Marin Camping Trip

[MichaelLong]

This is for you Marin boys @Connor Cochrane @DLecy. 
I will be camping at Samuel P. Taylor State Park Memorial Day weekend, evening of may 26 to morning of may 29. This is probably to late to have a chance of any interesting migrants so my main goals will be

- Snowy Plover : Despite living 30km from some of the best breeding grounds for this species in Northern California, I can never seem to find these even after going on several trips expressly to find them. 
- Vireos, Huttons Warbling and Cassins : I’m not convinced these even exist as I haven’t seen even a toe of a blue legged tree goblin.

- Red Crossbill : Never seen one, I assume I need to go fairly high up to see these.

- Nuthatches, White-breasted Red-breasted and Pygmy : Never seen these outside of the Sierras and I don’t think I’ve seen White-breasted at all. I seem to have a bad track record with oak and chaparral associated species.

- Hermit Warbler : I’d love to see a male, probably same habitat as Crossbill

- Rufous-crowned Sparrow : The one the only the menace, if there’s one I won’t see this trip it’s this one. Again chaparral! Who would have guessed? 
 

Thanks in advance!!

 

(ps if you guys are in the area that weekend we could meet up???)

[Connor Cochrane]

How far are you able to travel for a day trip? You should be able to find all these birds within a 45 minute drive from where you're going to be staying. 

[DLecy]

I’m around that weekend and will be doing some birding. We can connect as the time gets closer.

[MichaelLong]

58 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said:

How far are you able to travel for a day trip? You should be able to find all these birds within a 45 minute drive from where you're going to be staying. 

My parents said that a 45 minute drive is fine but they mentioned something I didn't know before which is that we'll be camping with like 2 other families with small children who don't understand the concept of not scaring away little birds or staying quite to let me record audio.

58 minutes ago, DLecy said:

I’m around that weekend and will be doing some birding. We can connect as the time gets closer.

That's great! I'll see if my family will let me go a outing with you. (Mostly to escape the... above situation)

[Birds are cool]

9 hours ago, MichaelLong said:

My parents said that a 45 minute drive is fine but they mentioned something I didn't know before which is that we'll be camping with like 2 other families with small children who don't understand the concept of not scaring away little birds or staying quite to let me record audio.

Tell me about it. IMO the worst thing that can happen to you when you're birding. 

[Charlie Spencer]

1 hour ago, Birds are cool said:

Tell me about it. IMO the worst thing that can happen to you when you're birding. 

Not even close, even if we take physical injury and properly damage out of the equation.  For example, dense fog will obscure vision and muffle sound.

[Connor Cochrane]

20 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said:

 For example, dense fog will obscure vision and muffle sound.

That’s not out of the question for Michael…. That’s classic west Marin birding. 

[Kevin]

48 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said:

Not even close, even if we take physical injury and properly damage out of the equation.  For example, dense fog will obscure vision and muffle sound.

Rain makes it hard as well, plus the danger of you gear getting wet and in cold weather, it could be bad for your heath if you get caught in it.

[Snake Fingers]

1 hour ago, Charlie Spencer said:

Not even close, even if we take physical injury and properly damage out of the equation.  For example, dense fog will obscure vision and muffle sound.

 

13 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Rain makes it hard as well, plus the danger of you gear getting wet and in cold weather, it could be bad for your heath if you get caught in it.

Wind can really suck also, makes it hard to hear, concentrate, stand still, and can blow you around some which makes it hard to keep your gear steady. Combined with rain and you shouldn’t be out there.

[MichaelLong]

1 hour ago, Charlie Spencer said:

 For example, dense fog will obscure vision and muffle sound.

Is this some sort of weird joke that my home is too foggy to understand?????

 

39 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Rain makes it hard as well, plus the danger of you gear getting wet and in cold weather, it could be bad for your heath if you get caught in it.

I think you underestimate a San Franciscans ability to wear tshirts in 50 degree weather.

23 minutes ago, Snake Fingers said:

 

Wind can really suck also, makes it hard to hear, concentrate, stand still, and can blow you around some which makes it hard to keep your gear steady.

If I avoided birding when it’s windy I think I’d be birding for like 50 days a year….

[Snake Fingers]

15 minutes ago, MichaelLong said:

Is this some sort of weird joke that my home is too foggy to understand?????

 

I think you underestimate a San Franciscans ability to wear tshirts in 50 degree weather.

If I avoided birding when it’s windy I think I’d be birding for like 50 days a year….

These are all just things that make birding more annoying. I don’t believe any of them were directed towards you or your area. Also as to my wind post, I said: “Combined with rain and you shouldn’t be out there.” Not: “avoid birding when it’s windy.” Because strong winds blow rain right into you and you’ll be in a bad situation lickety quick. 

 

[Kevin]

I was just adding the the list of things that can make birding difficult. No more, no less.

[MichaelLong]

On 4/23/2023 at 5:57 PM, Connor Cochrane said:

How far are you able to travel for a day trip? You should be able to find all these birds within a 45 minute drive from where you're going to be staying. 

