​Shorebirds are a fascinating group which have enlightened me to the importance of wetland and estuary habitats and have informed my understanding of ecological concepts like niche partitioning. Despite my appreciation of these birds, the fact remained that my ability to tell a Lesser from a Greater Yellowlegs was far less than great. If I were to come across a Whimbrel or a Long-billed Curlew, there wasn’t much I could do but begrudgingly write “Numenius sp.” into my notebook. Shorebird identification was not my forte...

Luckily for student naturalists like myself, there are talented educators like Alvaro Jaramillo who can help with this sort of ornithological shortcoming. My mentor and former instructor, Leticia Gallardo, who had guided me through West Valley College’s Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation program told me that Alvaro’s Shorebird ID Workshops would be an ...

As a falconer, I’ve always loved and admired birds of prey. Observing, photographing, and identifying wild raptors is one of my favorite pastimes. Even just this summer, my family and I spent many weekends driving up to Pacifica to watch the Peregrine Falcons fledge and feed. 

But peregrines are rarely the only birds that we spot upon approaching the shoreline. In fact, we often saw hundreds or thousands of shorebirds scattered in flocks across the area. Even with my binoculars, however, I could hardly tell the different species apart. My shorebird ID skills were clearly quite lacking.

​When my school’s local ecological society told us about this opportunity to learn about native shorebirds from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, I was thrilled. 

​Identifying shorebirds has long been the bane of my birding existence (other than immature gulls of course). Usually all you have is a fleeting glimpse at a pale colored bird with long legs, taking off on stiff wing beats only to disappear above the waves. More often than not I’d return home with just “shorebird sp.” on my eBird list. However, after getting the opportunity to attend the Shorebird ID workshop hosted by SFBBO and Alvaro Jaramillo on a scholarship, I think I am a lot better equipped to start putting names to many of Nor Cal’s regularly occurring shorebirds!

​Alvaro is a Senior Biologist at SFBBO and runs his own birding tour company, Alvaro’s Adventures. Being the author of several field guides and a published researcher, Alvaro is an internationally recognized ornithologist and the recipient of the Eisenman Medal of the Linnaean Society of New York. It was an absolute pleasure to get the chance to learn from him.

​I am a proud graduate of SFBBO's Introductory Shorebird ID Workshop with Alvaro Jaramillo that took place on the cusp of July and August. Over the course of three days, Alvaro covered the shorebirds (or “waders,” as they’re known in Europe), consisting of Sandpipers, Plovers, Oystercatchers, Avocets, and Stilts.

​More than just their physical characteristics, we learned about the migration patterns of migrating birds such as the Western Sandpiper and other behavioral characteristics, such as nesting patterns relative to the shore. It was powerful to put a name to the birds I had already encountered, and even more so to be introduced to the other members of the shorebird family.

​This is a blog about birds in books for children; but these are no ordinary times. Some readers may remember the film “South Pacific” and the song that goes,
           
…You’ve got to be taught /To be afraid
Of people whose eyes/Are oddly made
And people whose skin/Is a different shade…
 
The recent encounter between noted birder Christian Cooper, a member of the New York City Audubon Society board of directors and an African American, and a white woman who accused him of threatening her reminds us ...

​The season of returning migrants is a good time to look at one up close; and while we’re all sheltering in place, an adventure with a young osprey is a great place to start. In his book "Belle's Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight," ornithologist Bierregaard’s introduction calls attention to the curiosity that sparks scientific inquiry and the kinds of questions that have led scientists to develop new means of tracking long-distance migrants.

​On Martha’s Vineyard a young osprey is born. In the same area, a boy and girl walking on the ​beach encounter a scientist and his partner who are ...

​I’m just back from teaching bird language in the tropical jungles of Ecuador and the Galapagos. You know what? The same sounds that birds here in California have taught us to listen for also work to understand bird language on the Equator and in the Amazon.
 
For example, listening to the rather friendly Galapagos Flycatcher, you can understand who’s looking for a mate and who’s just making casual conversation in the same way you can understand flycatchers here in the United States. You may not be able to speak Spanish when you head south, but you can learn ...