• Listen and Decipher: Learning Bird Language in the Field

    Listen and Decipher: Learning Bird Language in the Field
    By Guest Blogger Jeff Caplan
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    ​I grew up with a marine biologist father. So I was always at home poking about in the tide pools, walking in the woods, and observing nature. I still remember father’s sea sick whisper of advice, after one of his particularly rough sea voyages, “Don’t study animals, Jeff, study PLANTS, because they don’t move around!” So in college I minored in botany. Birds especially intimidated me: too fast, always backlit, and with multiple songs and molting plumages.

    In my middle-aged years, I began studying with Jon Young, author of the bird language bible, What the Robin Knows. I learned that …

    songbirds are the inter-connected eyes and ears of our ecosystems. But can we learn what they are saying? ​I’m teaching a workshop for SFBBO on August 25 that explores this question, as well as the following concepts:

    • Each species of song bird communicates through their own calls, songs and alarms, but research shows that they respond to a common language that enables them to watch and warn other animals about the house cat, hawk and curious humans!
    • Research is showing that human language may have had its roots in bird language.
    • By learning to interpret the common language consisting of bird songs, sounds and movements we can begin to develop a deeper connection with nature, birds and ourselves.

    Understanding common bird language does not require you to identify the species of every bird in the field in order to understand their vocalizations and behavior, so it is accessible to both beginners and seasoned birders of all ages. The workshop will include a short lecture at SFBBO’s conference center in Milpitas followed by a morning of listening in the field at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara to try to unravel the story of bird conversation and behavior. 
    ​In the workshop you will learn:

    • The five different common voices of song birds
    • How to begin to interpret their communication from sound, movement and alarm
    • Skills you can apply in your backyard, on a hike or sitting quietly observing in the city
    • How to cultivate your observation and curiosity about what’s going on in the birds’ world
     
    I find joining this kind of “community bird sit” creates a connection between me and individual birds, and allows me to share my enthusiasm with other birders through our shared observations, questions and theories. I hope you’ll join us! ​Registration is required, for information please visit our website. 

    Jeff Caplan weaves 30 years as a naturalist and a teacher of communication skills to cultivate a common language for connecting more deeply with nature and birds. He combines story telling, citizen science and strengthening observation skills to inspire connection and stewardship among his audiences.

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  • SFBBO Shines a Spotlight on Otter Research

    SFBBO Shines a Spotlight on Otter Research
    By Science Outreach Intern Kyle Wong
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    ​What comes to mind when you hear the word “otter?” I commonly think of a cute, fuzzy animal that uses rocks to open up oysters, the sea otter. Many people also picture the sea otter, but few seem to imagine their sleeker counterpart, the river otter. 

    ​Ever since I started interning at SFBBO six months ago, I’ve heard about the organization’s science talks but never had the opportunity to attend one until the River Otter Talk on July 19. Though the topic seemed to lack an obvious correlation to bird conservation, I was curious to learn about other conservation efforts in the Bay Area. In … 

    the mid-20th century, river otters were considered extirpated due to the unlivable conditions of the Bay Area waterways. After the passing of the Clean Water Act, conditions started to become more hospitable for river otters and they started to return. There are few studies about river otters in California. Due to the lack of research, the River Otter Ecology Project strives for greater community understanding of river otters and their role in the surrounding ecosystem.
     
    The talk was given by Megan Isadore, the co-founder and executive director of River Otter Ecology Project. The River Otter Ecology Project studies river otters in the Bay Area by using wildlife cameras and analyzing otter scat samples. They also compile various river otter sightings and have generated a map to visually document the extent of river otter territory.
    One particular aspect of the River Otter Ecology Project that caught my attention was their citizen scientists. These volunteers, who monitor various areas for otter sightings and collect scat samples, are not that different from the citizen scientists in our Colonial Waterbird Program. Seeing the diligent work of other wildlife conservation groups reminded me of all the great work that citizen scientists do all over the Bay Area. ​

    I enjoyed hearing about another organization committed to conservation and look forward to attending my next science talk, which are free to current SFBBO members and open to the general public at a small cost. For information about how you can be a guest science talk speaker for SFBBO, please contact [email protected].  

