Date: 8/25/26 1:21 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] Breeding and migration notes and a health concern for bird feeders
Breeding season is pretty much a wrap with the exception of grebes and Columbids. We were able to get confirmation for our last two target species.
Green Heron - A recently fled juvenile was photographed by Nico Stuurman at Lake Merced on 8/10 in the very same area where a pair had been observed for the previous several months
Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher - Fledglings were observed at North Lake in Golden Gate Park by Eddie Bartley and Noreen Weeden in mid July and near the Main Post in the Presidio by Emily C in early August.
This brings the total of breeding confirmations for San Francisco City and County (Including Farallones) to 96 for the first year of the Atlas effort. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Migrant activity has been increasing with some of the more notable in recent days:
Northern Harrier - fly-over juvenile during the "Birding the Hill" hike/Corona Hill 8/15
White-tailed Kite - Mount Sutro 8/23
Olive-sided Flycatcher - Corona Hill 8/15
Willow Flycatcher - a nice push the past two days; East Wash and West Wash 8/24, Laguna Honda Hospital (garden) Corona Hill 8/25
Cassin's Vireo - East Wash 8/24
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 5 over Pine Lake 8/16
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 Mount Sutro 8/24, a region wide irruption appears to be underway with multiple birds being noted throughout the city in recent days as well as on the Farallones/Outer Point Reyes migrant traps and even on boats well offshore
Swainson's Thrush - Pine Lake 8/20
Cedar Waxwing - Corona Hill 8/15
Common Yellowthroat - Laguna Honda Reservoir and 7th Avenue Community Garden 8/20
MacGillivray's Warbler - Corona Hill 8/22
AMERICAN REDSTART - Land's End Trail between Deadman's Seep and East Wash 8/24
Hermit Warbler - Pine Lake 8/20
Lazuli Bunting - Corona Hill 8/15 and 8/19 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, for anyone who puts out seed feeders for the birds in your neighborhood, please keep an eye out for individuals showing symptoms of Avian Pox typified by wart-like growths around unfeathered body parts - usually around the eyes/bill and sometimes legs. I've noticed several instances recently on birds going to residential feeding stations around Corona Hill starting in mid-July. If you see birds showing this at your feeders consider taking them down for a while or at the least step up hygiene protocol with more frequent disinfection. Same goes for water features, fountains and similar.
