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Volume 47 Berkeley, Calif. May 1965 Number 5

RICHER TO DESCRIBE EAST AFRICAN TRIP

Mr. Stan Picher will give an illustrated talk at our regular May meet- ing on a trip he organized to East Africa in August and September of 1964. The trip was led by Mr. John Williams of the Coryndon Museum in Nairobi who is also the author of tlie recently published Field Guide to the Birds of East Afriea. Mr. Picher is President of the Marin Audubon Society and was accompanied by several of our members.

This meeting will be held Thursday, May 13, at the First Unitarian Church, Franklin and Geary Streets, San Francisco. The evening will start with a social hour at 6 p.m. and dinner ($1.50 per person) at 6:30. Our regular meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Dinner reservations must be made by post card to Bonnie Smith, 555 Dewey Blvd., San Francisco 16, or by telephone only on Wednesday evening. May 12 (OV 1-7635). We’ll look forward to seeing you — and a friend. — THOMAS B. WILLIAMSON, Program Chairman.

FIELD TRIPS FOR MAY

Saturday, May 1 ( as listed in the April Gull) to McCoy Ranch, Arroyo Mocho, southwest of Livermore. Orioles, phainopeplas, western kingbirds, yellow-billed magpies, and Lewis’ woodpeckers are usually seen .Meet in Livermore one block beyond the tall flagpole on Livermore Ave. at 9 a.m. Allow about one hour’s driving time from Oakland. Leader, Erline Hevel, MO 1-4251.

Saturday, May 1, a trip for early morning birders to Patterson Pass area. Black-chinned and sage sparrows, Lawrence’s goldfinch, lazuli bunt- ing, Costa’s hummingbird and other species not common to the lower areas may be seen. Meet at 6 a.m. one block beyond flagpole on Livemiore Ave. in Livermore. Leaders: Marie Mans, 848-5186 and Arthur Wang, 524-7399.

Sunday, May 2, the McCoy Ranch trip will be repeated. Leader, Aileen Pierson, JU 7-4163.

Friday, May 7, Moraga area. We have permission to hike up a private road (Valley Llill Road) off Bollinger Canyon Road. Meet at 9 a.m. at the parking area inside the main entrance to St. Mary’s College, Moraga. Bring lunch. Leader, Mrs. Phyllis Zweigait, 526-7295.

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1965

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MAY

Sunday, May 9, Jack London Ranch, Glen Ellen, Sonoma County. This is the home of Marianne Shepard and Susan Shepard. Wooded slopes, covered with oaks, shrubs and conifer, offer an ideal habitat for birds. The rolling meadows should be covered with wildflowers. Red-shouldered hawks nest on the ranch. Meet at 9 a.m. at Glen Ellen Post Office. Leader, Mariaime Shepard, Box 141, Glen Ellen.

Thursday, May 13, Mt. Diablo State Park. Among many attractive flowers growing there are 18 Great Valley species at their western limit and 42 other species at their northern or southern limits. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the junction of Domingo Ave. and Russell St., Berkeley, which is beside the Berkeley Tennis Club below the Claremont Hotel. Everyone living north or west of that point please stop there to assist in carrying passengers. Those living to the east go directly to Danville, where we shall all meet at 9:15 at the start of the road going east to Mt. Diablo. If using public transportation to Domingo and Russell, take the A/C “E” bus from San Franeisco to the end of the line in Berkeley. Locally, take the 74 bus up Ashby Ave. There is a 500 entrance fee per car to the Park. Bring interested friends and don’t omit lunch. Leader, Marshall Jencks, 534-9353.

Wednesday, May 19, Golden Gate Park. Spring plumage and song will be at its best. Nesting warblers and hummingbirds will be present. This trip will start at 10 a.m. from the Aquarium in Golden Gate Park. It ean be reached by taking the number 10 bus. Leader Florenee Plymell, PR 6- 1208.

Friday-Sunday, May 21-23, Yosemite National Park, for many unusual birds. In previous years, at this time, great gray and pygmy owl, black- backed three-toed woodpecker and Williamson’s sapsucker were seen. Interesting mammals and beautiful flowers can be observed. The water- falls are most spectacular at this time. Phone the Yosemite Park and Curry Co. in San Francisco for information on available accommodations. For the eampers it is first come first served. Field trips will start from the main post office in Yosemite at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday. This meeting place is in the Government Center. The Saturday afternoon trip will be to the meadows on the Glacier Point Road to look for the great gray owl.