    Science Outreach Intern Kyle Wong leads our family and youth science programs and helps organize participation in various outreach program. You can reach him at [email protected]. ​

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  • HEP to the Jive? Or HEP to the Survey?

    HEP to the Jive? Or HEP to the Survey?
    By Guest Blogger John Robeson
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    Are you “HEP to the Jive?” Only readers of a certain vintage (like us!) will recognize this jazz age pun! “Hep to the jive” was 40’s Jazz musician Cab Calloway’s expression meaning “in the know” or a “cool cat!” The HEP Survey is SFBBO’s Heron Egret Project – part of their “very cool” Colonial Waterbird Program, putting biologists “in the know” about Bay Area waterbirds’ habits and trends.

    ​Ten years ago, my wife Barbara and I retired from thirty years of workers compensation claims management and launched much loved travel and citizen science work centered around birds. One of our …

    favorite gigs throughout these years has been our participation in SFBBO’s HEP survey of the egret colony at Bay Farm Island, near the Oakland Airport in Alameda, CA.

    This active colony consists of both Great and Snowy Egrets, averaging 30 plus nests, or 150 big birds, per year! It is imbedded in an affluent condominium complex along a tidal slough which winds past suburban homes, along a well-used walking path where humans ride their bikes and walk their dogs all day long.

    The primary colony tree, an aging pine, sits right next to a day care center, whose play yard is filled with the cries and shouts of very active boys and girls. In addition, there’s the constant sight and sound of jumbo jets, taking off from the airport, passing right behind the egrets’ tree! Mother Nature is nothing if not incredibly adaptive; the egrets seem quite oblivious to all of these human intrusions.
    Even the colony tree has been beset with human drama – twice threatened with removal during the breeding season; twice rescued by the combination of SFBBO’s vigilant data collection and the Golden Gate Audubon Society’s diligent activism. It is against the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 to harm any of the over 800 species protected by the Act, and through this partnership the tree and colony were saved.

    Despite all of these odds, the colony has thrived. Sadly, however, the effects of drought and perhaps years of “egret wear and tear,” have taken their toll on the nest tree – it is clearly dying, with many broken and missing branches, the few remaining needles completely brown. The tree is slated to be cut down this fall.

    August marks our last survey for 2018. Barbara and I look forward to next March, when the new breeding season begins. We have formed an attachment to our Bay Farm Island egrets and want to be “hep” to what happens. Perhaps they will move onto neighboring pine trees, perhaps they will disperse to another location altogether. Only time will tell. Stay tuned for our update next year!

    John and Barbara Robeson are citizen scientists in our Colonial Waterbird Program and have also volunteered in our Outreach Program teaching the community about the colonies they monitor. ​​

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  • Couple Donates Pathfinder to Support Avian Research

    Couple Donates Pathfinder to Support Avian Research
    By Outreach and Communications Director Kristin Butler
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    Some of the most important tools our scientists use to conduct research on Bay Area birds are the vehicles they drive across levees and dirt roads to reach the plovers, water birds, and tidal marshes they study and protect. Unfortunately, these vehicles are also some of the most expensive!

    ​That’s why we are always especially grateful to supporters who donate their used trucks or other four-wheel-drive vehicles to SFBBO. Two recent donors who did just that are Jonathan and Christine Slocomb-Zack, who donated their old Pathfinder Nissan truck to us this spring …

    Christine is a scientist and has contributed her skills as a volunteer in our Colonial Waterbird and Outreach Programs for several years. She said as a scientist she understands how important off-road vehicles are to organizations like SFBBO.

    “After ten years as a field biologist, I understand the importance and value of a good field vehicle, which allows you to maximize the number of sites you can visit to gather as much data as possible in a season,” she said.

    Basic things like a field truck can be a limiting factor in successful conservation research and adaptive management projects, she said.
    “This is why we donated our Pathfinder to SFBBO, because we have hope for a future where Western Snowy Plovers and other species are thriving in the Bay Area, but reaching that goal requires action,” she said.

    Thank you, Christine and Jonathan, for taking action to support SFBBO through your Pathfinder donation, and for all you do for birds and conservation!

