Oakland Army Base Little League birding
Mon, 13 May 2002 08:52:31 PDT
From: Doug Greenberg
My weekend birding has been limited these past weeks because my younger son is an avid participant in the North Oakland - South Oakland Little League and his games usually take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Some games are scheduled for the newly renovated fields in a sylvan setting near the Caldecott Tunnel, and those are terrific for during-the-game birding by ear. This season I've heard California Thrasher, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, and Swainson's Thrush during games.
However, most games take place at the old Oakland Army Base facility in the vicinity of the Port of Oakland. Interestingly, there are resident Canada Geese that frequent the fields (and leave a significant mess sometimes). Yesterday, I was surprised to hear some passerine migrants in the trees bordering one of the ball fields. These included Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Western Tanager. One of the great things about birding is that you can do it (almost) anytime, anywhere.
Doug Greenberg
Ibis flying over Hayward Regional Shoreline
Mon, 13 May 2002 09:00:29 -0700
From: Peter Dramer
As last year at this time, ibis are flying south over Hayward Regional Shoreline in the morning. Since there is no suitable ibis habitat at the Shoreline, these birds usually just circle for awhile and then head south toward Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont.
Yesterday, around 10:00 AM, 18 ibis circled. This morning at 08:00 AM, 34 flew past.
For anyone simply hoping to see the ibis the best spot would be the viewing platform at the Hayward Shorline Interpretive Center at the end of Breakwater Ave in Hayward during that 8 to 10 AM time period.
Anyone hoping to determine whether there is a Glossy Ibis among the White-faced Ibis again would do better at Coyote Hills.
Peter
Re: Berkeley Meadow (Berkeley Marina)
Mon, 13 May 2002 14:00:12 PDT
From: Phil Gordon
Greetings Rusty,
You wrote:
I took an walk through the Berkeley Meadow (area north of University Ave just west of the freeway on the way to the Berkeley Marina) this evening and was amazed by the diversity of Savannah Sparrow plumages. Singing birds ranged from strongly washed in yellow from tip to tip, to yellow headed, to just a spot of yellow on the lores. Two of the quite yellow ones had auriculars that looked almost chestnut (albeit pale).
Do you think that we have a House-Finch-pigmentation syndrome with the xanthophyll (a water solvent pigment [yellow] I believe) that is produced systemically, but tied to diet as well as age and reproductive hormones? It seems so improbable that there are different geographic subspecies of these Savannah Sparrows singing "as on breeding territory" here. It would be great to hear from others with more information.
Phil Gordon
Hayward, Alameda County
Original Message Subject Index
Blue Grosbeaks on Patterson Pass Rd
Mon, 13 May 2002 16:00:29 PDT
From: Phil Gordon
Greetings EBBers,
On Sunday afternoon, 12 May, the last of the Ohlone Audubon Society annual Caswell Memorial State Park / Del Puerto Canyon campout group (Phil and Pat Gordon, leaders) found at least 5 Blue Grosbeaks along the limited riparian stretch between mile markers 5.90 and 6.04 on Patterson Pass Rd (counting from the Greenville Rd, Livermore side). One of the males was brown with a blue head = sub-adult, but apparently paired with a female. Breeding was verified here about 6 or 7 years ago by Rich Cimino. Parking is best at Wind Farm Gate #9 to then walk down the road. The lower section does allow walking the edge of the stream gully bank. During the hour we took (hoping to get photo views of a bright male, which we finally did) the following species along this 0.14 miles were observed:
1. Turkey Vulture
2. Red-tailed Hawk
3. Golden Eagle (adult)
4. Mourning Dove
5. Black Phoebe
6. Western Kingbird
7. Loggerhead Shrike
8. Warbling Vireo
9. Western Scrub-Jay
10. Rock Wren
11. Bewick's Wren (singing)
12. European Starling
13. Orange-crowned Warbler
14.Yellow Warbler (no singing)
15. Townsend's Warbler (no singing, but singing at Caswell State Park, San Joaquin County)
16. Wilson's Warbler (little singing/calling)
17. California Towhee (calls like Blue Grosbeak)
18. Lark Sparrow (singing, feeding fledgling)
19. Black-headed Grosbeak (sub-adult male)
20. Blue Grosbeak (3 male, 2 female; at least 2 pair)
21. Tricolored Blackbird (3 with 4 or 5 Brewer's Blackbirds, some flowing water in creek, one "song" was morphed from supposed Yellow-breasted Chat calls)
22. Western Meadowlark (singing/calling)
23. Brewer's Blackbird
24. Bullock's Oriole (3+ pairs)
25. House Finch
26. Lesser Goldfinch
Happy Birding,
Phil E. Gordon
Hayward, Alameda County
Mount Diablo, Mitchell Canyon
13 May 2002 21:52:37 -0700
From: Les Chibana
Today, May 13, Deb Bartens and I checked both sides of Mount Diablo. Since we couldn't be in two places at once, we started at the South Gate. We had great views of several singing Rufous-crowned Sparrows and 2 Sage Sparrows between the first and fifth turnouts from the gate. We missed seeing the Black-chinned Sparrow below the 1st turnout, as we were informed by Bob (B?, sorry, I forgot your last name!). It made a showing while we were down the road.
We also saw a gray fox uphill from the road with two pups! Neat sight! A subadult Golden Eagle and a Sharp-shinned Hawk cruised by the area. Lazuli Buntings were very numerous and vocal, as they've been everywhere I've been birding around the south Bay, lately.
We got to Mitchell Canyon a bit late to catch any dawn chorus, but things were still lively. Aside from the many regular species, we found a pair of Warbling Vireos and a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers building their nests. Up on Red Road Trail, we saw a few small hummingbirds chasing about with Anna's Hummingbird, but our views were too distant to confirm if they were Calliope. Saw one singing Sage Sparrow in the chamise.
We were impressed by the wildflower fireworks still in progress, especially along the upper trail between Black Point and Red Road Trails. We saw a couple of the same butterfly that we don't know. It was medium-sized (between Sara Orangetip and Common Checkerspot), blackish wings with large white patches, and orange arcs behind the eyes. It was not a Lorquin's Admiral which is too big and has orange-tipped forewings. Sorry that I can't provide more details. Does anyone have an idea of what it might have been? I can't find any likely candidate in Opler & Wright's Western Butterflies or Garth & Tilden's California Butterflies. Also, there were more dragonflies flying than birds, butterflies and wildflowers, combined!
Les Chibana, Palo Alto