Auntie Turtle-Dove
Sun, 26 May 2002 10:22:41 -0700
From: Pat Matthews
Hello All - I have a wonderful Mourning Dove nest right outside my bedroom window that affords me with an excellent perspective and the cats (all are inside cats) much entertainment. The doves are incubating their second pair of eggs after successfully raising the first two fledglings.
About 10 days ago a Ringed Turtle-Dove showed up and pretty much will not leave his/her post at nestside. The turtle-dove exchanges billings with whoever is sitting, and generally acts like an overly concerned but kind Auntie. The Mourning Dove pecks a bit to push the turtle-dove away. But there is nothing aggressive in the behavior on either part.
As of yesterday I'm pretty sure the eggs have hatched and the Mourning Dove is sitting on the babies, as is their way. This morning the turtle-dove was nuzzled right up to the sitting Mourning Dove and was actually putting his/her head under the Mourning Dove's breast. The Mourning Dove was very tolerant of the turtle-dove, who was acting like a love-starved kitten.
Is this behavior common? Any info or leads out there?
Ranger Pat Matthews
San Pablo Reservoir
7301 San Pablo Dam Road
El Sobrante, CA 94803
Richmond breeding birds and a comment on
migration
Sun, 26 May 2002 12:33:46 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
Greetings,
Bob Lewis and I went atlas birding this morning in Richmond and were surprised by a couple of migrants: A big adlult peali Peregrine Falcon and a single White-faced Ibis. New breeding confirmations were Common Moorhen hatchlings and an incubating Common Raven (both on private property).
Bob and I were comparing notes on yesterday's birding - he at Briones with Audubon and me at Point Richmond, and both of us had lots of singing Wilson's Warblers; he had Hermit Warbler and Townsend's Warbler and we both had Western Tanagers. Every year I need to be reminded just how late spring migration runs. The Wilson's Warblers in particular seem to be marching through in numbers comparable to two weeks ago.
Rusty Scalf
Re: New Black Skimmer site in Alameda County
Sun, 26 May 2002 18:53:39 -0700
From: Peter Dramer
Phil Gordon wrote about the Eden Landing Ecological Preserve. I forgot to ask about the Red Foxes. How many have you seen on Cargill property and around the Baumber property?
Peter
Original Message Subject Index
Lesser Nighthawks in Byron
Sun, 26 May 2002 22:34:50 -0700
From: Dennis Braddy
EastBayBirders,
Pat and I decided to follow-up on Steve Glover's recent post regarding Lesser Nighthawk at the wastewater treatment plant near Byron. We arrived at the east end of Camino Diablo tonight at 8:00 PM. To gain a slightly elevated view we stood on the berm surrounding the adjacent pond. A Belted Kingfisher flew by silently, twice. A Green Heron perched on the chain-link fence nearby. Song Sparrows sang from the reeds. A Black-necked Stilt foraged quietly in an opening to the south.
The Lesser Nighthawks appeared suddenly about 100 yards to the southeast at 8:15. We counted eleven birds including males and females. The counting was complicated by having to sort out the Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mallards, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron, American Avocet, Killdeer, American Crows, and White-tailed Kite from the boiling furball (to mangle a metaphor) of Lesser Nighthawks. The white/buffy markings on the wings, tails, and throats were clearly visible as was the buffiness of the underside. We even some rather dizzying views through the spotting scope.
We watched the show until 8:45 and then called it a night - a very satisfying night. Thanks, Steve.
Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon
Iron Horse Regional Trail
Mon, 27 May 2002 12:32:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kathy Jarrett
On Saturday May 25, I led a bicycle birding trip for Golden Gate Audubon Society, and the trip report follows. On Sunday May 26 I was driving north on Hwy 580 and saw a Red-shouldered Hawk sitting on a light standard right over the freeway about 0.5 miles south of Keller Ave in Oakland.
