M&O Serials QL 671 .G84 TIHE MONTHLY Mof- Volume 34 San Francisco, California, October, 1 952 Number lO August — BERKELEY AQUATIC PARK — Trip A group of 26 members and guests met at Berkeley Aquatic Park August 23. The morning was sunny, with cool breezes from offshore. In addition to Aquatic Park, the Berkeley pier and territory near the Albany dump were covered. The mockingbird, observed by Mr. Peterson, is an addition to the list for Aquatic Park compiled by David Gelston Nichols about September 1951. The following 27 species were observed; Eared grebe Willet Double-cr. cormorant Dowitcher Black-cr. night heron Mallard Pintail Lesser scaup Surf scoter Killdeer Black-bellied plover Western sandpiper Godwit Sanderling No. Phalarope Western gull Calif. ^11 Ring-billed gull Bonaparte gull Forster tern Anna hummingbird Belted kingfisher Barn swallow Mockingbird House sparrow House finch Song sparrow L. R. Leinbach, Leader and Historian. September — ALVISO and DUMBARTON — Trip Forty five members of the Golden Gate and Santa Clara Valley Audubon Societies met at Alviso on Sunday Sept. l4th for a joint trip to the Alviso and Dumbarton marshes. The weather was warm. Ten members of the group were armed with telescopes so close up views of the birds were available to all. At Alviso the levies to the North and West were explored. Here Pintail and Shoveller Ducks, Avocets and Northern Phalaropes were seen in good numbers. The group met at the KGO tower on the Dumbarton Bridge ap- proach for lunch. After lunch the area around the tower was explored. A number of Snowy Plovers were seen at this spot. Later they drove to the east end of the bridge and parked their cars off the road. From here the group followed the levy to the S. P. bridge. Fine displays of Hudsonian and long- — 40 — October THE GULL 1952 billed Curlews and Marbled Godwits were seen in this area. A Clapper Rail was observed at the S. P. bridge. As these areas are familiar birding grounds for the Santa Clara Audubon Society the members pointed out many new bird spots to the Golden Gate In the fields close to Alvarado about 2,000 Pintail Ducks were observed by some of the members driving from Oakland to Alviso in the morning. Thirty-nine species were observed. White pelican Double-cr. cormorant Great blue heron Amer. egret Pintail Shoveller Turkey vulture Marsh hawk Sparrow hawk Calif, clapper rail Snowy plover Semipalmated plover Killdeer Black-bellied plover Black turnstone Long-billed curlew Hudsonian curlew Willet Gr. yellow-legs Least sandpiper Dowitcher Western sandpiper Godwit Avocet No. phalarope Calif, gull Ring-billed gull Forster tern Caspian tern Barn swallow Mockingbird Calif, shrike Yellow-throat House sparrow Red-wing Brewer blackbird House finch Savannah sparrow Song sparrow Harold G. Peterson, Leader and Historian. OBSERVATIONS Edited by ]unea W . Kelly Red-wing Blackbirds, Aug 3, Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, Laura Stephens. 20 No. Phalaropes, Sept. 10, Berkeley Aquatic Park and adjacent terri- tory, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Stuebgen. Male Hooded Oriole, Aug. 7, female Hooded Oriole Sept. 8, last dates, Milvia St., Berkeley, Margaret Breck. Ruddy Turnstone, Sept. 6, Cliff House, S. F., Joel Hedgpeth. Hooded Oriole, Aug. 15, Cowbird, Aug. 16, both last dates; Western Tanager, Aug. 16, all El Cerrito, A. Laurence Curl. 1 Wandering Tattler, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, Sept. 15, West end Alameda, Bob Traxler. 3 Marbled Murrelets, Pebble Beach just south of Pescadero Cr., 3 White tailed Kites, Aug. 30, Pescadero Cr., Florence Plymell and Vee Curtis. 6 Marbled Murrelets, 1 Red-shouldered (Red-bellied) Hawk, Pescadero Cr., Sept. 1; Large flock of Swainson Hawks feeding on ground, Tracy, Sept. 13, Vee Curtis. 