The Gull

M&O
Serials
QL 671
-G84

THE

M O N T H L Y

Volume 18

SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY, 1936

Number 2

December, 1935, Field Trip

December field trip was taken on Sunday, the 15th, on the campus of the
University of California, up Strawberry Canyon and through the botanical
gardens which belong to the University. Seventeen members and nine guests
were present.

There was a heavy frost in the early morning followed by a calm day with
bright sunshine.

The most interesting observation of the day was two Townsend Warblers
and a Plain Titmouse feeding on the ground with Juncos and Nuttall Sparrows.
A Mockingbird in the botanical gardens added a new species to the Association’s
list for this region. Species represented by the greatest numbers of individuals
were Pipits, Pine Siskins and Coast Jays.

A total of thirty-three species was noted as follows: Red-tailed and Sparrow
Hawks; Quail; Anna Hummingbird; Red-shafted Flicker; Black and Say Phoebes;
Coast and California Jays; Plain Titmouse; Bush-tit; Slender-billed and Red-
breasted Nuthatches; Ruddy Wren-tit; Vigors Wren; Mockingbird; Western
Robin; Varied and Hermit Thrushes; Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Pipit; Hutton
Vireo; Audubon and Townsend Warblers; English Sparrow; Pine Siskin; San
Francisco Towhee; San Francisco Brown Towhee; Junco; Nuttall, Golden-
crowned, Fox and Song Sparrows.

Members attending: Mr. and Mrs. Stephens; Mesdames Kelly, Ruby H.
Thomas; Misses Berg, Cockefair, Cohen, Danz, McConnell, Werner; Messrs.
Bryant. Chase, Davis, Myer, Power; Masters Kirker, Lippmann. Guests: Mr. and
Mrs. Mitchell; Mesdames Jamison, Rocca, Underhill; Dr. Mills; Miss Rocca;
Masters Mitchell, White.

Chas. A. Bryant, Leader and Historian.

<£*— £

Annual Christmas Bird Census in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California (Mirror Lake, 4,000
feet elevation, to El Portal, 2,000 feet elevation), distance sixteen miles, Decem-
ber 20, 1935, S a. m. to 5 p. m. Clear; snow and ice, shady areas; wind none; min-
imum temperature 39°, maximum 60°. Fifteen observers working in pairs. Total
38 species, 711 individuals. Red-tailed Hawk 1; Coot 1; Pygmy Owl 1; Belted
Kingfisher 2; Red-shafted Flicker 10; Pileated Woodpecker 3; California Wood-
pecker 22; Modoc Woodpecker 8; Willow Woodpecker 3; White-headed Wood-
pecker 9; Blue-fronted Jay 59 + ; California Jay 2; Chickadee 87+ ; Plain Tit-
mouse 3; California Bush-tit 60 + ; Slender-billed Nuthatch 2; Red-breasted Nut-
hatch 7; Sierra Creeper 29; Pallid Wren-tit 2; Dipper 9; Winter Wren 3; Canyon
Wren 3; Rock Wren 1; Western Robin 18; Varied Thrush 1; Hermit Thrush 4;
Western Bluebird 58 + ; Townsend Solitaire 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet 170+ ;
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8; Audubon Warbler 1; Cassin Purple Finch 8; Pine Siskin
24; Sacramento Towhee 6; Brown Towhee 18; Thurber Junco 55 + ; Gambel
Sparrow 6; Golden-crowned Sparrow 6.

[February

THE GULL

1936]

Observers: Mesdames Mary Tresidder, Della Hoss, Grace Ewing, Ruth
Knowles and W. Fitzpatrick; Miss Lou Foster; Messrs. Herbert Ewing, Everett
Harwell, Lowell Adams, Herbert Williams, W. Fitzpatrick, Granville Ashcraft
(Ranger-Naturalist), J. E. Cole (Junior Park Naturalist), M. E. Beatty (Assistant
Park Naturalist) and C. A. Harwell (Park Naturalist).