Saturday, June 5, Fleishhacker Zoo and beach areas, San Francisco. Bank swallow, a bird of unique nesting habit, will be the main attraction. After birding in and around the zoo, a walk will be made along the beach to observe the swallows nesting in the banks bordering the shoreline. Come prepared to walk in the sand. Meet at the north entrance to the zoo on Sloat Blvd. at 9:15 a.m. Leader, Aileen Pierson, JU 7-4168.

Proposed ti'ip for long-range planning: Saturday-Sunday, June 26-27, to Beth Snyder’s cabin at Clark Station in the northern Sierra.

MRS. VALERIA DaCOSTA, Field Trips Chairman

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1965

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MAY

ALBATROSS EXPEDITION

The annual offshore trip from Santa Cruz will be held on Monday, June 14. The Stagnaro sport fishing boat will leave the Santa Cruz Munici- pal Wharf at 7:30 a.m. and return about noon. The boat is limited to 50 obseiwers. Tickets are $1.50 and reservations should be made in advance with Viola Anderson, 227 Linden St., Santa Cruz, Calif., or i:)hone Leavitt McQuesten, 423-2989. Motels are available in the area.

ANNUAL BANQUET - JUNE 10

Colden Cate Audubon Society’s Annual Banquet will be held Thursday evening, June 10, in the Lakeside Park Garden Center, Oakland. Please mark your calendar to save this date. Details will be in the June Gull.

BARBECUE AT CANYON RANCH

All the members of Golden Gate Audubon Society are cordially invited to attend the chicken barbecue which Marin Audubon Society is holding at Canyon Ranch for the benefit of its Scholarship Fund and the Ranch’s Maintenance Fund on Mother’s Day, May 9, from 11 to 4. Luncheon will be served at noon. A program of wildilower and bird walks has been planned. Young and eggs of great blue herons and common egrets will be visible from telescopes at the new overlook. Admission is $3.00 for adults and $1.50 for children under 13. Please send checks for reservations to Marin Audubon Society, P.O. Bo.x 441, Tiburon. For further infonnation call Stan Picher, President, at 435-0766. (Audubon Canyon Ranch is on Bolinas Lagoon north of Stinson Beach.)

Please continue sending Blue Chip Stamps to the Ross Valley 4H Club, c/o Agricultural Extension Service, Civic Center, San Rafael, to help them raise $800 for one acre of Audubon Canyon Ranch.

RADIO STATION KPFA will broadcast a program entitled “A Visit to Audubon Canyon Ranch” on Saturday, May 15, at 2:15 p.m. Produced by Joan McIntyre, the program will include a tape-recorded tour of the heron-egret rookery.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS

Dr. Martin Edwards of Kingston, Ontario, discovered a male oldsquaw on San Francisco Bay near Fort Baker on March 13. Between that date and March 31 many members of Golden Gate Audubon observed the old- squaw at close range near Fort Baker (east of the Golden Gate Bridge), Marin County. We found him a very cooperative photographer’s model.

Highlights for the Mt. Diablo Audubon SocieL^’s Christmas Count held December 27 were 18 cliff swallows, 1 European widgeon, 1 prairie falcon, and 2 chipping sparrows — reported in the the April Quail by Lynn Farrar. Ed. Note: A prairie falcon was perched on a bare tree limb near the summit of Mt. Diablo on March 7 and allowed me to aproach within 40 feet of him, but he flew off as I was setting up my camera tripod.

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1965

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MAY

POINT REYES BIRD OBSERVATORY

The Western Bird Banding Association, working with Professor L. R. Mewaldt of San Jose State College, has established a Bird Observatory at Point Reyes, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. Paul DeBenedictis is working at the Observa- tory as a naturalist. The program includes banding and the interpretation of data on migration and population.

Point Reyes National Seashore Park Headquarters now has a printed checklist of birds of Point Reyes compiled by Marin and Golden Gate Audubon members.

NEW MEMBERS

We welcome the following new members to our Society: from Albany, Mrs. Helen K. Sharsmith; from Berkeley, Mrs. Gerda David, Mrs. R. K. Lazenby, Miss Margaret L. Shaw, Mr. George Strauss, Mr. Igor Vorobyoff, Mr. Ross Wagner; from Hayward, Mr. George Anderson; from Kensington, Mr. and Mrs. George Lee Trees; from Lafay- ette, Mrs. Curt Dietz, Mrs. G. E. Hawes; from Oakland, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Browne, Mrs. P. J. Choate, Miss Aurilla Doemer, Mrs. Russell Griffith, Mrs. Dallas V. Pocock, Mr. Edward T. Ryken, Miss Betty J. Ulsh, Mr. James William Uren; from Orinda, Mrs. Raffi Bedayn; from Palo Alto, Mr. Theodore A. Chandik, Dr. Martin H. Edwards; from Piedmont, Mrs. T. Rinehart; from Pleasant Hill, Mr. Robert Allen Duncanson; from Richmond, Mrs. Alexander Lysko; from San Bruno, Mr. Peter J. Hayes; from San Francisco, Miss Elaine Brinker, Miss Isabel de Cremer, Mrs. Richard O. Laist, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Lee, Mrs. Joseph B. McKeon, Mrs. John M. True, Miss Roselyn Waleh, Mrs. James Wilhite, Mr. Wallace W. Wood, Jr.; from San Pablo, Mrs. Frank Archer; from Walnut Creek, Mr. Perrie L. Cobb. — MARJORIE N. WILSON, Membership Chairman