4 Western Tanagers, Sept. 5, Sigmund Stern Grove, S. F., Tanagers — 41 — October THE GULL 1952 Sept. 17, Golden State Park; Swaiiison Thrush, Sept. 18, Alameda, Townsend Warbler and Ruby crowned Kinglet, Sept. 18, Land’s End, S. F. Golden Plover Sept 14, Bay Farm Island, Junea W. Kelly. Correction; In Observations, September "Gull”, Short-eared Owl, July 27, Pt. Isabel, should read Short-billed Gull. THE 1951 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT The April number of AUDUBON FIELD NOTES contains the 1951 Christmas Bird Count. Published were a total of 433 counts from Alaska, three Canadian provinces, and every state except Nevada. Los Angeles had the greatest number of species, 150, which was achieved on a rainy day by no less than 106 observers. Wilmington, N. C., was second with l4l, and St. Marks, Fla., was third with 140. No less than 38 counts totalled 100 species or more. The Oakland count, with 123 species, was in a quadruple tie for 8th place, and San Francisco was 21st with 111 species. Twenty three of the lists were from California, with 11 totalling 100 or more species, as follows: (1) Los Angeles, 150; (2) Oakland, 123; (3) Morro Bay, 120; (4) Monterey Peninsula, 118; (5) San Jose, 115; (6) San Francisco, 111; (7) Salinas, 107; (8) Orange County, central and coastal, 105; (9) Pasadena, 104; (10) San Diego, 101; and Sacramento, 100. The total number of species reported from California was 230. In the "Summary of Highest Counts of Individuals”, the Oakland list led for eight species, as follows: eared grebe, 97; ruddy duck, 11,445; western sandpiper, 7465; sanderling, 1052; avocet, 5000; glaucous-winged gull, 4457; plain titmouse, 59; warbling vireo, 1. (The only California winter record known. See "The Condor” March-April, 1952.) The San Francisco list led in 4 species: black turnstone, 87; wandering tattler, 1 (tie); chestnut-backed chicadee, 173, Townsend warbler, 22. A. Laurence Curl. As the 1952 Christmas Bird Count approaches, the above summary of the 1951 Count is especially interesting. NEW ASSIGNMENTS Mr. Vaughan MacCaughey, our President, has been appointed Pacific Coast Representative for the National Audubon Society, and Mr. Sandy Sprunt, Assistant. They can be reached at the Society’s office, 693 Sutter St., San Fran- cisco 2,- PR. 5-4042. Mr. MacCaughey will be a great asset to the National, with his many capabilities and cordial personality. Dr. Albert Boles, our Vice-President, has been appointed President of the Golden Gate, by the Directors, to succeed Mr. MacCaughey. Dr. A. Laurence has been appointed Director. — 42 — October THE GULL 1952 OCTOBER MEETING The 421st meeting of the Golden Gate Audubon Society will be held in the West Auditorium of the Oakland Public Library, Oak and l4th Streets, on October 9th, at 7:30 p.m. After the business meeting, Mrs. Junea W. Kelly will tell us of her "February Birding in Panama”, its difficulties and its rewards. No-host dinner at Zerikote’s on Lake Merritt at six o’clock. Dorothy Dean Scott, Program Chairman. October — Stinson Beach — Trip On Sunday, October 12, to Stinson Beach, Marin County. Here we some- times see Murrelets, Guillemots, and Black Brant. If possible we will walk along the beach to the end of the sand bar, it is a good idea to include a container of water with your lunch as there is no fresh water available on the walk. We will meet at the bus depot in Stinson Beach at 9:30. Take 8:15 Bolinas bus from Greyhound depot. Seventh and Mission streets, San Francisco. Leader: A. Laurence Curl, LAnd- scape 6-7004. Bring binoculars, telescope, lunch and interested friends. October — Golden Gate Park — Trip On Saturday, October 25, to Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Meet at 43rd Ave. and Fulton Street at 10:00. From downtown San Francisco take No. 5 McAllister bus. Beginning with Chain-of-Lakes we will visit sev- eral lakes, including Stow Lake, as well as other spots which might prove likely habitats. Leader: Laura A. Stephens. Bring binoculars, lunch and interested friends — Harry C. Adamson, Chairman, Field Trips Committee . IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Ray H. Fish- er, Mrs. William Kent. Golden Gate Audubon Society, Incorporated (Organized January 25, 1917) A Branch of National Audubon Society, whose California Office is at 693 Sutter Street room 201, San Francisco 2; phone PRospect 6-4042. President: Dr. Albert Boles, 854 Longridge Road, Oakland 10 GL. 1-6267 Vice-President (Program Chairman) ; Mrs. Frank A. Scott, 1508 Da Loma Avenue, Berkeley 8, AS. 3-1263 Secretary: Mrs. Blanche Wallace, 750 Pine Street, Apti 33, San Francisco 8 GA. 1-9229 Corresponding Secretary: Mr. Edward A. Mayers, 2695 Greenwich Street, San Francisco 23, WE. 1-2447 Treasurer: Miss Ivander Maciver, 2414 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley 4 AS,. 3-8398 Editor: Miss Minnie H. Young, 2726 Prince Street, Berkeley 5 HU. 3-3180 Editorial Committee: Miss Young, Mrs. .Junea Kelly, Mr. MacCaughey Directors: Mr. Thomas Corder, Dr. Lynn Foree, Mrs. T. Eric Reynolds — 43 —