    If you have a vehicle or other item you’d like to donate to SFBBO, please contact Outreach and Communications Director Kristin Butler at [email protected]. ​

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  • Dudley Carlson’s Kids Bird Book Recommendation – Hawk Rising

    Dudley Carlson’s Kids Bird Book Recommendation – Hawk Rising
    By Guest Blogger Dudley Carlson
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    As the young daughter of a biologist, I was always amazed when my father, driving at 50 mph, would say, “Look, there’s a Red-tailed Hawk.” Whipping around to look at the bird on a telephone pole rapidly fading behind us, I always asked, “How can you tell that it’s a Red-tail and not a Red-shouldered?”

    In Hawk Rising, Maria Gianferrari doesn’t answer that question, but for young birders she and illustrator Brian Floca provide a window into the life of a Red-tail family – mother on the nest with downy chicks, father out hunting for food, missing, trying again. The book includes …

    extremely close-up drawings showing details of feathers, eyes, beak, and talons as they might be viewed through binoculars, as well as hawk’s-eye views of prey and of the young girls watching with binoculars while the hawk hunts and is mobbed by crows. Floca’s illustrations are both beautiful and accurate, and the text indicates the challenge faced by a hunting parent who spends all day in search of one meal for his young.

    ​In addition, this text is matter of fact: food is essential, and predators must kill to eat. Without sensationalizing it, Floca makes us gasp as the hawk reaches out and misses, and then fear for the chipmunk that narrowly escapes and the squirrel that doesn’t. The faces of both squirrel and child indicate a sadness that the squirrel must be caught, but also a degree of understanding that this is the cycle of life.
    A page of back matter (beautifully shaded to match the hawk’s rust-colored tail) gives additional details about raptors, their habits, and resources for parents or older children. Hawk Rising is a beautiful and accessible picture book for very young children. It is also an opening for parents to discuss with their children the realities of life and death in nature, and their parallels in our own lives.

    SFBBO member Dudley Carlson, a biologist’s daughter, grew up in a family of birders and was Manager of Youth Services at Princeton (NJ) Public Library for 25 years. She believes that if children enjoy learning about birds and understand how important they are to our environment, then birds, nature and people will have a better chance at a healthy future.

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  • The Secret of Sparrows and Other Bird ID Workshops with Alvaro Jaramillo

    The Secret of Sparrows and Other Bird ID Workshops with Alvaro Jaramillo
    By Science Outreach Intern Kyle Wong
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    One of the most beautiful experiences in life is learning something new. That is why I treasured the opportunity I had in March to attend a sparrows ID workshop led by SFBBO’s senior outreach biologist, Alvaro Jaramillo.
     
    In addition to working for SFBBO, Alvaro heads the birding company Alvaro’s Adventures, publishes scholarly works and articles, and has received an Eisenmann Medal of the Linnaean Society, a natural history organization in New York. ​His wealth of knowledge combined with his easy-going presence allowed him to bridge the gap between …

    scholarly birding and amateur birding when talking about the intricate differences between sparrow species at the workshop that day.
     
    If you want to learn while having fun, Alvaro is the guide for you! Everyone from amateur to expert is guaranteed to have a great time and learn a ton. The sparrow workshops consisted of a lecture and a field trip. During the lecture, he shared many personal stories and connected the birds to real life experiences.
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    I am not a birding expert. If anything, I’m a novice, or maybe even a step below that (queue nervous laughter). Despite my lack of experience, though, Alvaro’s lecture was accessible enough that I enjoyed myself and learned about the various species of sparrows.
    During the field trip, Alvaro led the group to different areas in Half Moon Bay that included fields and beach cliffs. He demonstrated birdcalls and showed us an app that novices like me could use instead. Overall, this was a growing experience for me and I hope to attend another one of these workshops!
     
    If you are curious about other opportunities to go out and enjoy your own birding experience with Alvaro, we have three upcoming workshops: the Shorebird Workshop in Half Moon Bay on Aug. 15 where you can learn and practice identifying and observing various shorebirds; a Pelagic Trip to learn about seabirds in Monterey Bay by boat on Sept. 23; and a Hawk Hill Field Workshop in Marin on Oct. 2 where you will learn to identify raptors.
     
