San Francisco birding suggestions (1 Viewer)

[mordovarot]

Hi,
I'm planning a short family trip to California in two weeks from now. I will have only one almost full day for birding when we gonna stay in San Francisco. I will appreciate any suggestions on the best place to visit in or near the city. I'm first time at the US Pacific coast, so interesting in all kinds of birds. I love pelagic birds but I don't think I will have enough time for both pelagic and on-land activities, so have to pick up the latter and may be see something from the shore.
Many thanks,
Viktor

 

[dandsblair]

We were in San Francisco in August a few years back and found a trip to Point Reyes with stops at Muir Beach and Palomarin Observatory pretty good. I attach a trip report with that day included and a couple of other options nearby.
Hope this helps

 

[mordovarot]

We were in San Francisco in August a few years back and found a trip to Point Reyes with stops at Muir Beach and Palomarin Observatory pretty good. I attach a trip report with that day included and a couple of other options nearby.
Hope this helps

Thank you very much! Will read it soon and many times after!

 

[Jeff Woad]

This blog looks quite useful:

Birding Sites – Golden Gate Audubon Society

goldengateaudubon.org

JW

 

[Lewis]

Welcome in advance to SF. I would start early early morning at the Cliff House at the very western end of Geary Blvd, park in the lot and take the stairs down from the lot to the ocean overlook just north of the stairs.

You can walk to different vantage points to ocean and beach watch.

Then you can return to that parking lot and take the clifftop trail north that leads to Land’s End. Or you can drive a very short distance south to Golden Gate Park or just walk down to Ocean Beach to look for shorebirds.

There is the Concrete Bridge at Lake Merced at the south side of the city, the SF Botanical Garden and or the Chain of Lakes in GG Park.

Don’t ever leave valuables of any kind visible in your vehicle.

SFBirds groups.io Group

Enjoy! Report back!

Lewis

 

[mordovarot]

Welcome in advance to SF. I would start early early morning at the Cliff House at the very western end of Geary Blvd, park in the lot and take the stairs down from the lot to the ocean overlook just north of the stairs.

You can walk to different vantage points to ocean and beach watch.

Then you can return to that parking lot and take the clifftop trail north that leads to Land’s End. Or you can drive a very short distance south to Golden Gate Park or just walk down to Ocean Beach to look for shorebirds.

There is the Concrete Bridge at Lake Merced at the south side of the city, the SF Botanical Garden and or the Chain of Lakes in GG Park.

Don’t ever leave valuables of any kind visible in your vehicle.

SFBirds groups.io Group

Enjoy! Report back!

Lewis

Thanks a lot! Looks really useful! I think I can do it. Does it make any sense to try one of the parks north of GG Bridge as alternative to SF? In terms of productivity.

 

[Lewis]

As it happens I was at Tennessee Valley in Marin yesterday 10:30-1 or so and there wasn’t so much going on. Not the best time of day and I’m not a fantastic birdwatcher, but there wasn’t much to identify OR misidentify 🙂

 

[mordovarot]

Thank you. Really.

 

[connorco]

Thanks a lot! Looks really useful! I think I can do it. Does it make any sense to try one of the parks north of GG Bridge as alternative to SF? In terms of productivity.

I live in Marin (the county just north of the bridge), and it's certainly very birdy right now. Only about 10 minutes north of the bridge is Rodeo Lagoon, where it would be easy to see 50 or more species of birds there in a couple of hours. Traveling to a few other locations further north would provide opportunities for more species. While this is one of the quiet times of year, there certainly is a lot to see right now. The beginning of august would provide good shorebirding at a few places, as well as the very beginning of passerine migration.

 

[greer3]

A report from a few years ago. Things may have changed since then.

Just returned from San Francisco and had great holiday combined with some bird watching.

A wonderful City to easily find a great variety of birds within walking distance or by taking short inexpensive bus rides. Early April is a great time to avoid the crowds and see a huge numbers of sea birds.

We stayed at the Marriot at Fisherman's Wharf which is a nice clean quiet hotel served by all major bus routes.The holiday was booked with Expedia on hotel/flight basis at very reasonable cost of £612 for 7 nights.

The Presidio and Chrisy Fields has fenced off areas of natural dunes and plants near a newly developed fenced scrape.
Great Northern Divers,Western Grebes,Red throated Divers and Surf Scoters 100 yards from shore.
Killdeer,Willets,Great Blue Heron,Black Crowned Night Heron,Annas Hummingbird,Snowy Egret,Western Gull,Comon scoter,Red breasted Merganser,American Kestrel,American Crow,White Crowned SparrowBuflehead,American Coot Mallard all on or near the scrape.
This area is walkable from hotel or one 10 minute bus ride away.

Near Golden Gate Bridge there were Red Tailed Hawk,Surf Scoter,Palaegic,Brandt and Double Crested Cormorant,Allens Humingbird,Willet,Dark Headed Junco,Gold Crested Sparrow,Black Bellied Magpie,Cowbird.

Golden Gate Park-Black Phoebe,Bushtit,Velvet Green Swallow,Scrub Jay,Ameerican Robin Red winged Blackbird,Pied Bill Grebe,Yellow rumped Warbler,Allen and Anna's Hummingbird.

Cliff House - a short bus ride away.Here the Pacfic meets the Bay.Loads of auks including Pigeon Guillimot,Grebes,and Divers.
Also saw Black Turnstone,Black Oysercatcher,Willet,Sanderling and the common gull species.There was a Ring Neck Duck,in Sutro Baths.

Alcatraz doubles as a bird reserve and there were all above mentioned Cormorants as well as a Pigeon Guillimot and nesting Black Crowned Night Herons.

Saw Acorn Woodpecker,and Stellars Jay at Yosemite and Black Bellied Plover,Brown Pelican and Purple Martin in Monteray.
Highlights were the Hummingbirds which are 'ten a penny' and the close views and vast numbers of grebes and divers.