FWD: Hayward Shoreline Center staff cuts
Sun, 6 Dec 1998 20:08:55 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
From: Sheila Junge
To: Larry Tunstall
Subject: Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center cuts
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 13:15:35 -0800"Review of Operational Hours at Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center" will be considered at the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) Board of Directors meeting on Monday, December 7, 1998 at 7:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the HARD Office, 1099 E St., Hayward, CA 94541.
The underlying issue is staff cuts of over 20%. This has led to closing the Center for an additional day (currently closed Monday and Tuesday). The days closed may be changed to include a weekend day or the number of days closed may be increased. As you know, the Center is a valuable regional resource. School programs are attended by both local and out-of-district students. I know of birders who come from Martinez and Modesto to attend week-end programs. The center has many exhibits, both temporary and ongoing, and loans exploration packs to families for use while exploring the shoreline. It also provides the only restroom facilities in the area. Program cuts and loss of access to an educational resource are obvious issues. Another concern is increased dog activity. Birds nest very near the trail. When no staff is present dog owners are more likely to disobey the no dogs rule.
I hope that concerned birders and others will show their support for the Interpretive Center by attending the meeting or contacting the Board by fax or email. The fax number for the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District is (510) 881-6763. Their email address is haywardrec@aol.com. I would suggest addressing written comments to the Board. The directors are Douglas Morrison (president), Louis M. Andrade, Minane Jamison, Carol A. Pereira, and Richard H. Sheridan.
Thanks
Sheila Junge
Tilden & Miller/Knox on Sunday morning
Sun, 6 Dec 1998 20:39:15 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
At Alan Kaplan's birdwalk in Tilden Nature Area from the Environmental Education Center to Jewel Lake along the Upper Packrat trail, we had a couple of nice active mixed flocks, saw a lovely shaded hillside with beautiful frost covering the berry vines and all the dangling water droplets frozen solid, and had the unusual sight of a beautifully fresh-plumaged Ring-necked Duck in Jewel Lake. Here's the list:
Ring-necked Duck, Red-tailed Hawk (circling over the parking lot after the walk), American Coot (in Jewel Lake), Steller's Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Townsend's Warbler, California Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco.
Alan mentioned seeing a Say's Phoebe on Nimitz Way on his Thursday morning birdwalk.
After the walk, Ore and I went to check out the ducks in the pond at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. Highlight was at least four "brownhead" Red-breasted Mergansers. Here's the list:
Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Canada Goose, Mallard, American Wigeon, scaup (in the Bay), Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, unidentified hawk, American Coot, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, unidentified sandpiper (maybe a spotted), Ring-billed Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker (red-shafted), Western Scrub-Jay, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, unidentified warblers, California Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, House Finch, American Goldfinch.
On the way home, we saw a raft of over 100 Bufflehead off the tip of Point Emery.
Cold but beautiful morning, with lots of birds out and about.
Good birding,
Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
http://www.best.com/~folkbird/
Berkeley Waterfront
Sun, 06 Dec 1998 23:02:53 -0800
From: Lillian Fujii
This is a follow-up to a recent post from Larry. The City of Berkeley is undergoing a long process for developing the waterfront area. Golden Gate Audubon has commented on plans from time to time. I don't know about the single EIR process, but the GGAS Conservation Committee will attempt to review any EIR that is prepared and circulated if we find out in time. (Biggest conservation concerns are often created by entities that do not do EIRs for significant development projects.) If any birder would like to become involved with East Bay conservation issues, the GGAS East Bay Conservation Committee will gladly consider your input and can definitely benefit from help from other people committed to conservation. Although we have a dedicated group of volunteers, GGAS has a problem with too many issues and not enough people to cover them. For more information and/or to offer your assistance, feel free to E-mail me or call me at (510) 236-4167.
On a birding note, there were well over a dozen Redheads next to Charlie Brown's in Emeryville yesterday (Saturday). Steve and I were with a big group of beginners asking many questions so we couldn't take the time to count. If anyone is interested in leading groups of beginners by special arrangement, PLEASE let me know.
Thanks. Lillian Fujii