Discovery Park Field Trip (11/19/05) Highlights

We started on the loop trail going clockwise from the Visitor's Center. Early on the walk we encountered a flurry of birds moving in the trees. There were Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets and Song Sparrows. In the brush we heard and eventually saw a few Winter and Bewick's Wrens.

Further on the trail near the south meadow we saw Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Dark-eyed Junco and Fox Sparrow. There were over 100 European Starlings perched on telephone wires. There was an immature Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree in the meadow.

The big-leafed maple at the north end of the south bluff was alive with birds. There were at least 4 Brown Creepers as well as many chickadees and kinglets. Nearby trees had both a male and female Downy Woodpecker and a number of Bushtits. We then walked the trail down to the South Beach. We were rewarded with Black Scoters, White-winged Scoters, American Wigeon, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Mergansers and Double-crested Cormorants.

We continued back on the Hidden Valley trail back to the Discovery Loop trail and back toward the Visitor's Center as the fog got thicker and the birds fewer. We tried playing recordings of owls and nuthatches to no avail and didn't see any new species.
There were 16 birders and 27 species sighted.