Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Berkeley Hills
Thu, 06 Jun 2002 12:46:29 -0700
From: Jay Withgott
East Bay Birders --
I'm passing along a Rose-breasted Grosbeak report I just received as Golden Gate Audubon Society Observations editor (below).
Also, I had a report from Tilden Regional Park on 2 June of a singing Palm Warbler from reliable observers, but have no details or location information yet.
Jay Withgott
Gordon Benner wrote:
Dear Mr. Withgott, Saw a new bird for me June 5, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, near the Skyline Gate of Redwood Regional Park in the Oakland hills. You don't know me and I'm a complete amateur, but I had my binoculars, a good long look, and the markings seem pretty distinctive. It was a pair, the mate was less distinctive but compatible with the book. Sibley lists them as rare in this area.
Gordon Benner
Palm Warbler in Tilden Regional Park
Thu, 06 Jun 2002 14:22:41 -0700
From: Graham Chisholm
Ted Floyd and I had a singing Palm Warbler along the first half mile of the Big Springs Trail in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills) on Sunday, June 3rd.
Graham Chisholm
Lewis' Woodpecker at Los Vaqueros Reservoir
Sun, 9 Jun 2002 17:32:15 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
On Friday, June 7, I spent about 4 hours at the north end of Los Vaqueros Reservoir (between Brentwood and Livermore) doing a little atlasing. I was hoping to get further west to some chaparral but forgot it was so far away. It got pretty hot and I never made it that far.
The highlight was a Lewis' Woodpecker on the Crest Trail. Unfortunately, I think it was a migrant even though it seems so late. It was flying low but didn't seem to stop and though I was in the area a couple of hours I never saw it or another Lewis' Woodpecker again. This may be the first June record for Contra Costa County, certainly in decades.
Other birds included Western Kingbird (common), Loggerhead Shrike (common on the entrance road; fledgling), Ash-throated Flycatcher (carrying food), Rufous-crowned Sparrow, a fledgling Rock Wren, a fledgling Lark Sparrow, and a migrant Willow Flycatcher.
The fee to get in is $6, which I probably wouldn't be too happy to pay if I wasn't atlasing. The hike from the dam uphill is pretty steep, so be prepared.
The north entrance is the old Vasco Road/Walnut Blvd. From the new Vasco Rd, go west on Camino Diablo and then go left on Walnut (the signs are obvious).
Good birding,
Steve Glover
Dublin
Birds near Byron
Sun, 09 Jun 2002 22:32:45 -0700
From: Jennifer Rycenga
Peggy Macres and I had a delightful two hours in the midst of a glorious sunset, birding the far east end of Camino Diablo Road in Byron. Highlights included a Green Heron, a flock of about two dozen Tricolored Blackbirds, at least five Lesser Nighthawks, and a hovering Burrowing Owl in the first field to the south as you head back west. The Nighthawks showed themselves quite clearly as early as 7:45 PM, allowing great looks at all their fieldmarks.
On Grant Line Rd, about one mile from Hwy J4 (Byron Rd), we had a Short-eared Owl hunting.
Jennifer Rycenga
Berkeley, California
Bear Creek Road birding
Sun, 9 Jun 2002 23:17:49 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello all,
Yesterday, June 8 I atlased around the Bear Creek Rd area west and northwest of Briones Regional Park, Contra Costa County. I stayed within the boundaries of block 570-200, so on Bear Creek Rd I started a couple of miles north of the Bear Creek entrance to Briones. Bear Creek Rd crosses Alhambra Valley Rd and continues for a mile or two before dead-ending. This road was particularly interesting. The habitats in this small area range from open grassland, to savannah, to moist oak/madrone forest and include some nice but narrow strips of willows. Notice all of the fledglings listed below.
Birds included (in no particular order. sorry!):
Red-shouldered Hawk - pair carrying food
Western Bluebird - fledgling
California Towhee - fledgling
Warbling Vireo - fledgling
Lazuli Bunting (particularly common around Hampton Rd)
Purple Finch
Western Wood-Pewee
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (pair)
Western Scrub-Jay - many fledglings
Wrentit
Steller's Jay - fledgling
Wilson's Warbler - many singing, especially along the northern stretch of Bear Creek Rd. I was surprised there were no fledglings around yet.
Song Sparrow - fledgling
House Wren - carrying food
Western Kingbird
Ash-throated Flycatcher - carrying food to fledglings
Acorn Woodpecker - Occupied nest
Hutton's Vireo - carrying food
Dark-eyed Junco - fledgling
Cassin's Vireo - nest in big leaf maple on Alhambra Valley Rd
Pacific-slope Flycatcher - pretty common in willow, especially north end Bear Creek Rd
Willow Flycatcher - 1 migrant north end Bear Creek Rd
Lawrence's Goldfinch - Occupied nest in exotic pine at north end of Bear Creek Rd and heard at a couple of other spots. This has been a very good year for this species in Contra Costa County.
47 species total
Steve Glover
Dublin