Volume 5, Number 1 San Francisco Field Ornithologists JOURNAL 2004 SFFO SFFO Journal Volume 5, Number 1 2004 Contents 3 2004 Systematic Species List David Armstrong and Hugh Cotter 16 Glen Park Canyon, 2004 in Detail David Armstrong 17 Sutro Heights, 2004 in Detail Myra Ulvang 18 Birds of Alcatraz Lew Ellingham, Chris Hellwig and Matt Zlatunich ______________________________________________________ Front cover photo: Dickcissel ©2004 David Nelson Editor: Mark W. Eaton Mark W. [email protected] 1524 36th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122 San Francisco Field Ornithologist’s Home Page http://www.sffo.org All material ©2004, 2005 San Francisco Field Ornithologists. Additional portions may also be copyrighted by the individuals who generated those portions. 2004 Journal, San Francisco Field Ornithologists 2 2004 San Francisco City Highlights David Armstrong and Hugh Cotter 2004 was a good year for birding in San Francisco with a total of 274 species being recorded within the City boundaries. While spring and fall migrations were not the best in recent years, with very few “typical” vagrant warblers seen, there were a number of excellent birds recorded within the City limits. New species added to the City List in 2004 included; Eurasian Collared Dove in April, Dickcissel in September and Laughing Gull in December. The second confirmed City record of Lapland Longspur was found in October as were the third and fourth known records of White-winged Dove. It was also a good year for normally rare City species such as Harlequin Duck and Blue-winged Teal which appeared in above normal numbers. Also of note was the confirmation of California Gull breeding on Alcatraz Island, the first record outside of the tip of Alameda NWR that is in San Francisco County and one of very few breeding records for San Francisco. Status Categories: • Accidental: Recorded less than 5 times in San Francisco City. (x) indicates the number of known/accepted records for the City • Casual: Rarity recorded more than 5 times in San Francisco City but not seen in most years. • Rare: Usually only one or two sightings in any year. • Uncommon: Many sightings in any year but sometimes difficult to find • Irruptive: A species than can be abundant in one year and hard to find another Abbreviations used: CBC- Christmas Bird Count, Golden Gate Park – Golden Gate Park, LP – Lincoln Park, SF - San Francisco, SRA – State Recreation Area, CAS, California Academy of Sciences Tundra Swan Status: Casual in winter A flock was seen flying north from Sutro Heights Park (Myra Ulvang) on Nov 21 and observed also from the Presidio (Alan Hopkins). Greater White-fronted Goose Status: Rare in winter and spring A juvenile bird was seen at North Lake Merced on Oct 17 (David Armstrong), and a flock of 10 flew over Mount Davidson on Nov 5 (Paul Saraceni). Snow Goose Status: Rare in fall, winter and spring Flocks of “white geese” presumed to be of this species were seen over Bernal Heights on Oct 29 (Michelle Brodie), over the Haight (Dan Daniel) and near Lobos Dunes (Josiah Clark) on Nov 20, and from the outer Sunset neighborhood on Nov 24 (George Raiche). Brant Status: Rare in fall, winter and spring A single bird was seen on Alcatraz Island on Dec 4 (Lew Ellingham) and another was at the Cliff House on Dec 31 (Alan Hopkins). Cackling Goose Status: Rare in winter and spring A total of three small form (Cackling) were seen on Jan 10; one at Spreckels Lake, two at South Lake Merced (Alan Hopkins, Paul Saraceni). 2004 Journal, San Francisco Field Ornithologists 3 Wood Duck Status: Rare This species was well-represented in San Francisco in 2004, with up to 10 sightings: a male and female were seen at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, from Jan 12 until Mar 15 (Stephen Davies), what was perhaps the same pair was found at Mallard Lake (Kristi Hein) on Mar 17, another was at South Lake Merced (Calvin Lou) on Aug 15, one was observed at Middle Lake on Sep 23 (Dan Murphy), two at South Lake Merced on Sep 29 (Paul Saraceni, Alan Hopkins, Dan Singer), and three were at Pine Lake Park on Oct 7 (Josiah Clark). Green-winged Teal Status: Rare/Uncommon One was at the Palace of Fine Arts on Oct 7 (Josiah Clark), many were observed in flight from Ocean Beach on Oct 23 (Hugh Cotter), one or two were at South Lake Merced on Oct 30 and Nov 1 (Adam Winer), one was at Crissy Field on Nov 4 (Josiah Clark), more than 100 were seen flying in the Golden Gate Channel Dec 11 (Hugh Cotter, Alan Hopkins), and one was at South Lake Merced on Dec 12 (Calvin Lou). Blue-winged Teal Status: Rare in winter, spring and fall