Christmas Census, Alameda County, California

Fii’st annual Christmas Bird Census taken in Oakland, California, by the Oak-
land Ornithological Club, covering El Cerrito marshes, East Oakland hills, Lake
Temescal, San Pablo reservoir, Upper San Leandro reservoir, Lake Merritt to Bay
Farm Island. Weather clear; light easterly winds; temperature 34° at start, 56°
maximum. Total 107 species, 27,975 individuals. English Sparrows were noted but
not counted. Red-throated Loon 3; Horned Grebe 3; Eared Grebe 112; Western
Grebe 9; Pied-billed Grebe 54; Farallon Cormorant 16; Great Blue Heron 11;
Black-crowned Night Heron 51; Canada Goose 99; Mallard 248; European
Widgeon 1; Baldpate 687; American Pintail 1372; Green-winged Teal 126; Red-
head 8; Ring-necked Duck 225; Canvas-baclc 1321; Greater Scaup 62; Lesser
Scaup 516; American Golden-eye 265; Buffle-head 23; White-winged Scoter 147;
Surf Scoter 461; Ruddy Duck 690; American Merganser 19; Sharp-shinned
Hawk 2; Red-tailed Hawk 13; Ferruginous Rough-leg 1; Marsh Hawk 6; Prairie
Falcon 2; Desert Sparrow Hawk 14; California Quail 477; Ring-necked Pheasant
1; Clapper Rail 11; American Coot 695; Snowy Plover 14; Killdeer 202; Black-
bellied Plover 5; Wilson Snipe 1; Western Willet 122; Greater Yellow-leg 2; Least
Sandpiper 5652; Red-backed Sandpiper 1915; Long-billed Do witcher 1; Western
Sandpiper 3395; Marbled Godwit 71; Sanderling 235; Glaucous-winged Gull 86;
Western Gull 351; Herring Gull 1; California Gull 834; Ring-billed Gull 14; Bon-
aparte Gull 401; Pacific Horned Owl 12; Burrowing Owl 3; White-throated Swift
4; Anna Hummingbird 12; Red-shafted Flicker 43; California Woodpecker 1;
Cabanis Woodpecker 1; Willow Woodpecker 1; Nuttall Woodpecker 1; Black
Phoebe 9; Say Phoebe 1; California Horned Lark 61; Tree Swallow 1; Coast Jay
18; California Jay 57; Plain Titmouse 20; Coast Bush-tit 103; Red-breasted Nut-
hatch 5; California Creeper 2; Gambel Wren-tit 72; Winter Wren 7; Vigors Wren
38; Marsh Wren 4; Sonoma Thrasher 2; Western Robin 532; Varied Thrush 16;
Dwarf Hermit Thrush 28; Western Bluebird 74; Golden-crowned Kinglet 34;
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 62; American Pipit 285; Cedar Waxwing 651; California
Shrike 6; Hutton Vireo 2; Audubon Warbler 37; Townsend Warbler 6; Western
Yellow-throat 1; Western Meadowlark 293; Brewer Blackbird 1400; Purple Finch
24; Common House Finch 10S9; Northern Pine Siskin 86; Willow Goldfinch 1;
Green-backed Goldfinch 64; San Francisco Towhee 108; San Francisco Brown
Towhee 45; Savannah Sparrow 138; Rufous-crowned Sparrow 12; Junco 307;
Nuttall Sparrow 560; Golden-crowned Sparrow 105; Fox Sparrow 6; Lincoln
Sparrow 2; Song Sparrow 185.

Observers: Elmer Aldrich, Gordon Bolander, Bob Failing, Cranson Hopkins,
Morgan Harris, Edwin McClintock, Robert Taylor.

Lake Merritt, Oakland, California

The January field trip was taken on Sunday, the 12tli, to Lake Merritt, Oak-
land. Although the sky was overcast virtually all day, allowing but little sunshine,
there was not that cold wind which we have had to contend with on some of our
former visits to the lake in January.

On January 17, 1918, our member, Mr. IT. van Straaten of Velp, Holland,
made an independent count of the birds on Lake Merritt, reporting some 3,300
individuals, and in March of the same year he found that the number had dimin-
ished to 668. It is probable that these reports prompted our Association to make
the counting of the waterfowl on Lake Merritt an annual affair, although it was not
commenced until two years later, in 1920. The following year it was omitted on

[February

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1936J

account of heavy rains, but each year since the count has been made, the present
census being our sixteenth.

This yeai the number of species found was about the same as in previous
years, but the number of individuals was the largest since 1931. The increase was
supplied by the Canvas-back, Scauxi and Ruddy Ducks. The Scaup were in greater
numbeis than on any of our former counts. Seven Redheads were present this
year, whereas this species was represented by a single individual heretofore.

Shoveller, Green-winged Teal and European Widgeon were missing. One
European Widgeon was first noted in 1921 and again in 1922 and 1923. Thereafter
it was missing until 1928, but in 1929 two were noted. One was present in 1930
and 1931, but was again missing in 1932, then present each year following until
this year. However, one was observed by Mrs. Kelly and the writer on Decem-
ber 4.

The outstanding observation of the day was a Barrow Golden-eye, this being
the second time this species has been recorded by our Association; the first time
was January 11, 1931. This species was observed here first, however, by Leslie
Hawkins and Gordon Bolander on October 28, and again on November 28, 1930.

The count of ducks was as follows :

Mallard

12

Canvas-back

.1S72

Buffle-head..

Baldpate

108

Scaup

. 504

Ruddy Duck

Pintail

202

American Golden-eye.

. 109

Redhead

7

Barrow Golden-eye

1

Total

Others, including land birds found in Lakeside Park, making a total of thirty-
nine species, follow :

Short-billed Gull
Bonaparte Gull
Anna Hummingbird
Red-shafted Flicker
California Woodpecker
California Jay
Plain Titmouse
Coast Bush-tit
Western Robin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Members attending: Messrs, and Mesdames Dunshee, Millard, Stephens;
Mesdames Courtright, Kelly, Myer, Nielsen; Misses Berg, Cockefair, Cohen,
Dunshee, Griffin, McConnell, Sterne, Uniacke; Messrs. Bickford, Bolander, Bryant,
Bunker, Power, Taylor, C. R. Thomas; Master Kirlter. Guests: Misses Mayhew,
Markley, Rinehart, Rogie; Messrs. Bickford, Hopkins, Nielson, Sperr; Jean and
Barbara Myer. Twenty-six members and eight guests. We were especially
pleased to have with us Mr. E. L. Bickford and his son Robert from Napa, and
Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen from El Dorado.

