Fwd: Alleged Ivory Billed Woodpecker sighting
Wed, 2 Feb 2000 09:37:40 PST
From: Mark Rauzon
This off-subject item may interest some
http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0001/30/30woodpecker.html
Mark Rauzon
Editor's note: This article deals with an alleged sighting of a pair of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers by a college student in April 1999 near Picayune, Louisiana.
Fwd: Smew
Wed, 2 Feb 2000 09:52:52 -0800
From: Don Lewis
Fwd: Smew
Wednesday, February 02, 2000 7:51 AM
To: Calbird
From: Bob ReilingSmew
Mon, 31 Jan 2000 13:45:07 -0800
To: birding at ncal.net
From: Glen HolsteinAt 3 PM on Saturday, January 29, I saw the Old River Smew 1 mile east of the Tracy Boulevard bridge. I was standing on the south levee road 10 yards west of a large dairy when the smew landed in the river 20 yards farther west. As I moved toward it for a closer look it flew westward and landed 50 yards east of my son Dylan, who was 0.5 miles east of the bridge on the same levee road. He saw it land, fly east, return, and then fly east again across fields (not along the river). Consequently we were both fortunate enough to see this beautiful bird despite being in locations 0.5 miles apart.
Glen Holstein
All,
People should be aware that this is the kind of luck required to see the Smew. They should also be aware that any bird on the water (except possibly Pied-billed Grebes) will fly if one gets closer than 100 yards (20 yards would seem to be exceptionally close for the Smew). On Tuesday (2/1/00) five of us walked to and at least a mile and a half beyond the dairy. At the same time kayakers were working the river west of the Tracy Blvd. bridge and later joined us on the eastern portion of the river. They were in two-way radio contact with our group. The Smew was not seen. After lunch a small group of us walked the north edge of the river west from a point 1/4 mile west of the private picnic island for about another two miles without seeing the Smew. (The only Common Goldeneye seen were on this portion of the river.) As we drove home we saw two birders walking east about a half mile east of the dairy and I don't know what they saw, if anything. Many people have made multiple trips to the river (one birder from Livermore was on his 6th try yesterday).
People should be aware that there are large portions of Old River that cannot be seen from the accessible dikes. They should also be aware that an awful lot of water is available a short distance north and northwest of Old River. Weekend hunts are probably most successful because the Smew is being forced to make multiple flights by people making recreational use of the waterways, islands and dikes (in addition to birders). Just how lucky do you feel?
Take care and good luck,
Bob Reiling, 7:31 AM, 2/2/00
Hilltop sightings, January 31
Wed, 02 Feb 2000 17:11:06 -0800
From: Tom Condit
On Monday, 31 January 2000, I had business at the Hilltop Mall, so I took a walk around the "secret park" there (which may be named "Hilltop Lake Park" or may not). Here's what I saw:
Mallards (a few)
Canvasbacks (many)
Buffleheads (many)
Ruddy Ducks (a few)
park ducks (a few)
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coots gull sp. (California or Ring-billed, I think) Mourning Doves
Anna's Hummingbirds (several)
Red-shafted Northern Flickers
Black Phoebes
Western Scrub-Jay
Bushtits (apparently feeding on willow catkins)
American Robins
Yellow-rumped Warblers
California Towhees
Golden-crowned Sparrows
White-crowned Sparrows
Dark-eyed Juncos
"Many" in reference to ducks above means in proportion to the size of this small lake or pond.
I found an easy access to this park via the parking lot at the YMCA, 4300 Lakeside Drive (although I walked down from Macy's).
One interesting little observation: A red-shafted flicker chased a Black Phoebe away from a patch of brush which it apparently considered "its" territory. There were a group of three flickers, keeping close together.