Field Trip Report

May 15, 2010
Burleigh-Murray State Park
Half Moon Bay, CA
Leader: Alvaro Jaramillo
Report by Bill Bechtell

The focus of the trip was identification of birds by sound, not number of species sighted. That being said, the more interesting birds we saw, which we would have probably not seen without Alvaro's skill at recognizing their vocalizations, were Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeak, Wrentit and Common Yellowthroat.

It was a cool, overcast day and we hiked into the park about a mile.   Alvaro used recorded birdcalls to call in some of the birds, and discussed the pros and cons of that technique.  Essentially he thinks it is OK to use it with a group as a teaching tool, but it should not be overused.

Afterwards we went to Cameron's Pub nearby on Highway 1, adjacent to the POST Wavecrest property.  Cameron treated us all to a great barbeque, and shared his plans for a birder-oriented RV park on property adjacent to his pub.  He plans to convert a greenhouse on the property to an environmental education center and has offered Audubon a presence in the center when it comes to be.  Its proximity to Wavecrest makes it an ideal location for such a venture, and there is a need for more RV camping spots on the coastside.  He already has permission from the Coast Commission, and is now working on getting approval from the city of Half Moon Bay.