MEMORIAL GIFTS TO AUDUBON CANYON RANCH

The following gifts of remembrance were made to Audubon Canyon Ranch:

In Memory of: Gift of:

Harold G. Peterson Professional Press stajff (Printers of The Gull), Mrs. Junea

W. Kelly, Mr. & Mrs. L. T. Wallace, Alberta Pruett, Axel Elfstrum, the Albert Krause family, Alice D. Radcliffe, Mr. & Mrs. Robert DaCosta, Jr., Dolores Dodd, Thomas B. Williamson, Violet Homem.

T. Crocket Macormack Virginia J. Orton, Mr. & Mrs. Chester Cramer, Harold

L. Zellerbach, Emma F. Daniel, Mrs. Ruth Watson, Mr. & Mrs. Ralph S. Roy, Mr. & Mrs. Douglass F. Roy, Miss Alysse Wyatt Allen, Mr. & Mrs. James G. Sharp, Jr., Mrs. James M. Patrick, Dr. & Mrs. Robertson Ward, Mrs. Andrew T. Hass, Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Wallace, Mr. & Mrs. Gloyd T. Stankard, Mrs. Herb- erts. Henderson, Elvira C. Jordan, Mr & Mrs. John F. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Dohr- mann Pischel, Mr. & Mrs. Paul W. Wood, Mrs. Harry J. Pruett, Alice D. Radcliffe, Margaret and Jack Healy, Mr. & Mrs. R. O. Laist,

Marie Hathaway Short

Mr. and Mrs. Morse Erskine

Gibson M. Cameron Miss Harrison Devereaux Bertha B. Parsons James Kitchin James Black

Virginia L. Short Mrs. Julia LaSalle Miss Harriet T. Parsons, Mrs. Donald A. Dallas

Erline Hevel Mr. and Mrs. Gwin FoUis

Aline Kistler Merritt Virginia L. Short.

Emma Vranna Blanche Vranna, Harold T. Murai, C. G. Thompson, Mr. &

Mrs. Leroy Loder, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Osborn, Mr. & Mrs. Albert Loder and Donald, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Burda.

— DR. ALBERT BOLES, Sanctuary 6- Memorial Fund Chairman

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1965

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MAY

FOR THE CHILDREN

The next meeting will be on Saturday, May 22, at the Rotary Natural Science Center at Lake Merritt, Oakland, and will be led by Mr. Paul Covel. It is open to all children, but those under eight years of age must be accompanied by an adult, and all adults must be accompanied by children. The trip starts at 10:30 a.m. and will be over a httle after 12. Bring your lunch.

Directions for reaching the waterfowl refuge, duck feeding area, and Rotary Natural Science Center in Lakeside Park: From San Francisco, after leaving the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza, take the Mac Arthur Freeway — Highway 50 to the Harrison Street exit, turn right on Harrison to Grand Avenue, then left on Grand for a long block to the Lakeside Park entrance. Drive tlrrough the park to the “Duck Pond.” The B bus from San Francisco stops at Grand Avenue and Perkins St. — one block from tire “Duck Pond” and Natural Science Genter.

Goslings and Ducklings

Goslings are baby geese. You will be sure to see on Lake Merritt a large gray^ brown goose with a black head and neck and a white neckband. This is the Canada Goose. It builds its nest on the shores of Lake Merritt hr a safe place, usually on the islands in tire lake. Here several feet from the water a large nest is built out of sticks arrd leaves and well hned with goose down plucked from tire bird’s breast. The eggs, as many as nine, are large measuring 3/2 mches in length, and 2% wide. They are a duU yellowish- white. After laying the eggs the mother goose sits on them for about 28 days until the goslings hatch. At this time they are about as large as a three-week old deciding. Soon after hatching, the baby birds are taken to the water and then across to the lawns on the other side. Here wlrile the parents feed upon seeds and grass the young ones find tiiry insects to gobble up. At iright the mother takes them back to the irest and broods them or keeps them warm and safe. When Ganada Geese goslings hatch they are tannish in color but after 10 days they turn gray. Since they have not yet exchanged their nestling down, or first feathers, for real featliers it is probable that the grayness appears as the feathers begin to grow out.

