The Gull

M&O
Serials
QL 671
■ G84

THE

monthly

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, NOVEMBER, 1942 NUMBER 1 1

LET'S GO TO SEE THE SHEARWATERS

^aYe, 7)e r?,ac^ers °* THE GULL had the thrilling adventure of seeing
the Light ol the Sooty Shearwaters ( Puffinus griseus )? Those who have not
surely long to, and those who have are undoubtedly eager to repeat the ex-
perience. Since binoculars along the coastline are taboo, tires are wearing
thin, and long trips are unpatriotic, it has occurred to me that you would
like to take a memory trip with me to Pt. Reyes and Drake’s Bay, Marin
County, and have a quiet vicarious thrill.

In the third week of September last year, Mrs. James T. Allen, bird stu-
dent and enthusiast of Berkeley, reported that during the week she had seen
a flock of Sooty Shearwaters off Pt. Reyes. This was all the bait needed by
that omnivorous nature-lover, Ric Reynolds. He announced that he was go-
ing and gave us the opportunity of accompanying him. Our daughter Ariel,
Dorothy Sheldon, and I decided that we would take a chance, and will be
forever glad that we did.

We left Piedmont early in the morning September 28th, ferrying to
Marin County by way of Richmond. Our first goal was Pt. Reyes, as that was
the location mentioned by Mrs. Allen. Just before arriving at the parking
space at Pt. Reyes Lighthouse Station, our adventures began. We were met
by a reception committee of one black and white mammal with its tail in the
air — otherwise known as skunk. Dorothy Sheldon and I were delighted to
be so greeted, but were not photographically excited because we had no idea
the committee would remain within range of our cameras long enough to pay
us to set them up. Ric, as usual, erupted from the car first, then Ariel right
behind him. They went close (but not too close) to our friend, and found him
quite unperturbed by their presence. Lots of poise! He knew he was safe. Then
the shouting began.

Were we interested in nature photography or were we not? Why didn’t
we get out our cameras? Why did it take us so long to set them up? Hurry,
hurry, he won’t stay much longer! The importance of this opportunity finally
penetrated our consciousness. Dorothy and I unlocked the rear of the car, got
out the cameras, and set them on tripods. I was ready first. (I was later told
that it had taken me exactly twenty minutes. If this is true, I bow my head in
shame — but perhaps it only seemed like twenty minutes.) I crept over to-
ward the source of the critical remarks and the cause of the excitement.
There was the beautiful black and white kitty still there, tail still elevated. I
pressed the shutter, exposing about a foot of film, and our hero began to
move. And he moved towards me! Ric shouted to me to stay back or I might
regret it. Another dilemma — art or self-protection? Instinctively, I chose
the latter. The charming creature kept advancing until he found a culvert a
few feet away from me. Into it he went — and that was that!

I reported the sad news to Dorothy, who was just about ready by this
time. We decided we would keep our cameras set up so that in the future we
would not have to be the targets of so many uncomplimentary remarks, but
not resisting the opportunity to observe before dismissing the incident from

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(November

THE GULL

1942)

our minds that if anybody else could do better at photographing skunks and
things, let him go right ahead and do it, and if somebody had not been so
afraid of a timid little animal it would not have gone down the hole and we
would have gotten some good pictures (maybe).

This made the score about even, so we parked the car and walked to the
point. It was too early for the gate to be unlocked, so we decided to go on to
Drake’s Bay, have our picnic lunch, and then see what Nature had in store
for us.

Nature had plenty. We had not long to wait after our luncheon until we
began to notice an enormous flock of dark birds flying over the water, barely
close enough for us to observe through the field glasses. It did not require much
brilliant deduction for us to conclude that they were the Sooty Shearwaters
that we had hoped to see. We watched them at this distance for about half an
hour, then noticed that they were coming close enough to be seen without
binoculars. Perhaps we would have an opportunity to photograph the flight!
Dorothy and I dashed for our cameras (the skunk episode being fresh in our
minds). We set them up and waited. The birds, a hundred-thousand-more-or-
less-strong, were slowly moving shoreward, making circular flights. Accord-
ing to our principle, that a distant shot is better than no shot at all, we be-
gan taking pictures of the flight at about five hundred feet. We had no way
of being certain that the flock would come closer if we stayed in that spot
for a week. After our return, I asked Ric to give me his version of the flight,
which I offer in lieu of kodachrome.

