Dear Friends,

Hard tobelieve that nextmonthwill be our 20thanniversary!Webegan as a projectof theGoldenGateAudubon SocietyinMarch2000, and two years laterwe incorporated as San FranciscoNature Education.

During thepast 20 years, wehave conductedclassroomvisits and field trips for over 15,000underserved students; initiated the first bird–callingcontests in SF for third- and fourth-graders; andfoundedHeronWatch at StowLake.

Wehave organized internships formiddle andhigh school students at StowLake andHeron’sHeadPark; conducted Saturday field trips for the publicthroughout the city; and started the first publicprogram focusedon thenesting Black-crownedNight-Herons, Egrets, andCormorants at LakeMerritt,in 2010 (modeledonourHeronWatch) thatGoldenGateAudubonhas continued.

In upcomingnewsletterswe’ll be featuring storiesandphotos of the landmark events that have occurredover the past 20 years.

InMarch,we’ll kick off our campaign to raise$20,000by the endofMay. Thegenerosity of oursupporters hasmade this journeypossible.

All contributions are tax-deductible. Our tax IDno. is54-2111941. Thank you for your continuing support.

Best regards,

NancyH.DeStefanis

P.S. Theherons havebegun arriving at StowLake.

The BlueHeronNews from San Francisco Nature Education•February 2020

On the pages ahead:2 Chain of Lakes, Golden Gate Park, January 11th

3 Chain of Lakes, continued

4 Upcoming Events; Unscheduled January Birding for Everyone;Volunteer and Intern Application Links

5 Winter Birds in the City

Please donate online ormail a check payable to SFNE:POBox 210303, SF CA 94121

Membership: Adults, $35; Seniors 65+, $30; JointMembership for two seniors at same residence $50;students 21 or under, $20.

e-mail: info@sfnature.orgtelephone: 415-205-0776www.sfnature.org

Executive Director's Corner

Brown Pelicans in winter plumage at Carmel, California.

Photos:Nadia

Pelegouzova

After overnight showers, Saturday morningwas clear and breezy. We decided to stayclear of the eucalyptus at South Lake thathad just dropped a large branch, andheaded west to the Bercut Equestrian Area.

We discovered new stables where the olddressing ring used to be. The bird bath in

the maintenance yard was productive, with many Townsend’sWarblers and two Ruby-crowned Kinglets flashing theirred crowns.

At the small bridge at North Lake we found three femaleRing-necked Ducks, whose numbers seem to be in decline atNorth Lake. Seen between branches, a Red-shouldered Hawkwas close by. The hawk called loudly, possibly responding toan accipiter that flew by too quickly to identify.

There was a Great Blue Heron adult and a first-spring Black-crowned Night-Heron perched in the sun along the northernshoreline. Members of a sparrow flock perched in a cherrytree, allowing a great opportunity to study the different billcoloration betweenWhite-crowned Sparrows and Golden-crowned Sparrows. I missed, but a few lucky birders saw, theCommon Yellowthroat near the little landing.

At the Bison Paddock we checked for the nesting GreatHorned Owls without any success. Across the paddock feedingin the sun wereMourning Doves, Northern Flickers, and aSay’s Phoebe. Overhead were five Red-tailed Hawks.

AWhite-crowned Sparrow briefly popped up out of the nativeplantings and showed white-red-blue leg bands. Someonesuggested that maybe it was from France. I believe thesebanded sparrows are part of a Point Blue study of birdsong.

2

JeffHarter

Grace

Ruth

JeffHarter

Chain of Lakes, January 11th Alan Hopkins

Left, Chain of Lakesgroup—naturalistAlan Hopkins secondfrom right, and exec.director NancyDeStefanis in red hat.

JeffHarter

continued on next page

Above,Red-shoulderedHawk, Black-crownedNight-Heron (juv.),Great Egret.