Trip Report, Iron Horse Regional Trail Bicycle Birding Trip, Saturday May 25, 2002, Leader Kathy Jarrett. Six participants used BART and one bicycled from Lafayette to meet at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station. All indicated that they had heard of the trip in The Gull. Our 22-mile trip started shortly after 8:30 AM and ended at the Pleasant Hill BART station just before 3 PM. We had the best weather in two weeks and discovered to our delight that the Iron Horse Regional Trail now extends all the way to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, the last mile having been added since March and eliminating riding on very busy streets. The East Bay Regional Park District has a map �Central Contra Costa and Portions of Alameda County� which is quite helpful. We made diversions from the trail to seek out lunch supplies in Danville, where the Saturday Farmer�s Market offered fresh fruit and vegetables, and to Hap Magee Ranch Park in Alamo, where we ate lunch, and to Heather Farms Park in Walnut Creek using the Contra Costa Canal Trail. Some of our best birding was along South San Ramon Creek as it parallels the trail from San Ramon to Dublin; it was there that we saw the two species of egrets and three species of herons, American Kestrel, Common Merganser, Black-necked Stilt, Cliff Swallows, and Belted Kingfisher. One kingfisher was observed coping with a very large fish, and we decided that the bird was waiting for the fish to die before it flew off to feed its young. Hap Magee Park provided not only a lovely place to eat lunch under some huge oak trees, it gave us sightings of the Nuttall�s Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Western Bluebird, among others. The freeway overpass at Rudgear Rd had swallows nesting. Heather Farms Park had two Ruddy Ducks in brilliant plumage, coots, Canada Geese, the Double-crested Cormorant, the Pied-billed Grebe, and the Arctic Tern. Mallards, jays, robins, starlings, blackbirds, swallows, doves, Anna�s Hummingbirds, Black Phoebes, and towhees were seen in many locations. 48 species were observed:
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose
graylag (barnyard) goose
Mallard
domestic Mallard
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
gull sp.
Arctic Tern
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Black Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Yellow-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
California Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow
kathy jarrett
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
Mon, 27 May 2002 19:07:18 -0700
From: Karen DeMello
Today 7 of us hiked up Mission Peak from Ohlone College in Fremont, and the birds were most cooperative! A Golden Eagle soared above, we saw several American Kestrels and Turkey Vultures, and the highlight was a terrific view of an Osprey that flew overhead.
There were Yellow-billed Magpies near the uppermost parking lot, a Killdeer near the water just before the woodlands, a dozen cows on the narrow trail in the woodlands (luckily they moved up the hill after a few minutes, allowing us to pass!), a Northern Mockingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, a Western Bluebird pair, and Chris MacIntosh spotted a Lazuli Bunting before it teased us by disappearing behind some foliage (yet it continued to sing to let us know it was still there - somewhere!).
Most exciting, though, was the Western Kingbird which gave us plenty of opportunities to watch it flycatch from a fencepost.
Just below the saddle before the final ascent we had fantastic, close looks at several Horned Larks posing for us on low rocks, and also Western Meadowlarks.
The wildflowers were just spectacular. Even though the grasses are drying out, there were California Poppies everywhere, and also various sort of Lupine, Clarkia (Winecup?), Clover, Beeplant and more.
Atop the summit we enjoyed a fairly clear view to the east - the snow covered Sierras were just barely visible. Butterflies abounded at the summit, including Anise Swallowtail, Pale Swallowtail, and Mournful Duskywing.
When we returned to the parking lot there was a Bullock's Oriole foraging among the nearby Mustard Weed growing along the edge of the lot, making this a very memorable Memorial Day indeed.
Karen DeMello
Hayward Regional Shoreline and eastern Alameda
County
Mon, 27 May 2002 23:27:53 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
The following was seen at Hayward Regional Shoreline today:
At Winton Ave, only the normal late spring migrants were seen (Swainson's Thrush, Wilson's Warbler, and Cedar Waxwing). The waxwing is becoming regular in the last few years.
Snow Goose - still at San Lorenzo Community Park.
Ross Goose - still at San Lorenzo Community Park.
(will they both summer at this park?)
Eastern Alameda County:
I was here very late in the day looking for Lesser Nighthawks. I saw 2 of them. I was on Bruns Rd, Mile Post 0.97. A small cattle pond is to the east. They were seen over and around this pond. Only one at first, then it was joined by a second. The nearby PG&E facility has lights which at night may attract nighthawks after the insects drawn to the lights. I saw none, but I was only there until 9:15 PM. The nighthawks were first seen over the pond at 8:20 PM. For county birders, this is barely in Alameda County.
Bob