Baby bird-o-rama at Stow Lake (SF)

Birding at Rhododendron Dell & Strybring Arboretum (SF) »

Baby bird-o-rama at Stow Lake (SF)

26 April, 2007 by Adam R. Paul

For lunch today, Sarah & I got sandwiches in the Inner Sunset and went to Stow Lake to see what birds were afoot. Sarah walks there nearly every morning and has seen numerous chicks recently, so I brought along my camera to see what I could see.

Canada Goose gosling

A pair of Canada Geese had 7’ish goslings with them, closely watching them against the calling Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and numerous Western Gulls that were nearby. Not past where they were Sarah showed me a Pied-billed Grebe nest. At midday the youngsters were mostly tucked under mamma, but they occasionally poked their cute stripey little heads up – Pied-billed Grebes are small birds to begin with, and their young are truly tiny! Unfortunately the lighting was poor and the birds were fairly deep in brush, limiting photo ops.

Pied-billed Grebe and chicks

As we ate our sandwiches, several Steller’s Jays came to see if we were giving out handouts (we weren’t), as did a half-dozen Brewer’s Blackbirds. The gulls and pigeons, fortunately, stayed away. A couple of Violet-green Swallows flitted about, and several Great Blue Heron nests showed peeks of their weeks-old youngsters.

Mallard duckling

While we were admiring the Pied-billed Grebe nest, a female Mallard with 8 ducklings in a row came out of the bushes, saw us, and hurried back – I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many young birds at one time! Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Mallard, and Pied-billed Grebe – wow!

Great Blue Heron and juvenile

Alas, work beckoned, and I couldn’t stay to photograph to my heart’s content, which I would have loved to have done! I must return as often as possible to see if I can get excellent photos of the PBG chicks.

Birds seen:
– Brewer’s Blackbird
– Canada Goose (with chicks)
– Great Blue Heron (with chicks)
– Mallard (with chicks)
(Muscovy Duck)
– Pied-billed Grebe (with chicks)
– Red-shouldered Hawk
– Red-tailed Hawk
– Rock Pigeon
– Steller’s Jay
– Violet-green Swallow
– Western Gull

() = domestic/released bird

8 Responses

on 26 April, 2007 at 22:36 aullori

You take the most amazing photos and wow, you know your birds – I love that dedication! I’m working on bird watching (on a real small level nothing like what you do) and would love to link your blog with your permission.
on 27 April, 2007 at 01:05 Si

Gorgous photos. love them
on 27 April, 2007 at 07:27 Adam R. Paul

Thanks for commenting, Aullori & Si! Certainly feel free to link to my blog, Aullori.
on 27 April, 2007 at 09:12 aullori

sweet thank you.
on 27 April, 2007 at 11:14 mon@rch

Adam, as you know, I just LOVE that grebe photo! For sure this is a great time of the year!
on 28 April, 2007 at 06:40 Adam R. Paul

Aullori: You’re welcome!

Tom: Thanks! Can’t wait to return and see more of ’em!
on 1 May, 2007 at 08:03 gloria gold

These photos are awesome. I’ve been walking and/or jogging Stow Lake for over twenty years, and have actually seen these marvelous new babies. But your pictures gave me a much closer look than I got while walking! Thanks so much.
Actually, the mother with eight chicks had 11 in the beginning, but alas, the predatory birds – gulls, hawks, even herons, love to feast on little chicks. One little lone mother mallard started with four babies and was down to only one the other day, and yesterday, we saw the lonely mother, with no chicks. Guess its the law of the wilds.

I would love to see any more pictures you tak, and think you should have them published somewhere – bet the Chronicle would like to feature them, maybe in their Sunday Magazine section.
on 1 May, 2007 at 15:31 Adam R. Paul

Thanks, Gloria – I will post any good ones on this blog when and if I take any (hopefully I’ll get back there this week before they all get grown/eaten!).