Pygmy Nuthatches in Redwood Regional Park
Tue, 3 Sep 2002 07:58:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Harris
This morning I saw a group of about 6 Pygmy Nuthatches in Redwood Regional Park, Oakland Hills, Alameda County. The birds were foraging in Monterey pines near the old Regional Park headquarters. They were also present yesterday, though I did not get a good look at the time. To reach the spot where they were seen, go north on Skyline Blvd from its intersection with Joaquin Miller Rd. Park on the right near the short section of chain-link fence - this is quite close to the intersection of Skyline and Joaquin Miller. Walk around the fence and down to the trail. The birds were right there this morning, but there are clumps of Monterey pines not too far in both directions from this trail head. The area has lost a number of trees to pine-pitch canker fungus in the last few years, and there are a lot of sick trees too. Perhaps this has created a favorable situation for these birds. Red-breasted Nuthatches are also pretty common in the area, and I've seen Hairy Woodpeckers and Nuttall's Woodpeckers too.
John H. Harris
Biology Department, Mills College
Oakland, CA
Band info for Black Skimmer at Martinez
Tue, 3 Sep 2002 13:35:34 -0700
From: Scott Hein
Just an update on the Black Skimmer that we observed at Martinez Regional Shoreline on August 17. You may recall that this bird was banded, and with some persistence we were able to read the band. Cindy and Les Lieurance submitted the band number to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center < http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/ > and just forwarded me Patuxent's response.
The Black Skimmer we found in Martinez last month was banded near Seal Beach CA. It was too young to fly when banded in 1998 (sex unknown.) The bander was Dr. C. T. Collins, Department of Biological Sciences at California State University in Long Beach.
For those who haven't seen it yet, I have a photo of the bird (with visible band) on my web site:
Pretty Cool!
Scott and Claudia Hein
Concord, California
Original Message Subject Index
Elegant Terns in Alameda
Tue, 03 Sep 2002 18:07:25 -0400
From: Kathy Robertson
Hi EB Birders,
Yesterday afternoon I spent about an hour birding at the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary, located at the southeast end of Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda. Of note were 18 Elegant Terns. They were roosting on sandbars beyond the southeast end of the sanctuary. This area is reached via a dirt (sand) path starting at the intersection of Broadway and Shoreline Dr. As the tide came in and covered the sandbars, the birds took off in small groups and headed in a generally northwest direction. There was also a large number of Sanderlings on the sandbars.
Also of interest were six Heermann's Gulls roosting among the Forster's Terns on the concrete breakwater between Crown Beach and the Sanctuary. Several Clapper Rails were calling from the marsh.
Good birding,
Kathy Robertson
Hayward, CA
Re: Yellow-billed Magpies in Pleasanton
Wed, 4 Sep 2002 04:44:47 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
Rich Cimino wrote:
Here in Pleasanton I'd like to have a Yellow-billed Magpie. That would make me happy.
Richard and East-Bay-Birders:
You can occasionally find Yellow-billed Magpies in Pleasanton at the cemetery on Sunol Blvd just south of Raley's Market or at the Wayside Park on First Street several blocks north of there.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Yellow-billed Magpies in Pleasanton
Wed, 04 Sep 2002 12:01:52 -0700
From: Rich Cimino
Yes, actually Pleasanton has had a rather stable Yellow-billed Magpie population out on Sycamore Rd in Happy Valley for years. This was a grand breeding population which used a small sycamore grove - an "old-growth stand" of big trees, with huge stick nests throughtout the grove.These birds until recently could be seen almost daily on the Sunol Rd by the old Kaiser land.
All of Kaiser is gone now, this and the old-growth Sycamore grove are gone, all in less than two years, all developed. Happy Valley may end up a golf course - this area has Burrowing Owl, turkey, kites, eagles, many sparrows, and on the periphery there are some small ranches that may have Yellow-billed Magpies.
I think tonight I'll go look for the Yellow-billed Magpie and report back, just for fun.
Happy Birding
Rich Cimino
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Yellow-billed Magpies in Pleasanton
Thu,
05 Sep 2002 11:08:12 -0700
From: Rich Cimino
Yesterday on the way home from work I drove through Happy Valley south of Pleasanton.
I saw turkeys on Alasi Rd.
I checked out the Faith Chapter pasture for Burrowing Owl - none. A few hundred feet down the road is a "wet area" used by cattle. I checked for Snipe - none, but there are several Tricolored Black Birds. I searched for Yellow-billed Magpies down several side roads - none.
I also did a quick survey of "old-growth sycamores." I counted only three - these are big trees with wide-girth trunks. The intermediate-aged trees are all gone. These trees contained the huge stick nests and had dead limbs, less folage. I suspect that the intermediate trees had better access for the large magpies to come and go to the nest. The older trees are full folage and without exposed bare limbs/branches.
I checked out all the horse paddocks - no Yellow-billed Magpies.
Rich Cimino
Pleasanton
Original Message Subject Index
Chickadee Club needs docents to lead children's bird
walks
Thu, 05 Sep 2002 20:05:48 -0700
From: John Poole
For several years I have organized a children's birding club (the Chickadee Club) at Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley where I am the science teacher. This year I have expanded the club to Malcolm X Elementary School. Children and their families are invited for weekend bird walks in the fall/winter and in the spring. The walks are all in the Berkeley area and last for about two hours.
Here's the pitch! I am in great need of docents to guide some of these walks. On an average there would be around 15 to 20 children/adults in a group. Because the parents are present (and because the children are absolutely fantastic), behavior is not an issue. It is also not necessary for you to be an expert birder - just eager to share your love of birding.
Please give me a call if you think you might be able to either lead a walk or come along on one of the walks I lead to see how it's done.
I can guarantee you a very pleasurable experience.
John Poole, 510.549.0784