You will also be seeing plenty of baby ducklings too. Motlier and Father Mallard look quite different, for he has a splendid green head and a white necktie and a tail with a saucy httle curl at the end, while she is a streaky brown and never has a curly tail. The way you can tell that tliey are both mallards is by what is known as the specu- lum or shoulder pad of deep purple bordered along the edges with black and white. A mallard builds its nest nearer to the water than a Ganada Goose does. This nest is hidden in the weeds or grasses and is built of leaves and grasses and also very warmly lined with down. Duck eggs are only a httle larger than hen’s eggs and are yellowish or pale greenish white. A mother mallard may lay anywhere from 5 to 14 eggs, and it is not unusual to find a brood of 11 or 12 following her around on Lake Merritt. She sits on the unhatched eggs for 23 to 24 days and the baby ducklings when hatched are dark brownish with a stripe through the eye. Mother Mallard calls to her young from time to time when they are swimming on the lake because she wants to keep them near her. One wonders whether she can count them all and sometimes it is true that one duckhng wanders off and she seems to lose track of him — at least for a while. She too takes her ducklings back to the nest at night to keep them warni. It isn’t long before they begm to sprout real feathers and when they do the young look like their mother and not their father, though they do have the same wing markings as both of tlieir parents.

You should have a wonderful time with Mr. Covel. He takes lots of cliUdren on field trips and knows the best places to go and the finest things to see. Have a good time! - JANET NICKELSBURG, Education Chairman

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GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC. P. O. Box 103

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94701 Return Postage Guaranteed

Non-profit Organization U. S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit No. 590 BERKELEY, CALIF.

Library, California Academy of Science

Golden Gate Park

Saa Francisco 18, California

DATED MATERIAL

1965 T H E G U L L MAY

GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.

Established January 25, 1917 A Branch of the National Audubon Society since 1 948

President .A. Warren Larson 44 Rincon Road, Berkeley 7 525-9149

Vice President /Aiss Bertha Underhill 35 Tamalpais Rd., Berkeley 848-0131

Vice President Robert C. DaCosta, Jr 2090 Pacific Ave., San Francisco 9 931-5257

Treasurer _AArs. Alice D. Radcliffe 2101 Bay St., San Francisco JO 7-5856

Recording Secretary Miss Patricia Triggs 2038 - 33rd Ave., San Francisco MO 4-8502

Corresponding Secretary Miss Patricia A. Tiggard 221 Highland Ave., Piedmont 11 OL 5-8567

Director Miss Aileen Pierson 810 Gonzalez Dr., San Francisco JU 7-4163

Director Mi's Erline Hevel 425 Ulloa St., San Francisco 661-4251

Director Crawford H. Thomas 1739 Vallejo St., San Francisco OR 3-6709

Editor .Mrs. Violet Homem 6911 Armour Dr., Oakland 11 655-8886

Field Trips Chairman Mrs. Valeria DaCosta 2090 Pacific Ave., San Francisco 9 931-5257

Membership Chairman Mrs. Marjorie N. Wilson 3839 Divisadero St., San Francisco WE 1-2371

Program Chairman _Thomas B. Williamson 1115 Green, San Francisco 9 OR 3-2571

Education Chairman Mrs. Janet Nickelsburg 2585 Union, San Francisco 23 WA 1-9449

Sanctuary & Memorial

Fund Chairman Dr. Albert Boles 854 Longridge Rd., Oakland 10 GL 1-6267

Wildlife Film Chairman Mrs. Frances Ellen Fallgatter 406 El Cerrito, Piedmont II OL 5-9582

Conservation Chairman Paul F. Covel 2860 Delaware St., Oakland 2 KE 6-4120

Canyon Ranch Film

Distribution Chairman.. . .Mrs. Bonnie Smith 555 Dewey Blvd., San Francisco OV 1-7635

Canyon Ranch Fund

Raising Mrs. Myra Browne 482 Broadmoor, San Leandro 568-1921..

Claims for missing numbers of THE GULL should be sent to the Editor. Changes of address should be sent to the Membership Chairman.

Monthly meetings second Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Joint Membership, Local and National, J8.50 per year, includes AUDUBON MAGAZINE and THE GULL. Subscription to THE GULL separately $2.00 per year.

Visit the Conservation Center of the NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY 2426 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California 94701 TH 8-4042

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