** first spot and then identify a rarity to brave the freeway (540 Hours) (489 Hours) is doubly rewarding for me person- until traffic might be Sightings RpH Sightings RpH ally . lighter . Any hope that 9,692 17.95 8,434 17.25 Osprey 83 0.15 93 0.19 Yet what mainly brought me to I might see something White-tailed Kite 36 0.07 97 0.20 Hawk Hill during the 2015 season remarkable was slim . Bald 8 0.01 6 0.01 was the sheer spectacle: the won- Although the wind Northern Harrier 442 0.82 618 1.26 der of our Redtails as they rode soon freshened, there Sharp-shinned Hawk 4,652 8.61 3,945 8.07 the air with ease, the thrill of our were few birds to be Cooper’s Hawk 3,106 5.75 2,435 4.98 Sharpies as they shot by like wind- seen . So I was pleased Northern Goshawk 2 <0.01 1 <0.01 Red-shouldered Hawk 574 1.06 463 0.95 blown leaves, the drama of our to spot what I took to Broad-winged Hawk 344 0.64 215 0.44 Merlins as they casually harassed be a distant Cooper’s Swainson’s Hawk 6 0.01 7 0.01 their fellow migrants . Hawk flying straight Red-tailed Hawk 10,017 18.55 8,947 18.30 For many of us, Ferruginous toward Hawk Hill from 73 0.14 21 0.04 Hawks held center stage during the the direction of Mt . Rough-legged Hawk 1 <0.01 6 0.01 Golden Eagle 18 0.03 19 0.04 past season . For a while, the sight Tam . I thought to my- American Kestrel 297 0.55 482 0.99 of one or more of these majestic self how nice it was 257 0.48 178 0.36 birds—Buteo regalis indeed—was to see accipiter wing Peregrine 225 0.42 237 0.48 a daily occurrence . A journal entry beats that could not 6 0.01 6 0.01 from September 23 says it well: possibly be mistaken Unidentified 1,381 2.56 1,211 2.48 “…[N]othing quite beats the lux- for those of a Sharpie . Total 31,220 57.81 27,423 56.08 **2010 and 2013 data not included due to partial seasons urious flight of a Ferrug . in perfect Still in a daze from the RpH = Raptors Per Hour light who, having captured the rapt day’s heat, I watched

13 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

the increasingly distant bird was to see the bird and exercise its col- Recognizing a bird—not just either going-away or wing-on . All I lective judgment . Not that it mat- seeing it—is, for me, the expres- could confirm was that it was big, tered . The team knew exactly what sion of a relationship between me and had more pointed wings than I I was thinking . and the bird, just as recognizing would expect on a Cooper’s Hawk . The team judged that it was in- a friend on the street expresses In short, my conviction that deed a juvenile Northern Goshawk . a relationship between me and I had seen a Northern Goshawk In the discussion that followed, it the friend . The hawk, of course, is was completely based on its “Giz” became clear that each of us had aware of no such relationship . during a few seconds’ view . E-bird focused on, and been persuaded Paradoxically, the very inde- would have laughed at me . But, by, different characteristics . What pendence and separateness of the looking back, I still remain (mostly) I took to be especially telling was hawk from me—the fact that it convinced that I saw a Goshawk . the fact that, on a blustery morning does not share my point of view— The second sighting was on No- when the Sharpies had been blow- is what makes the connection pro- vember 27, the season’s last day for ing about, seemingly quite out of found . The hawk has its own point the Friday 1 team . Unlike my first their own control, this large accipi- of view, which I cannot pretend to sighting, this one was not unex- ter, with pointed wings and a slow imagine . I have no idea of what it’s pected . It was only two days after wing-beat, had been as stable in like to be a hawk . the capture of the juvenile Gos, so the air as any Redtail . As a consequence, whenever we had hopes that this bird might My pleasure in the spectacle of I perceive, identify, recognize a still be around . migration becomes greater every hawk, I touch something that tran- My first sight of the bird that year . Three years ago, I could not scends my own existence . we identified as a Goshawk was have seen these two special birds Professor, attorney, and investigator by in the south quadrant . I screamed as anything but large Cooper’s profession, Holly Thomas jumped into something like, “Take a look at this Hawks . The fact that we learn to be the GGRO Hawkwatch with both talons accipiter!”—deliberately resisting cultivated spectators is, I suspect, in 2011 . Her enthusiasm for learning new birds has resulted in her writing the temptation to yell “Goshawk!” what brings us the deepest satis- a summary of her raptor ID learning because I wanted the whole team faction . tricks, called Holly’s Tips .

BUG COUNT 2015 Natasha Lekach Odes and Lepidopts, Year 2

n 2015, we conducted our second The largest flurries of dragonflies season of bug counting during occurred in early September, one Ithe Hawkwatch . Bug counts month earlier than in 2014, with 62 were done on 56 days, for a total of sightings on the busiest day . about 304 hours, throughout the Bug-watchers also tallied 851 fall season . butterfly sightings during the same We noted 186 dragonfly56 days on Hawk Hill . Pipevine Hawk Hill’s most common dragonfly in the sightings during the season; and Swallowtail sightings autumn is the Variegated Meadowhawk, a 65% of the sightings consisted comprised 44% of the count, while friendly odonatan that often perches on the coyote brush. [Photo by Mike Hall] of Variegated Meadowhawks, in 2014 they made up about 10% . Black Saddlebags, and Green Both of these species dwindled Darners . We also spotted Cardinal toward the end of the season . count . Paralleling the dragonflies, Meadowhawks, Red Saddlebags, Though counters consistently the butterfly peak occurred in early Spot-winged Gliders, 12-spotted spotted many Monarchs during September (a month earlier than Skimmers, Flame Skimmers, and the season, the rate of Monarch the 2014 butterfly peak), with 56 members of the Blue Darner group . sightings dropped from last year’s on the busiest day .

14 NUMBER 37

HAWKS ON THE MOVE Natasha Lekach and Elan Carnahan Bringing City Kids to Hawk Hill

his year, hawkwatchers low-income households . Hill, we hope the students gained weren’t the only ones After multiple brainstorming the knowledge that these national Tscreaming, “Accipiter!,” and curriculum-writing meetings, parklands are for them; they own “Buteo!,” or “Falcon!,” when a many emails back and forth, and the Golden Gate National Parks raptor flew overhead . These several training days, the six CFC and they can be a part of the exclamations also burst from educators, two NPS interpreters, science conducted here . the mouths of 181 fourth-grade and two GGRO interns were ready For many of the students who students who visited Hawk Hill to bring the Hawks on the Move participated in Hawks on the Move, during the inaugural Hawks on curriculum to life . We invited the their journey across the Golden the Move program . Bringing eight students to start thinking about Gate was their first expedition classrooms of San Francisco our essential question: “Why do across the bridge and out of Unified School District students things move?” We strove not to San Francisco . We worked with to Hawk Hill was no small feat; it just spark an interest in raptors, a diverse group: two programs took over a year of collaboration, but to stimulate discussions and were taught in Spanish, and one hard work, and wonderful a personal connection with the in Cantonese and Mandarin; all generosity to make this new phenomenon of migration . schools had English Language program possible . For each class, we visited the Learner students and varying In February 2014, long-time schools a few days before the levels of literacy . The opportunity GGRO bander Jennie Rhine students took their field trip to to reach a diverse population and passed away after a long fight Hawk Hill . In their classroom, seeing the students’ enthusiasm with Alzheimer’s disease . Out- students participated in hands- for learning about raptors made side of the blind, Jennie spent her on exploration of raptor parts the challenges of starting a new career as Judge Rhine in U S. . Su- and Bay Area topography in order program well worth it . perior Court, fighting for social to explore the natural world’s We especially want to thank justice for Native Americans, and complexities and to formulate Tom Meyer for his immense people of urban and rural commu- their own questions . These generosity . We also thank all nities . After her passing, her hus- ranged from: “Why are the wings of the NPS and CFC staff for band, Tom Meyer, met with park different shapes and colors?” their support in developing staff members to create a way to to “What is the largest animal a and teaching the curriculum . honor Jennie’s work and her love raptor can carry?” We are grateful to the teachers of hawks . These early discussions When on Hawk Hill, students from Longfellow Elementary, created the idea for Hawks on the engaged in a series of activities Chinese Education Center, Glen Move . that highlighted the benefits and Park Elementary, and Mission Starting in July 2015, we challenges of migration . GGRO Education Center for participating began meeting with seven staff hawkwatchers got to observe the in this pilot program . members from the students and educators wobbling Intern Natasha Lekach brought a ton Center (CFC) and the National around as Turkey Vultures, or of experience to the Hawks on the Park Service (NPS) Interpretation “flap, flap, gliding” as accipiters . Move program in 2015, including a Team to collaborate on developing Powered and empowered by their year at the Seattle Science Center . So did Elan Carnahan, with several a program to bring students from new ID skills, students also had years of scout counseling in the Sierra San Francisco Title I schools to the chance to be scientists and Nevada while completing her degree Hawk Hill . Title I schools have at collect data on passing raptors . at San Luis Obispo . least 40% of their students from Through play and action on Hawk

