Category: Colonial Waterbirds

HEP to the Jive? Or HEP to the Survey?

8/1/2018

By Guest Blogger John Robeson

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 ...

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Gulls, Gulls, Gulls - Nest Monitoring With SFBBO

7/6/2018

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By Waterbird Lead Biologist Victoria Heyse

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 ...

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A Surprising Colony in Pleasanton Enlightens Many

7/6/2018

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By Waterbird Intern Graham Pimm

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 ...

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From Drought to Floods, Great Blue Heron Colony on the Rise

6/21/2018

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By Guest Blogger Jackie Vargo

I’ve been a citizen scientist for SFBBO’s Colonial Waterbird Program since 2014 and monitor a colony of Great Blue Herons that nest at Coyote Ranch Road in San Jose. Over the past four years I’ve noticed that weather has impacted my colony, but I am happy to report that this year my Great Blues are on the rise!

In 2013, there had only been 4 nests, 3 adults, and 3 young in the Fremont Cottonwoods where they liked to nest. The year I started volunteering I observed that the small canyon below the land where Fremont Cottonwoods stood was mostly dry, as was much of the ...

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WINGBEAT BLOG

HEP to the Jive? Or HEP to the Survey?

Gulls, Gulls, Gulls - Nest Monitoring With SFBBO

A Surprising Colony in Pleasanton Enlightens Many

From Drought to Floods, Great Blue Heron Colony on the Rise

Wingbeat

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