Vollmer Peak, Tilden Regional Park
Sun, 10 Mar 2002 21:58:33 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
This morning Derek Heins and I birded Vollmer Peak near the southern tip of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley Hills, Contra Costa County. We walked northwest on the SeaView Trail about 1.1 miles to the "picnic table on top of the world," where someone has now constructed a lovely rock labyrinth to match the ones at Sibley.
It was cool and overcast, though not windy, and the birds were not very active - in particular, the insect eaters were not to be seen. However, we did see a lot of Dark-eyed Juncos, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, and Anna's Hummingbirds. Several Wrentits made themselves quite visible near the trail. We saw a few Western Bluebirds, single Fox Sparrow and Hairy Woodpecker and Varied Thrush, and a couple of Red-tailed Hawks soaring despite the cool weather. There were also a sampling of the usual jays, robins, kinglets, sparrows, etc.
Best sighting of the morning came as we were heading back to the parking lot - a Great Horned Owl perched in plain sight on a snag northeast of the trail on the northeast side of Vollmer (near the spot where the trail up to the summit splits off from SeaView).
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Are Common Poorwills still seen at Vollmer
Peak?
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 06:44:44 -0800
From: John Poole
Does anyone know if Common Poorwills are still seen at Vollmer Peak in Tilden Regional Park? If yes, what's the best time and area?
I saw several Townsend's Warblers at Tilden on Sunday. I suspect that they may be on their way upstate.
John Poole
Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley Volcanic
Regional Preserve
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 13:00:01 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Yesterday afternoon, I found a Rufous-crowned Sparrow in a mixed flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees and California Towhees (it was definitely not one of those as I saw both in direct comparison.) in the open area on the back side of the Sibley Preserve in the Oakland Hills.
As I have never seen one there (or anywhere else in the East Bay, for that matter), I wondered if it was unusual. The checklists I consulted - Birds of California by McKaskie and one in the Birding Northern California book by Kemper - both say that it is uncommon in the interior zones.
Anyone else seen them at Sibley or similar spots?
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 13:31:01 -0800
From: Scott Restivo
I have seen them at Sunol Regional Wilderness on the trail to Little Yosemite.
Scott Restivo
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 13:49:12 -0800
From: Sheila Junge
Rufous-crowned Sparrows were seen on two birdwalks I attended at Sibley: June 5, 1999, and May 23, 2000. I don't regularly bird Sibley so can't say whether these sightings were unusual.
Sheila Junge
Hayward, CA
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:33:40 -0800
From: Joseph Morlan
There's been a small population there for years. They like steep slopes with rocky outcroppings mixed with sagebrush and grass.
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA
http://fog.ccsf.org/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:36:58 -0800
From: John Poole
I've also seen Rufous-crowned Sparrow near the quarry on Mineral Springs Trail in Tilden Regional Park. I think they like low shrubs on rocky hillsides, which describes that terrain very well.
John Poole
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:38:52 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Three conclusions with regards to preceding:
1) I must be a fairly clueless idiot with regards to seeing Rufous-crowned Sparrows as they are apparently hopping about on a variety of brushy East Bay hills with rocky outcropping.
2.) My old binocs couldn't focus on Rufous-crowned Sparrows and my new ones can?
3.) Judging by the large number of immediate responses, a lot of people either aren't working this afternoon, or are goofing off just like me.
Thanks for the responses posted to the list, plus those from Mark Rauzon (it's a great spot for them - I see them there year round, on the drier slopes they are relatively common), and Brian Fitch (Tilden in recent years - I've seen them on the ridge above S Park Drive and back in the Big Springs drainage).
Mike Ezekiel
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Re: Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Sibley
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 20:19:3 -0800
From: Terry Coddington
Dear EBBers
I have understood that Rufous-crowned Sparrows are regular breeders in limited habitats in the East Bay hills, and I have seen them at Sibley and at Big Springs ... but they're not easy to see if you're just passing through.
Terry Coddington
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