15 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

and women scientists at work . It’s IN CONVERSATION Laura Booth a window into the life of a raptor and into the lives of the humans Thirty Years of ‘Following that love and appreciate and care for raptors . It’s a microcosm of the Child’ to Hawk Hill nature appreciation, and what people are doing to help raptors Kathleen Hazelton-Leech has Hill ”. So we will include that as an and save the environment . That been bringing kindergarteners up opening field trip to teach them spurs them on to be caretakers of to Hawk Hill since the late 1970s, about hawks and to come up to nature, too . shortly after helping start the this beautiful, majestic site of the It’s a gateway, a catalyst for Marin Horizon School in ’77, where migration . them to ask more questions about everything . What is their she continues to work as Primary PRR: Did you always know Head Teacher . Over the years, part in the ecosystem? We call it her students— becoming on fire with “Hawks”—have their learning . seen the content PRR: I feel like our in the Golden connection to nature Gate Raptor has shifted dramatically Observatory in 30 years . Is there lessons evolve . But an influence of Hazelton-Leech technology? Can kids insists one thing sit up on Hawk Hill and stays the same: the enjoy it in the same way wonder of children that they always have? and their parents Marin Horizon teacher Kathleen Hazelton-Leech and her stuffed Rough- legged Hawk mascot have been teaching kindergartners about Hawk Hill KHL: I’d say that when they witness since the late 1970s [Photo courtesy of Kathleen Hazelton-Leech]. it has been just as the migration of magnificent, if not more, raptors over the Golden Gate . about Hawk Hill? How did you because we’ve learned to go into PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT: first hear about it and the GGRO? even more depth . We’ve had a lot Kindergarteners at the Marin KHL: One of the [founding] of our students for three years Horizon School are called the teachers, John Littleton, who by the time they come up to the Hawks . Why? I started the school with, was Hill, so they are already into that KATHLEEN HAZELTON-LEECH: A a nature aficionado, and knew inquisitive mode about science . traditional Montessori classroom about Hawk Hill . It’s even more exciting because is a mixed-age range of 3- to PRR: What do you think is the they’re actually realizing that 6-year olds, but parents and kids’ favorite part about coming they’re going to where the hawks teachers saw a need for the up to the Hill? are, where they migrate . I think it just turns them on to nature . kindergarteners to have a bigger KHL: It’s such a majestic site— peer group . So we started this there are so many favorite things . And many families have program, and we thought, “What They’re just bubbling up with not been up to Hawk Hill, even would we call it?” We decided their impressions and excitement though we’re right here in the to call it the Hawk program about being there . midst of Marin . This is a real because they’re at the top of the Their imagination is so lucid breakthrough for the children and food chain; they’re majestic and at this age that the hands-on for the families, too . They’ll say, powerful . experience is an incredible life “Wow, we’re here in Marin and As part of that, we thought, impression for them . The frosting I didn’t know about this? This is “Well, we’re right here, near Hawk on the is to go and see men so incredible ”. Most of them are

16 NUMBER 37

talking about and planning to bring their families back . PRR: Do the parents get into the lesson about birds of prey? KHL: To see their child so engaged draws them in as well and gives them something more in common with their children to ex- plore . PRR: Why do you think environmental edu- cation, in particular, is important? How does that relate to the Montessori mission? KHL: Whatever their interests are, Maria Montessori’s basic advice is to “follow the child ”. And John Littleton, who was also a founding teacher, connected that to nature, saying, “I’m always amazed at how readily young people connect with the natural world, Volunteer Maxine Berg narrows the field for a Broad-winged Hawk^ some- as dear Maria Montessori learned early on where above San Francisco. [Photo by Eileen Richey] and incorporated into her curriculum and philosophy . Encouraging and developing an appreciation for nature sits right at the heart RADIOTELEMETRY 2015 Mike Hall of the Montessori classroom ”. They’re so tuned in now to looking for Up and Away hawks, to looking at birds, to asking ques- tions, to being on fire with learning—this e keep an eye out for them. They help us find the year [after doing their field trip to the Hill], “ lift ”. The retired hang-glider pilot is telling me I came back to the classroom with our new Wof his kinship with raptors . “I remember one dean and the kids are shouting at me from time, there were two hawks and two gliders sharing the same outside—“Red-tailed Hawk! Red-tailed thermal . Another time, I had this Redtail stilling right in front Hawk! Red-tailed Hawk!” Our dean is new of me when it suddenly raised its wings ’til the tips touched…” from Miami, so I said, “You better come,” and He demonstrates the motion . “…and then it shot upwards on there was a majestic Red-tailed Hawk right an updraft that could have broken me up . Probably saved my above them . life ”. We are standing together on top of a picnic table at Double PRR: Do you have any stories that jump Peak Park in San Marcos, California, as the sinking sun is out at you from the 30 years of bringing your preparing a spectacular Pacific panorama . My Yagi antenna classes up to Hawk Hill? is leaning against the table, and my receiver is turned off . KHL: Well, I think it was really great that “Journey” the Broad-winged Hawk is at roost for the night, Milo [a current kindergartener] wanted to and other things are about to transpire . It is the most natural be a hawk for Halloween, because there’s thing in the world for each of us to be as close to the sky as every kind of Star Wars character, there’s we can get . every kind of prototype in the genre of I’m here because our GGRO Telemetry Coordinator Lynn superheroes . I was impressed that out of all Jesus located enough San Diego County high points via Google of that, he wanted to be a hawk . He was in Earth so that we could track a “coastal bird ”. It’s September his glory being a hawk for Halloween . 27, 2015 . The park is slowly filling with people but there’s Pennsylvania native and science journalist Laura not much babble—just scopes, kids, students . Palomar Booth interned for GGRO during 2015-2016 . Catch Community College and CSU San Marcos have reserved the up with Laura’s blogging at thenatureofcities .org . site to observe the super moon eclipse . A full moon at perigee

17 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

NEVADA

Release, Sept. 23, 12 noon San Francisco

Sept. 23. Day 1, Flight ~60 Miles, San Jose Roost in Mountains

Monterey CALIFORNIA

Sept. 24, Day 2, ~135 Miles

Roost near Atascadero Sept. 25, Day 3, ~70 Miles Roost on Figueroa Mtn.

