GGAS Blog
Goodbye Until an Unknown Time
By Marjorie Powell I felt a pang of disappointment as I canceled the hotel reservation for the Sage Grouse three-day trip that I signed up for the first day that the Birdathon trips were announced. I was really looking forward to seeing the males perform at the Lek, even after I heard about the
Birds Don’t Know About Social Distancing
By Britta Shoot Cheep cheep cheep! The sparrows and finches are here. I don’t know what time it is—I still haven’t opened my eyes, let alone turned off my white noise machine or opened the shades—but I know the regulars have arrived because they are chirping noisily right outside. As I shuffle into
Dreaming of Birds While Sheltered-in-Place
By Paloma MacKenzie Two Mondays ago, I showed up to work expecting the usual commotion that comes with tasks piling up over the weekend. But early in the afternoon, a colleague alerted me that six Bay Area counties were ordering denizens to shelter-in-place. I can’t say I was shocked. I’d already spent the last
Lessons From A Tree
By Carree M. Nature is always presenting us with opportunities to learn if we take a moment to fully absorb these gifts. While the Bay Area and many communities are under shelter in place directives, it may seem that we have been completely cut off from nature. That being said, as an avid nature
Birding While Sheltered in Place: Reflections
By Kathleen Murphy My dad was a bird watcher. He could name species without a guide. When he passed, I saw my first blue bird and, of course, like every grieving human would do, I called out, “Dad!” I loved to look at the pictures in his guidebooks, but never had the patience to
Add Birding To Your Social Distancing Routine
By Alex Smolyanskaya The coronavirus situation is developing rapidly, with frequent changes to government guidelines. Check local sources for updates before leaving your home. Folks all over the Bay Area woke up last Tuesday under orders to shelter in place, with exceptions for essential trips. Fortunately, San Francisco guidelines state that outdoor activities on
Meditations in an Emergency
By Melissa Ramos I have been taking more walks lately. On these walks, I notice I am seeing much more than I did before this crisis. What I witness and hear, smell and feel are lovely distractions. There is wind, there is the intermittent heat of the sun before it disappears into a throng
Shelter-in-Place Birding
By David Rice I had planned to take my family this winter to see (and hear!) the cranes on Woodbridge Road near Lodi: arrive in mid-afternoon, watch some cranes feeding in the fields, and wait for dusk to bring the vocalizing flocks, silhouetted against the sunset. But the combination of crawl-space decluttering and inertia
May Your Shelter In Place Lift Up Your Birding Spirits
By Pam Young, Golden Gate Audubon Society’s Executive Director Dear readers and members, During this protracted time when we follow the shelter in place order, we at Golden Gate Audubon Society encourage you to find ways to appreciate what is most valuable in our lives: our health and well-being. As many of you
GGAS’s “Call to Action on Climate”
By Linda Carloni Please welcome to the stage… Golden Gate Audubon Society’s “Call to Action on Climate!” Well folks, we’ve done it! We now have our first strategic initiative under our new strategic plan! The GGAS Board and staff selected this initiative in February and we are excited about its possibilities. Member and volunteer
Community Science in an Urban Park
By Noreen Weeden The Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park sounds like an unlikely site for a community science project, but indeed it is. Golden Gate Audubon (GGAS) volunteers and the San Francisco Park and Recreation Department (SFRPD) have partnered on a project for Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds. Since 2009, GGAS and SFRPD
Lake Merced: San Francisco’s Birding Jewel
By Angie Geiger Located in the southwest corner of San Francisco, Lake Merced is one of only three remaining freshwater lakes in the city. There are multiple excellent birding areas within this 614 acre park. At 267 species, Lake Merced is the number two hotspot in San Francisco, (not including the Farallon Islands) according