This bird is normally very difficult to observe in San Francisco, but this was a very good year for this species. One was seen at Heron's Head Park on Mar 12 (Brian Fitch), two were at South Lake Merced on Sep 22 (Hugh Cotter) and again on Sep 29 (Paul Saraceni, Alan Hopkins, Dan Singer), while an incredible 8 were seen on Oct 2 with five at South Lake Merced and three at North Lake, Golden Gate Park (Brian Fitch). Eurasian Wigeon Status: Rare winter visitor A drake was at Heron's Head Park on Jan 10 (Paul Saraceni, Alan Hopkins) and continued until at least Feb 29. Likely the same individual returned in Dec, when one was seen at the end of Aurelious Walker St. (India Basin) on Dec 18 (Mark Eaton) and continued into 2005. Harlequin Duck Status: Casual winter visitor This bird is seldom observed within San Francisco, but there were three different observations in 2004, including two in Dec 2004 when there were at least two present in the city at the same time. One bird was seen flying north over the ocean from Merrie Way on May 7 (Brian Fitch), and a bird near Mile Rock lingered from Dec 6 into 2005 (Brian Fitch). Another drake was observed at Candlestick SRA on Dec 31 (Adam Winer) also continuing into 2005. Long-tailed Duck Status: Rare in winter and spring One individual was seen with the scoter flock off Fort Funston on Jan 29 (Hugh Cotter), and a bird found on the San Francisco CBC at Candlestick SRA on Dec 28 by Bob Lewis et al became two birds the next day (David Armstrong, Alan Hopkins), with three together Dec 30 (Brian Fitch), with at least two continuing into 2005. Barrow’s Goldeneye Figure 1: Long-tailed Duck ©2004 Calvin Lou Status: Casual in winter A flyby was reported at the Cliff House on Nov 15 (Brian Fitch). 2004 Journal, San Francisco Field Ornithologists 4 Hooded Merganser Status: Uncommon in winter This species was observed at numerous locations in Golden Gate Park from January to March, and again in Dec (Alan Hopkins, Nathaniel Wander, Marianne Blair and Alfredo Contreras, Paul Saraceni). Common Merganser Status: Casual The only report of this species in 2004 was a flyby at the Cliff House on Nov 1 (Brian Fitch). Red-Necked Grebe Status: Rare in winter and spring A single bird was in San Francisco Bay off Crissy Field from Jan 1 until at least Apr 19, and again in same location from Nov 7 until the end of Dec and into 2005. (Hugh Cotter) Northern Fulmar Status: Rare offshore primarily in winter; irruptive Figure 2: Drake Hooded Merganser ©2004 Calvin Lou One was seen off Crissy Field and another off of Ocean Beach on Jan 10 (Paul Saraceni, Alan Hopkins), four more off Fort Funston on Jan 29 (Hugh Cotter), and several observations were made from the Cliff House in Feb and Mar (Brian Fitch). Pink-footed Shearwater Status: Casual The only report was of one offshore from Fort Funston on Sep 10 (Brian Fitch). Buller’s Shearwater Status: Accidental in fall (4) The only report was of one offshore from Ocean Beach on Sep 14 (Hugh Cotter). This was the first report of this species seen from the City since 1996. Sooty Shearwater Status: Casual to uncommon The only reports of this sometimes numerous but increasingly uncommon species (in San Francisco) was of a group offshore from Fort Funston on Sep 10 (Brian Fitch). Others were also recorded during the Rare Bird Round-up on Sep 25. Bald Eagle Status: Rare in fall and winter One was seen from Hawk Hill on Oct 30 and another on Nov 13 (Steven Bauer). 2004 Journal, San Francisco Field Ornithologists 5 Broad-winged Hawk Status: Uncommon fall migrant, casual in winter. A total of five were reported, all from Hawk Hill flying into the City, including one dark morph, two adults and two juveniles, between Sep 21 and Oct 1 (Steven Bauer). Based on the number of birds seen at Hawk Hill in 2004 the number of reports from the City is likely an underestimate of the true number of birds migrating through San Francisco in fall. Swainson’s Hawk Status: Rare in spring and fall. A total of four were observed, one at McLaren Park on Mar 23 (Josiah Clark), two were observed moving into the City from Hawk Hill, on Sep 21 and Sep 30 (Steven Bauer), and one from downtown San Francisco on Oct 10 (Kanani Kauka). Ferruginous Hawk Status: Rare in fall Thanks to good coverage on Hawk Hill, a high count of eight, mostly juveniles, were seen from Aug 17 until Nov 20 (Steven Bauer) moving across the Golden Gate Channel into the City. As with Broad-winged Hawk, based on the number of birds seen at Hawk Hill in 2004 reported sightings are likely an underestimate of the true number of birds migrating through San Francisco in fall.