Re: Easy Clapper Rails at Arrowhead Marsh,
Oakland
Mon, 14 Jan 2002 07:12:54 -0800
From: Derek Heins
Kitty O'Neil wrote on Saturday:
It was very easy to see the Clapper Rails at Arrowhead Marsh [Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland] this morning....
Likewise on Sunday morning! I started on my bike at Arrowhead at dawn and had wonderful light for views of all the local classics. I also had a Peregrine Falcon on the ground eating something in the middle of the reclaimed marsh. The Burrowing Owl was in along the dug trench south of the paved path on the southern end of the marsh. On the way to the bridge to Alameda had a Say's Phoebe go right over my head.
The morning sunlight on Sunday, combined with the calm waters, led to some beautiful reflections. Combined with an afternoon walk through Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco, it resulted in a very nice day of birding.
Derek Heins
Piedmont
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Re: Providing nesting materials
Tue, 15 Jan 2002 11:40:00 -0800
From: Tom Condit
I try to always brush my hair on the back porch or, failing that, clean off the brush and toss it out the window. Robins in particular like human hair as a weaving ingredient, and if no bird uses it, there are a number of organisms which will cheerfully "biodegrade" it for you. This is much better than leaving in the house as a binding ingredient for dust bunnies.
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Re: Providing nesting material (and request
for Fremont help)
Tue, 15 Jan 2002 12:05:45 -0800
From: Mary
Tom Condit wrote:
I try to always brush my hair on the back porch or, failing that, clean off the brush and toss it out the window.
My grandmother combed her hair like that her entire life. She had waist-length hair, and would bring us out in spring to show us the silver strands wound through the robins' nests. Thus, I've combed or thrown my hair outside ever since.
And to add some specific EBbirding relevance:
I've got some walking difficulties, thanks to arthritis, live very near Niles Community Park in Fremont, and don't really have the ability to wander the whole park looking for birds. I'm an intermediate birder, and can usually identify most but some of the "little brown birds" and the gull hybrids, but it would be helpful if someone here would be willing to show me the best spots in Niles or along the creek, one day. I know that's greedy, but there it is. ;)
Depending on the day, I can walk anywhere from a couple of blocks to a mile, can't go especially fast, and can't stand still for more than about 10 minutes at a time. (Sitting is helpful.) If you're willing and able, feel free to e-mail me. I'd be happy to take you out for coffee afterwards. :)
Mary
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Sibley & Tilden Regional Parks
Tue, 15 Jan 2002 16:20:53 -0800
From: Bob Hole
Today paid short visits to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (10 to 11 AM), and Tilden Regional Park's Inspiration Point (noon to 1 PM).
At the Preserve, in between packs of off-lead dogs, I picked up a few nice species. Rather than diversity though, I got wonderfully cooperative birds (some even came back after the dogs had gone by). There was some tree-cutting going on just above and to the left of the kiosk/restrooms, and I think the birds were all driven to the south side of the ridge where I was walking. The highlight for me was a wonderfully cooperative Brown Creeper. In addition, I found:
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Steller's Jay
Bewick's Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Wrentit (heard)
California Towhee
Anna's Hummingbird
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
A quick stop at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden netted exactly three Hermit Thrush and an Anna's Hummingbird.
At Inspiration Point, I arrived just before a half-dozen Turkey Vultures sailed through, often at eye level and close range. Also there in and around the parking lot were:
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Anna's Hummingbird
a bush alive with Bushtits
Golden-crowned Sparrow
California Towhee
Hairy Woodpecker
American Robin
Dark-eyed Junco (with bright rusty wings)
There were Canada Geese clearly visible at the nearest body of water, and a Red-tailed Hawk was soaring the area as well. Along Nimitz Way trail there I also found Steller's Jay, Northern Flicker (less than cooperative) and Hermit Thrush.
I'm still looking for a darn Varied Thrush, though.
Bob
Robert Hole, Jr.
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A good spot for Varied Thrush
Tue, 15 Jan 2002 17:12:11 -0800 (PST)
From: John Harris
Bob Hole wrote:
I'm still looking for a darn Varied Thrush, though.
I have a suggestion for Varied Thrush. You might want to try the Dunn Trail in Redwood Regional Park. If you walk the trail from the old East Bay Regional Park headquarters on Skyline Blvd to the trail's intersection with the Graham Trail, then turn right, you will find that the trail begins to descend, eventually arriving at a nice, dark and shady canyon with redwoods, ferns, etc. Water is running there now. In addition to Varied Thrush, this site often produces Great Horned Owls, Brown Creepers, Winter Wren, and in the spring/summer Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Wilson's Warbler. If you continue on the trail, it rises again, then descends to another shady canyon. Eventually, the trail rises and connects up to the Baccharis and West Ridge trails, at which point you would be surrounded by coastal scrub vegetation. If you start at the old headquarters (in Oakland on Skyline between Redwood Rd and Joaquin Miller, the address is 11500 Skyline), you will find a parking lot and bulletin board, as well as a map dispenser. Start by going behind the headquarters, then follow the trail up the hill.
I've been walking this trail nearly every day for almost 17 years. The best bird I've seen there was a Common Poorwill sitting on the trail one fall evening. Some of the parts of the trail before you get to the redwood canyon habitats have wonderful overviews of coastal scrub. Allen's Hummingbird, Wrentit, Western Scrub-Jay, both towhees, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and California Thrasher are all regulars. If you go south from the parking lot, you'll encounter the serpentine prairie, an area with heavy dog and horse traffic, but once in a while some good birds. Western Bluebird is uncommon but regular in summer. In winter, I have seen Lark Sparrows a few times, Western Meadowlark and American Kestrel more frequently. This whole section of the park is heavily used, but many of the trails are adjacent to steep banks, providing nice views.
Good luck with the Varied Thrush!
John H. Harris
Biology Department
Mills College
Oakland, CA
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Varied Thrush in Tilden Regional Park
Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:38:51 -0800
From: Dustin Alcala
A great place for Varied Thrushes in our area is the Wildcat Gorge Trail between Lake Anza and Lone Oak Picnic Area in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills). Access to the trail is from the dam at the lake, the trailhead at the end of Brook Rd, which is off the access road to the lake, and from lower trailhead at the picnic area. My favorite starting point is the second option, but the water in the creek means there is a good chance of getting one's feet wet this time of year. The dam starting point just adds an couple of hundred yards to your hike anyway. The Lone Oak Trailhead is the furthest from the birds' hangouts.
The canyon is deep and dark. Brown Creepers and Winter Wrens, both of which are resident, are easily found here also. Actually, several individuals can be seen along the slope above the lake, but once you get to the Brook Road trailhead the thrushes become more numerous. A one- to two-minute walk past this trailhead takes you to a flat with a cluster of redwoods along the left side of the trail. This is a great spot for these birds, but they are very wary and often fly away as they are approached. A bit further you come to a couple of slopes on the right side of the trail dominated by a closed canopied oak forest. This is your best bet for finding thrushes.
In general, I usually pick up 12 to 18 thrushes along this one-mile trail if I start out soon after dawn. Later, foot traffic makes sighting them a bit more difficult. Another good bird here is Fox Sparrow. A couple dozen birds, some dark, some red are all along the trail, especially in and around the abundant dogwood thickets.
One other really good place is Lower and Upper Packrat Trails above Jewel Lake. Finally, I had good success along South Park Dr last winter. This can be a productive area early in the morning.
Dustin Alcala, Albany
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