Sept. 26, Day 4, 90 miles

Santa Barbara P A Roost near Saddle Peak C I F Sept. 27, Day 5, ~100 miles IC O C Los Angeles E A N

BROAD-WINGED HAWK Roost SE of Elsinore Peak ”JOURNEY” SEPT. 23-28, 2015 Sept. 28, Day 6, San Diego Reports ~55 Miles to Border

Roosts MEXICO Approximate Flight Path N Ensenada

18 0 20 40 60 80 100 MIles NUMBER 37

combined with a total eclipse, this as Journey rested up . But after a Mexico border by the end of their “blood moon” won’t happen again mere half-hour, Journey launched fourth day . But here was Journey until 2033 . himself across the Golden Gate . at the start of Day 4, still west I’m recalling this special evening From Twin Peaks, trackers of Santa Barbara! Libby and Ken as a way of suggesting the power Libby Rouan and Maxine Berg were on Mt . Pinos; Bill, now again and poetry layered just beneath our noted Journey’s shift to the east teamed with Maxine, was way dutiful adherence to training and and south . Tracker protocol . After all, we raptorphiles Bill James, who fol- are always seeking that connection, lowed the two previ- and our citizen-science roles help ous Broadwings to the us focus the quest . Strategizing a Mexican border, was chase and then hitting the road as “on the bird” solo— a radiotelemetrist is one way an functioning simul- earthbound amateur scientist can taneously as driver, sort of emulate a soaring, migrating navigator, tracker, re- hawk . At the least, time and terrain corder, and communi- can bring us unexpected moments cator . Journey ended of discovery . his first broadcast Back in August, we planned day south of San Jose for a split season: a two-week near Mount Madonna, window during the height of the as determined by Bill Broad-winged Hawk migration (now accompanied in September, and then another by Maxine) the next stretch in October . While we jump morning from Fre- GGRO Research Assistant Kris Vanesky practices her at a chance to track one of our mont Peak . I followed Spanish with the bilingual “Journey”—a juvenile Broad- winged Hawk—heading to Mexico in just five days [Photo special Pacific Flyway Broadwings, them down Highway by David Jesus]. we’re also curious and eager to 101 and caught a cou- learn the migration habits of even ple of good bearings south of Sali- northeast on Mt . Wilson . I headed rarer Marin Headlands visitors, nas, the last we heard from Journey to Saddle Peak, in the Santa Monica such as a Ferruginous, Rough- on Day 2 . Mountains above Malibu and not legged, or Swainson’s Hawk, or Our ideal is to have three teams far from downtown L .A . Prairie Falcon . But the banders in the field—one staying close to As it happened, Journey flew have to snag one first! the bird, the others stationed on all of 60 miles and roosted right It turns out that 2015 was a surrounding high points to provide near Saddle Peak . But that night, better-than-average year for locational fixes via triangulation while Journey slumbered, four- Broad-winged Hawks over Hawk of compass readings based on the fifths of his entourage was driving Hill, about 50% better . Banders bird’s radio beeps . north . Bill wisely chose not to keep caught three Broadwings, two of For Day 3, Bill was once again pushing, and both Libby and Ken them on September 23 . Choices, solo; Libby drove down with Ken had to meet Bay Area obligations choices! Chris Briggs decided to Weidner and took up a promising the next day . apply the transmitter to a juvenile position on Mt . Pinos . Maxine Guess who’s left? Journey and male, and Kris Vanesky released joined me and we lucked out me . Journey from the Hawk Hill ridge . with early signals as Journey got The weather throughout this After five days with bags packed underway north of Atascadero, expedition has been phenomenal . and schedules shifting, we had and again at the end of the day In the clear morning light of Day 5, three teams ready to roll in the as he came to roost near our high I look south from Saddle Peak and Marin Headlands, where they point on Figueroa Mountain . make out Mt . Orizaba above the enjoyed watching a remarkable Both previous Broadwings we cloud layer on Santa Catalina Is- 1,000-raptor day over Hawk Hill tracked had crossed the California- land, 35 miles away . I look east and

19 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

the Mexican moun- that Journey is angling away from tainsides . the coast . But we’ll never know for Journey signals me sure, because at 40 minutes past Roost Oct. 22-23 at 10:15 am, so closely noon, Laguna Mountain provides Area of Activity through Dec. 2, 2015 that I hear his beeps me one passage of beeps with just with the receiver’s one Yagi bearing before all signals Roost, Oct. 21, 2015 attenuator switched cease for the day . Oct. 21 Flight, <5 miles on, and it jogs me to The signals prove that Journey Roost, Oct. 20, 2015 get a move on, get to is aloft and close to the border, and the next high point, since the bearing intersects the Elsinore Peak, where coast exactly one mile north of the RED-TAILED HAWK I listen as Journey border, he will have crossed into “GYPSY” OCT. 19-23, 2015 Oct. 20 Flight, ~30 miles moves steadily south Mexico within 10 to 60 minutes af-

Release along the coast, an- ter the reading, depending on how gular increment by far inland he is . Roosts increment on the com- As for that second season; we Total mileage 38 miles pass dial, in textbook tracked a juvenile male Red-tailed N fashion . Hawk, “Gypsy,” all of 38 miles north When he’s due to an area partway up Sonoma south—right in line Mountain, over three calendar with Double Peak, in days . There he appears to have fact—I can’t stand it settled in with others of his kind, as and jump back in the confirmed by follow-up checks into 0 2.5 5 MIles car to catch up with December . him . Of course, I’m Libby applied the transmit- too late, and now they ter with help from Kris, and over want me out of the the five-day period October 19- parking lot for their 23, some 14 volunteers—leaders, eclipse party . I leave, trainers, interns, and apprentic- because I’ve got pa- es—participated in the travelling, Roost, Oct. 19, 2015 Oct. 19 Flight, perwork to complete positioning, calibrating, listening, 2.5 miles10/9 to Muir Beach Release at my Motel 6 before interpreting, reading, plotting, tri- Oct. 19, 2015 I can grab a couple angulating, locating, recording, and hours’ sleep . Big Final communicating that are involved Day tomorrow, Sep- in a typical chase, albeit in this case down at the high-rises of down- tember 28 . a nicely genteel North Bay one . town Los Angeles, backlit against Lynn informs me that Libby has Telemetry in 2015 was embod- the rising sun . actually volunteered to drive back ied in its avatars: one chase led by It enters my mind, as it will again down, to provide cross-bearings . a spirit of long and far, tenuous and this evening at Double Peak Park in But Journey’s last leg should be extended and challenging—a spirit San Marcos, to consider what Jour- pretty straightforward, so it’s on both alien and brotherly . The other ney sees ahead of him . We often, me . Uh, not that simple after all— chase by a spirit of comprehensi- I think, conceive raptor vision in he’s not checking in to Double Peak ble, communal, common-sense— terms of predator and prey, above for Day 6 . but of course still alien, as in hawk, and beneath . But what do those Now it’s after 11:00 am and Chase as in raptor . keen eyes pick out up ahead? Per- Syndrome kicks in—that anxiety Mike Hall joined Hawkwatch and added haps, as I focus on beetling my that something up ahead is getting Telemetry after retirement from a desk way through SoCal freeway traffic, away from you . I head inland to La- job . He also monitors raptor nests in Journey is already contemplating guna Mountain, on the assumption Sonoma .

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purpose of the band is to record even more data when the band is recovered . A special treat for a hawk bander is to have a band recovered so the bander and scientists can learn where the hawk went and what happened to it . This is referred to as a “recovery ”. For example, we banded a Northern Goshawk in 2015, which showed up at a wildlife rehab Intern Nicole Beadle casts a banded Cooper’s Hawk back to the migration. [Photo by Anna Fryjoff-Hung] center in Petaluma a short time later . BANDING 2015 Jeff Robinson The goshawk was diagnosed and treated for an eating disorder— Just Like Fly Fishing? eating so much food that his crop was too full to be able to fly . At least we know he’s a good hunter . awk banding is just like fish . If successful, the fish will bite After you catch and release a fly fishing ” . I don’t the fly, you set the hook “ remember when I and reel it in . Generally H RAPTORS BANDED IN THE first heard this statement . I do no biometric data are MARIN HEADLANDS DURING AUTUMN remember my reaction: “A bird collected about the fish . is different from a fish, water The hawk banding 2015 Annual Average* Totals is different from land, a hook is target is not a fish . It (8/12/15–1/2/16) 1993-2014** 1983-2015 Northern Harrier 8 11 311 different from a net ”. The speaker is a hawk, a carnivore Sharp-shinned Hawk 481 479 11,867 was a professional biologist with a that hunts by vision . Cooper’s Hawk 650 562 14,724 Ph .D . and an impressive resume, so During migration, Northern Goshawk 1 0 6 I kept my skepticism to myself . hawks concentrate over Red-shouldered Hawk 33 16 438 Now, years later, having certain areas of land . Broad-winged Hawk 3 1 38 Swainson’s Hawk 0 0 10 experience in both activities, I If you band near these Red-tailed Hawk 251 316 9,541 thought it was time to re-examine concentrations, you will Ferruginous Hawk 0 0 2 this statement . What are the be more successful . A Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 6 similarities between hawk banding rigid stationary pole and 0 0 2 and fly fishing? The results a line are used to attract American Kestrel 41 57 1,410 surprised me . a hawk . When you are Merlin 50 30 725 2 4 92 Fly fishing targets fish, a successful, the hawk is Prairie Falcon 3 2 46 carnivore that hunts by vision . captured in a net and Eurasian Kestrel 0 0 1 The fish are in water so you have carefully extracted ^T. otal 1,523 1,478 39,219 much better results if you fish Data on the hawk are near water . A light flexible pole is meticulously recorded, *2013 data are not a complete season; missed October 1-16 due to government shutdown. used to transmit energy to a line and a band is attached **1993-2014 are used for this comparison due to similarity of methods and effort and the line carries the lure to the to the hawk’s leg . The between those years and 2015.

21 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

12 70 and anything else is icing on the cake . 60 Over a season, both 10 fly fishers and hawk % Skunk Days (0 Hawks Banded) 50 banders keep score . 8 For fly fishing it is

40 often just a subjective impression of great 6 fishing . Exceptional 30 fish are recorded only 4 in one’s gray matter, 20 and this frees the fisherman to indulge in 2 10 unlimited descriptive hyperbole . Not so for

Average Number of Hawks Banded per Day Number of Hawks Average 0 0 hawk banding . Exact Aug Aug 31– Sept Sept 28- Oct Oct 26- Nov 9- Nov 23- Dec 17-30 Sept 13 14-27 Oct 11 12-25 Nov 8 Nov 22 Dec 6 7-20 results are recorded on paper and transferred BANDING CYCLE to computer files . The 2015 season fish you generally do not see it hawks were limited, there is the ran from August 12, 2015 to Jan again, but it can happen . I hooked a irresistible opportunity to describe 2, 2016, and was divided into nine fish one day and it snapped my line . the details of yesterday’s hawk 14-day cycles followed by a period I was fishing the next day at the behavior . At the morning meeting, of 18 days until all the blinds were same spot and the same phase of we share the great experiences taken down . (Hill 88 Blind is closed the tide . I caught a fish and found that most of us missed just a few in late fall before the end of the that the fish had my fly from the days ago . You should have been field season to mitigate erosion at day before . The fish was a very rare banding yesterday! the trapping site .) recovery . And not very smart . Some hawk banders take We banded 1523 hawks, which In fly fishing there is a phenom- this information as a personal is close to an average year, but enon I call, “You should have been challenge and resolve to band a there is seasonality in the hawk here yesterday!” Early in the day, wider variety and greater number migration numbers . The banding more times than I would like, I en- of hawks . They will not be happy peak came this year on September counter a fly fisherman who tells unless their banding experience 23, 2015, with a total of 98 hawks me at tremendous length and in today is included in the headlines banded . But it’s possible to spend excruciating detail how fabulous of yesterday to be broadcast a day in a blind and not band any the fishing was yesterday . The tomorrow . hawks . We refer to this as “getting quantity and quality of the fish By contrast, other hawk skunked ” . Skunk rate is highly were astounding, and the weather banders are all about lowering and seasonal as well (see Fig . above) . was perfect—certainly better than managing expectations . What can I can personally attest that fly today . Fishing yesterday was a I expect today? How about a nice fishermen also can be skunked . once-in-a-lifetime experience . day in the natural setting of the Fly fishing and hawk banding Similarly, in hawk banding we Marin Headlands? Unless visibility are both opportunities to escape diligently strive never to miss the is limited, I can expect a beautiful from routine activities, demands, opportunity to declare, “You should view of the Headlands with at least and responsibilities, offering time have been here yesterday!” The day some birds and clouds above . I will to concentrate only on the task leader leaves a phone message and gain experience identifying birds at hand . This can be mentally and the banding journal records the and I will learn more about their spiritually therapeutic . Being alert day’s achievements . Even when the behavior . This is what I hope for and quick to react are critical for

22 NUMBER 37

both activities; if you are not focused, you will BAND RECOVERIES 2015 Nancy Sue Brink miss the quarry . You use skills and senses that you may not have used since the last time you Longevity of Redtails, fished or banded . There is skill involved in fly fishing . It takes and of the People who practice to be able to cast a line and have the fly presented realistically to the fish . It’s easy to Band Them frighten a fish and miss your chance to catch it . n September 1983, Judd Howell, National Park Service You catch more fish if you have a higher level of resource ecologist, wrote the first entry in a new “GGNRA skill and are able to adjust your fishing to each IBanding Journal”: situation; however, it is also possible to catch fish The banding program at Pt . Diablo (Battery 129) appears with just luck and no skill . I have caught many as though it will work . Laurie Binford’s (1979) paper about fish serendipitously, wading up a stream with the hawk migration here and the Audubon Society’s interest my fly trailing in the water behind me . This still indicate it is a prime counts and prevents you from being skunked . spot . Raptors always are You can also make a perfect presentation of the present . right fly to a fish and have the darn fish show no Will Shor and I set interest . up a Dho-Gazza trap on As hawk banders we constantly experience Saturday, 24 Sept . We disinterest from a hawk . The right motion at caught two (2) immature just the right time does not always result in a Cooper’s Hawks before banded hawk . The most memorable captures we could sit down . The involve luck, as well as some of the following: the birds were banded; wing bird surprising everyone in the blind; banders and tail measured . Two misidentifying the bird, pulling the wrong line, (2) more Cooper’s Hawks tripping over lines, or falling into bushes; or the were captured but the hawk sinking its talons into at least one bander . mesh size was too large . If you do catch a fish, a trophy photo is They escaped . Three needed so that social media friends can marvel (3) Red-tailed Hawks at your accomplishment . When your fish is approached, but shied not very large, you just have to hold it closer away from the nets . Two to the camera to turn Nemo into Moby Dick . birding groups were After a quick picture the fly-caught fish is often present and several released . Many fly fishers use barbless hooks to individuals wanted to facilitate releasing the fish . volunteer . Given this early Pictures are also standard practice for success, I hope it can be hawk banders, especially to document unusual maintained . species, adult birds, and unusual plumage . The A classic adult western Red-tailed Hawk shows just a hint Thirty-two seasons hawk bander releases the bird in hopes that it of incomplete dark bands across the brick-red tail feath- and many journal will have a long life and that the band will be ers. [Photo by Jeff Robinson] entries later, the banding recovered many years later . program does indeed Is hawk banding just like fly fishing? It was seem to be working . Information provided by measurements, not difficult for me to find similarities between feathers, and other data collected when a hawk is banded the two . Could that professional biologist with continually expands our understanding of West Coast raptor the Ph D. . be right? I will leave that for you, the migrations—as do the growing number of band recoveries . reader, to decide . Our banding and recovery data are part of an extensive database maintained by the Bird Banding Lab (BBL) in Bander and wildlife photographer Jeff Robinson roams the globe for opportunities to document the Patuxent, Maryland, which receives reports from people who Earth’s stunning birds of prey and owls . encounter birds with numbered aluminum bands or other