“The flight passed us flying southward at about five hundred feet from
the shore. Because there was a rather chilly on-shore breeze, Dorothy and
Laurel went back to the car, but Ariel and I stayed on the beach watching
the birds through the binoculars. Soon the large flock which had moved
south returned and began to settle on the water, just about opnosite where
we were sitting. The birds, as they would settle into this great raft which was
forming, seemed for the most part to be busy preening. While the raft was
still forming, five brown pelicans flew past between the shore and the mass
of shearwaters. Suddenly one of the pelicans wheeled in his flight and made
one of his curious corkscrew dives. This was the signal for the shearwaters.
They erupted like a cloud of smoke from a great oil fire and started feeding
again upon the school of fish which moved towards the shore. The shearwaters
in the rear would come up to the point where the fishing was going on, dive
down with a splash, move out to the side, and then take up their position
again in the advancing column. Above and to the sides of this mass of wheel-
ing, diving, and fluttering birds there were others which were flying more
or less in a circular manner, keeping close to the area where the birds were
diving after the fish. In the fringe of this swarm there were a few gulls and
pelicans. Just as the sun was going down over the horizon, the column came
to a point beyond the line where the first waves began to break, less than
seventy-five feet from where we were sitting. Then the sun went down. The
fish seemed to disappear, and the birds moved off-shore to form another raft.”

Soon after Dorothy and I had returned to the car and were putting our
cameras away, Ric sent Ariel to tell us that the birds were coming closer and
we had better try it again. We hurried to the beach, set up our cameras and
took some shots of the birds at various distances, the closest being about two
hundred feet. We did not dream that they would come closer. We knew our
film was just about gone, so we photographed the flight at that distance until
our film was all exposed. I had no more film along, but Dorothy had more in
the car. Ric dashed to the car for it. Then, with the shearwaters performing
their antics not more than seventy-five feet away from us for a period of
about twenty minutes, Dorothy struggled with putting the film in her Cine
Special. All her fingers suddenly became thumbs, and she did not get it pro-
perly placed until the birds had flown. Ric suffered a complete nervous break-
down during those minutes, and I felt sick with regret that I had not brought
more film because even though burning also with buck (or bird) fever I
could have loaded my magazine camera in less than a minute. Like the little
boy who recently wrote me that he “was learning about birds and he hoped

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(November

1942)

THE GULL

hG WThedSonatvni’hivm about film <the hard way) and I hone I learn!

I he booty Shearwaters have come again this fall. They have gorged them-

fj®8™ tbe sma llsh rhich our wat^s have provided. They havf wheeled
lieh t wl knmftK StUrf andwhei‘r Under wings have sparkled in the sunset
an^w^shnll h thM 1S S°' We ?105 to° that this world madness will pass
we shali be able to go again to the seashore without restriction to drink

1 e beauty of the shearwater flight and have the fun of trying to record the
scene in kodachrome. In the meantime, we can see it in our memory pictures
and share our experience with you. pictures,

— Laurel Reynolds, Piedmont, California

+ — + — +

OCTOBER FIELD TRIP

Alter an interim of several years, Mills College and the vicinity were
again visited on October 11th under the competent leadership of Mr. Donald
Brock, who knows this locality well. The morning was overcast after the
heavy lain oi the previous day, but by the afternoon it had cleared up, greatly
to the satisfaction of the birds and ourselves.

During the morning stroll through the campus, we were able to observe
seveial species at close range. Some of the group, including members of long-
standing, expressed the wish that they might tarry in the spots where bird-
ing seemed to offer the best opportunities to study the behavior of the
feathered creatures. This is a phase of our activities which I believe should
be developed in the months to come. Our travels may be restricted, but there
are still a number of places close at hand that are particularly favorable for
detailed observations. It is interesting to watch the actions of the Hermit
Thrush ( Hylocichla guttata ) as it lifts its “reddish brown tail, often at the same
time nervously opening and closing its wings’’ (Hoffmann). Contrast the
stolid, unemotional Brown Towhee ( Pipilo crissa/is ) who allows nothing to
disturb the even tenor of his ways; or note the sallies of the Black Phoebe
( Sayornis nigricans ) from a near-by perch in quest of a choice morsel for
Sunday dinner.

When the grounds of Mills College had been explored, we took an old
road towards Leona Heights. Here we spotted and identified an albino Town-
send Warbler ( Dendroica town send. ) in the midst of several other warblers.
After lunch, the majority of the group scrambled up a slippery, narrow trail
to the top of the canyon where they were rewarded by a superb view of the
bay area. We also had an opportunity to study the flight of the termites,
stimulated to leave their ground positions by the sun’s warmth after the
heavy rain of the previous night, and to note the eager manner in which they
were devoured by the sparrows and others. Mrs. Kelly gave some very in-
teresting data regarding this insect, and also pointed out some of the char-
acteristic geological formations of the region.

