New Regional Shoreline to feature marsh
Fri, 23 Feb 2001 11:07:36 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
East Bay Park District approves Bay Point use plan
--Bay City News ServiceThe East Bay Regional Park District announced today that its board of directors has unanimously approved a land use plan for the Bay Point Regional Shoreline.
The main use of the 51-acre area, located at the north end of Port Chicago Highway on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, will be a restored marsh.
For full story, see
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/stories_bay_cal/baypoint_20010222.htm
Posted at 1:25 p.m. PST Thursday, February 22, 2001
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall, El Cerrito CA
Cassin's Auklet and shearwater
Sat, 24 Feb 2001 22:20:15 PST
From: Steve Glover
Hello all,
This afternoon I headed out to Richmond in hopes that all of these storms had blown some seabirds into the bay. I spent two hours scoping from Point Isabel Regional Shoreline at the end of Central Ave in Richmond, and although I saw few species I did manage to see a dark shearwater and a Cassin's Auklet.
The shearwater flew from the south to the north but I didn't see it until it was about 10 seconds from passing behind Brooks Island. Although I would guess that Sooty Shearwater is the most likely candidate, my look was much too brief and distant to rule out Short-tailed Shearwater. This is the first record of any shearwater from Contra Costa County that I am aware of, although there are some from Alameda County.
At about 2 PM I got on a small alcid as it flew north to south and much closer in than the shearwater and was thrilled to find that it was a Cassin's Auklet, an overdue first record for Contra Costa County. To top it off, the bird continued into Alameda County where I think it is the third or fourth record.
As long as this weather continues it would be a good idea to continue scoping the bay at wherever your favorite hangout is.
Good luck,
Steve Glover
Miscellaneous ducks
Mon, 26 Feb 2001 09:12:37 -0800 (PST)
From: Emilie Strauss
Yesterday, there was a female Hooded Merganser at Berkeley's Aquatic Park in the center pond. At Arrowhead Marsh, the male Blue-winged Teal was still present.
Today, at César Chávez Park in Berkeley, there was a Say's Phoebe foraging in the intertidal zone just west of the end of the terminus of the parking lot/road.
All of these birds are in Alameda County.
Lake Merritt, Oakland - elusive Tufted Duck
& spectacular herons
Tue, 27 Feb 2001 09:32:09 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Monday evening, I did a quick count on the Black-crowned Night-Herons - both adult and immature - on the islands at Lake Merritt and counted about 150. In addition, there were about 100 roosting Double-crowned Cormorants. A pair of great blue herons seems to be nesting, and Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets are also there. Quite spectacular - it seems to me that the number must be increasing there.
However, the female Tufted Duck continues to be elusive. In 3 or 4 before- or after-work visits in the last two weeks, I haven't seen it. Barrow's Goldeneye are also "hit and miss." However, I don't carry my scope down there so could easily be missing the Tufted Duck in the great crowds of scaup.
A Cooper's Hawk also seems to be consistently there - seen both on a perch on the islands and in the area of the arboretum.
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland, Ca
Brooks Island on Tuesday
Wed, 28 Feb 2001 12:43:25 -0800
From: Bob Richmond, via Larry Tunstall
The following message was accidentally directed to me instead of to the list. --Larry
Brooks Island
Tue, 27 Feb 2001 22:06:41 PST
From: Bob RichmondToday at Brooks Island the following was seen -
Rhinocerous Auklet (1) - seen from Point Isabel near the south end of the island.
Leaches Storm-Petrel (1) - seen from near the Richmond Marina, in the ship channel on the north side of the island.
Pelagic Cormorant (1)
Brandt's Cormorant (3 to 6)
Black Oystercatcher (5)Late in the afternoon at the Hayward Shoreline I saw a Eurasian Green-winged Teal, formerly Common Teal.
Good Birding
Bob
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall