Site Report: Bernal Hill

Bernal Heights is a hilltop park in East-Central San Francisco. This park has excellent views of Downtown San Francisco, and it can be a good place to see raptors and other soaring birds. The highlight of the park is the American Kestrel. Also, especially common are Common Raven, Western Gull, and Red-tailed Hawk. I usually approach the park via a series of stairways starting from the Mission. The stairways are through gardens, and you might be rewarded with a flock of Cedar Waxwing (Best month March), California Towhee, Northern Mockingbird, Scrub Jay, American Robin, Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, or Anna's Hummingbird. In winter, you can usually find Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow. Once you reach the top of the hill, you should start looking for American Kestrels. They are often on the wires above the park, and, on windy days, you can see them hovering on the west side of the park. Red-tailed Hawks are often on the top, and they sometimes push the Kestrels to lower altitudes. As for the Ravens, I have seen up to 30 in a flock on the top. Check the trees on the top of the hill for Dark-eyed Junco. The Esmeralda Staircase hosted a pair of Great-horned Owls for a time. During the spring and summer, there are occasional flocks of Barn or Cliff Swallow. Some of the more unusual sightings from the park include Acorn Woodpecker (seen twice in the same tree about one year apart), White-throated Swift, Double-crested Cormorant, Bonaparte's Gull, and Cooper's Hawk. Be mindful of the off-leash dogs in the park. A few of them feel threatened by scopes.