$2,662
Raised of $1,500
Based on 168 species observed each worth $15.85
Megan Jankowski
Fundraiser Profile
168/140 species observed
Participating in 2025 Birdathon Friends and Family Fundraising
Feb 10 - May 16, 2025
Support our birds, support our birders
Before I ever became active with GGBA I worked as a nest searcher for five summers in Arizona as an employee of the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. (The photo above is me in 2008 with a Steller's Jay nestling in my hand). Co-op units are a federal-state partnership. I was a state employee, but my boss was a federal USGS scientist, and we operated with federal funding, such as NSF grants. The work I contributed to furthered understanding of biology, of climate interactions, and for me personally was a formative experience. I worked in a beautiful National Forest living out of a tent for three months at a time, experiencing the Ponderosa Pine forest in ways that few truly do; waking up to bird song or squirrel chatter through a thin canvas wall, hiking 9 hours a days finding birds' nests and measuring their eggs and young, not showering for a week at a time, living through monsoon hailstorms. It was hard work, I was not paid enough, and I loved it.
I am deeply concerned with the current wholesale purge of scientists and public lands workers from the federal government. This directly affects people I know, great scientists who worked alongside me, as well as many dozens who worked and trained at that field site over 20 years. It will reduce our knowledge of the natural world, lead to declines in species and mismanagement that will lead to more destructive fires. Federal funding touches many people, and the work that federal employees does is a bedrock that impacts us all.
I believe if our government is good for anything, it should be to keep its citizens prosperous and safe, and a large scale purge of federal workers is the antithesis of a functioning, healthy society. I have a passion for birds and wildlife but I understand that not everyone does. To some people, money towards wildlife research might be seen as frivolous, government waste. I would counter that most of that money spent goes to salaries which keep people employed, housed, and sends money right back into the economy. There is so much important work in our world that doesn't turn a profit or increase shareholder value but is invaluable to some, and financially supportive to many. Who else but the government will fund such a thing?
I do not believe there is an easy way out of our current situation, it will take work. I also believe that we are not a fundamentally different country than perhaps that of fifteen years ago. There are still many people who care about science, about caring for community (whether that be people or nature). I believe that we are stronger together. I also believe that "No one way works. It will take all of us shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down" -- or to build it up. Please believe that you have agency and what you do matters, whatever it is.
If one of those things is donating to Golden Gate Bird Alliance, here's my pitch: Golden Gate Bird Alliance is a great Bay Area community and resource and I'm very proud to be a volunteer. Since 2018 I've led free bird walks for GGBA. I'm a Master Birder graduate (class of 2018) and I've also benefited greatly from the classes on gulls, winter shorebirds, evolution and birding by ear. Donating to GGBA supports the talented staff who facilitate not only the field trips and adult education classes, but also conservation efforts, eco-ed classes for children, the monthly speaker series and the annual Christmas Bird Counts.
If you believe everything political is personal, that everything personal is local, then throw some $$$ to your local bird group if you can. If my bird walks have inspired at least one person to advocate for birds, I'd consider it a success. If you can't donate at this time, or want to focus on national issues please join us on a bird field trip!
This year I've been committed to doing one eBird checklist a day for the entire year. It's been a great way to make sure I'm doing one grounded activity per day and spending time paying attention to the world around me.
You can pledge a flat amount at any time or pledge per species (yes, it allows pledges less than a dollar per species!) and your credit card will be charged when the campaign ends. Thank you!
Megan Jankowski
1 mo. ago
6
species observed
$15.85
Per species observed
$95.10
Earned
I've finished Birdathon with 168 species! This past weekend my boyfriend and I went to visit a friend in Nevada City. The highlight of the weekend was a beautiful singing Nashville Warbler. I also managed to pick up a Mountain Chickadee, and several Western Wood-Pewees were singing as we floated on a small lake.
At Salesforce Park this week I saw a Black-headed Grosbeak. This was my first one at the park, and the first one I've seen so far this spring, though I've heard a lot. Also present at Salesforce was a beautiful male Hooded Oriole this week, hanging out on a redwood.
My White-crowned Sparrow nestlings from last update fledged. I also found a White-crowned nest at Salesforce Park, but unfortunately some kind of predator got into the nest. I did however get some surprise Black Phoebe fledglings this week, pictured here with one of the parents swooping in. The Phoebes are a real mystery to me in the breeding season. They are silent and undetectable all spring and then suddenly they appear with fledglings?!
Thanks again to everyone who donated! I had a lot of fun these past few months.
Megan Jankowski
2 mo. ago
6
species observed
$15.85
Per species observed
$95.10
Earned
Migratory birds have been slow to arrive in the Bay Area and I've only added 6 species, but there's still been a ton of wildlife activity since my last update. On the 19th I helped with BART's "One Book One BART" book club nature walk at Lake Merritt. We met at 19th Street station and walked to the Rotary Nature Center. This walk was guided by author Jeff Miller, who wrote the great "Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide". I was there to help point out birds to the large group. My favorite bird of the day was a Song Sparrow fledgling.
Recently I was awoken at 6am by crows. I went outside to see what they were yelling at only to get a glimpse of a raccoon sliding into a sewer. My neighbor's crows' nest has since hatched, though I can't see the nestlings yet.
I spotted a fledgling Red-Shouldered Hawk one day on my commute. I haven't seen it or any hawks in the area since though!
There have been fledgling Lesser Goldfinches and White-crowned Sparrows recently by my house. Normally this time of year I would have seen a bunch of White-crowned Sparrow fledglings at Salesforce Park. I haven't seen a single one yet, but I did just this evening find this White-crowned Sparrow nest a block from my house!
Megan Jankowski
2 mo. ago
3
species observed
$15.85
Per species observed
$47.55
Earned
The best animal of the past week wasn't a bird, it was a bobcat! My friend Sharon and I took a late evening hike at Tilden with the intent of hearing owls and maybe seeing poorwills. We did hear some Great-horned owls, but more importantly we saw TWO bobcats. Both were very tolerant of us and other hikers. We even saw one pounce onto prey and then eat it on the trail. I might have to make evening hikes a regular thing.
New birds this week were a singing California Thrasher in Tilden, a singing House Wren in Walnut Creek and a pair of Osprey over my West Oakland neighborhood. It's not far from the Bay for a bird, but it's always weird to see them traverse over my very urban neighborhood. Both times that I've seen them here I've been alerted to them by their vocalizations, and it always takes a second to place what I'm hearing since it's so unexpected.
I found a nest of robins yesterday, very alert and ready to fledge. The crows nesting in my neighbor's yard should be hatching any day now.
Megan Jankowski
3 mo. ago
8
species observed
$15.85
Per species observed
$126.80
Earned
Very predictably I got sick from my trip, which means I missed a whole weekend of birding. I made up for it this past weekend with two GGBA trips. First up was a Birdathon walk at Glen Canyon, a joint history and bird walk with Evelyn Rose of https://www.glenparkhistory.org/. Some highlights were a Red-tailed hawk being mobbed by a Steller's Jay, a Cooper's Hawk, and a coyote sighting! One of the participants showed me the Great Horned Owl roost location this year, as they seemed to have relocated.
Yesterday I co-led the monthly walk at San Francisco Botanical Garden. We got decent looks at singing Wilson's Warblers, a bad look at a singing Pacific Wren, three kinds of hawks, a flyover Great Blue Heron and lots of Selasphorus hummingbirds, including one Allen's gathering nesting material.
In nest news, the two mourning doves nests I've been watching fledged. I'm hoping the birds will renest in the same place as they have in previous years. Also some crows have taken up in a neighbor's tree again, and I think they're currently incubating. I also found a robin's nest that I think is new and I'm hoping to see activity at it soon. I also have a couple of bushtit nests that I'm watching. They're hard to monitor because you either have to get lucky and see a bird go in, or you have to sit a long time and wait. And I frankly don't have the time to wait! I'm hoping both get to the nestling stage. At that time you can often hear the nestlings.
Megan Jankowski
3 mo. ago
25
species observed
$15.85
Per species observed
$396.25
Earned
I just got back from a short trip to Ohio, and while there I added 25 species to my list. I spent a lot of time feederwatching (because it was so cold, and also because my mom keeps her feeder well-stocked) but also got out to some of the local parks. Some highlights were a single Sandhill Crane, thousands of Lesser Scaup on Lake Erie, one Red-headed Woodpecker, many Red-bellied Woodpeckers, many cardinals and Blue Jays, and a pair of Wood Ducks. The Common Grackles, pictured below, can be easily seen at feeders but they are so gorgeous. I also spotted a Chipping Sparrow, a pair of Carolina Wrens and one Swamp Sparrow.
I got what were my first looks at the red color morph of a Fox Sparrow. In the Bay Area we have the Sooty morph. The red was super beautiful!
I also saw a few Bald Eagles, which are really common there now if you go to the right habitat.
