One Hundred Fifty Geese and Counting

Every time this year, I'm graced with a West Petaluma fly-over by White-tailed Kites. 

It's a low flyover while I'm out in the back field on an early fog-filled morning, with no humans around. I just happen to look up and see beautiful white birds soaring by, no higher than 15 feet above my head.  

For the past few years, two pairs of White-tailed Kite adults have nested in our West Petaluma area. Later come the juveniles and the joy of watching first flyings and soarings with adults protectively soaring nearby.

A long-time Petaluman recently told me, up until a grove of tall eucalyptus trees was cut down several years ago by a property owner in West Petaluma, as many as 24 White-tailed Kites could be counted in and around those trees. No longer since  the trees were chopped down to the ground. 

So many in South Sonoma County are beginning to better understand upland habitat, open space, and preservation of mature trees and open foraging areas.  This understanding couldn't come at a better time, as impacts of climate change and relationships between sea level rise and coastal temperatures and cooler inland and upland areas may be fundamental for providing broader habitat choices and species preservation. 

This past Saturday, Nov. 12, at about 11:50 a.m., brought a surprise gift of sound before sight. 

I was outside and heard geese coming. By geese coming, that means honk, honk, honk above - when the sky signals geese are about to fly over.  I look up and sometimes can't see the geese because they're flying so high in the sky, but I can hear them.  Saturday was a significantly different preview.  The honking was loud and sustained - I thought - there must be a LOT of geese coming.  My instincts said look up and keep eyes there, they may be flying low enough to be seen.  Soon, at least 100 geese, possibly close to 150, flying in V-formation and honking, appeared in the Saturday morning sky - coming out of the West and flying Southeast. Were they headed for a stopover at Shollenberger Park? Perhaps. 

Now's the season to visit known birding areas* or just have ears and eyes open outside.  Winter migratory season is in full effect and Nature's gifts of bird sightings are likely to not disappoint. 

Just as these 150 geese flew overhead, they took a turn north in unison, almost in direct response to an about-to-fly over a populated area (downtown Petaluma). They turned left and instead flew over Northwest Petaluma. With humans downtown preparing for the Veterans Day Parade, perhaps the internal bird clocks said - turn left, fly away from a highly populated urban area. 

Geese and a few other species migrate in the "V" or "U" formation.  The wing tip vortex of the bird in front gives the goose behind an energy savings by reducing drag. Some say energy savings in flight through this formation can be as much as 50%.  (Source:  Chipper Woods Bird Observatory/Wild Birds Unlimited)

Humans often wonder how to bring the migrating bird experience closer to earth.  Researching nuts, seeds and fruits to put out in yard habitats for wintering birds is a fun adventure. Wild Birds Unlimited in Santa Rosa is a great resource for this.  Unfortunately, birds trying to fly South for Winter for habitat, warmth and abundant food sources are faced with many challenges. 

Many sources estimate about half of all birds won't make it back after their winter migration -- due to predators, bad weather, hitting tall buildings, windows or other structures, and being shot or trapped by sport hunters out for a thrill. But loss and degradation of habitat are still the greatest threats to migratory birds.  (Sources:  Audubon, Wild Birds Unlimited, eNature). 

Anything we humans can do - endeavoring to save and protect open spaces and land, habitat areas, and "migratize" our yard areas with small habitat stopovers may help. 

Did you know that most migratory songbirds, shorebirds and some waterfowl, migrate mostly at night in cooler temperatures, with calmer air and less chance of predation? These birds flap their wings to fly and catch the air currents.  This is why visiting stopover sites for migratory birds can offer a wonderful array of species and numbers of birds during Winter migratory season. 

By comparison, most raptors like hawks and vultures fly by soaring on rising currents of air, and they migrate during the day. This is because currents of air rise in relation to the sun heating the earth during daylight hours. Other birds migrating during daylight to catch flying insects in the process include smaller swallows, swifts and nighthawks. Watching for these species soaring on currents and flying during daylight can also be delightful and memorable.  (Source:  Smithsonian/Migratory Bird Center) 

With that in mind, the docent training for the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA) begins soon. The Copperfield's window in downtown Petaluma has a lovely display with more info.  The Wetlands Education Program developed by PWA and offered to our local school students, combined with PWA's ongoing habitat restoration program at Shollenberger Park and Alman Marsh, support and enhance protection of the sensitive Shollenberger/Alman habitat and ecosystem for birds and wildlife.

An ecotourist can enjoy visits to great birding and wildlife watching locations and, if a nice restaurant, shop and art gallery in proximity to a birding destination are available for a visit, this boosts economic support for our Sonoma County cities - by quiet naturalists who generally lead pretty gentle lives with low carbon footprints and a reverence for Nature. 

*Favorite birding and wildlife watching spots this time of year in Sonoma County include the Sonoma Coast near Bodega and heading toward Jenner, further north toward Sea Ranch, Shollenberger Park and Alman Marsh in Petaluma, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, and Sonoma Valley and Baylands.