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GGAS Field Trip Report

May 27, 2020 – Lake Merritt

Trip Leader(s):

Hilary Powers
Ruth Tobey

Date/Location:

May 27, 2020
Lake Merritt

Trip Info:

Number of Participants: 7
Number of Species: 33

The Pandemic continued to cast its shadow over gatherings in May, but the officially cancelled 4th-Wednesday walk at Lake Merritt drew seven birders – including three newcomers who’d been meaning to join the trip for years and decided this was the month to start.

The bird turnout was typical late-spring light (the more-or-less usual 33 species) – but we hardly noticed, with three sets of new eyes to see through. New birders make everything interesting again: the difference between adult and juvenile Black-crowned Night-Herons  and adult and juvenile gulls, the way to tell a domestic goose from a wild bird , the reason we see so few species of ducks in May.

Story sharing brought out the news that we have a Crested Duck back at the lake – over on the Harrison Street arm rather than in the bird paddock where it belongs, but enough to trigger the origin tale, untold for several years. Crested Ducks are gorgeous domestics – shaped like the common barnyard waddler and colored anywhere in that range, but one and all wearing some sort of ball of feathers for headgear. The new one is particularly fine: all shining white, with an orange beak and a huge puffy white feathered beret. A pleasure to see – but a tad grisly to consider once you know that only one of that bird’s parents was a Crested Duck; the other had to have been the ordinary smooth-headed variety. Why? Because the gene that causes the trait kills with a double dose: the skull doesn’t fuse and the baby dies in the egg. And people still breed for it…. At least our new Crested Duck is hanging with a very attentive smooth-headed drake.

A Green Heron visited the tidal flats in front of the dome cage at the beginning of the trip, high-stepping through the couple of inches of water-logged algae and occasionally snapping up something small and wriggling. It may have the way my toes curled as I watched, but it really looked as though the heron didn’t much like the footing despite the rewards of hunting there.

Later, we enjoyed another Green Heron appearance, this one on the near island’s east-side rip-rap – in an expected location, but not prowling for tidbits or watching for them. Instead, it had a crow crowding it along the shore and attempting to dive-bomb it. The heron responded by moseying away from the ground-level approaches and making a spirited attempt to spear the crow when it dived too close. An astonishing encounter; something I’d have called unique had I not seen almost the same thing a week or so earlier. On that occasion, my companion Lyla  captured part of the action, visible at https://www.facebook.com/hilary.powers.16/videos/2886075981507787/ – no Facebook account needed for viewing.

Over in Lakeside Park, we encountered all the usual tree birds – the chickadees and titmice and juncos and robins and the rest – but no warblers and no rarities. It was hot enough to make deep shade very welcome, so we sat awhile under the oak by the composting area in the garden. While we rested, a Cooper’s Hawk made the day by buzzing up the path past us about ten feet off the ground; it skimmed over the fence and away, failing to snag a snack en route. Good days are thin on the ground now – even thinner than a month ago – so it was a very good day to be at Lake Merritt, where they’re still to be relied upon….

More Reports

July 9, 2021 – Coyote Hills Bike and Bird

What a beautiful day filled with 66 species of birds! The day started off great at 6:30 am with a perfect temperature of 65 degrees,

Read More »

May 26, 2021 – Lake Merritt

Birders have this game. When the day is going well – and more often when it’s going badly – someone will announce “I’d like to

Read More »

June 23, 2021 – Lake Merritt

At the start, it looked like a really quiet morning, with the two leaders and one regular so consistent and so well-informed that he amounts

Read More »

April 28, 2021 – Lake Merritt

Thirteen happy birders gathered for the still-unofficial April 4th-Wednesday walk at Lake Merritt – not quite so many as in a non-pandemic month, but close. 

Read More »

March 24, 2021 – Lake Merritt

The still-unofficial 4th-Wednesday Golden Gate Audubon walk drew 13 birders – much less scary now with so many of us fully vaccinated – and the

Read More »

February 24, 2021 – Lake Merritt

Falcon Flies at Lake Merritt! And perches. And looks around. And takes a little circling flight. And perches. And sits looking down at the lake

Read More »

Our Mission

The Golden Gate Audubon Society engages people to experience the wonder of birds and to translate that wonder into actions which protect native bird populations and their habitats.

Home page photo of a Bald Eagle by Rick Lewis. Home page photos rotate on an occasional basis. If you have a Bay Area bird photo you would like us to consider, email us at rnakano@goldengateaudubon.org.

Home page bird illustrations by Tex Buss. We are grateful for her generous donation of time and talent!

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Contact Us

Golden Gate Audubon
2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G
Berkeley, California 94702

Phone: 510.843.2222

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Golden Gate Audubon Society  is a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-6086896

Manage your GGAS account online

Now you can manage all your GGAS business online — renew your membership, update your contact information, view past donations, or sign up for events such as classes, Birdathon or the Christmas Bird Count. Click here to access your account. (You’ll need to create a login name and password if you don’t have one already. If you forget your password, click on the “forgot your password” link.) You can also sign up for our new GGAS Chat to get updates on trips, talk with other members, and more!

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All photos on this site belong to the photographers and may not be used without written permission.
  • About Us
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    • GGAS in the News
    • Job Opportunities
  • Education
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      • Past Speakers
    • Classes
      • Rotary Nature Center
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
  • Volunteer
  • Conservation
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
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