Berkeley Marina
Thu, 07 Dec 2000 21:13:45 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
On Alan Kaplan's East Bay Regional Parks birdwalk this morning, we began at the Berkeley Pier and later walked along the Old Dump Road between the Berkeley Meadow and the North Sailing Basin. These names are not found on most maps, but simply go north from University Ave on Marina Blvd until the water appears on your right (just before you get to Cesar Chavez Park). Park there and walk out the paved road on the south edge of the water. You get good looks at water birds in the North Sailing Basin on your left, at raptors (and in our case a kingfisher) on the telephone wires, and land birds in the brushy flatland to your right.
Here's our list for the morning at both locations. As always, numbers are very approximate.
Common Loon - 2
Horned Grebe - 6
Eared Grebe - 5
Western Grebe - 5
Clark's Grebe - 2
Brown Pelican - 3
Double-crested Cormorant - 1
Great Egret - 2
Canada Goose - 32
American Wigeon - 2
Canvasback - 1
Lesser Scaup - 750
Bufflehead - 15
Common Goldeneye - 2 females
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Ruddy Duck - 800
White-tailed Kite - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1
American Coot - 12
Black Oystercatcher - 6
Spotted Sandpiper - 1
Heermann's Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 5
Herring Gull - 15
Western Gull - 30
Forster's Tern - 1
Anna's Hummingbird - 2
Belted Kingfisher - 1
California Towhee - 3
White-crowned Sparrow - 10
Western Meadowlark - 30
House Finch - 100
American Goldfinch - 4
Just at sunset, Lynn and I walked around Richmond Marina Bay and Meeker Slough. Thousands of birds were wheeling overhead, many of them settling into the eucalyptus trees along the stream parallel to Marina Bay Pkwy and feeding into Meeker Slough. We didn't have binoculars, but I think they were blackbirds. A Red-tailed Hawk sat in one of the trees in the midst of all this activity and watched, while the smaller birds seemed to ignore it.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt
Thu, 7 Dec 2000 22:07:55 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Dear Birders,
This morning, after mentioning to visiting birders from Arkansas who were looking for one that a Tufted Duck had been reported on this list within the last week or so, they obligingly found the female Tufted Duck and showed it to me. It was in with the large flocks of (mainly sleeping) ducks in the north arm of Lake Merritt (downtown Oakland) around the corner from the islands.
They said that they hadn't heard about it on the Bird Box but were glad to score their 8th Lifer for this trip to the Bay Area
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
More on Barrow's Goldeneyes
Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:28:07 -0800
From: Kirk Swenson
Last Thursday (November 30) I reported a flock of 30 or more Barrow's Goldeneyes seen close to shore from the train between Martinez and Crockett. Yesterday and today (December 7 & 8) there has been a larger flock of 100 or more birds which appear to be predominantly, if not entirely, Barrow's Goldeneyes. For obvious reasons I can't evaluate every bird in a flock that large from a moving train, but every drake I got a decent look at while scanning the flock, perhaps a couple dozen, appeared to be a Barrow's. At this distance, the back pattern of a drake Barrow's is distinctive even with the naked eye (although I have a pair of binoculars as well). This is easily the largest concentration of Barrow's Goldeneyes I've ever seen in the bay area. Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of landmarks on this stretch of shoreline. Looking at a map, I would guess that the spot is near the Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline just west of Martinez. There appears to be a road named Carquinez Scenic Drive that takes one fairly close to the train tracks and the shoreline.
Kirk Swenson
Davis, CA (formerly in El Cerrito)
P.S. on counties: These birds would all be in Contra Costa County, but they wouldn't have to travel too far offshore to get to Solano County.
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Re: More on Barrow's Goldeneyes
Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:36:39 PST
From: Steve Glover
Kirk and all,
There is indeed a road called Carquinez Scenic Drive that heads west out of Martinez and follows the top of the bluffs above the straits. Older maps may show it running all the way to Port Costa and beyond but sections were washed out in storms years ago and you currently can only go a mile or so. This stretch is within Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline. You can scope down at the water along there. The birds may also be visible from the western portions of Martinez Regional Shoreline. In past years there have been Barrow's Goldeneyes at this spot with some regularity although I don't have any numbers at my fingertips at the moment. If anyone else goes out there and is able to do a more thorough count please post to the group.
Steve Glover
Dublin
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"Secret Park" near Hilltop Mall,
Richmond
Fri, 08 Dec 2000 14:02:32 -0800
From: Tom Condit
December 8, 2000, late morning
"Secret Park" by the Hilltop Mall, Richmond, Contra Costa County
(Someone once e-mailed me the actual name of this semi-abandoned park, but I
don't seem to have it handy.)
Double-crested Cormorants
Mallards (few)
Northern Shovelers
Gadwall (one female)
American Wigeons
Canvasbacks
Buffleheads
Ruddy Ducks
Turkey Vulture
American Coots
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Doves
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-shafted Northern Flicker
Black Phoebes
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
Bushtits
American Robins
Northern Mockingbird
California Towhees
Golden-crowned Sparrows
White-crowned Sparrows
Dark-eyed Juncos
What's interesting as well is what wasn't seen in this suburban setting. No House Sparrows or European Starlings, few American Robins, and Mallards greatly outnumbered by wild ducks.
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Re: "Secret Park" near Hilltop
Mall, Richmond
Fri, 08 Dec 2000 14:57:26 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
I think Tom is referring to the area just north of Hilltop Mall (in northern Richmond), accessed if I recall correctly from near Hilltop Mall Rd & Klose Way.
On the 1999 Thomas Bros streetmap, this area is shown as a large park called Hilltop Lake Park. However, the list of Richmond city parks at the city website does not include such a park. I wasn't able to find any website for Hilltop Mall.
I suspect that this park was planned and never actually created, or at least never maintained.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
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Re: "Secret Park" near Hilltop
Mall, Richmond
Fri, 08 Dec 2000 17:26:56 -0800
From: Lisa Viani
Is this the park by the lake? (It's actually Garrity Creek with a dam on it!)
Lisa Viani
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