lbechtle@uceng.UC.EDU (laurie bechtler) (07/31/89)
I am interested in both general subjects of this newsgroup, since I own a parakeet and like to watch birds, too. I have a question for the birders out there: how did you get started? Did you go out with more experienced birders or just go out alone? I have field guides and records and binoculars, but no fellow birders. I confess I haven't tried hard lately, since there is an Audubon society here in town that I never joined. My grad school schedule fluctuates wildly but maybe I'll give them a try soon...I don't think I'll ever learn to identify calls by myself! I recently (late June/early July) visited my sister in San Fran and, as always, really enjoyed it. I love seeing all the Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets, which aren't too common here. I visited Audubon Canyon Ranch up near Stinson Beach, where you can see them nesting. The people there were really nice and even provide spotting scopes. Seeing the chicks of all ages was fascinating; there were perhaps 100 egrets and a dozen great blues at the time (I guess earlier in the year there are more). I took the 3-mile canyon trail, which on a weekday morning (ok, I realize that working stiffs can't manage weekday hikes, but we all get vacations sometimes!) was deserted except for a couple of blacktail deer which vanished into thin air upon seeing me. (The doe and fawn at Muir Woods, in contrast, just looked at me calmly and walked past at about 50 feet.) On that canyon hike, I passed through a large meadow and saw several hummingbirds. How do you identify them? Here in the east we only have one variety. I bought a western region guide and the females look a lot alike to me, and the darn things are hard to follow! My favorite sighting of the vacation, however, was on a hike at Point Reyes (Drake's Estero, also on a weekday, also deserted) where I saw a white-tailed kite. Magnificent bird! The graceful way it turned into the wind to stay in one spot to look for prey impressed me. Question for Bay Area birders: I read in a Sierra Club trail book that the Muir headlands are good for the hawk migrations in the fall. When would this be, as I will probably go back out to SF again? Also, is the Farallon Islands cruise worthwhile? I am a slighty queasy boater, but if the wildlife is good I would go. Thanks for any tips on becoming a better birder. Laurie Bechtler, U. of Cincinnati