Birding with a “Fledgling’s Mind”
October 11, 2021
Written by Lishka Arata, Senior Communications Coordinator
As a way to invite new birders into the conservation fold at Point Blue, we offered a beginning birder, family-friendly, in-person walk this year at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Preserve in Sebastopol, CA. It was on Saturday, September 25th from 9:30 to 11:30 am. With 14 satisfied guests, we’re encouraged to keep offering opportunities like this for Bird-A-Thon and beyond.
The morning started off with a slight snafu and a bit of confusion, but teamwork and community spirit prevailed. As the walk leader, I mistakenly gave my fledgling sign-ups the wrong address for our starting spot! Total fledgling move. Luckily it was right down the street and Rona Weintraub–a seasoned birder and Point Blue supporter, but fledgling to the birding location–helped by driving back and forth, letting folks know where the real starting point was. Phew!
Once we all got settled, we had a lovely introduction to our birding location from Anne Morkill, Executive Director of the Laguna Foundation. This was an extra special treat because we at Point Blue loved partnering with Anne in her role as the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Manager with our marsh and Farallones work and this day helped spark some excitement for new potential collaborations with conservation of the Laguna habitats.
We had a lovely flock of fledglings that included staff members and their families with budding young naturalists, longtime supporters of our work, and people brand new to Point Blue. We detected 25 bird species (see list below) and one exciting mammal sighting–a fox with something in its mouth (so maybe 2 mammals?)–in about two hours of birding. Some highlights included a Great Blue Heron foraging along the water’s edge, a scope view of a Red-Shouldered Hawk on a wire, and close and clear view of a flock of bushtits in a… bush.
Welcoming those who are new to observing the natural world with care and kindness is part of the legacy that Rich Stallcup left and part of our culture that we are dedicated to upholding. We can always learn something new if we keep cultivating a “fledgling’s mind” and we will always benefit from fresh perspectives. Thank you to all who joined and supported the Fledglings this year. There’s still time to donate! Just visit www.pointblue.org/birdathon and look for our team, the Fledglings First Year Birders.
Bird List:
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Oak Titmouse
- Bushtit
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Lesser Goldfinch
- House Finch
- Black Phoebe
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Turkey Vulture
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Anna’s Hummingbird
- California Scrub-Jay
- American Crow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Northern Mockingbird
- Song Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Spotted Towhee
- Golden-crowned Sparrow
- California Quail
- Great Egret
- Great Blue Heron
- European Starlings
- Acorn Woodpecker
