Re: Barn Swallow query
Tue, 9 Apr 2002 09:02:20 PDT
From: Phil Gordon
Greetings Steve,
You wrote:
This winter saw an unprecedented invasion of Barn Swallows to Northern California, including some in Contra Costa County. Were any found in Alameda County during December or January? I think some were seen on the Hayward Christmas Bird Count but can't remember how many.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The Barn Swallows seen on this year's Hayward-Fremont Christmas Bird Count, 16 December 2002, were in the southern Coyote Hills Section. There were 4 reported from the Team of Pandolfino, Mancini, Ryan, and Godecke. They only reported the ventral as "buff," so one or more were likely female or immature males (I would guess). It would be interesting to see if there is a gender bias to these exceptions.
We just completed a trip along the north coast of California and south coast of Oregon (to Bandon). We encountered Barn Swallows in Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, but none in Del Norte County, California, or Curry, Douglas, Josephine, or Jackson Counties, Oregon. We returned to Alameda County on Hwy 5 with a side trip into the inner Coast Range (Bear Valley, Colusa County); which is the only county where we again found Barn Swallow. This was from the 493 records of the 153 species we (Pat Gordon & I) found.
Phil Gordon, Co-compiler, Hayward-Fremont Christmas Bird Count (HF CA CBC)
Original Message Subject Index
Re: Help needed on hummingbirds and kingbirds
Tue, 9 Apr 2002 12:59:16 -0700
From: Kirk Swenson
Nick Newton wrote:
On a different subject, I saw a Western Kingbird right outside the Hayward Regional Shoreline on Saturday. The range maps seem to show the Bay Area as being right on the edge of its range - is this bird at all unusual around here?
Western Kingbirds are generally uncommon in the coastal bay area, but occur in small numbers during migration. Personally, I've seen them on several occasions in the spring in Pinole during the Breeding Bird Atlas survey and a couple of times in coastal Marin in the fall. I would think that it's a pretty good bird for Hayward Regional Shoreline in any case.
Kirk Swenson
Original Message Subject Index
Volunteers needed for Saturday surveys
Tue, 9 Apr 2002 15:45:13 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello all,
The Department of Fish and Game and the Mountain View Sanitary District have asked the Mount Diablo Audubon Society to do some bird surveys at McNabney Marsh near Martinez. This is the large wetland to the east of Hwy 680 just before you reach the Benicia Bridge.
At this point we are looking at each Saturday during the breeding season (through mid-June) though we may cut that back to every other week if there isn't enough interest. This won't be science, just birding and taking notes, particularly of breeding ducks and shorebirds. In the last few years we have confirmed nesting of 7 species of duck (including Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal) as well as moorhens and even Great-tailed Grackles, and there are always birds here to look at.
Our first attempt will be a week from Saturday, on Saturday April 20th. We will meet at 8 AM at the parking lot on Waterfront Rd at the north end of the marsh. To get there, exit Hwy 680 at Marina Vista and go right. Turn right on Waterbird Way and the parking lot will be on your right. We are planning on 2 hours. Please bring a clipboard and pen and you might consider a folding chair as we will be in the same spot for a while.
If you think you might be able to make it this Saturday or any of the upcoming Saturdays please let me know.
Thanks,
Steve Glover
Dublin
Note: Messages sent to birds@folkbird.net will be forwarded to Steve.
Prominent Livermore birder featured in article
Tue, 09 Apr 2002 19:40:55 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders, South Bay Birders:
Prominent Livermore Birder Art Edwards is featured in this month's edition of InsideBayArea.com's Grapevine. Check it out at
To view the three-page article, click on the partially hidden pull-down menu in the upper-right corner of the web page below the "subscribe" button and above the "Powered by" trademark.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County
Northern Bobwhite at Albany Bulb
Tue, 09 Apr 2002 22:30:28 -0700
From: Dustin Alcala
Hi All,
I was at the Albany Bulb (former landfill at foot of Buchanan St) this afternoon. On my way out at about 5:30 PM I saw a female Northern Bobwhite. The bird was extremely approachable, leading me to believe it is an escaped bird. This aside from the fact that the bird is not listed by the California Bird Record Committee as occurring in California. It had all the characteristic markings of a female bobwhite. The buffy eye stripe and throat, brown crown and face, buffy streaks demarcating the margin of the wings and back, the stubby gray tail, the rufous-red wings, sides, and breast, wings with a complicated pattern including buff, brown and I think black, the sides and breast checkered with whitish streaks. The Stokes Field Guide has a great picture that is a spitting image of the bird I saw.
I found the bird at the merging of trails at the "entrance" area to the bulb's trail system. It was first spotted where the wide low trail that follows the bay on the Golden Gate Fields side intersects the narrow footpath that follows the "neck" between the bulb and the meadow. She worked her way toward the meadow, once being passed by a hiker at a distance of no more than 4 feet. She then worked her way to the right (to the left if walking from the meadow/parking lot) into an open space under some acacias and myoporums. To find this spot, walk the neck trail and when it narrows look for 2 flowering broom shrubs in full yellow bloom that sort of form an entrance to the more lushly grown section of the neck. The space is immediately behind these shrubs.
When I first found the bird it appeared to have just come out of the mist soaked grasses on the left, something to consider if you go out and look for it.
Aside from that sighting, a Ruddy Turnstone was with 3 Black Turnstones by the row of pylons below the northwest edge of the meadow, and 1, 2, ... then a total of 5 Black Oystercatchers were conspicuous in the area between these pylons and the northwest point of the bulb. They eventually flew in a circuit around the crescent, disappearing in the direction of Brooks Island. A total of about 5,000 peeps were on the mudflat including lots of Dunlins in or near full breeding plumage. A few hundred larger shorebirds were also present including 2 Long-billed Dowitchers among the more numerous Short-billed Dowitchers.
Don't forget the bird walk that Lillian Fujii and Steve Hayashi will be leading in the area next Sunday. It should be an interesting morning.
Dustin Alcala
Albany
PS Does anyone know the local status of bobwhites in captivity? Seems like a bird that would be kept by fowl fanciers. By the way, it was not banded.
PPS No joke! I think this poor bird is doomed. It is going to wind up as cat food or as a doggy toy soon. Catch it if you can. On the other hand, it seemed pretty contented...
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