    You can reach Science Outreach Intern Kyle Wong at [email protected]. You can learn more about upcoming workshops with Alvaro on our website. ​​

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  • An Exciting Day of Butterflies and Birds at Coyote Hills

    An Exciting Day of Butterflies and Birds at Coyote Hills
    ​By Guest Blogger Marisa Still
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    June 3rd was one of those beautiful spring days on the verge of summer – people were out, the sun was out, and a few of us went bird and butterfly watching.

    The Bird and Butterfly Festival had the gorgeous backdrop of Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont with a stunning marsh where I would help with two nature walks for SFBBO. I met my walk co-leader Jan Hintermeister near the spot where our walk would begin and we both felt optimistic. After meeting our fairly large group, we started our first walk by meeting in the shade ​to play a game I like to play with my …

    students. We all tricked each other by changing our appearance for a partner and then trying to guess what changed as a way to sharpen our observation skills. It was also a nice time to laugh with our newly formed group and break the ice.

    We had people of all ages eager to know more about birds and butterflies. It helped that     Claudia Munoz from East Bay Regional Parks trailed behind us with a wagon of binoculars and bird guides for people to use.
    We saw Snowy and Great Egrets and observed the differences between the two. We saw and heard Common Grackles, glimpsed a Pied-billed Grebe from a platform, and watched Tree Swallows swoop. There was a great show of White Pelicans, too, as we finished the first walk.
     
    The second walk was different, which was also a treat. We saw the same things, and different things – I’m always amazed at how long bird watching stays exciting! By the end we all thanked each other and left happy about our great day outside. 
     
    Marisa Still is an outreach volunteer for SFBBO and a science teacher at Beechwood School in Menlo Park who is endlessly fascinated by the natural world. To learn about upcoming SFBBO birding activities, please visit our website. ​​​

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  • A Surprising Colony in Pleasanton Enlightens Many

    A Surprising Colony in Pleasanton Enlightens Many
    ​By Waterbird Intern Graham Pimm
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    In today’s world, one could argue that environmental issues are more pronounced than they’ve ever been. Some might bring up coal burning in the 1900s (think “Great-Smog” event in London); widespread DDT spraying in the 60s; or increased urbanization. Each was destructive, and the cumulative effect has been a serious problem for many species.

    ​Despite widespread outreach efforts by organizations such as SFBBO to teach people about our local birds and the issues they face, many still fly under the radar (no pun intended!). For example: would you be surprised if I told you that there was a breeding colony of around 30 …

    Double-crested Cormorant nests and 15 Great Egret nests only five minutes away from downtown Pleasanton? I know I was surprised when I first learned about them. But there is! And they’ve been here since the 1970s! Even more importantly – thanks to the efforts of citizen scientists like Bill Rose and Dolores Bengston – SFBBO has been collecting data on this colony for decades as a part of our Colonial Waterbird Program.

    The data has the potential to serve as a litmus-test for these birds’ ecosystems and teach us how different environmental pressures may be affecting these species. Simultaneously, they can provide a valuable outreach platform to show the public just how interesting and amazing these birds really are.
     
    For instance, just this past May, over 30 people from around the Bay Area converged at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park to join SFBBO, the East Bay Parks District, and our wonderful volunteers for our “Birds in Your Neighborhood” event.
    For three hours we showcased the colony (and it’s cute Great Blue Heron chicks) for participants and answered questions about the history of the colony, the species present, and their behavior and habitat. Not only was it an opportunity for the public to learn more about colonial waterbirds and for SFBBO to extend our message, it was also an enlightening experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.

    Knowing that there are many people just like our volunteers and staff who genuinely care about the success of these birds is extremely uplifting and helps to confirm that SFBBO’s mission (to conserve birds and their habitat through science and outreach) resonates with many members of the Bay Area. Your can read more about Bill Rose and the Shadow Cliffs Colonial Waterbird Colony in the Pleasanton Weekly.