23 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

identification, like wing tags or its injuries as “catastrophic ” . He Sometimes we can safely iden- color bands . The BBL then notifies went on to say that “we tried hard tify a hawk as SY (Second Year) us of these encounters . to help the bird survive, given its or TY (Third Year), but we identify Marion Weeks then tracks down age, we really hoped to help it . In most adult hawks as “AHY” (After the person who reported the band, the end, it was suffering and not Hatch Year) . This means only that helping us build a picture of one making progress ”. WildCare noted the hawk fledged in a previous particular hawk’s story . This year, that the hawk was blind in one eye; year; it is thus older than the num- we received 43 “encounter reports” a necropsy showed trace amounts ber of years between the banding of rodenticides . date and the recovery date . Recovery #1365 was banded These age records provide a on September 22, 1987—the peak sense of longevity of the popula- of our fifth banding season—at tions we band, and a little hope and Slacker Blind, by Wayne Swaney . perspective for those of us out on At 28 years, it is the longest time the hill . Looking at our list of long- between banding and encounter in lived hawks is a reminder of the our records . It is close to the Red- amazing collection of people who tail record in the entire BBL da- have contributed to this work over tabase, a bird which was banded the years . Some of these birds were and recovered in Michigan after 30 banded by folks who have passed years and eight months . on, like Will Shor and Jim Mills, but This inspired us to dig into our many are still with us and still out records to find reports of hawks there banding hawks . that came to us at least 10 years One of our long-lived Redtails

Well-lit photos help us keep a record of wing molt in adult after banding . We found 53 re- (#964), at 20 years, was banded by hawks. Notice the darker shades in some of these prima- ports, 50 of them Redtails . A few Bill Prochnow, who began his band- ries and secondaries. [Photo by Jeff Robinson] details about those 50 birds: ing career in 1984, the GGRO’s • 32 were recovered 10 to 14 years second year, and the first in which from the BBL: two Sharp-shinned after banding large numbers of volunteers were Hawks, 17 Cooper’s Hawks, and 24 • 11 were recovered 15 to 19 years recruited and trained . Red-tailed Hawks . after banding Bill banded #964—an “AHY” As our program ages (along with • Seven, including #1365, were hawk—on December 8, 1988, at many of our dedicated banders), recovered 20 to 28 years after Hawk Blind . His bander journal banding one trend we’re seeing in the band entry for that day was short and recovery department is an increase • Six were banded as adults of an to the point: “Windy from east, uncertain age, so could be even in encounters with older hawks, older caught 1 AHY RTHA, 9 HY RTHA . especially Redtails that have Otherwise, very slow ”. (Slow?! Ten survived 10 years or more since The BBL notes that the age Redtails sounds pretty good to us!) banding . This is heart-warming, reported is the “time to encounter” Bill’s Redtail was reported to since we’re constantly reminded of and represents the minimum the BBL by Lisa Konie of Wildlife low survival rates for young hawks, possible age of that hawk . When Center Silicon Valley (WCSV) . Lisa often due to human activity . we band a hawk, we estimate wrote to us: So this year, we were most the age of the hawk to the best “The Red-tailed Hawk is a fe- excited to receive news of a of our ability, based on plumage male . She was [brought to WCSV] 28-year-old Red-tailed Hawk characteristics . Juvenile hawks, on January 23, 2009 . She was (Recovery #1365), brought to those kids making their first found in Milpitas, California—un- WildCare, in San Rafael, on October migratory flight, are labeledderweight and with a cracked 15, 2015, most likely hit by a car “HY”(Hatch Year) and we know the beak . She has completed her reha- near Marshall, CA . Our WildCare hawk was born in the spring of the bilitation and reconditioning, and contact, Nat Smith, described same year . on Sunday, May 10th I released her

24 NUMBER 37

back into the wild . I can’t thank As GGRO continues its research, incredible flow of raptors, this nat- you enough for maintaining this in- we expect to get more reports of ural phenomenon, that we docu- formation . It was a true delight to Red-tailed Hawks living a good long ment and witness each year . realize that we had a 22+ year old life, one that represents the natu- And two of those “several in- redtail ”. ral lifespan of these ubiquitous, dividuals” that Judd Howell men- (Note the discrepancy between resilient birds . Over time, as both tioned in the journal, who wanted our BBL age report and Lisa’s es- banders and birds age, our data to volunteer? Buzz Hull, GGRO Re- timate; she has added on the ad- set grows, and we learn a little bit search Director Emeritus, visiting ditional time represented by the more . As you peruse the band re- the Headlands with his 11-year old Redtail’s “AHY” banding age .) covery listings this year, you might son, Josh Hull, who is now a rap- We can imagine #964 still out want to consider how each individ- tor geneticist deeply involved in there, hunting, sitting on poles, and ual hawk expands our knowledge guiding and developing GGRO’s re- delighting watchers . Encounters of and understanding of the birds of search . older hawks also delight banders . prey we admire . You just never know the impact Bill reflected in poetic form on his Back to that first day of banding of each banded hawk on our efforts more than 30 years of banding and at Pt . Diablo (now called Hawk Hill), to understand and conserve West Redtails: and those first Cooper’s Hawks . Coast raptors . Old friends, that RT and I While not long-lived, one was a Filmmaker Nancy Brink joined up as Can’t sit and reminisce as geezers very long-flying hawk . Banded by a bander with GGRO a mere 17 years are wont to do . Will Shor on Hill 129, on September ago . In 2015 she led the film crew And what would we say, 24, 1983, the hawk was reported to document the RRF Conference if we could? in Sacramento . The full reunion of dead (shot) to the BBL on January Peregrine biologists can be found Keep it up, amigo, 15, 1984 in Mexicali, Baja California on YouTube at https://youtu .be/ and tell songs of the ages . Norte, Mexico . It reminds us of the YDXxesLfMz0 .

sometimes at mid-morning, sometimes BAND RECOVERY LISTINGS Marion Weeks around noon, and occasionally both morning and noon . Eventually I got UPDATES ON PAST BAND RECOVERIES enough photos to get the whole number ”.

1202-B Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded NNE of Penngrove, Sonoma Co ,. CA; Nic 1288 Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded 9/28/02 by Tania Pollack; caught by describes “hiking through a hilly oak and 9/19/02 by Kari Rodenkirchen; found hand 9/6/15 at Penngrove, Sonoma Bay forest on a mission to find a sleeping 3/23/14 in the 1700 block of El Camino Co ,. CA; taken to Sonoma Co . Wildlife raccoon or its den . I spotted a hole in a Real, South San Francisco, San Mateo Co ,. Rescue with severe neurological damage, large Valley Oak and a Raccoon latrine CA, lying prone, minimally to non-re- possibly “HBC—hit by car ”. Possible in the crotch of a branch, and while sponsive, with a shoulder fracture; it was blindness noted, not taking food on own, scanning for other possible sleeping sites, euthanized on arrival at PHS; reported by and with no improvement, the Redtail I noticed a large branch about 20 feet Shannon McClain . was euthanized on 9/24/15; reported by up covered in downy feathers . I climbed 1304 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk Danielle Mattos . to investigate . Sure enough the branch banded 11/5/13 by Chris Briggs; found was plastered with breast feathers . As 1229 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk 4/26/14 on Highway 299, just past the I sat there, I noticed a few wing and tail banded 8/28/12 by Peter McGuire; caught east fork of the Trinity River, Trinity Co ,. feathers on the ground, so I climbed 5/14/13 due to injury 10 miles south of CA . “The hawk looked as if it just got hit down and found a few bone fragments South San Francisco, San Mateo Co ,. CA; by a car while trying to lift with its prey . and the two legs still attached to each reported by Patrick Hogan of Peninsula It was a beautiful raptor . I buried it under other ”. Humane Society (PHS); upon arrival was some rocks not knowing if the carcass diagnosed with right wing fractures of 1272 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk would be needed by anyone,” reported the radius and ulna and euthanized same banded 8/19/13 by Danny Pirtle; sighted, Steve Reymann . day . photographed, and reported by Peter 1313 Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded Cole 11/27/13 near the Great Highway, 1258 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk 11/20/89 by Val Fairman; “found dead or from Fulton Street to the Beach Chalet banded with both color and metal caught due to disease 6/27/04” (on a Bird Restaurant, San Francisco, San Francisco bands 9/17/13 by Dick Horn; bands Banding Laboratory report dated 7/5/14), Co ,. CA . Peter “observed the hawk from found 12/6/13 by Nic Moss six miles four miles west from Yreka, Siskiyou Co ,. late October through mid-December,

