West Marin Naturally: Bird-a-thon story

written by Susan Adele Colletta AND David Wimpfheimer

In “West Marin Naturally” September 20, Susan Colletta described how the annual PRBO Conservation Science Bird-a-thon (BAT) is organized and coordinated with “the complexity of a NASA launch.” Susan secretly confided to West Marin that performing this focused and arduous fund-raiser in unity with David Wimpfheimer is “uniquely romantic.”

Postponed by a bout of flu and inclement weather, the two finally embarked on the romance in the early dawn hours of October 11.

Their BAT began at their Inverness Park home in the same way an ocean liner begins its’ first voyage with a bash of champagne. A Great Horned Owl auspicated their days’ endeavors with several rounds of HOOOhooo from the trees above. Susan enjoyed the karmic sign as a lovely symbol of kinship while David cerebrally marked off the first species.

Their first stop was down the block at the edge of the Giacomini Wetlands. The air was slightly brisk and both enjoyed the serenity of West Marin, while they looked up at the bright sprinkles in the sky. While they waited for a Black Rail to respond to a tape recording, another Great Horned Owl flew up to investigate the rustle. Susan was thrilled, but learned years ago, there is no time in David’s regimented schedule to enjoy birds. The rule is to find it, count it, move on.

Even so, when they heard three Virginia Rails klack klack klack and a Whoop wu-hu hoo from the endangered Spotted Owl near Olema Marsh at 4:30 am, they danced a celebratory Irish Jig in the middle of Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

David had designated birds into two categories. There were 140 species in the “confidently expect to find” category, and 61 in “low expectations.” In the end, they counted “ “ and “ “ respectively.

The day began in earnest two hours later as an orange-rosy dawn lit up the sky all the way across San Francisco Bay. The view east from the junction of the Pine Mountain Fire Road and the Bolinas-Fairfax road was dramatic. Sparrows, towhees and other birds were starting to call. The unique chaparral habitat came alive with the morning chorus. Briefly disheartened that there was no Poorwill, both a California Thrasher and Rufous-crowned Sparrow picked up their spirits. Against their self-imposed rules, they enjoyed a long, guilt-free binocular view of these two striking birds.

The bright sunshine created a fire-opal glow on the wall of firs and redwoods above Alpine Lake. They added a dozen or more species. Susan birds by intuition and her hunch produced a lone Pileated Woodpecker. This ridiculously crazy-gorgeous bird never fails to mesmerize. The two ‘thoners’ forced themselves to get back on mission.

Each location David and Susan paused in deserved much more time. That was especially true of Bolinas Lagoon. Hundreds of ducks, sandpipers and other water birds fed just a short distance from Highway One. Among the dabblers and divers, one bright rust-brown head with a buff crown and forehead stood out. Count one Eurasian Wigeon.

A quick walk around Five Brooks pond added several birds. The garish male Wood Duck was front and center. However, the more secretive Green Heron eluded detection until their hopes had dwindled. This time David and Susan celebrated the sighting with the Celtic River Dance.

South of Olema, a red-shouldered hawk swooped close over the windshield, its’ stunning pattern of orange, black and white gleamed in the sunlight.

The itinerary propelled the fatigued birders to the Point. Northern harriers and meadowlarks were out in the pastureland as they drove out to the Lighthouse. The air was slightly humid and the wind was calm with eerie, small puffy clouds lying still over the gray ocean. They hoped there might be some avian surprises in the trees or air above the headlands. An American Redstart foraged, but otherwise the birds were as quiet as the Pacific. They were disappointed not to find the usually reliable Rock Wren or Peregrine Falcon.

At the lookout just before the Chimney Rock parking area, David was able to make a distant black shape hundreds of feet below into a Black Oystercatcher while Susan picked out a flock of pipits flying around the Nunes cows. The quiet waters in Drakes Bay provided clear audio of the bull Elephant Seal uncouthly snorting while they picked off Common and Pacific Loon.

A Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe and Common Moorhens made the Drakes Beach Visitor Center a productive stop. A spontaneous pause at North Beach was a last chance to scan the ocean. Only a short distance past the surf, five Sooty Shearwaters pecked at a big dead fish. Even more rewarding, were two small squat black-and-white seabirds, Marbled Murrelets.

Among the misses was the Osprey. In an area with a large and healthy population, this was embarrassing. Stops at the Golden Hinde and the Inverness store produced nothing but lovely views from sea level. An espresso from Priscilla’s Cafe spurred them on as the clock showed 3:30.

As they headed for the Point Reyes Station mesa, Susan was tortured by having to be discourteous to friends and strangers this day. Tourists asked for directions, advice and wanted looks in their scopes. Normally helpful and obliging, the strict schedule did not leave time for niceties. This trend was repeated near Cherry Tree Lane, when they shot past friend Steve Hadland working on his roof.

They found their quest, a Red-breasted Sapsucker, quite close to Hadland’s house. Ironically, both human and woodpecker were hammering.

The two ‘thoners’ were on time and doing quite well, until they came upon the never ending road construction project. As they waited past purple bridge for over ten minutes, they squeaked at the bushes. No birds jumped out as the smell of new asphalt drifted towards them. Apparently, Mother Nature decided to help with the itinerary. A large raptor glided toward them over the reservoir. They finally had their Osprey.

Stafford Lake gave them Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Sandpiper, Oak Titmouse and more. Violet-green Swallows danced amongst the fluffy clouds, but the Golden Eagle did not cooperate.

Highway 101 took them down to the last stop of the fading day. David played a tape near the tidal marsh habitat and elicited the kek kek call of a Clapper Rail.

They quickly trek to the edge of the bay and slow down on the return. This is the first time in 16 hours of continued and focused birding that the weary couple can relax. As the fading pink splotches of dusk made way into the clean grey light of early night, they cozily walked arm in arm down a rutted dirt path, watching the Northern Harrier make his last swipe of the day. The little rodent morsel she overlooks may be grabbed by the Barn Owl that suddenly appears.

While Susan happily points at the large moth like bird, her eyes are watering above the scarf she has wrapped around her face so she doesn’t gag. Susan’s eyes are burning from the polluted medicinal stench of the Las Gallinas Sewage ponds.

The psychosomatic romance of a BAT is indescribable. What is describable is the satisfaction of traipsing through Marin and finding 155 species within one day.

The PRBO Bird-a-thon is a unique way to raise tax-deductible funds for wildlife. Thank you for listening to our story. We hope you are able to support our cause.

If you would like to contribute, please send your check, made payable to “PRBO Conservation Science” to Wimpfheimer, POB 782, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 or visit www.prbo.org or www.calnaturalist.com for further details and payment options, as well as the complete story and the full list of birds counted.