Possible Swainson's Thrush in Berkeley
Thu, 21 Mar 2002 08:33:16 -0800
From: Tom Condit
I had what may have been a very early Swainson's Thrush in my yard this morning (Thursday, March 21).
Looking out the kitchen window, I saw a very small bird moving about on my neighbor's roof. I could see that it had a spotted breast, a longish tail and what appeared (without binoculars and through a glass window at an angle) to be a white area on its face. It flew down, disappeared, flew back up. Moving to another window, I could see that it was flying down to grab ivy berries, then going back to the roof, and repeating the action. It looked like a Hermit Thrush, but I couldn't see any red in the tail.
When I got my binoculars and opened a window near the ivy, I could see faint red in the tail and wings, but the bird reacted by flying off.
What makes me think Swainson's Thrush is possible (although it's quite early for this species and the habitat isn't exactly typical, to put it mildly) is the pale area on the face, the relative lack of red in the tail (although Hermit Thrushes vary a lot), and most of all the distinctly un-Hermit Thrush-like behavior. Anyone have any guesses or input?
(I did not see any buffiness on the breast, but I didn't get a very good look for very long.)
Tom Condit
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Reply #4 Subject Index
Re: Sapsucker damage to yard trees
Thu, 21 Mar 2002 10:38:35 -0800
From: Kay Loughman
Sylvia Sykora wrote:
Anyone have any ideas on how to discourage a sapsucker without harming it or other birds in the garden?
Sylvia:
At this point I'd be throwing garden netting over trees and bushes (where possible) or individual limbs. This is not beautiful stuff, but it might deter the sapsucker enough that he finds someone else's yard more attractive, and then you could remove the netting.
Good luck.
Kay
Original Message Subject Index
Greater White-fronted Geese, Snowy Plover,
Burrowing Owl
Thu, 21 Mar 2002 11:31:11 -0800
From: Clyde Morris
Yesterday, March 21st, I found a flock (20+) of Greater White-fronted Geese among the Canada Geese and American Widgeon in southern Fremont. They were in the newly created vernal pools on Catellus property at the western end of Cushing off the Fremont/Cushing exit of Hwy 880. From Hwy 880 (the Fremont/Cushing exit) take Cushing West to the end of the pavement. After a quick jog to the left, follow the dirt road to the metal gate. The birds were behind the fence on the north side of the dirt road in what looks more like a golf course pond than a vernal pool landscape.
If you walk down the dirt road past the gate at the end of Cushing, you pass the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge's Warm Springs parcel, which is closed to the public to protect the endangered species in the natural vernal pools From the dirt road I have seen among other species, Burrowing Owls, Golden Eagle, and a Prairie Falcon. If you continue to walk to the Refuge's gate across the road that has "area closed" signs, you will see the now mostly dry Salt Pond A-22. Yesterday, from the gate, I could see several Snowy Plovers among the gulls and shorebirds in the salt pond. They have nested there in the past so please don't disturb them.
At the southern end of Fremont Blvd, there is trail to the Refuge's "Mouse Pasture" where I saw 7 Burrowing Owls yesterday. To get there, park at the end of Fremont and walk onto the flood control levee just south of the parking lot. Walk west towards the Newby Island landfill seen in the distance. After 100 yards or so, the office buildings on the right end and the pickleweed covered mouse (endangered salt marsh harvest mouse) pasture starts. On the dirt berm between the mouse pasture and the office parking lot are the owls. They have nested there for the past few years. If you continue walking this levee trail, you will come to the Refuge's Coyote Creek Lagoon which has an abundance of gulls, ducks, geese and shorebirds which are easily seen from the trail. The view is better in the morning than afternoon because you don't have to look into the sun. If you continue down this trail, you reach a flood control basin on the right with the lagoon on the left. It also has a good assortment of shorebirds and waterfowl which are close enough for photographing.
Enjoy your National Wildlife Refuge!
Clyde Morris