25 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

CA; reported by Ronnie Dickison . The south of Stockton, San Joaquin Co ,. CA, Staff believe the bird struck a window, as question was whether the BBL report and taken to Tri-County Wildcare . Pat injuries included bleeding and swelling contained a typo of 2004 versus 2014 . Benik recalled, “It was found in Holt, no about the head, and neurological signs, After multiple emails and phone calls physical injuries, emaciated, very weak, especially the eyes and mobility, were af- over a 16-month period, we confirmed unable to stand, given fluids; the Redtail fected; after three days without improve- that the bird was indeed found dead died overnight ”. ment the bird was euthanized; reported 6/27/14, making it at least 25 years old, by Lindsay staff . 1342 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk 10 years older than originally reported . banded on 12/1/13 by Adrian Ye; found 1344 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk 1315-C Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk emaciated and lethargic by Chris Briggs, banded on 8/20/14 by Jeff Robinson; banded 9/22/08 by Marion Weeks; re- GGRO Research Director, at the Marin found dead on 1/15/15 at the base of a ported as a sight record 7/17/15 by GGRO Headlands YMCA, Marin Co ,. CA on power pole at Daly City, San Mateo Co ,. Intern Anna Fryjoff-Hung as foraging 12/30/13 and transported to WildCare CA; reported by Randy Wells, a retired from electrical poles around the GGRO that same day . “The bird was very un- PG&E employee . Randy added, “My offices at Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, Marin stable, no fractures palpated . Its weight house is along the coastal bluffs over- Co ,. CA . Chris Briggs noted “her feathers looking the ocean . There are many hawks are pretty worn—so she could use a good and here . It is a prime hunting molt, otherwise she seems pretty non- area for them with the natural uplift plussed by the Ravens and other distrac- (and) northwest prevailing breezes along tions that Ft . Cronkhite has to offer ”. the cliffs; a lot of prey and easy pickings ”.

NEW BAND RECOVERY LISTINGS 1345 Juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk banded on 9/20/09 by Walter Kitundu; 1338 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk found dead on 4/13/15, under a pine, banded on 11/29/14 by Katherine Raspet; with tail feathers a few feet away, in the found grounded in front of United Na- front yard at Central Point, Jackson Co ,. tions Plaza at San Francisco, San Francis- Oregon; reported by Lisa Jeff . Lisa buried co Co ,. CA, during a protest on 12/13/14 . him where she found him . The hawk was picked up and transported to the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) 1346 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk and found to be thin, with lesions on banded on 9/22/14 by Diane Horn; found its feet . The bird was unsuccessfully dead on 10/4/14 at Alchemy SF, Folsom treated for avian pox and euthanized St ,. San Francisco, San Francisco Co ;. re- on 12/31/14; reported by Greg Anderson ported by Ketzia Jacoby of San Francisco with additional information from Ashley Animal Control . Damm, both of PHS . 1347 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk 1339 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk banded on 10/8/12 by Ariana La Porte; banded on 12/12/12 by Steve O’Neill; only found on 5/24/15 at cliff bluffs north of the legs were found at Deer Island Open eucalyptus/pine grove at San Simeon, Space Preserve, Novato, Marin Co ,. CA; San Luis Obispo Co ,. CA; band with Although bands take just a few minutes to skeletal remains, “bones cleaned and reported by JT Walsh . JT reports, “It was put on a raptor (such as this Merlin held by white with no dried muscle or feathers at half-way hidden/buried in a forest, as Traci Tsukida), band recoveries may occur if it were a meal . Oddly enough I found decades later. See #1313, a 25-year-old all,” reported by Amy Yetter, whose kids the legs six months apart,” the banded Redtail. [Photo courtesy of Traci Tsukida] were really excited with this “archeology one on 12/31/14 . Since the recovery date stuff ”. is that of the banded second leg, and JT was 540 grams (down from 743 grams 1348 Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded reports that he found the bird about six at banding) . Based on blood work and on 10/24/01 by Jennifer Zamanian; months earlier, the bird could have been presenting signs, prognosis was poor ”. found dead on 6/22/15, 35 miles east of dead by June of 2014 . Despite supportive care and basic life- Medford, Jackson Co ,. OR; reported by 1340 After-second-year Red-tailed sustaining treatment, the Redtail expired Brandon Jeffers . overnight . Anticoagulant and rodenticide Hawk banded with both color and metal 1349 Juvenile male Cooper’s Hawk testing results were negative, as well as bands on 11/26/14 by Elizabeth Wom- banded on 9/10/14 by Mary Ellen Hanni- negative for avian influenza and heavy mack; sighted and photographed at Half bal; found dead in finder Richard Helbig’s metal toxicology; reported by Kelle Kac- Moon Bay, San Mateo Co ,. CA . The Redtail backyard at Richmond, Contra Costa Co ,. marcik, Director of Wildlife Solutions and was first seen in a residential neighbor- CA, on 6/28/15, with a tennis ball next to Advocacy at WildCare . hood, later spotted and photographed the body . Richard is not sure if the bird at a nearby beach by Siobhan Ruck and 1343 After-hatch-year male Cooper’s was struck and killed by the tennis ball . Nancy Mori (GGRO banders) on 2/15/15 . Hawk banded on 10/3/14 by John Ungar; He contacted the California Academy of 1341 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk found on 3/15/15 in bushes at Pacheco, Sciences at San Francisco and the bird banded on 9/27/14 by Kris Vanesky; Contra Costa Co ,. CA and brought to is now part of their study collection; the reported found on 12/23/14 one mile Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital . preparer noted that its skull was crushed .

26 CANADA NUMBER 37

YOLO ▼

NAPA

SONOMA ▼ WASHINGTON SOLANO ▼

▼ ▼ MARIN ▼ ▲

CONTRA COSTA ▼ ▼ ▼▼▼ ▼ ▼▼ P ▼ OREGON A C I ▼ F I C

O ALAMEDA C E ▼ ▼ A ▲ ▼ N ▼ ▼SAN MATEO ▼

SANTA CLARA

▼ ▼

SANTA CRUZ

▼ P A 0 10 20 30 Miles30 CALIFORNIA C ▼▼ I ▼ F ▼ ▲ ▼ I ▼ C ▼▼▼ ▼▼▼ O ▼ C E ▼ A ▼ N

BAND RECOVERY BY SPECIES

▼ Red-tailed Hawks ARIZONA ▲ Sharp-shinned Hawks ● Cooper’s Hawks

N

0 100 200 300 Miles300 27 MEXICO PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