The 33 species that were identified are listed below:

Brewer Blackbird Western Belted Hermit Thrush

Bush-tit Kingfisher Plain Titmouse

House Finch Ruby-crowend Kinglet Brown Towhee

Red-shafted Flicker Red-bi’easted Nuthatch

Green-backed Goldfinch Slender-billed Nuthatch
Cooper Hawk Black Phoebe

Western Red-tailed Hawk Pine Siskin
Desert Sparrow Hawk Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned
Sparrow

Gambel Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Members attending were: Mesdames Austin, Kelly and Wallace; Misses
Fay, Kirk, Maclver, Paroni, Roscoe, Stanton, Sterne and Werner; Messrs.
Kelham, Myer, Wolff. We were also very pleased to have six guests with us
on the trip.

— Ivander Maclver, Historian

Anna Hummingbird
California Jay
Crested Jay
Junco

Spotted Towhee
Bewick Wren
Hutton Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Audubon Warbler
Townsend Warbler
(albino)

Downy Woodpecker
Wren-tit

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(November

THE GULL

1942)

OBSERVATIONS

The following observations have been reported:

Golden-crowned Sparrow, El Sobrante, Contra Costa Co., Sept. 13, Walter
W. Bradley.

Golden-crowned Sparrow, Sept. 18, Lewis Woodpecker, Oct. 3, Napa,
Joseph J. Webb. .

Two Townsend Warblers, Sept. 30, Berkeley Campus, Mrs. T. Eric Rey-
nolds.

8 Surf Birds, one Greater Yellow-legs, 2000-plus Sooty Shearwaters, Sept.
19, Cliff House, San Francisco; 20-plus Lewis Woodpeckers, Oct. 4, Straw-
berry Canyon, Berkeley; one Virginia Rail, August 28, Oakland; Ruby-
crowned Kinglets, Sept. 28, Piedmont Park; Audubon Warbler, Sept. 15, Pied-
mont Park; American Egret, Sept. 27, one male Shoveller, 402 Baldplates,
1706 Pintails ,and 56 Ruddy Ducks, Oct. 4, Lake Merritt, Oakland. In 1941 at
about the same date 1128 Pintails. All by Warren Fischer.

8 Avocets, Oct. 7, Alameda; Mockingbird, Alaska Yellow Warbler, Sept.
23, Berkeley Campus, Junea W. Kelly.

November Meeting: The

meeting will be held on Thursday,
the 12th, at 8 p.m., in the Assembly
Room, San Francisco Public Library,
Larkin and McAllister Streets, San
Francisco, with seventy-five members
and guests present.

Mr. Harry Borland, Eastman Ko-
dak Company photographer, will
show colored motion pictures of birds
of the Pacific Coast. Members may
bring guests.

4* — 4-

November Field Trip, which is the
twenty-fifth anniversary field trip,
will be taken on Sunday, the 15th, to
Mount Diablo in Contra Costa Coun-
ty. Members will meet at 9 a.m., at
40th and Broadway, Oakland. The
Key System “C” train (Piedmont —
40th Street line) leaves San Francisco
Terminal at 8:23 a.m.; arrives 40th
and Broadway, Oakland, at 8:50 a.m.
The caravan will form here and pro-
ceed out Broadway and through the
tunnel, where a stop will be made at
the East Portal to allow Berkeley cars
to join us. Mr. Bradley, Mr. Webb,
and Mrs. Kelly will be our leaders.
This promises to be a memorable ex-
pedition, and all members are urged

to attend.

4< — 4* 4>

October Meeting: The 301st reg-
ular meeting was held on the 8th in
the Assembly Room of the San Fran-
cisco Public Library, President Mrs.
Harold C. Austin presiding.

Dr. Robert T. Orr, Assistant Cura-
tor of Bii'ds and Mammals of the
California Academy of Sciences, San
Francisco, gave a most instructive
lecture on “Birds of the Santa Cruz
Mountains”. His slides showed the
various habitats. Dr. Orr explained
the plant associations as well as the
soil, climatic conditions, and topo-
graphy that makes possible these par-
ticular plant communities. When
people first begin studying birds they
are so interested in identifying the
species and in adding new ones to
their life list that they fail to take
the broader view of an ecologist. Dr.
Orr, through the presentation of his
subject, showed how a person can use
his knowledge of species in a never
ending study of local conditions.

The following were elected to mem-
bership: Miss Susannah L. Leffler,
Mr. George T. Kilham, San Francisco,
Mr. Frank A. Scott, Walnut Creek,
and Mrs. John S. Service, Berkeley.

AUDUBON NOTES

regular

Audubon Association of the Pacific

Organized January 25, 1917

For the Study and the Protection of Birds

President Mrs. Harold C. Austin 541 Boulevard Way, Piedmont

Corresponding Secretary Mr. Joseph J. Webb 519 California St., San Francisco

Treasurer Miss Ivander Maclver 2414 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

Editor Mrs. T. Eric Reynolds 140 Estates Drive, Piedmont

Monthly meeting second Thursday, 8 p.m.

Assembly Room, San Francisco Public Library, Larkin and McAllister Streets, San Francisco.
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.

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