February 1999 Field Journal

2.3 [SFBirds] Re: [SFBirds] 2.3.99 Fort Funston
Dan Murphy wrote:
>
> No Black Scoters? That's bad. We should have a couple of nice rafts of them
> as well as a hundred or more surfs.

No, I didn't see any and I looked simply to see if I could get all 3 scoters
without leaving the spot where I was standing. :-) Maybe I just missed them
while I was focusing on murrelets or they were farther north than could be
observed easily from the platform. SUSC numbers seemed about right, though.

> You know we had significant flocks of all
> 3 scoters before they built the sewer line. I think the gravel they set the
> pipe in killed some of the best feeding areas. Numbers have been down ever since.
>

Shouldn't we be able to see some systematic decline by looking at the CBC data?
Does national have all of this online?

2.4 [SFBirds] Re: Wrentits
Josiah,

I discussed this with Alan over dinner earlier this week and both of us think
that the Presidio population is in fact the extreme southern edge of the Marin
population rather than a remnant population of the Peninsula subspecies. The
proximity of the birds to the Golden Gate and the number of birds appears
consistent with this hypothesis given my limited understanding of the issue.

I think that monitoring is a key element in the preservation of this
population. Among the questions which we might hope to answer could be:

- How many birds do comprise this population
- Whether or not we can identify this population to subspecies
- Whether this population breeds or not
- Is there anything other than direct proximity to the Golden Gate which is
critical to the success of this population

I was hoping to take some time to try to photograph the birds in the Presidio,
but given that my job situation is in a state of flux, this might have to wait.

Good luck and let me know if I can help,
Mark

> >
> > Mark, I just recieved word that the Presidio is sending out some
> >project proposals for monitoring. The thought of a Wrentit monitoring
> >project was supported by the folks I talked with, but Id have to have a
> >specific plan to hand in order to get funding by the 15th of this month.
> > My basic plan would involve monitoring. I also would be interested on
> >any of your thoughts on the race of the Presidio birds. Alan and I
> >predicted fewer than 10 in the Presdio...what do you think?
> > A proper study could facilitate direct recovery programs.
> > Thanks
> > Josiah Clark
> >
>

2.6 [SFBirds] Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Wrentit ori-genes
With no pun intended, collecting one of a population of probably less than ten seems like (over)kill at best. Is the only way we can identify the Presidio birds to subspecies via DNA? Are there no field marks which high quality photographs could differentiate? For that matter, I'm not aware of any reference which discusses in detail how to separate Wrentit subspecies based on field marks.

Mark

Dan Murphy wrote:
>
> Hi Josiah,
>
> What would this dna analysis involve in terms of the bird? Would a single
> feather do? I don't think that would be a problem. Would a bird have to
be
> killed? Many years ago the Golden Gate Audubon Society passed a
resolution
> against taking the Skylark at Point Reyes National Seashore, and we argued
our
> position successfully with the park service. Killing an individual or
perhaps
> even more than a single bird would cause quite a stir in our ranks. I
would
> certainly oppose it. If this project is really significant, and if it
> involves actually killing birds, a better alternative would be to
photograph
> the birds in question. Comparative analysis of birds from the SF
population
> and populations at San Bruno Mt. and the San Francisco Watershed might
well
> give the information you want. A project might also be designed to monitor
> nesting and take any chicks which die. Needless to say that would be
> extremely difficult, but still somewhat less "stressful" on the birds.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Dan
>
> Josiah Clark wrote:
> >
> > Seeing as the debate continues...
> > I talked with Rich who informed me that in 1900 the SF race of
> > Wrentit was noted as Intermedia as opposed to Rufula, the Marin race.
> > (Grinelle and Miller, 1975) Intermedia is used when a race appears
> > intermediate as opposed to a distinct group. Distinct groups are common
> > in highly sedentary species such as Wrentit. The plot thickens...will
> > DNA enlighten us. By the way, anyone out there know how much DNA
> > analysis costs for something like this? My academy contacts were out for
> > the day...
> > THere may just be funding for such a project, but I need info and
> > fast! a proposal is due on the 15th.
> > Many thanks
> > Josiah Clark
> >
> > >From sfbirds-errors@lists.best.com Fri Feb 5 07:07:26 1999
> > >Received: (from daemon@localhost)
> > > by lists1.best.com (8.9.2/8.9.2/best.ls) id HAA27564;
> > > Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:04:17 -0800 (PST)
> > >Message-Id: <199902051504.HAA27564@lists1.best.com>
> > >From: jmorlan@slip.net (Joseph Morlan)
> > >Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [Fwd: feeding birds/disease & stress]
> > >Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 15:00:50 GMT
> > >BestServHost: lists.best.com
> > >MIME-Version: 1.0
> > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> > >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
> > >References: <19990204220756.13786.qmail@hotmail.com>
> > <199902050131.RAA21984@lists1.best.com>
> > >In-Reply-To: <199902050131.RAA21984@lists1.best.com>
> > >Sender: sfbirds-errors@lists.best.com
> > >Errors-To: sfbirds-errors@lists.best.com
> > >To: sfbirds@lists.best.com
> > >
> > >>Wrentit has
> > >>> never been on the Farrallons or Catalina islands (perfect habitat),
> > the
> > >>> range stops at the Colombia river.
> > >
> > >It is also absent from suitable habitat on Angel Island.
> > >
> > >--
> > >Joseph Morlan jmorlan@slip.net
> > >Ornithology classes start in SF Feb 9th
> > >http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
> > >Currently in Laguna Beach, California
> > >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________
> > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

2.7 [SFBirds] Subject: Re: Wrentits
> > Hey Mark, thanks for your input,
> >
> >when you say they are probably from the Marin race because "proximity to
> >Golden Gate and number of birds..." do you mean the # of birds in Marin?
> >Also do do you mean proximity to the actual bridge?