1350 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk the bird had severe neurological symp- 1361 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk banded on 10/12/09 by Claire Gallagher; toms and a shoulder dislocation, which banded with both color and metal found dead on 7/16/15 at the side of stretches tendons in such a way that bands on 8/27/14 by Kris Vanesky; Highway 1, just south of Pescadero, San makes rehabilitation impossible, the bird found injured on 10/13/15 at edge of Mateo Co ,. CA . Injuries indicated the bird was euthanized the same day; reported Park Presidio and Golden Gate National was hit by a car; reported by Theresa by Amber Engle of Lindsay . Recreation Area, San Francisco, San Binning . Francisco Co ,. CA; picked up by SF Animal 1354 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk Care and Control (ACC), the Redtail died 1351 Second-year Red-tailed Hawk banded on 8/30/15 by Craig Nikitas; before staff could deliver it to Peninsula banded on 1/1/03 by Steven Rock; mostly found “dead a day or so” on 9/9/15 by Humane Society . The Reporting Officer, white skeletal remains found on 7/6/15 at Isabel Ebert, while on a walk in the hills Ellie Sadler, stated that no cause of injury Kendall, Whatcom Co ,. WA; reported by near her home at South San Francisco, was noted in ACC report . Brandy U . San Mateo Co ,. CA; cause of death is unknown . 1362 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk banded on 11/24/14 by Kate Owens; 1355 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk “found 10/14/15 dead, killed or caught by banded on 9/1/15 by Elan Carnahan; a predator other than a cat,” per the BBL found dead of electrocution under a report, at Golden Gate National Recre- power pole on 9/22/15, 1,000 feet from ation Area, west of Sausalito, Marin Co ,. the town of Fort Klamath, Klamath Co ,. CA; reported by Laurie Brown . OR; reported by Eric Kasprazak, who noted “the power pole has been retrofit- 1363 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk ted to avian safe standards ”. banded on 9/24/15 by Laura Booth; found on 11/10/15 at Springville, Tulare Co ,. CA . 1356 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk When Candace Anderson went out to banded with both color and metal bands her front porch to gather some firewood on 8/25/15 by Anna Fryjoff-Hung; found that evening, she found the bird sitting dead 10/5/15 on ground, approximately on a table, unable to fly . She put a towel 25 feet from an active power pole . “Bird over it and put it in her bathtub for the was likely electrocuted” per BBL informa- night, but found it dead about an hour tion; reported by Alex Pries . later . Upon examination, no blood or 1357 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk broken bones were noted but a wing was banded on 10/19/15 by David Jesus; found a bit “slobbery” like it had saliva on it . dead on 10/21/15 under a window at Candace lives in a rural area and used to Sebastopol, Sonoma Co ,. CA; reported by work for a vet . Sylvia Tether . 1364 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk 1358 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk banded on 9/28/15 by Dick Horn; found banded on 9/28/15 by Melanie Echanique; dead on 11/14/15, beneath a window that found 10/21/15 at Hemet, Riverside Co ,. overlooks SF Bay at San Francisco, San CA; reported by Chante Retzlaff . Chante Francisco Co ,. CA: reported by Eli Wadley, exclaimed, “it fell out of the sky and onto a gardener . the corner of our garage ”. Her husband 1365 Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded saw it when he was leaving for work and 9/22/87 by Wayne Swaney; hit by a car gave it to her . Chante’s friend examined on 10/28/15 on Highway 1 about 6 5. miles the bird; found no injuries so cause of north of Marshall, Marin Co ,. CA; the bird death unknown . They cremated the bird . GGRO Intern Steph Szarmach showing deep disappoint- was still alive, but had “catastrophic inju- ment at having trapped and banded one of the eight 1359 Juvenile male Cooper’s Hawk ries” and was taken to WildCare . Despite Northern Harriers in 2015. [Photo by Brian Smucker] banded on 10/16/12 by Heather von valiant efforts, but not wanting to make Bodungen; band found with skeleton or the bird suffer, the staff euthanized the 1352 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk bone only on 10/24/15 at Ettawa Springs, Redtail on 11/10/15; reported by Melanie banded on 8/22/15 by Ryan Bantley; Middletown, Lake Co ,. CA, up on a ridge Piazza and Nat Smith of WildCare . found dead on 9/8/15 at the base of a burned by wildfire . “Legs only left! My 1366 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk power pole outside a business at San property is next to Boggs Mountain Na- banded on 10/26/13 by Mike Armer; Francisco, San Francisco Co ,. CA; re- tional Forest,” reported Sandy Nichelini . found on 11/15/15 in a building or ported by Chris Pettengill . 1360 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk enclosure at Salinas, Monterey Co ,. CA; 1353 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk banded on 9/15/15 by Ellen Burroughs; reported by Janet Bravo who told the BBL banded on 9/5/13 by Marissa Ortega- found dead on 9/22/15, at Kindred Tran- the bird was “alive but not flying and not Welch; found on 9/11/15 grounded sitional Care and Rehabilitation Center, doing well ”. Outcome unknown . at Pleasanton, Alameda Co ,. CA, and San Rafael, Marin Co ,. CA; reported by 1367 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk brought to Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilita- Laura Hessig who saw the hawk while banded on 11/9/11 by David Jesus; se- tion Hospital by Animal Control . Because outside with her patients . lected to be a radio-transmitter study

28 NUMBER 37

bird for GGRO and dubbed “Diana;” found dead 11/16/15 on side of Highway 5 about 2 6. miles NE from Shedd, Linn Co ,. OR, near exit on Highway 5 . Lokni Muniz stopped to pick it up and checked the bird pretty thoroughly: “no damage, no lacerations, no blood, not run over, no bugs or ants, intact, pretty fresh, no smell ”. For the beginning of Diana’s story read Pacific Raptor Report 33 . 1368 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk banded on 9/12/15 by Laura Young; sighted on 11/2/15, by Scott De Young at Point Reyes National Seashore, just short of the Drakes Beach parking lot, Marin Co ,. CA . Scott reported the bird looked very healthy and was “friendly,” allowing him to approach her while perched on a pole . He observed her eating voles, bugs, and a gopher snake . Sharp-shinned Hawks are rarely found as band recoveries probably owing to their small- 1369 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk ness and to their love of deep forests. [Photo by George Eade] banded on 10/30/15 by Jeff Robinson; found alive on 11/21/15 at Sausalito, banded with both color and metal bands 1378 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk Marin Co ,. CA; reported by Nat Smith of on 8/23/15 by Stephanie Szarmach; banded on 10/14/15 by Brian Smucker; WildCare as very thin, blood in mouth, sighted 8/23/15, in garden next to the UC found dead on 12/17/15 at Salinas, Mon- no obvious injuries, but had respiratory Santa Cruz Arboretum, Santa Cruz, Santa terey Co ,. CA, in a yard where a hawk had difficulties; the bird died the next day . A Cruz Co ,. CA, diving for and eating Jeru- previously been found dead; finders gave post-mortem revealed roundworms in salem beetles; reported by Lisa Sheridan . the bird to a California Fish and Wild- the gut . life Warden, due to suspected unusual 1375 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk circumstances; bird was taken to lab for 1370 Juvenile male Cooper’s Hawk band- banded with both color and metal bands necropsy; the radiograph revealed no pel- ed on 10/1/15 by Steve Rock; found by on 9/6/15 by Tara McIntire; caught lets . Reported by Jamie Doglione of SPCA Andrea Chen on 12/6/15 in a pigeon trap due to injury on 11/13/15; picked up by Wildlife Center for Monterey County . atop a roof at the Tesla plant at Fremont, SF Animal Control near Highway 280 Alameda Co ,. CA; released after he had onramp in San Francisco, San Francisco 1379 Juvenile male Cooper’s Hawk enjoyed a full meal of one pigeon . Co ,. CA, and taken to PHS for evaluation; banded on 10/4/15 by John Holson; found 1371 Juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk PHS noted right digit missing a talon; no dead on 12/14/15, at side of house under banded on 10/30/15 by Laura Booth; fractures, feathers in good condition; tree the day after a big storm at Sonoma, found 11/18/15 at Half Moon Bay, San hawk released on 11/14/15; reported by Sonoma Co ,. CA; Mamiko Kawaguchi, Mateo Co ,. CA, apparently stunned after Greg Hassett . a GGRO bander, reported “bird’s head was detached, no blood, very emaciated, flying into a barn window; taken to PHS 1376 Juvenile female Red-tailed Hawk some dry open superficial lesions on toes, for care; reported by Ashley Damm as banded with both color and metal bands no evidence of trauma because of the released on 11/19/15 . on 9/16/15 by Mary Malec; photographed lack of blood or injury in spite of the head by Steve Crow on 10/23/15, while the 1372 Juvenile male Cooper’s Hawk being completely gone ”. banded on 9/6/15 by Diane Horn; found bird stood on his deck railing eating a on 12/6/15 injured at San Francisco, San pigeon at San Francisco, San Francisco 1380 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk Francisco Co ,. CA; picked up by SF Animal Co ,. CA . “It came back the following day banded on 12/2/15 by Allison Levin; Control and taken to PHS . Diagnosed and perched on a telephone pole above found 1/13/16, stunned, not moving, with a fractured elbow joint deemed un- my deck after swooping over my head ”. grounded by side of road after striking or repairable, the bird was euthanized same Steve realized it was banded when he being struck by motor vehicle at Cotati, day; reported by Greg Hassett of PHS . looked at his photos . Sonoma Co ,. CA . The bird was unstable, unable to stand, kept falling over; thick 1377 Juvenile female Sharp-shinned 1373 Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk banded mucosa in mouth and nares; it died Hawk banded on 10/5/15 by Beth Wom- on 9/2/01 by Josh Hull; partial remains within 30 minutes of intake at Sonoma mack; found alive on 12/19/15 at San found on 12/16/15 by former GGRO County Wildlife Rescue; reported by Rafael, Marin Co ,. CA; reported by Nat bander Allison Kozak at Buena Vista Danielle Mattos . Park, San Francisco, San Francisco Co ,. Smith of WildCare as “dead on arrival, CA . Allison reported head was missing, healthy body condition, no idea of what Marion Weeks has served as Chief Cor- body eaten, wings partially intact . happened ”. BBL code indicates that it respondent for our Band Recovery Team might have flown into a window . for many years . Marion started at GGRO 1374 Juvenile male Red-tailed Hawk as a volunteer bander 25 years ago .

