Winter / Spring 2008

Birdwatching

“Birdwatching is like a treasure hunt, you never know what you will find.” David Jensen, President of the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society tells us on one of his third Saturday of each month birdwatching hikes through the Mendocino Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg.

Want to be better at finding the birds? He tells us to use our ears as well as our eyes when we enjoy the pleasure of the out of doors. He can identify every little chirp and tweet that floats through the gardens and coaches each participant on the walk how to listen, inventing charming little tunes to capture the bird call. He goes on to say that one of the best ways to find a bird is to look for a lot of movement in the trees and shrubs and then look closer and then closer for the bird. Voila! It is true, sweet little Wilison’s Warblers and loud Stellar Jays are right there! This is really fun.

Speaking of Stellar Jays, David comments that the Stellar is the most intelligent of our feathered friends and it will even learn to talk!! The jay is quite a regal looking bird with a beautiful blue body and a black crest. He is very active and very loud.

I thought it was very interesting to learn that there are only two hummingbirds on the Mendocino Coast: Anna with its red throat and all green jewel-like body and Allen both of which are everywhere in the gardens. The Anna lives on the coast all year and Allens spend summers on the coast (smart bird). Their nests are lichen, held together with spider webs. It reminds me of a fairy land tale. Don’t you agree?

We wander around the well-manicured, 47 acre gardens where everything is beautiful; the plants are lush and all are labeled. Walking on the miles of garden trails, we get to see an awesome array of beautiful birds as well as California native plants, brilliant perennials, glorious rhododendrons, lovely lavender, tempting herbs, an inviting vegetable garden, ferns and trees—a wealth of visual beauty.

The Mendocino Coast Audubon Society has an informational website where I found some “confessions” from our intelligent leader, David Jensen. His notes in “The Whistling Swan” reveal a few of his secrets. Look it up online, www.gardenbythesea.org.

Early morning bird walks in the gardens are designed for the novice as well as the advanced birder so everyone benefits from the adventure. David delights everyone with his sense of humor, and great stories about birds, exuding a warmth of character. David recommends the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of the United States, although he carries a well-marked Petersen’s Fields Guide to Birds because it fits into his pocket perfectly.

Come join David Jensen and the energetic group of birdwatchers every third Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens for a real coastal treat. If you don’t have binoculars, he usually has an extra pair. See you there.