Lake Chabot
Thu, 14 Feb 2002 18:56:12 -0800
From: Bob Hole
Greetings,
Today (Thursday, February 14) I finally made it out to Lake Chabot in Castro Valley (thank you Judi). I was there from noon to 2 PM. It was a fine day!
I traveled the "bike loop" to the right of the Marina along the lake edge for the first mile and turned around.
The highlight of the trip for me was a Tree Swallow that flew first over the "far tules" in the bay just past the mile mark, and then swooped over the trail above me heading up the hill.
What would otherwise have been a highlight was the large number of my nemesis - Varied Thrush - all over the picnic bench area at the half-mile mark (just shy of the first outhouse). At least three of the darn things, and probably six or so were there (I never saw more than two at a time there, but I also saw one around a couple corners, so I know I saw at least three individuals).
An Osprey was reported to me by an apparent non-birder as being in the same area as the Tree Swallow, but I didn't see it. I did see a male Northern Harrier in that direction, though.
Anyway, here's the rest of the list for those who might be interested.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Oak Titmouse
American Robin
Western Scrub-Jay
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Mallard
California Towhee
Canada Goose (including a "cackling" goose)
American Coot
Anna's Hummingbird
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Dark-eyed Junco
Varied Thrush
Steller's Jay
Brown Creeper (including a "creeper fight" when two landed on the same small snag)American White Pelican (8 soaring away from the lake - they'd been sitting in the same place as the Tree Swallow, according to the same gentleman who reported the Osprey)
Northern Harrier (male, "high" soaring, rather than hunting)
Bushtits Ring-billed Gull (the number on the lake grew during the time I was there, then the trout farm truck arrived....)
Wrentit (heard)
Tree Swallow
Pied-billed Grebe
Hermit Thrush
Turkey Vulture
Bewick's Wren (when I stopped at the quarter-mile mark to look at something in the lake, he came up behind me and yelled at me)Red-breasted Sapsucker
Between Lake Chabot and a quick stop at Lafayette Reservoir to get a EBMUD trail permit, I failed to see a Red-tailed Hawk, so I traveled home via Crow Canyon - and saw a pair there. That way it wasn't my first Redtail-less birding day this year.
Hmm, and San Pablo Reservoir opens tomorrow....
Cheers,
Bob
Robert Hole, Jr.
Valentine's Day at Tilden Regional Park
Nature Area
Thu, 14 Feb 2002 20:22:07 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
On Alan Kaplan's Valentine's Day birdwalk this morning at Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (Upper Packrat Trail to Jewel Lake), we had a nice selection of birds appropriate to the day, including:
Orange-crowned Warbler - at least one heard singing
Downy Woodpecker - pair at start of trail
Nuttall's Woodpecker - pair with verbal interactions in trees west of Jewel Lake
Bufflehead - pair in Jewel Lake, with female having a hard time swallowing a finger-sized fish
Bewick's Wrens - lots of males engaging in territorial squabbles near start of trail
Complete list at end of this report.
I've seen the White-throated Sparrow in my yard (a few blocks north of El Cerrito Plaza BART station) on February 2, 4, 9, 11, and 12. These were good looks with no doubt about the identification. I haven't heard any singing.
Sunday, a small group from the Oakland Bird Club walked to the north side of Briones Reservoir on the Hampton Rd trail (EBMUD Trail Permit required). A nice selection of typical birds, but noteworthy were the Pied-billed Grebes warming up their springtime calls around the marsh vegetation at the edge of the reservoir.
Today, Ken Archibald reported to the BirdBox a pair of Hooded Mergansers at Berkeley Aquatic Park.
Here's this morning's list for Tilden Nature Area:
Mallard (pair in ponds by Nature Area entrance)
Bufflehead (pair on Jewel Lake)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Anna's Hummingbird (dive displays)
Belted Kingfisher (male at Jewel Lake)
Nuttall's Woodpecker (pair, verbal interactions)
Downy Woodpecker (pair together)
Northern Flicker
Black Phoebe (at Jewel Lake)
Hutton's Vireo (singing)
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard)
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren (territorial squabbles)
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (very visible)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin (abundant)
Wrentit (singing)
Orange-crowned Warbler (heard singing)
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Fox Sparrow (very visible)
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Thu, 14 Feb 2002 22:26:40 PST
From: Bob Richmond
The following was seen at the shoreline today.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - 1 at Winton Ave trailhead, one has been here during the late fall and in winter up to now. Usually very unusual here.
Bullock's Oriole - 1 at Winton Ave.
Oak Titmouse - 1 at Winton Ave is only the third I have seen here.
Black Oystercatcher - 7 at Hayward Landing.
Long-tailed Duck - 1 seen offshore from Hayward Landing.Greater White-fronted Goose - 8 seen with Canada Geese in the field near the transmission towers, northeast of Hayward Landing.
Ross' Goose - 2 in the same field.
Snow Goose - 1 at San Lorenzo Community Park.
Ross Goose - 1 at San Lorenzo Community Park.
Good Birding
Bob