29 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

PEREGRINATIONS Natasha Lekach, Steph Szarmach, and Laura Booth A Winter Raptor Retreat to Rush Ranch

over a series of hills about a five to 10-minute hike in front of us . Elan called for us to check out our first Ferruginous Hawk of the day, a juvenile that swiftly dipped behind the ridge, flashing its three points of light at us . Distracted by some of the larger buteos over this far ridge, it took us a few minutes to notice several American Kestrels hover-hunting close by against the hill nearest to Grizzly Island Road . We spent at least a half hour at this single spot, perhaps a half Interns Elan Carnahan, Laura Booth, and Steph Szarmach take a January 2016 respite to ramble across Solano Land Trust’s raptor-rich Rush Ranch, just a half hour’s drive from the mile into the pasture from the heart of the urban Bay Area. [Photo by Natasha Lekach] entrance on the road . We had the opportunity to spend some quality hen we got into the with an adorable foal, and several time studying Kestrels through car on a cool January educational displays featuring our scope, and got some excellent Wmorning in the Marin the history of Rush Ranch and its looks at Northern Harriers, Red- Headlands, our intention was ecology and wildlife . tailed Hawks, and Ferruginous to take a short jaunt northeast The Solano County Farmlands Hawks that soared closer in to us . to Lynch Canyon, a local raptor and Open Space Foundation Of these, we saw one beautiful, hotspot that we had heard good purchased Rush Ranch, which chocolatey dark morph juvenile things about for winter birding . encompasses more than 2,000 Redtail, as well as a dark morph But when we arrived at the parking acres, in 1988; it was the first adult that was heavily marked in area, our entrance was barred by acquisition of the organization the breast . a locked gate . Somehow, we had that we now know as the Solano We also added an intermediate missed the memo that this Solano Land Trust . Today, it continues to morph adult Ferruginous Hawk, a Land Trust tract of open space operate as a working cattle ranch, bird that spurred some vociferous is only open to the public Fridays as it did under the Rush family debate among our teammates through Mondays . On this sunny from the late 1850s onward . In about whether its legs really were Wednesday, we were out of luck! our browsing, we also learned that the “rusty” coloration of an adult’s . Or so we thought—until Natasha this land was originally stewarded After the bird turned into the sun, remembered reading about raptor by Patwin Native Americans, who we got our definitive answer: a workshops based out of another, spent summers in the area . unanimous yes! nearby Solano Land Trust property We decided to start our day on As we scanned the landscape called Rush Ranch, less than 15 the Suisun Hill Trail, a two-mile for more birds, Steph was the first miles farther northeast, off Route loop that begins across Grizzly to shout, “Look! A Burrowing Owl!” 12 . We zipped back out onto I-80 Island Road from the Ranch And there, stationed in the midst and soon pulled up to the Rush entrance . Almost immediately, we of scurrying ground squirrels and Ranch Open Space, where we were began spotting raptors soaring wearing a classic Burrowing Owl greeted by a Visitor Center, a mare in the distance, riding thermals expression (somewhere between

30 NUMBER 37

bemused and angry, our team Revitalized by lunch, we em- back across Grizzly Island Road to agreed), was a Burrowing Owl . We barked on our way down Suisun the Marsh Trail, where we rounded even spotted a second owl over the Hill and back to the Ranch, where out our count with several more course of our watching . we planned to spend some time on Northern Harriers (including the The highlight of this spot on the the Marsh Trail . On trail, however, was a Golden Eagle, the way down, Steph who appeared as if out of nowhere and Elan put up their to replace the Kestrels cresting the binoculars to look at nearest hillside . Although it was some distant birds . poorly lit while in close proximity Natasha asked if they and then rapidly lengthened its needed the scope, but distance from us, we came to the they replied, “No, we conclusion that it was a sub-adult think it’s just a Red- based on several clues: visible molt tail ”. in the primaries, substantial white Before we could coloration in the tail feathers, and take another step, a moderately prominent, tawny though, we did a quick scan of the “fifthAlthough Ferruginous Hawks don’t nest in California, they show up in bar on the back of each wing . late September to make use of California’s winter grasslands, like at Rush We finally picked up our scope quadrant” and found Ranch. [Photo by George Eade] and hiked up Suisun Hill, a steep- a truly scope-worthy ish affair on par with climbing sight: an adult soaring always-stunning adult male “Gray to the top of Hawk Hill from the directly overhead, its pure white Ghost”) and White-tailed Kites . We parking lot . We broke for lunch at tail feathers nearly translucent didn’t complete the whole Marsh the summit, which features a circle in the sun . We all managed to get Trail loop, preferring to pause and of benches for lounging in the sun excellent views, both through our set up our scope at the overlook and snacking . Our meal was made scope and through binoculars, be- closest to the Suisun Slough, where that much more satisfying by fore the bird disappeared in the di- we soaked in some late afternoon the captivating sight of Kestrels rection of Route 12 . sunshine and watched an Anna’s hovering at eye level—the air “So much for not needing a Hummingbird doing the same, its sweeps up the side of Suisun Hill, scope!” Natasha said . iridescent throat catching the light driving the birds to hang almost We were pleased with our raptor like a gem . close enough to touch! sightings for the day, but continued On the way back to the cars, we ran into Jordan Knippenberg, a he grasslands of Suisun Hill are bustling with California ground field steward with the Solano Land Tsquirrels. These medium-sized rodents not only provide a quality Trust . “There’s a Barn Owl in the food source for some of our favorite raptors, they also act as ecosystem barn right now,” he said, pointing engineers in this habitat. By changing the abiotic and biotic to the central barn . We all grinned features of habitats, ecosystem at each other . Entering the barn engineers create, modify, or quietly, we peered up into the dust maintain ecosystems. In this mote-filled darkness . Serene eyes case, California ground squir- in an unmistakable, heart-shaped rels engineer complex networks of burrowing tunnels. Once face met our gazes—a perfect the squirrels have abandoned ending to a raptor-filled day . a group of burrows, Burrowing Natasha Lekach, Steph Szarmach, Owls move into the network. An and Laura Booth were one half of the absence of California ground GGRO’s 2015 intern crew, noteworthy Rush Ranch, with soft soils and abundant squirrels in this region could squirrels, provides excellent habitat for for helping us host the Sacramento Burrowing Owls like this one, wearing its cause the disappearance of Bur- Raptor Research Foundation classic expression. [Photo by Tara McIntire] rowing Owls, as well. conference and for their particular weakness for good chocolate .

31 PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT

2015 DONORS

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32 NUMBER 37

2015 VOLUNTEERS

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33 THE PACIFIC RAPTOR REPORT SUMMER 2016 NUMBER THIRTY-SEVEN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U S. . POSTAGE PAID SAN FRANCISCO, CA PERMIT NO . 925

Published by Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Building 1064, Fort Cronkhite Sausalito, California 94965