Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Wed, 15 Aug 2001 17:44:24 PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
Highlights of an afternoon stroll around Round Top at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (Oakland Hills) include:
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Tanager
Pygmy Nuthatches
Golden Eagle
White-tailed Kite
American Kestrel
California Quail
Mark Rauzon
Western Tanagers in Oakland
Wed, 15 Aug 2001 18:36:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Harris
Two Western Tanagers were seen yesterday at Mills College.
John H. Harris
Biology Department
Mills College
Oakland, CA
Migrants
Wed, 15 Aug 2001 21:29:06 PDT
From: Brian Fitch
On Monday, north of Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (Berkeley Hills), we saw single Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers. On Tuesday, we found 5 Black Oystercatchers (including 3 immatures), 5 Wandering Tattlers, 15+ Black Turnstones and a single Ruddy Turnstone along the westernmost rocks at the Albany waterfront peninsula ("Albany Bulb," foot of Buchanan St). The Long-tailed Duck continues out there also. Today, a Hermit Warbler and Western Tanager were on Mt Vollmer in the south end of Tilden Regional Park.
Brian Fitch
Black-chinned Hummingbird in Lafayette
Thu, 16 Aug 2001 19:54:28 PDT
From: Jim Tietz
Hi-
In Lafayette at my parents' hummingbird feeder this evening is a young male Black-chinned Hummingbird. The bird's bill is quite long and decurved, it is pumping it's tail constantly as it feeds, it doesn't appear as hefty as an Anna's Hummingbird, there's no white that comes over the eye like on Costa's Hummingbird, the call is a soft tiv, and there is a violet spot on the throat.
Other hummers at the feeders are Anna's and non-male Rufous/Allen's. I got one good look at the rectrices of one of the Rufous/Allen's and they appeared to be quite broad as for a Rufous. Does anyone know for sure through banding what the majority of these Selasphorus are?
Jim Tietz
Backyard firsts
Fri, 17 Aug 2001 17:17:49 PDT
From: Mark Westlund
After five years of backyard birding in south central Berkeley, our first Red-breasted Nuthatch - it came to the sunflower seed platform feeder. Its White-breasted cousins come every year, however.
Also, our neighborhood Cooper's Hawk, which hunts from a prominent black acacia tree, caught what looked like a female House Sparrow and spent a good fifteen minutes eating it on an exposed branch, spitting tufts of feathers between bites. I'd not seen this end of the transaction before.
Re: Backyard firsts
Fri, 17 Aug 2001 18:12:18 -0700
From: Jerrie Arko
Westy Berkleley wrote:
our first Red-breasted Nuthatch - it came to the sunflower seed platform feeder. Its White-breasted cousins come every year, however.
I live in El Cerrito near the Hillside Park area. I see a Red-breasted Nuthatch or two every day at my feeders but have yet to see the White-breasted here.
And no Cooper's Hawk ... just the resident Sharp-shinned Hawk who comes to lunch a few times a week and usually dines on a hapless House Finch. He tried to carry off a Mourning Dove a few weeks ago but finally wound up plucking and eating it just outside my front room window while perched in the Juniper tree.
We do have a great variety of birds here in the East Bay hills!
Jerrie, El Cerrito
Original Message Subject Index
Hayward Shoreline
Sun, 19 Aug 2001 13:34:06 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
Today at the Hayward Shoreline the following was seen -
Surfbird - 1 or 2, 1 seen at Hayward Landing and 1 or 2 seen in a pond known to locals as Frank's Dump West. [Editor's Note: This pond is just south of Sulphur Creek and just east of the Bay Trail. More detailed directions.]
Least Tern - up to 156, also seen in the same pond.
Dunlin - 1, also seen in the same pond.
Snowy Plover - several seen in the same pond.
Sanderling - several seen in the same pond.
Red Knot - hundreds also seen in the same pond.
Shorebirds at this pond are seen most easily during high tide or an incoming tide near high tide.
Good Birding
Bob
Hermit Warbler at Tilden Nature Area
Sun, 19 Aug 2001 16:43:56 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
This morning, Karen Peterson and I birded Upper Packrat Trail in Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (Berkeley Hills) from the nature center to Jewel Lake. Large mixed-species flocks are moving through the area, most easily located by listening for lots of Chestnut-backed Chickadees. One of the great things about Upper Packrat Trail is that it is not uncommon to find yourself right in the middle of such a flock as it works on the steep slope. Of course, any exotic warblers inevitably will be high over your head in a location guaranteed to give you "warbler neck."
The first couple of flocks we encountered seemed to contain little more than chickadees and Bushtits. About halfway along the trail, however, we found a flock containing several warblers. We saw a lovely Hermit Warbler, 2 Townsend Warblers, and at least one Orange-crowned Warbler.
There were a lot of Wilson's Warblers along the trail, including one small family group, and at least one singing male. At least two Brown Creepers posed right next to us, including one that appeared to be a juvenile just getting rid of its last downy plumage.
Soon after I got home, I had good long looks at a grosbeak on a feeder in my backyard. I think it was a first-year male Black-headed Grosbeak. It looked fairly colorful rather than as "washed-out" as most females I've seen.
Then a very exotic smaller bird landed next to it, and I was getting excited before I finally realized that it was an orange-rose tinted male House Finch with albino cheeks and upper back.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA