Banded dowitcher
Wed, 18 Apr 2001 11:23:25 -0700
From: Mike Ezekiel
Dear East Bay Birders and other Birders,
The same day I read Myra Ulvang's report on a banded Willet (see copy below) I found a banded Short-billed Dowitcher at the Mitigation Marsh, Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, in Oakland.
Per the suggestion in her e-mail, I mailed the following to Dr.Gatto-Trevor.
Yesterday, April 17th, I observed a colour-banded Dowitcher - I believe short-billed. It was present at the Mitigation Marsh, Martin Luther King Park in Oakland California at about 7:00 PM. (This marsh is a newly created addition to what was formerly called Arrowhead Marsh and is in its first several years of rehabilitation.) The dowitcher was present in a flock of 40 or 50 other dowitchers, none apparently banded.
The left leg band featured a blue-green flag - cut short - above an Orange Band.
The right leg featured a yellow band only.
I observed the Dowitcher for a decent period of time fairly (perhaps 20 or 30 feet maximum) closely but with only my Swarovski EL 8.5 binoculars - no scope.
I am certain that there were no other bands on the left leg and fairly certain about the right leg - although I wish I could have seen it a little closer. I get to that marsh fairly often and will check for the bird again, and also post a note to our East Bay Birders Listserv.
I obtained your address after Myra Ulvang reported on a banded Willet in Corte Madera - San Francisco Bay Area - and reported it to a local Birders Listserv.
As I indicated, I didn't see the bands as positively as I wished although I saw it fairly well - if anyone sees this bird with a scope, please let us and Dr. Gatto-Trevor know.
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
Copy of Myra Ulvang's report to NorthBayBirds:
My report of a banded Willet (seen March 26 in Corte Madera) to the Bird Banding Lab ( BBL@nbs.gov ) was fowarded to Dr Cheri Gratto-Trevor, the coordinator of "shorebird marking schemes in N.A". She connects observers with banders of shorebirds and is herself a bander of Willets and Marbled Godwits.
She was very happy to get my report since she thought the Corte Madera banded Willet was a male bird she personally banded in southern Alberta, 2 hours east of Calgary in May of 2000. She banded both him and his mate at their nest. She last saw him 29 June 2000. The report was especially exciting for her since only a few of her banded Willets have been seen elsewhere - a few in Baja California, Mexico and one other in southern California.
She will return to the breeding area this summer to look for banded birds. She said 80% of the Willets and 93% of the Godwits return. She has studied the breeding biology of these birds from 1995 to 2000.
She provided me with much information on the use of bands of different types, flags denoting country of origin and future plans of banders to use some new schemes. She directed me to her banding website, an excellent source of information for observers of banded birds and banders:
http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/migratorybirds/pasp/index.en.html
and it can be reviewed to report a sighting.
She emphasized how reports of banded birds are very useful in determining staging sites, wintering areas, whether pairs remain together away from the breeding ground. (She has learned that her Willets and Godwits don't stay together but meet up again on the breeding grounds.) She said it is important to note and report everything possible about the banded birds and bands as described on her website.
Sightings of banded shorebirds should be sent to her (e-mail is good):
Dr. C. L. Gratto-Trevor
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
115 Perimeter Road
Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4 Canada
cheri.gratto-trevor@ec.gc.ca
tel.: 306.975.6128 fax: 306.975.4089Sightings of other birds go to MARY_GUSTAFSON@usgs.gov and she requires a home address to get back information. (I sent a report of the banded Black Skimmer seen on April 1 in Corte Madera to this address.)
Mount Diablo State Park
Wed, 18 Apr 2001 17:19:46 PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
Hi -
I went birding today at Mt Diablo State Park in Pine Canyon around the dammed pond. While not as birdy as previously reported (I got a late start), I saw most of those encountered species and 3 Lawrence's Goldfinches, 2 males, 1 female. They were around the dam, on the hillside and in the willows at 3 PM.
Mark Rauzon
Mitchell Canyon
Wed, 18 Apr 2001 17:43:42 PDT
From: Jim Tietz
Another good day for migration at Mt Diablo despite the wind. I hiked the main Mitchell Canyon trail to Red Road to where the grassland starts. [Editor's note: The Mitchell Canyon trailhead is at the south end of Mitchell Canyon Rd from Clayton. --Larry] I encountered 66 species and 2 nests. The abundances listed below are approximate except for Hammond's Flycatcher, Hermit, Townsend's, Black-throated Gray, and MacGillivray's Warblers which are more accurate. Where I saw the female Calliope, I heard a hummingbird display or song that I am unfamiliar with. It had the quality of a Costa's song though.
30 Turkey Vulture
1 Mallard
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (immature)
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 American Kestrel
2 California Quail
2 Mourning Dove
5 White-throated Swift
10 Anna's Hummingbird
1 Calliope Hummingbird (female on Red Road)
2 Rufous Hummingbird
6 Acorn Woodpecker
7 Nuttall's Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker
8 Pacific-slope Flycatcher
11 Hammond's Flycatcher
1 Western Wood-Pewee
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher
2 Black Phoebe
5 Violet-green Swallow
20 Cliff Swallow
18 Western Scrub-Jay
10 Steller's Jay
1 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
20 Oak Titmouse (nest found)
50 Bushtit (nest found)
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
16 Bewick's Wren
3 House Wren
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
4 Western Bluebird
18 Hermit Thrush
14 Wrentit
2 California Thrasher
6 European Starling
6 Hutton's Vireo
10 Warbling Vireo
25 Orange-crowned Warbler
15 Nashville Warbler
15 Audubon's Warbler
1 Myrtle Warbler
10 Black-throated Gray Warbler
10 Townsend's Warbler
6 Hermit Warbler
5 MacGillivray's Warbler
3 Common Yellowthroat
30 Wilson's Warbler
2 Black-headed Grosbeak
4 Lazuli Bunting
15 Spotted Towhee
15 California Towhee
1 Rufous-crowned Sparrow
2 Lark Sparrow
2 Sage Sparrow
5 Fox Sparrow (4 seen appeared to have gray heads, 1 of which had a small bill, 1 call note heard was "check" unlike thick-billed)
2 Lincoln's Sparrow
6 Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow
15 "Oregon" Dark-eyed Junco (2 fledglings seen)
4 Red-winged Blackbird
2 Western Meadowlark
1 Bullock's Oriole
6 Purple Finch
4 House Finch
4 Pine Siskin
25 Lesser Goldfinch
Good birding
Jim Tietz