Alameda County Big Day suggestions?
Thu, 4 Oct 2001 08:40:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Vijay Ramachandran
Hello all.
I am planning to do a "Big Day" in Alameda County next Saturday, for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) birdathon.
Bob Richmond has suggested the following places:
Mines Road for owls, and many passerines
Coyote Hills Regional Park for potential migrants
The Hayward shoreline for shorebirds, and maybe migrants.
I'm also thinking of going to Sunol Regional Wilderness for raptors and Rock Wren, and the Newark shoreline for gulls.
Could people suggest other locations? It would be really great if you could also tell me about expected birds at these places.
Many thanks,
Vijay
Coyote Hills
Thu, 4 Oct 2001 09:05:42 PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
On Wednesday late afternoon, I encountered a loose aggregation of over 20 White-tailed Kites, perched on trees and foraging over the fields as you pass the kiosk and enter Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. Two flew together, hooked talons and spun a few turns like figure skaters. About 50 American White Pelicans flushed from the creek. Saw a Peregrine Falcon as well.
Mark Rauzon
On my morning walk
Thu, 4 Oct 2001 13:13:05 -0700
From: Val Blakely
My morning walk this morning created a great start for the day. I walked along the levee of Alameda Creek. Downstream from the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks which is downstream from Mission Boulevard bridge, there is a balloon dam. Water flows off the dam into a pool of water, over exposed rocks and down again into another pool of water. In the first pool of water there were 4 Mallards and 2 Black-necked Stilts. On the rocks that I described were 1 Great Blue Heron, 1 Snowy Egret, and 8 Black-crowned Night-Herons. In the second pool swimming around with the heads in the water were 4 Common Mergansers.
Continuing down stream about a quarter mile is a large island in the middle of the creek. Surrounding this island in the water and on it, there were approximately 100 Canada Geese.
So, check it out.
Val Blakely
Fremont, CA
Re: On my morning walk
Thu, 04 Oct 2001 13:17:25 -0700
From: Mary
This is about a mile from my house. I noticed, last spring, a huge thrashing mass of fish in the shallows north of the island. I can't tell what kind of fish they are. I think they're trout, but I wonder if they could be the steelhead that have been returning to Alameda Creek. I know this isn't folkfish.net, but still, does anyone here know? :)
Mary, delighted to be feeling better lately after a major arthritis flare-up, and probably able to bird beyond the backyard again soon. :)
Original Message Subject Index
Oakland Bird Club meeting Thursday
Sun, 07 Oct 2001 17:33:12 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am passing this message along for Dolores Butkus, who is having trouble sending "plain text."
The Oakland Bird Club invites the public to its next general meeting on Thursday, October 11, at 7:30 PM in the upstairs meeting room at the Rockridge Branch, Oakland Public Library. The guest speaker is David Loeb, editor of the exciting new magazine Bay Nature. He will discuss the experiences and challenges he has faced during the start-up of this wonderful informative publication. Refreshments will be served.
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall, El Cerrito CA
Found robins, missing blackbirds and waxwings
Sun, 7 Oct 2001 22:35:55 -0700
From: Ruth Bird
Several people have left messages about missing robins. I don't know if they're the same ones, but many have ben partying in the pyracantha bush in my yard on Curtis St in Berkeley. However, no Cedar Waxwings have shown up. This is unusual. Also, the beloved Brewer's Blackbirds who flock to Telegraph Ave for pizza and crumbs are totally missing. Many leave during the nesting season since the big trees died, but some remained, to be joined by the others and Red-winged Blackbirds for the fall and winter. We miss them. No one knows what happened to them. ?????????
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