As a Consulting Biologist, and as a birding guide since 1981, Daniel Edelstein works full-time in the environmental consulting field. Possessing permits for California Clapper Rail, California Tiger Salamander, and listed fairy shrimp species, his role as a Consulting Biologist is a long-time professional niche that requires him to conduct field surveys for common and special-status animals (and plants). Follow-up compliance reports are submitted to agencies, consulting firms, and landowners/stakerholders. His wildlife survey background includes past and current bird point counts and nest monitoring at proposed wind power sites.
Concurrently, Daniel often leads San Francisco Bay Area birding tours and California bird watching trips. He has presented his adult birding classes, slide shows and field training workshops in more than 20 states.
Daniel teaches diverse college-level bird classes (at Merritt College where he is an Adjunct Faculty member in its Biology Dept.) Fundamentals of Ornithology, Bird Song Ecology/Birding By Ear*, Raptors, Wood-Warblers on the West Coast (& Midwest/East Coast), and The Miracle of Migration: The Amazing Nomadic Lives of Birds & Other Animals and at other adult education settings. (* Print his Top Ten Tips For Improving Your Bird By Ear handout and other Northern California bird migration information.)
Known for his 30+ years of watching and studying wood-warblers (Parulidae family), Daniel’s popular Warbler Watch blog and warbler tips ID chart offer fast relief for birders seeking warbler identification help (including solutions for identifying confusing fall warblers). Recurring seasonal land and sky events (i.e., phenology) are highlighted at Daniel’s homemade Nature Watch Calendar.
In addition to San Francisco birding spots that often attract rare San Francisco birds, destinations for Daniel’s birding trips in the Bay Area include Point Reyes National Seashore (and its Outer Point/Lighthouse area) and many other nearby and northern California prime-time birding spots such as Bodega Bay, Bodega Head, Doran Park, Muir Woods, Bolinas Lagoon, Tomales Bay State Park, Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, Elkhorn Slough, Golden Gate Park, Yuba Pass, Sierra Valley, Hawk Hill, Mines Road, Del Puerto Canyon, Mount Diablo, Lake Merritt, Lake Merced, and Palo Alto Baylands.
Uncommon to rare San Francisco Bay Area birds that he helps birders find include Northern Spotted Owl, Black Rail, California Clapper Rail, Yellow Rail, Marbled Murrelet, Western Snowy Plover, and California Condor, in addition to area specialties such as Swainson’s Hawk, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Hermit Warbler, Yellow-Breasted Chat, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Brown Pelican, Brant, Cassin’s Vireo, Rock Wren, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Tricolored Blackbird, Lewis’ Woodpecker, California Thrasher, Sooty Grouse, and Bank Swallow.
Feel free to visit his popular Wood-Warbler Blog and his Daniel’s Merritt College Classes blog that features his adult birding classes.
Please contact Daniel at edelstein@earthlink.net, 415-382-1827.
