On Tuesday, my spouse and I travelled 1750 miles (2,800 km) from our house of thirty years in Morelia, to the area during which I grew up, the San Mateo Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay House in California. This isn’t a birding shuttle; we’re seeking to handle many logistical lifestyles problems that experience gathered over the last a number of years. However will I chook? In fact I will be able to!
In truth, I have already got.
Each time I’ve made this shuttle lately, I’ve was hoping so that you can take part in a box shuttle of the native Sequoia Audubon Society. And each and every time, my time table and theirs didn’t mesh. However this time, it grew to become out that no longer one, no longer two, however 4 S.A.S outings were deliberate for the times we’d be up right here.
I received’t have the ability to move to all of those. However I used to be up brilliant and early on my first complete day right here, for the primary to be had box shuttle. (The second, in this very Saturday morning, is anticipated to coincide with some heavy, overdue rains. I be expecting that no person can be going.) We went to Woodside’s Jasper Ridge Organic Keep, and a restricted-access segment, at that.
My most effective different enjoy with an Audubon Membership box shuttle any place, on a chilly October morning within the American Midwest, was once frankly more or less a bust. However this one was once a gorgeous enjoy. Leaders Emily and Sonny had been very an expert, and obviously had a lot enjoy in making outings stress-free for a mix of skilled and starting birders. And sure, a number of of the of the dozen or so “fans” had been additionally very an expert. A couple of girls gave the impression to know extra about vegetation and butterflies than about birds, which I loved.
Kudos additionally to Davena, who controlled the signups for the shuttle and different logistics. She has been sharing all varieties of data with me about seabird sightings alongside the San Mateo county Pacific coast, since she discovered that was once a possible space of enlargement for me. In line with my listing, which by some means ended up being the reputable workforce listing, we noticed 41 species in about 4 hours. 23 had been birds I may additionally be expecting to look in Michoacán, which would be the matter for a later publish. 11 had been new for my California lifelist. Of those, two had been “eBird lifers”. I had a lot was hoping to look California Quails, which I noticed again and again as a kid rising up in California, however had by no means noticed as an eBirding grownup. To my surprise, I had additionally by no means incorporated a Wild Turkey on an eBird listing prior to Tuesday. Each had been welcome additions.
Two different species additionally warmed my California-boy center. When I used to be a teen, Band-tailed Pigeons discovered my birdfeeder through the home during which I lived. Their wingbeats appeared like clapping after they would take off. So by the point we had 30 of them coming for cracked corn, I’d listen thunderous applause each time I opened our house’s again door. The neighbors, complicated those for unwanted Rock Pigeons, sooner or later complained, and I needed to close down the Band-tailed Pigeon buffet. (At Jasper Ridge, we noticed 20. In idea they may be able to be present in central Mexico, however I’ve most effective noticed a pair there.)
And a large a part of the soundtrack of my hill-climbing days needed to do with a little bit chook referred to as the Wrentit, a California distinctiveness with a choice like a pingpong ball bouncing down stairs. None had been noticed at Jasper Ridge, however their name rang out in every single place.
After which there was once my one true lifer for the shuttle. I had identified to my neighbors an abnormal cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk name as we came over a bend within the trail. Then we heard what could be drumming. In the end, a birder up entrance cried out, “A Pileated Woodpecker!”, and all of us rushed up for an out of this world view of this, the third-largest surviving woodpecker on this planet. It was once busy knocking large chunks of bark off a tree department, and didn’t appear in any respect taken with our presence. Davena cried out, “My nemesis!”
Sadly, this excellent come upon happened simply after my “new” (used) shuttle digital camera ran out of rate. We’ve a long way to head prior to I’ll get that courting so as, I will guarantee you. This publish’s small collection of pictures serves to verify that truth.
The 2 birds on the most sensible of this publish are Double-crested Cormorants, noticed at the Reserve’s reservoir.
On Sunday I’ll be off to the coast for my subsequent Audubon Society box shuttle. I’m hoping to do higher with my “new” digital camera.