    You can reach Graham at [email protected]. You can learn about our Colonial Waterbird Program, volunteering, or outreach events on our website. ​

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  • Gulls, Gulls, Gulls – Nest Monitoring With SFBBO

    Gulls, Gulls, Gulls – Nest Monitoring With SFBBO
    By Waterbird Lead Biologist Victoria Heyse
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    Every May, our volunteers and biologists walk through all California Gull colonies in the South Bay to estimate the breeding population. This volunteer experience isn’t for the faint of heart! It can be hard to hear yourself think, let alone stay focused enough to tally nests, as thousands of screaming gull parents fly towards your helmet, occasionally making contact with a kick or beak strike. You’ll escape the colony unscathed by gull poop only if you’re lucky.

    ​We have monitored the South Bay gull population for almost 40 years. In the early 1980’s there were only 24 breeding California Gulls, and …

    in 2013 that number peaked at over 50,000! One of the reasons why gulls are successful in our urban environment is due to their ability to take advantage of human food sources, such as garbage. You can see past years’ numbers in our Colonial Waterbird reports. 
     
    This year 19 volunteers helped us count 46,766 adults, up from 43,570 in 2017. The Palo Alto Flood Control Basin was the largest colony for the 4th year in a row, clocking in at a whopping 19,350 breeding adults (the largest it’s ever been, up over 3000 birds from last year). You can check out more photos on my Flickr page. 

    We also documented a lot of movement between colonies this year. This is interesting because it shows that gulls have a lot of options when it comes to nesting space in the bay. We notify land managers of gull colony changes so that they can implement methods (such as hazing) to discourage gull colony growth and decrease the risk of gull predation on the eggs and chicks of other nesting waterbirds such as stilts, avocets, terns, and plovers. The gull population in the South Bay is no longer showing exponential increase which begs the question of what is influencing carrying capacity if it isn’t nesting space; perhaps it is food availability or nest predators.
    SFBBO also looks to resight banded gulls during these walkthrough surveys in order to track their movements over time. SFBBO has banded over 10,000 gulls since 1983. Thanks to this banding effort, when salt pond A6 was restored to tidal action in 2010 as part of Phase 1 actions of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, we could track where some of the 23,000+ displaced birds went. Even though the last bands were deployed nearly a decade ago, we re-sighted over 30 gulls this year! The most interesting re-sight was a 33 year old gull, banded as a hatch year at a colony in Fremont on May 31st 1985! 
     
    California Gull population growth remains a pressing concern for management of the San Francisco Bay estuary. Information on what drives gull population growth and how gulls respond to landscape changes will help predict the ecological impact of future tidal marsh restoration activities in San Francisco Bay. This research was supported by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and donations from the community. 

    You can reach Waterbird Lead Biologist Victoria Heyse at [email protected]. You can learn more about our gull surveys and how to volunteer on our website. ​

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  • Thank You Events for Our Volunteers and Donors

    Thank You Events for Our Volunteers and Donors
    ​By Outreach and Communications Director Kristin Butler
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    Our work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach would not be possible without the people in our community who give generously of their time and money.
     
    To thank our supporters this year we held our Volunteer Appreciation Party in May and our Big Sip last month.
     
    On May 19th, we threw our Volunteer Appreciation Party at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center in Alviso. Our program directors gave project …

    updates, Board President Jan Hintermeister thanked everyone for their service, and Executive Director Yiwei Wang tried out a fun new social media survey to get feedback from our guests. Participants also enjoyed eats from Lunch with Tony, got to learn about some of our science work by reading conference-style posters, and competed in a bird and habitat bingo walk.
     
    On June 30th, we hosted our annual Big Sip to thank our major donors. The event was at NUMU (New Museum Los Gatos), which featured modern artwork and an exhibit about the history of Los Gatos during the 1960s.
    Guests also enjoyed delicious wine donated by Guglielmo Winery, science poster presentations by some of our science staff, a silent auction, and an interesting presentation and bird walk about bird languages by Jeff Caplan of The Common Language Program. Thank you to everyone who participated for joining us and for your support!

    You can reach Outreach and Communications Director Kristin Butler at [email protected]. You can learn more about volunteering, or make a donation, on our website. ​

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