Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline
Tue,
21 Jan 2003 06:47:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Bolinger
Monday afternoon at high tide I counted forty Black Turnstones on the spit of land near the foot bridge in Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland.
In the fenced ponds area there were about ten Green-winged Teal. I have not seen them there before, and I go every weekend.
In the inlet adjacent to Doolittle Dr was a Barrow's Goldeneye with birdbook-perfect markings flanked by two Common Goldeneyes so this beginner had the perfect comparison.
Stewart Bolinger
Oakland
Hooded Mergansers still in Moraga
Tue, 21
Jan 2003 12:07:28 -0800
From: Judi Cooper
Today at the Moraga Country Club pond the male Hooded Merganser was present with 4 females. Also, one male and two female Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Pied-billed Grebe, Mallards and American Coot.
The male Hooded Merganser was approximately in the middle of the pond and as I just sat in my car watching for about 10 minutes he worked his way right toward me and was very close.
Judi Cooper
Moraga
Re: Hooded Mergansers still in Moraga
Tue,
21 Jan 2003 14:26:40 -0800
From: Nat Weber
After Judi's report, Ray Witbeck and I went to the same pond at 1:30 PM and found the same species along with one male Gadwall and one male American Wigeon, one Cooper's Hawk, Snowy Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Black Phoebe. Amazing species count for such a small place. On the way back to work saw a Golden Eagle flying over the shopping center at a low elevation. All in all it was a good birding lunch.
Nat Weber
Moraga, CA
Original Message Subject Index
White-winged Scoters at Lake Merritt
Tue,
21 Jan 2003 14:29:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Diane P
Saw a flock of White-winged Scoters at Lake Merritt in Oakland today. Is this unusual for the lake's wildbird population?
Diane
Editor's Note: One White-winged Scoter would be unusual. A flock is extremely unlikely without further confirmation.
Black Phoebes
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 14:31:14
-0800
From: Beth Lucas
Is the Black Phoebe population in central Contra Costa County up? Seems to me like I see them a lot lately, whereas it used to be they were an occasional treat.
Beth
Reply #1 Reply #2 Subject Index
Re: Black Phoebes
Tue, 21 Jan 2003 14:52:09
-0800 (PST)
From: Diane P
I have one in my yard in Walnut Creek. Just a solo guy (or gal?). Black as the ace of spades, with a lovely white underbelly (how do you tell the males from the females?). It hangs out around my pool a lot. The other day it was flying into the water, just a tad under the surface for half a second, then flying out again to the side of the pool, then again flying nearly underneath the top of the water for half a second. It repeated this many times, nearly submerging its entire body each time. Was s/he using my pool as a big bird bath????? Also, how can I attract this Black Phoebe to eat at my bird feeders? Some say mealworms do the trick.
Diane
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Re: White-winged Scoters at Lake Merritt
Tue,
21 Jan 2003 20:27:43 -0800
From: Bruce Mast
Scoters on Lake Merritt would be pretty unusual. I've walked around the Lake most days the last couple years and I've never seen them there.
Bruce Mast
Original Message Subject Index
Peregrine Falcon at Berkeley Aquatic Park
Thu, 23 Jan 2003 14:35:57 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Today around noon, a lovely Peregrine Falcon was perched on the dish antenna on the radio tower at the south end of Berkeley Aquatic Park. It stayed there for at least half an hour, watching the ponds and preening.
The beautiful pair of Hooded Mergansers are still in the middle pond, and at least 8 Red-breasted Mergansers in the large (north) lagoon.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Eurasian Wigeon at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Fri, 24 Jan 2003 19:28:02 -0800
From: Emily Serkin
Greetings.
This morning during low tide I saw a male Eurasian Wigeon at Hayward Regional Shoreline, south of the Grant Ave access where the Bockman Channel empties into the Bay.
Good birding,
Emily Serkin
Hayward
Passing of Michael Ezekiel
Fri, 24 Jan 2003
20:48:08 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding the following message to the list.
Fri, 24 Jan 2003
Larry,
An active Bay Area birder, Michael Ezekiel passed away on the evening of January 21 following surgery for lung cancer. Mike was the co-owner of a catering business with his wife Lisa Wilson and lived in Oakland. He was in his early fifties and will be dearly missed by his friends and family. I believe that he may have participated in your bird chat group. Perhaps it would be appropriate to post this message.
Roger Harris
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Re: Black Phoebes
Fri, 24 Jan 2003 20:43:30
-0800
From: Johan Langewis
Beth Lucas asked:
Is the Black Phoebe population in Central Contra Costa County up?
I don't have hard data, but it seems as if Black Phoebes are more abundant this year. My friend and I go to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge every year and this past December they seemed to be everywhere. I'm seeing one around my yard in the Oakland hills regularly this past year, where in the past they were only seen once or twice a year. I bicycle in the Bay Area a lot and my feeling is that Black Phoebes are becoming more common. I also noticed that they were more common on the Christmas Bird Count (Orinda).
Johan Langewis
Original Message Subject Index