I was referring to the proximity of the birds to the Golden Gate and the Marin population.

> > My image is that Wrentits once inhabited coastal scrub all up and down
> >the coasts, in some places their were dunes and grassland interspersed,
> >but there was a always a decent corridor for them to disperse through. I
> >think its just coincedence that the only remaining Presidio wrentits
> >are near the bridge. This is because this is also the best piece of
> >coastal scrub in the city. The Lobos Wrentits I belive to have dispersed
> >from that GG scrub.

Well, this is the question to answer, isn't it? Until we do the research, we won't know for sure.

> >This habitat would have been common. The next closest Wrentits via land
> >are San Bruno Mnt or Pacifica. The headlands would have been cut off by
> >the bay after 10 thousand yrs ago, so the Marin race would have had to
> >establish before that. Being a sedentary skulker with a very short wing
> >does not lend itself to even small open water crossings. Wrentit has
> >never been on the Farrallons or Catalina islands, and apparently can't
> >cross the mnts either.

Again, this is the prevailing wisdom and there is certainly a body of evidence that to support this. However, let me point out that it was believed until very recently that hawks don't migrate south across the Golden Gate from Hawk Hill but prefer to go around the bay. Dan, Hugh and I discovered this fall that rather significant numbers of hawks fly directly across the Gate during periods of peak migration and favorable wind conditions.

2.17 - 18 Seattle and Environs
I was fortunate enough to get in two solid days of birding in between commitments in the Seattle area on the 17th and 18th of February, 1999. Highlights include:

My good friend Steve Gerstle and I managed to spend two days birding outside of Seattle. On the 19th, we headed up to the Skagit to chase a few northern specialties. At the Skagit WR, Steve was scoping when an immature NORTHERN SHRIKE dropped into his field of view. While it was somewhat distant, we got good scope looks at the bird.


Sky Lark 2.18.99 © Mark W. Eaton

"An obvious shrike much browner above than I any LOSH I had ever seen. Bill quite long and extensively hooked. The bill was pale yellow basally, turning dark only at the distal end of the bill. The mask was markedly narrower than any LOSH I had ever seen, more reminiscent of a enlarged supercilium than an actual mask. The dark eye seemed set off by an eye ring even in the mask region and the eye extended noticeably above the mask."

From there, we headed up to the Skagit. In field 90, Steve managed to pick out a nice gray-phase GYRFALCON, sitting very distant from the road in the stout wind that was blowing. Views were less than stellar, but the grayness of the plumage, the barring on the flanks and the lack of a dark moustachial mark were evident. Unfortunately, the tail of the bird was not visible from the road

While noodling around on the Samish, we managed to find "the" wigeon flock and quickly counted 11 EURASIAN WIGEON, However, one drake wigeon was particularly interesting:

"An obvious wigeon with a head was mostly chestnut like a EUWI, but the chestnut was much darker than the pure drake EUWI. The head had a faint greenish patch like a drake AMWI, running from the eye part way down the neck. Flanks were entirely gray."

We tentatively identified this as a EURASIAN x AMERICAN WIGEON, possibly a back cross.

I managed to find an EARED GREBE, unusual west of the Cascades, while waiting for the ferry. MARBLED MURRELETS were easy to find on the Whidbey Island ferry, and I found it unusual that there several seabirds already showing up in alternate plumage.

Sunday, we searched in the morning in the rain (and in vain) for the SLATY-BACKED GULL that had been reported near Dungeness, WA. However, the weather improved and we headed out to a rather large field to beat the bushes. After walking about aimlessly, we finally managed to flush a bird with obvious white outer rectrices that didn't appear to be a WESTERN MEADOWLARK. We ended up flushing the bird four or five times before we finally got superb looks at extremely close distances of the bird.

"A relatively small passerine that appeared in flight to be warm buff on the upper surfaces. At least two if not three of the outer rectrices were entirely white, with the center of the tail contrasting significantly. The tips of the secondaries and tertials were edged in white, noticeable even at a distance in flight.

When perched, the bird seemed even warmer than in flight. The bill was dominantly pale and rather pointed and more warbler-like than sparrow-like. The face was quite striking, with a prominent white eye ring completely surrounding the dark eye, quite unlike some pictures in North American field guides, and a prominent white supercilium.

The back was strongly streaked in black, noticeable contrasting with the brown feathers and buff edging. The wing coverts were less strongly marked dark brown, with the dark brown contrasting with the black on the back. The white outer rectrices and white undertail coverts were evident even when perched."

I managed to obtain near full-frame photos of the bird front-lit by the sun, which appeared shortly after I started taking photos. A complete discussion of this fascinating bird may be found here.

Flushed with that success, we then headed out to Port Angeles and managed to find more or less right away a beautiful first winter GLAUCOUS GULL. We returned later in the afternoon to Dungeness and, after struggling with an unusual WESTERN GULL that had a small amount of smudging on its face, we could not find the SBGU. For those of you who have not had the privilege of identifying even adult gulls in the Seattle area, be aware that hybridization is extensive there and that mantle shades are essentially a continuum between that of a pure GWGU and a pure WEGU. Combine this with the apparent uncertainty of what the actual mantle shade of an adult SBGU is (Grant suggests it is closer to a LBBG than a WEGU), it makes identification even of adult gulls challenging.

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