Laura A. Stephens, Historian.

V* It Vi

t-J® C>® c y®

Horned Grebe, 7
Eared Grebe, 130
Pied-billed Grebe, 10
Farallon Cormorant, 3
Black-cr. Night Heron, 22
American Coot, 258
Glaucous-winged Gull
Herring Gull
California Gull
Ring-billed Gull

Cedar Waxwing
Audubon Warbler
English Sparrow
Brewer Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Nuttall Sparrow
Golden-cr. Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Book Notices: “Singing in the Wilderness,” by Donald Culross Peattie, G. P.
Putman’s Sons, New York City, $2.50. Six photographic reproductions of Audu-
bon’s drawings, one being in color, and a halftone reproduction of Audubon's
portrait. Although not belonging to ornithological literature, it seems important
to call attention to this recent book. Truly it is a “salute to John James Audubon”
and should stimulate many persons to become bird-minded who heretofore have
thought the hobby of birding belonged to a few strange individuals. It may focus
attention upon Audubon Societies, whose purpose is to preserve our great heritage
of native birds.

“The Living Wilderness.” I wish everyone could read the first number of a
new magazine called “The Living Wilderness.” It is published by the Wilderness
Society, Robert Sterling Yard, Editor. Address of organizing committee is 1S40
Mintwood Place, Washington, D. C. Since President Roosevelt has stated that
CCC may become permanent there is a great need of a Wilderness Society so that
roads shall not take up all the available woodland area and that pruning shears
shall not be used on all our trees. — J. W. K.

[February

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1936]

Audubon Notes

February Meeting: The regular meet-
ing will be held on Thursday, the 13th,
at 8 p. m., room 19, Ferry Building.

The speaker of the evening will he
Mr. F. H. Test, whose subject will be
“East, West and South, an Ornithologi-
cal Contrast.” The lecture will be illus-
trated.

i> <*

to*

Directors’ Meeting: There will be a
meeting of the Directors preceding the
regular meeting at 6:30 p. m., in room
714, 245 Market Street.

1936 Dues: The annual dues for the
year are now payable. Your prompt at-
tention to this matter makes it possible
for “The Gull” to come to you regularly
every month.

i* < — >t

February Field Trip will be taken on
Sunday, the 16th, to Burlingame. Meet
at stage depot, Fifth near Mission
Street, San Francisco, to take bus at
8: 55 a. m., to Easton Drive, where party
will meet at 10 o’clock.

East Bay members should reach
Ferry Building not later than 8:30, tak-
ing car up Market to Fifth Street. Bring
luncheon. Leader, Mrs. Junea W.
Kelly.

January Meeting: The 19th annual
and the 222nd regular meeting was held
on December 9th, room 19, Ferry Build-

ing, with thirty-one members and
guests present.

Officers and Directors for 1936 were
elected as follows:

Mrs. G. Earle Kelly President

B. K. Dunshee First Vice-President

Mrs. H. P. Bracelin

- Second Vice-President

Mrs. Albert B. Stephens Treasurer

C. B. Lastreto Corresponding Secy.

Miss C. C. Pringle Recording Secy.

Albert B. Stephens ...Director

Frank A. Roberts Director

Mrs. Mary L. Courtright Director

The following new members were
elected: Mrs. Orrin D. Miller, Presidio,
San Francisco, and Harvey Long, San
Anselmo, a junior member.

Observations made by Commander
and Mrs. Parmenter: Lake Merced,
Holboell Grebe, January 9th; Alvarado
marshes, 5 Snowy Herons, 186 Ameri-
can Mergansers, 1 Hudsonian Curlew,
January 3rd; Bishop Tract, Stockton,
150± Little Brown Cranes, December
20th.

Mrs. Kelly gave a short talk full of
interesting information on “The Distri-
bution of Birds.”

^ —

“Bird Flight,” by Gordon C. Aymar,
Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc., New
York, price $4.10. A collection of 200
action photographs, the book being di-
vided into four main sections: the evo-
lution of flight in birds; their biology,
migration, and aerodynamics of flight.

Audubon Association of the Pacific

Organized January 25, 1917

For the Study and the Protection of Birds

President... Mrs. G. Earle Kelly 1311 Grand Ave., Alameda, Calif.

Corresponding Secretary C. B. Lastreto 260 California St., San Francisco

Treasurer Mrs. A. B. Stephens 1695 Filbert St., San Francisco

Monthly meeting second Thursday, 8 P. M., Room 19, Ferry Building.

Address Bulletin correspondence to Mrs. A. B. Stephens, Editor, 1695 Filbert St., San Francisco.
Subscription to monthly Bulletin, $1.00 per year. Single copies, 15c.

Membership dues, payable January 1st, $3.00 per year.

Student memberships, $1.50 per year. Life memberships, $50.00.

Members are responsible for dues until written notice of resignation is received by Treasurer.