@Connor Cochrane you were going to give me some spots??

[Charlie Spencer]

On 4/24/2023 at 10:47 AM, MichaelLong said:

Is this some sort of weird joke that my home is too foggy to understand?????

 I have no clue where you live.  You mentioned where you’re going camping, not where you live.  Either way , it was a generic birding observation, not referring to a specific area. 

[Birds are cool]

On 4/24/2023 at 10:05 AM, Kevin said:

Rain makes it hard as well, plus the danger of you gear getting wet and in cold weather, it could be bad for your heath if you get caught in it.

That's a myth. I have birded in the rain for hours. Your gear getting wet is a different story all together.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

On 4/24/2023 at 10:05 AM, Kevin said:

Rain makes it hard as well, plus the danger of you gear getting wet and in cold weather, it could be bad for your heath if you get caught in it.

Unless you're in hazardous conditions, there's nothing inherently unhealthy about being wet and even a bit cold too.  In the military, that's called 'good training'.  (Toss in being hungry and it's 'damn good training').

[Kevin]

3 hours ago, Birds are cool said:

That's a myth. I have birded in the rain for hours. Your gear getting wet is a different story all together.

 

Maybe it is good birding in the rain elsewhere, but not here. I guess if it rains regularly the birds are much more accustomed to it, but it rains so rarely here everything goes into hiding. 

2 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said:

Unless you're in hazardous conditions, there's nothing inherently unhealthy about being wet and even a bit cold too.  In the military, that's called 'good training'.  (Toss in being hungry and it's 'damn good training').

In the warmer months being wet is just fine, but if it is cold out, no, just no.

[Snake Fingers]

12 hours ago, Kevin said:

In the warmer months being wet is just fine, but if it is cold out, no, just no.

This. It can definitely get dangerous if you’re cold and wet plus being outside, mainly because hypothermia since you lose body heat so fast. 

[MichaelLong]

I've refined my planned birding spots to these places although things will change is any new rarities pop up or if existing rarities disappear.

Drakes Beach - Northern Parula calls for me, a visual on Marsh Wrens or Virginia Rails would be nice

Mendoza Ranch - I want that Yellow-throated Warbler, any tips on birding this place will be appreciated as I can't find anything online

New Willows - Rose-breasted Grosbeak would be nice, I assume to get there you take the Elephant Seal Overlook trail?

Five Brooks Pond - I need Wood Duck for my life list, Hermit Warblers and Purple Martins breed in the area apparently

Fish Docks - Always good to check out, nothing of significant note here after the Blue Grosbeak left.

Again any tips and tricks will be gladly accepted and any more suggestions for birding locations will be greatly appreciated. 

 

[MichaelLong]

@Connor Cochrane @DLecy @Aidan B @AlexHenry 

Tagging you all because you all have been to these spots before. 

[DLecy]

1 hour ago, MichaelLong said:

@Connor Cochrane @DLecy @Aidan B @AlexHenry 

Tagging you all because you all have been to these spots before. 

I can respond later this evening, but in general, the outer point can be very different day to day. What vagrants are out there is highly dependent on the winds during spring and fall. 

The birds you highlighted may well not be there at all by next weekend. That being said, you should have no problem seeing Marsh Wrens at Drakes Beach and Wood Ducks at Five Brooks.

[IKLland]

45 minutes ago, DLecy said:

I can respond later this evening, but in general, the outer point can be very different day to day. What vagrants are out there is highly dependent on the winds during spring and fall. 

The birds you highlighted may well not be there at all by next weekend. That being said, you should have no problem seeing Marsh Wrens at Drakes Beach and Wood Ducks at Five Brooks.

This brings another point. What winds are best for eastern vagrants here in Cali? 

[DLecy]

3 hours ago, IKLland said:

This brings another point. What winds are best for eastern vagrants here in Cali? 

South or SE winds are generally best in both seasons.

[IKLland]

2 hours ago, DLecy said:

South or SE winds are generally best in both seasons.

And just to be clear(for me who knows nothing about how weather is done), this means winds OUT OF the S or SE, not winds blowing toward the S or SE, right?

[DLecy]

38 minutes ago, IKLland said:

And just to be clear(for me who knows nothing about how weather is done), this means winds OUT OF the S or SE, not winds blowing toward the S or SE, right?

Correct. In the most basic terms,  in the spring there are usually persistent NW winds, hindering bird movement (they are heading NNW after all). When the winds shift to coming out of the south, it creates a little bit of a window where birds can ride the proverbial escalator to the breeding grounds. This is when you get huge days of migrants at the Outer Point. Sometimes low winds days can produce this as phenomena as well.

The reverse tends to hold true in the fall. The strong NW winds create a great and easy train for the birds to ride heading southbound. Strong south winds hold all of that up, and birds stop over to rest and refuel, creating great conditions.

This is how it was explained to me out here, but I have no experience as to whether or not this holds up true and down the coast of CA, OR, and Wa, for example. And, there is always exceptions to the rule or great birds that show up out of nowhere...but this is the general rule of thumb.