Bird School meets Brightworks in San Francisco

This morning we spent quite a while at Glen Canyon Park in San Francisco with our new friends from San Francisco Brightworks. We explored the park's many habitats, from Eucalyptus groves, to dense thickets, and chaparral. Thanks to the watchful eyes of the Brightworks students, we found over twenty different species on our jaunt!

Our good friend, and Brightworks teacher, Mackenzie Price and her ever-curious crew.

One of the many aspects that makes Glen Park Canyon a unique environment for birds.

In our beginning circle, the students spotted a Red-tailed Hawk. We watched it swooping over the meadow and dive bombing (unsuccessfully) some sort of prey in the morning light. After this spectacular aerial display, Darrow spotted a bird flying high in the sky. A Peregrine Falcon! Wow, we were off to a good start. A few more minutes into the forest canopy and we saw a bright flash of yellow land in the tree in front of us.

It didn't take long for the students from Brightworks to discover this Townsend's Warbler in the field guide.

After staring into the canyon for a few minutes we had to spend some time with our field guides to make sure we had gathered everything we had just seen.  A Western-Scrub Jay, Yellow-rumped warbler, Common Ravens, and a Townsend's Warbler. And, we were hearing even more.

Teamwork. Its always helpful to go birding with a friend.

We kept moving up the canyon into the forest and took a break in the shade to talk about some of the main differences between birds.

Into the woods we go!

It doesn't take long to list the reasons for birds growing feathers. Or, does it?

Our discussion lead us to bigger questions like, "How did birds begin to grow feathers?" We sat in the trees, puzzling over the development of flight and wondering, "Why might feathers be helpful?" Piece by piece, we put together a pretty viable reason for birds to grow feathers and have other adapted traits for flight. 

Darrow shows off the talons and hooked bill of the Coopers Hawk while telling the story of Archaeopteryx.

A demonstration of the patience it sometimes takes to find small song birds high up in the canopy.

Our walk was perfectly concluded with another exciting aerial display between two Red-tailed hawks, swooping and shrieking across the midday sky. Huge thanks to San Francisco Brightworks for spending their day outside with us! Keep birding!

Species list: Red-tailed hawk, Common Raven, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Flicker, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Gull sp., Steller's Jay, Western Scrub Jay, American Crow, Anna's Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Townsend's Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Rock Dove, House Sparrow