Chain of Lakes,GoldenGate ParkJanuary 11, 2020Compiled by AlanHopkins46 Species:MallardRing-necked duckBuffleheadHooded MerganserPied-billed GrebeGreat Blue HeronGreat EgretSnowy EgretBlack-crowned Night-HeronTurkey VultureCooper’s/Sharp-shinned HawkRed-shouldered HawkRed-tailed HawkAmerican CootMew GullWestern GullCalifornia GullIceland (Thayer’s) GullGlaucous-winged GullRock PigeonMourning Dove

Anna’s HummingbirdBelted KingfisherNuttall’s WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerBlack PhoebeSay’s PhoebeSteller’s JayAmerican CrowCommon RavenChestnut-backed ChickadeePygmy NuthatchRuby-crowned KingletHutton's VireoHermit ThrushEuropean StarlingOrange-crowned WarblerCommon YellowthroatYellow-rumped WarblerTownsend’s WarblerCalifornia TowheeSong SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowGolden-crowned SparrowDark-eyed JuncoWestern Meadowlark

3

Chain of Lakes, January 11th Alan Hopkins

Top row: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hutton's Vireo.Middle row: Black Phoebe, Golden-crowned Sparrow,Pied-billed Grebe. Above: banded Cooper's Hawk.

With those in the group who survivedmy gull identification speech atSpreckels Lake, we made our way backto Middle Lake.

It was getting near finishing time andwe almost skipped walking around thelake. I am glad we didn’t! Right off wesaw an Orange-crowned Warbler, andwe added Hooded Merganser, Snowyand Great Egrets and Belted Kingfisherto our list. Not a bad way to finish!

JeffHarter

continued from previous page Grace

Ruth

JeffHarter

JeffHarter

BillHunnew

ellBillH

unnewell

NOTE: TOREPORTATREEWITHFALLINGLIMBS,CALL PARKPATROL: 415-242-6390, andgive location.

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UPCOMING EVENTSSF Nature Walks: Adults $10, children always free. RAIN CANCELS.

Birding for Everyone: A rotating group of naturalists will lead thesemonthly walks: Missi Gavic & Bob Hirt, Alan Hopkins, Megan Prelinger.

First Saturdays, 10 am to noon in the SF Botanical Garden. Meet atSFBG bookstore, 9th Ave. near Lincoln. Garden admission is free toSF residents; non-residents pay a fee. Next walks: Feb. 1, Mar. 7.For adults and youth ages 12 & up.

Heron's Head Park: Feb. 8, led by Megan Prelinger, from 10 tonoon. Meet at trailhead near Cargo Way & Jennings St. Volunteerswith scopes accompany the walk. See map.

Photos:Gary

Larsen

Unscheduled Birding for EveryoneSF Botanical Garden, January 4th

About ten people showed up for our customary walk through the SFBotanical Garden on the first Saturday of the month. Even thoughthere was no leader, we walked around the garden observing birds.

Here are a few birds seen as noted by Idalia Larsen: Black Phoebe,male Anna’s Hummingbird, Townsend’s Warbler, Red-shoulderedHawk, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, American Robin, BrownCreeper, California Towhee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Golden-crownedSparrow, Fox Sparrow.

Gary Larsen

Left: Brown Creeper. Below: male Anna's Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron.

Apply to Be a HeronWatch Volunteer:Download an application at

VolunteerApplication.pdf, or send an email:

volunteer@sfnature.org. Deadline: Feb. 29.

Apply for a HeronWatch 2020 Internship:Middle and high school students—get involved!

Download an internship application now at

sfnature.org. Application deadline: Feb. 8.

Winter Birds in the City Sandi Wong

5

Clockwise from top left: Hermit Thrush, Song Sparrow, pale American Robin, Bushtit.

Please supportour programs!

San Francisco Nature Education is in its 20thyear of delivering comprehensive environmentaleducation programs to students from schools inthe San Francisco Unified School District.

Please donate online ormail a check payable to SFNE:POBox 210303, SF CA 94121

Membership: Adults, $35; Seniors 65+, $30; JointMembership for two seniors at same residence $50;students 21 or under, $20.

e-mail: info@sfnature.orgtelephone: 415-205-0776www.sfnature.org