Site Report: Fort Funston, United States of America

Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Male

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) 1st Summer

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) 1st Summer

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) Breeding






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Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Male

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) 1st Summer

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) 1st Summer

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) Breeding
Fort Funston is a former military installment in the southwest corner of San Francisco. The habitat consists of sandy dunes with a steep cliff of sandstone leading down to a sandy beach area. The vegetation is largely introduced ice plant with a stand of monterey pines. The cliff area gives you a wide view of the ocean, and this is one of the better places in the city to see sea birds.
Visits
- 2007-03-06: A quick visit out to the coast to look for loons.
- 2007-04-25: None
- 2007-06-20: None
- 2010-01-04: Scoped the nearby high tide from the hang glider platform.
- 2014-11-18: Seawatching
Species Seen
Kingdom: Animals (23 records)
Phylum: Chordates
(23 records)
Class: Birds
(22 records)
- Order: Anseriformes
(3 records)
- Family: Swans, Geese, and Ducks
- Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
- Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
- White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)
- Order: Pelicans (9 records)
- Family: Grebes
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
- Family: Herons
- Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
- Family: Loons
- Common Loon (Gavia immer)
- Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica)
- Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
- Family: Pelicans
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Family: Sandpipers and Allies
- Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
- Order: Perching Birds
(3 records)
- Family: American Blackbirds and Orioles
- Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Common Raven (Corvus corax)
- Family: Swallows
- Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
- Order: Shorebirds and Allies
(5 records)
- Family: Auks, Murres, Guillemots, and Puffins
- Common Murre (Uria aalge)
- Family: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
- Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni)
- Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus)
- Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
- Order: Tubenoses
(2 records)
- Family: Shearwaters and Petrels
- Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)
- Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea)
Class: Mammals
(1 record)
- Order: Carnivorans
(1 record)
- Family: Phocidae
- Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)