Costa's Hummingbird continues in Berkeley
Fri, 11 May 2001 11:41:12 -0700
From: Tom Condit
At approximately 1:30 PM yesterday, May 10, the Costa's Hummingbird was once again on the wire in front of 1611 Berkeley Way, Berkeley.
Tom Condit
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UC Botanical Garden
Fri, 11 May 2001 15:44:36 -0700
From: Tom Condit
There were about a dozen, plus or minus, Selasphorus hummingbirds at the UC Botanical Garden in Strawberry Canyon today. Most were on the Central American hill, but a couple were over in Japan. The only one I got a really good long look at seemed to be a Rufous Hummingbird - as much red as green on the back and no green at all on the head as far as I could discern.
An Anna's Hummingbird hazed a Lesser Goldfinch out of a small tree, but it declined to be driven away from the one it moved to.
A Steller's Jay apparently singing - most peculiar sound.
Many Bushtits.
Chestnut-backed Chickadees.
American Robins.
A Common Raven flew over me down by the soccer field on my walk back downhill.
Tom Condit
Re: Costa's Hummingbird continues in Berkeley
Fri, 11 May 2001 16:14:27 -0700
From: Jerrie Arko
That little guy is really faithful to his perch on the wire. Larry Tunstall and I saw him Wednesday morning and I saw him again today. When Larry and I got there, the bird was nowhere to be seen. We watched a treefull of Cedar Waxwings and some other usual birds and Larry says, "Let's go, the bird isn't here." I sez, "Wait another few minutes, the bird always shows up two minutes after you leave." Sure enough, the hummer put in an appearance and posed for a good five minutes for us.
Larry also took me to the end of Rifle Range Rd in El Cerrito and showed off the Cliff Swallows beginning to nest there. While we stood and watched the Swallows, Jane, my daughter, saw a Purple Finch on the tiptop of a tree singing for all he was worth. Then she noticed a bit of movement at her feet, sat down and watched the leaves move and then a tiny little vole popped out to pull some dry grass into his/her home.
Earlier in the day we went to Alvarado Park [northwest end of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park] and saw a lot of Western Tanagers, a glimpse of a Black-headed Grosbeak, Spotted Towhee, and several small flocks of Cedar Waxwings flying over. American Robins the size of small chickens were on the grass looking so dressed up for Spring. Jane and Larry got a good look at a Brown Creeper.
The "Black-capped Chickadees" were nowhere to be found ... we are leaning toward lighter-colored Chestnut-backed Chickadees since it seems very unlikely they were anything else. Still ... you never know, so Jane and I will keep looking.
Jerrie Arko, El Cerrito, CA
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Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area
Fri, 11 May 2001 18:04:35
From: Jim Tietz
Hi-
I went to Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area [south end of Castle Rock Rd from Walnut Creek] today and followed the Pine Creek up to the pond and then back. I left about 9 AM and got back at about 1:30 PM. I found 59 species and 3 nests. The peregrines and many other species were busily feeding their chicks. The junco nest that I found is probably less than a meter from the last one that I found on 16 April. I visited that first nest on the 21st and it was empty and there were fledglings with parents nearby. This new nest is in the nestling stage and the chicks are probably 2 or 3 days out of the egg. I'm not sure what to think about it. I thought the first nest had fledged, but perhaps it had been predated and this is a re-nest. Or maybe the first fledglings are independent and this is a second clutch. Or perhaps this is new junco pair. Weird.
Jim
14 Turkey Vulture
4 Mallard
2 Cooper's Hawk (female still on nest)
2 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Golden Eagle
1 Peregrine Falcon
8 California Quail
5 Mourning Dove
10 White-throated Swift
4 Anna's Hummingbird
1 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird (female)
8 Acorn Woodpecker
6 Nuttall's Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpecker (nest found)
3 Hairy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
1 Western Wood-Pewee
2 Pacific-slope Flycatcher
6 Black Phoebe
10 Ash-throated Flycatcher
5 Violet-green Swallow
20 Cliff Swallow
2 Barn Swallow
10 Western Scrub-Jay
2 Common Raven
4 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
15 Oak Titmouse
4 Brown Creeper
2 Canyon Wren
12 Bewick's Wren
8 House Wren (nest found)
2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
6 Western Bluebird
6 American Robin
8 Wrentit
2 Northern Mockingbird
1 California Thrasher
15 European Starling (first juvenile of the year seen)
6 Cassin's Vireo
15 Warbling Vireo
5 Hutton's Vireo
6 Orange-crowned Warbler
2 Wilson's Warbler
2 Western Tanager
3 Black-headed Grosbeak
7 Lazuli Bunting
20 Spotted Towhee
20 California Towhee
2 Song Sparrow
20 Dark-eyed Junco (nest found)
20 Red-winged Blackbird
4 Western Meadowlark
5 Brewer's Blackbird
8 Brown-headed Cowbird
5 Bullock's Oriole
5 Purple Finch
4 House Finch
20 Lesser Goldfinch
1 Lawrence's Goldfinch (male seen at the pond)