How to Bird-Watch: A Traveler’s Guide

How to bird-watch: A traveler’s guide

According to a survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 96 million Americans are bird-watchers, or 37% of the population aged 16 and above. Most observe from home, but 43 million have traveled 1 mile or more to go birding. Sausalito’s Amy Tan, author of the book “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” knows why. “Birds are some of the most magical animals on Earth,” Tan said. “They fly, they sing crazy beautiful songs, they have amazing navigatio…

Field Notes: Amy Tan Watches Birds, a Pop Star Emerges in Marin, and a Lost Gay Film is Found

Lost gay film resurfaces at Frameline screeningA once-forgotten 1970 queer film, The Meatrack, is returning to the screen after a partial print was rescued from the trash. Directed by Mike Thomas, who ran several local theaters at the time — including the Presidio Theater and North Beach Movie, and often described as a San Francisco take on Midnight Cowboy, the gritty feature follows a bisexual hustler navigating life and love in the city’s unde…