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December 2009: Wingbeat
Monthly enewsletter of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Year-End Appeal and Director's Message
Dear Members and Friends,
Recent news coverage by the Bay Area News Group highlighted the threat the growing California Gull population poses for breeding waterbirds in San Francisco Bay.
However, thanks to the support of people like you, the San Francisco Bay Bird  Observatory has tracked the breeding population of California Gulls since 1981 and documented their impact on other breeding waterbirds. Bird Observatory biologists have also studied gulls’ use of landfills as food sources, and, using novel camera systems, documented the first evidence that California Gulls depredate Western Snowy Plover nests (nest camera footage shown).
This scientific research is vital to minimize the negative impacts of California Gulls. The Bird Observatory’s data has lead to important management actions, including abatement measures at landfills and wetland restoration planning that includes waterbird breeding habitat designed to reduce gull predation or nest encroachment.
Foundations and government institutions provide 80% of our funding, however, our many science programs depend on the support of you and others for the remaining 20%. I hope we can count on you to contribute to the Bird Observatory and keep our critical programs operating well into the future.
Click here to donate, or send a check to San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, 524 Valley Way, Milpitas, CA, 95035.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year,
Jill Bluso Demers
Executive Director
2009 Colonial Waterbird and Snowy Plover Update
Thank you Colonial Waterbird and Snowy Plover volunteers! We’ve had another very successful year of monitoring waterbirds in the South Bay, and we could not have done it without your help. Our Colonial Waterbird Monitoring program started in 1982, and this year 51 people volunteered with the program. Our dedicated volunteers monitored 767 heron, egret and cormorant nests and 22,968 gull, tern, avocet and stilt nests! SFBBO started monitoring Snowy Plovers in 2003 and 15 people volunteered joined us this season for searching the salt ponds for plovers. We thank you for spending time watching these nesting birds throughout the breeding season.
We’ve posted the Colonial Waterbird report and Western Snowy Plover report online and we invite you to read them. Thanks again for all your hard work; it’s the dedication and commitment of our volunteers that make the field seasons a success!
We’re looking for more volunteers for the 2010 breeding season for both the Colonial Waterbird Monitoring Project and the Snowy Plover Recovery Project! Please email Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen (cnilsen@sfbbo.org) if you’re interested in joining us this upcoming breeding season.
Upcoming Events
Sunday. January 10, 7:45 am– 11:00 am
RSVP
BIRDING ZEILE CREEK
SITE: GARIN/DRY CREEK PIONEER PARK (HAYWARD)
Located in the grassy hills of Hayward, Zeile Creek offers the chance to bird a variety of habitats with Bridget Greuel, an avid birder and bird bander. The walk will be a mix of riparian, deciduous forest and oak savannah. We will be looking for the Varied Thrush, which frequent the creek. We can also find Western Meadowlarks, Say's Phoebes, Townsend's Warblers and a variety of raptors. Expect to walk 2 miles in moderate terrain.
Saturday. February 6, 8:30 am– 10:30 am
RSVP
A BIRD IN THE HAND
SITE: COYOTE CREEK FIELD STATION (MILPITAS)
Tour the Bird Observatory's banding station and meet the new Coyote Creek Field Station Manager, Josh Scullen. Learn about the Bird Observatory’s bird banding research and see several different species up in the hand. We will tour mist nets, watch a bird banding demonstration, and explore a restored riparian habitat. Please join us and learn why bird banding is so important for protecting birds and their habitats. RSVP required. We will meet at the Borders bookstore parking lot in McCarthy Ranch, Milpitas. In the event of rain, the tour is cancelled.
The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the conservation of birds through science and outreach, and to contributing to informed resource management decisions in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Please click here to donate to the Bird Observatory!
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