Site Report: Lake Merced , United States of America

Blow Fly (Compsomyiops callipes)

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Common Raven (Corvus corax)

American Tree-Creeper (Certhia americana)

Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) Adult and Juvenile

Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

Mew Gull (Larus canus) 1st Winter

Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Male

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Female

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) - Female

California Gull (Larus californicus)

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)

Hermit Warbler (Setophaga occidentalis)

Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

American Coot (Fulica americana)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)

Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) Adult and Juvenile

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1st Year Male

Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria)

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)

Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) - 2nd Winter

Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)

California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) on Statue

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Lake Merced is actually two lakes. The best spots for birding are on South Lake Merced, from the concrete bridge, North Lake Merced, from the wooden bridge. A third spot worth checking out is the boathouse area. There are a few fishing piers that get you into the bullrush, a great spot for finding marsh passerines.

Map of Site Report: Lake Merced , United States of America

Visits

2006-02-16: None
2006-09-17: None
2007-01-29: None
2007-02-17: None
2007-03-06: None
2007-04-24: None
2007-04-29: None
2007-07-24: None
2007-10-30: None
2008-05-10: None
2012-12-02: Walked around the north lake.
2012-12-16: Walked around south end of south lake to look for a reported Ross Goose.
2013-03-17: Walked around the impound lake.
2013-11-29: Walked from the South Lake to the beach on National Buy Nothing Day. There was very limited visibility on the beach, however.
2014-02-15: Walked around the southern lake looking for a reported Cinnamon Teal.
2015-01-19: Looking for reported Swamp Sparrow.
2016-01-30: Visit to the armory area across the street looking for reported Eastern Phoebe
2016-09-18:
2018-03-17:
2018-08-25:
2018-09-02:
2020-02-16: Concrete Bridge Area
2020-04-11:
2020-04-26:
2020-10-08:
2020-10-10:
2021-04-24:
2022-08-22: visit to the concrete bridge

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (101 records)

Phylum: Arthropods (2 records)

Class: Insects (2 records)

Order: Bees, Wasps, and Ants (1 record)
- Family: Hornets and Yellowjackets
- Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)

Order: Flies (1 record)
- Family: Blow Flies
- Blow Fly (Compsomyiops callipes)

Phylum: Chordates (99 records)

Class: Birds (97 records)

Order: Anseriformes (8 records)

Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies (2 records)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- American Coot (Fulica americana)
- Sora (Porzana carolina)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (3 records)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
- Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (3 records)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
- Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
- Family: Osprey
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (2 records)
- Family: Hummingbirds
- Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
- Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Order: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Motmots (1 record)
- Family: Kingfishers
- Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

Order: Pelicans (12 records)
- Family: Cormorants
- Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Family: Herons
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
- Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
- Family: Pelicans
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Family: Sandpipers and Allies
- Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
- Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)

Order: Perching Birds (53 records)
- Family: American Blackbirds and Orioles
- Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
- Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
- Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii)
- Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
- Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
- Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)
- Family: Bushtits
- Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
- Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)
- Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
- Family: Chickadees and Titmice
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
- California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
- Common Raven (Corvus corax)
- Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
- Family: Kinglets
- Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
- Family: Mockingbirds, Thrashers, and Allies
- California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)
- Family: New World Sparrows
- California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)
- Family: Nuthatches
- Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)
- Family: Starlings and Mynas
- European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
- Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
- Family: Treecreepers
- Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
- Family: Tyrant Flycatchers
- Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
- Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
- Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)
- Western Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
- Family: Vireos
- Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)
- Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)
- Western Warbling Vireo (Vireo swainsoni)
- Family: Wrens
- Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Order: Shorebirds and Allies (8 records)

Order: Vultures (1 record)
- Family: New World Vultures
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (4 records)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
- Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)
- Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
- Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)

Class: Mammals (1 record)

Order: Lagomorpha (1 record)
- Family: Leporidae
- Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani)

Class: Reptiles (1 record)

Order: Turtles (1 record)
- Family: Fresh Water Turtle
- Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta)

Lifelists

Trips

San Francisco 2007