San Francisco Bay Area- Day 3
I discovered a great place for hummingbirds at San Francisco Botanical Garden yesterday. So, I will spend most of the day at the “Garden of Fragrance” in the Botanical Garde.
I met a new friend at the “Garden of Fragrance” yesterday and he recommended Fort Mason Community Garden so I will make a visit to Fort Mason as well
Friday 14 th
of April 2023
and I am out of bed at 4 and I have ham with mustard and I flushed it down with a bucket of tea. I sorted some of my pictures from yesterday and the clock was soon quarter to 7 and I left my room.
It is about 30 minutes to drive to San Francisco Botanical Garden. I rolled out from the hotel parking just a few minutes before 7 with a MAX in my hand and some funk music from the sound system. The GPS choose a different way today and I was a wee bit confused in the beginning but it turned out to be a good route.
I rolled up at the Botanical Garden at 7 thirty, the opening time and the first bird I spotted on the lawn before the ticket kiosk was one beautiful Dark-eyed Junco foraging on the lawn and after passing the gate there is one American Robin singing from the first tree
I make a recording and I heard a second bird, and I discover on House Finch in the same tree. And I can hear one Anna's Hummingbird singing behind me.
Dark-eyed Junco
Listen to the American Robin
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
First bird I see coming in to San Francisco Botanical Garden. While recording I discover on House Finch sitting behind the robin singing as well. There is one Anna's Hummingbird singing behind me as well.
The sun is coming up and I take my seat on the bench overlooking the flowers that the hummingbirds like to eat from. And they are coming in to eat every 5 minutes or so. There are plenty sparrows in the bushes as well and American Robins coming to forage on the lawn.
I count to three Steller's Jay making noise in the tree next to me and it is a beautiful bird.
I am on the bench when my friend from yesterday arrives and he is setting up his camera equipment and he is having the same Canon equipment that I have.
American Robin
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Watching the hummingbirds eating the nectars and there is also a group of Golden-crowned Sparrow running around under the bushes and they are not afraid to come out to say hello walking all the way up to me.
Seen the birds before, but I had never got any good pictures so I was happy that they came out to say hello.
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
I have to go to the bathroom and I discover two Red-shouldered Hawks in a pine tree just outside the park fence. It looked like a pair on top of the tree
Red-shouldered Hawk
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Female Anna's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Lesser Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
eBird Report
Golden Gate Park--San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco, California, US
Apr 14, 2023 07:38 - 11:23
Protocol: Traveling
1.24 kilometer(s)
13 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 3
Anna's Hummingbird 7
Allen's Hummingbird 2
hummingbird sp. 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Looks to be a pair on top of pine tree
Steller's Jay 3
Common Raven 1
American Robin 4
House Finch 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1
Dark-eyed Junco 1
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S133727456
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I leave the botanical garden and I drive down to the Fort Mason Community Garden. I found a parking and I walked in to the garden. Turned out to be a place where people had small lots to grow their own flowers and vegetables.
It was a beautiful garden and I could hear birds from everywhere and the first bird was a loud Northern Mocking bird sitting in a green house.
Fort Mason Community Garden
Coyote warning
Fort Mason Community Garden
Fort Mason Community Garden
Fort Mason Community Garden
I walk by the mockingbird and I hear a hummingbird and the bird is sitting in a tree singing and I take a couple of pictures. The bird takes off but come back after 20 seconds and I can make a sound recording of the bird.
The bird sitting about 20 centimetres above me so I am happy with the recording.
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Listen to Anna's Hummingbird
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Sitting in the tree 50 cm from me and the bird was not scared when singing in to my microphone
eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S133734237
Mockingbird singing from a Lemon Tree
California Towhee
Listen to the Northern Mockingbird
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.
Singing from a bush next to me
eBird Report
Fort Mason--Community Garden, San Francisco, California, US
Apr 14, 2023 11:59 - 12:33
Protocol: Traveling
0.48 kilometer(s)
6 species
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Black Phoebe 1
American Crow 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4
California Towhee 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S133734237
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track at Fort Mason Community Garden
I left the Fort Mason Community Garden and I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to check out the view from the east side. It was about 5 minutes from Fort Mason Community Garden until I reached highway #101. My plan is to stop at the VIEW POINT and then drive down to the marina to look for birds.
I cross the bridge and I left #101 to get out to the view point and it was not easy to find a parking as there were many people to look at the view.
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gitte Bridge
On the way to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge
I parked the car and I spotted a couple of Common Starlings and I started my eBird app even though I had no intentions to look for birds here. I just stopped to have a look at the Golden Gate Bridge and to take a couple of pictures.
I went to have a couple of pictures and I was in a little bit of hurry. I have to buy groceries and empty my car at the hotel. Then I will have to return my rented car.
I am not alone at the VIEW POINT
I am not alone at the VIEW POINT
I am not alone at the VIEW POINT
I am not alone at the VIEW POINT
Sausages
I am getting very hungry and I buy two sausages without the bread. Just to sausages in a tissue and I eat the sausages on the way to the car. And they were tasting very good. So, I went back with the car and I bought two more sausages.
I drove towards the highway and I stopped to enjoy the sausages before continuing to the eBird hotspot: Fort Baker below the bridge.
eBird Report
View Point, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin, California, US
Apr 14, 2023 12:53 - 13:10
Protocol: Traveling
0.53 kilometer(s)
4 species
Western Gull 1 Young bird
Turkey Vulture 1
American Crow 1
Common Starling 5
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S133737881
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track at the VIEW POINT
Visiting Fort Baker and I see two birds that I had never seen before. First was on the beach together with Western Gulls and Canada Geese, the Lesser Scaup. There were three Lesser Scaups but I never got any good pictures.
I continue to the parking lot and I see 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds and 2 Brewer's Blackbirds and it is the time I see the Brewer's Blackbird.
Lesser Scaup
The Golden Gate Bridge
Female Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
I was not so very happy about the pictures but I had to leave as I had to buy groceries and to return my rented cars. So, this was my last birding in San Francisco and my next birding will be in Texas. I stopped to turn off the eBird app on the way to highway #101.
I cross the bridge and I turn right to get off the highway to see if there is any view point. The GPS goes bananas and I am off track but I managed to get to highway #101 and I am driving south towards Best Western Coyote Point Inn.
Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge
Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge
Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
I have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
I stopped to buy cheese and ham for my dinner and breakfast. I bought 4 Snickers as well. I am feed up with the cheese and ham in my room. But it is very good for my diet and blood sugar.
I drop my stuff at Best Western Coyote Point Inn. Then I drove to the Rental Car Center at the airport to return my car to AVIS.
Lyft car back to the hotel and I booked a taxi for 7 thirty tomorrow morning for transportation to the airport. I will fly to Corpus Christi via Houston and my flight departs at 09:51. Click HERE
to find out if I make it to Texas.
eBird Trip Report
Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.
And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!
Today's Trip Report: Birding in the San Francisco Bay Area - Day 3 | Click HERE
Download | PDF
Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports
Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life
Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life
Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life
Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.
Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional:Either: 1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.
When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.
Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.