Yellow-bellied Sapsucker still near Sunol
Wed, 12 Mar 2003 21:28:12 -0800
From: Bob Dunn
At 4:00 PM this afternoon I refound the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Sunol Regional Wilderness. It was in the live oak just to the right of the little building with the wooden deck in back. (If you're standing on the deck facing the creek, that is). This is the same area as previous reports.
Bob Dunn
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Sunol Regional Wilderness
13 Mar 2003 17:32:01
-0800
From: Les Chibana
Today at Sunol Regional Wilderness, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker continued in the oaks to the right of the Wilderness Room(?), the cabin with the deck out back. This is the cabin that's closest to the bridge. You can see fresh sapsucker drillings in one of the low limbs at roof height. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker foraged near the top of the oak (black?) that's just leafing out. Several Acorn Woodpeckers chased the sapsucker off, occasionally.
Today's BirdNUTZ Rarities Chase score: 2.5 out of 3. We also saw the Long-eared Owl and heard at least 2 Grasshopper Sparrows at Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas (Santa Clara County).
Les
Les Chibana
BirdNUTZTM - Ornigasmic
Birding
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Pileated Woodpecker in Oakland Hills
Fri,
14 Mar 2003 13:35:53 PST
From: Sylvia Sykora
After a lapse of 12 months or so, this morning I had good views, flying and drumming, of a Pileated Woodpecker in Redwood Regional Park in Oakland.
The bird was first seen - and heard - as it flew south across the canyon which opens eastward from Moon Gate. (Moon Gate is a parking entrance to Redwood Regional Park on Skyline Blvd in Oakland, between Castle Dr and Totterdell.) I walked south (right) on the West Ridge Trail from Moon Gate about one-half mile, and as I approached the Chabot Science Center, heard drumming and then loud calls. The bird was located on a snag in a group of eucalyptus trees at the intersection of the West Ridge Trail and the paved road leading to the back of the Science Center. I had good views for at least 10 minutes and was able to show the bird to a group of children who were visiting the Center. Drumming, calling and sighting - a good show, but without my glasses I could not sex the bird.
Sylvia Sykora
Castle Dr near Skyline Blvd
Oakland, Alameda County
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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Golden Eagles near Sunol
Fri, 14 Mar 2003 15:32:56 -0800
From: Dennis & Patricia Braddy
EastBayBirders,
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker continued at Sunol Regional Wilderness today. At 10:00 AM it visited the oaks adjacent to the "Wilderness" building, as previously reported, and the willows just upstream (east) of the footbridge.
We had our first Golden Eagle of the day on the way to the park on Calaveras Rd less than a mile from Hwy 680. It soared above the hills north of the road. Later, from the lower reaches of Indian Joe Trail, we spied a 2nd-year (?) Golden Eagle perched on a small rock outcropping near the eastern ridgeline, just as a 1st-year Golden Eagle joined it. Junior took off, circled, and landed a couple of times before enticing the elder bird, which was missing 2 flight feathers two-thirds of the way out on the left wing, to follow it. A few minutes later the sun blinked. We both jerked our heads up as Lefty flew directly over us at low altitude. Lefty and Junior were soon joined by another Golden Eagle which was missing a single feather from the right wing. A few minutes later yet another Golden Eagle appeared. This one, an adult, had a full complement of flight feathers.
Between observations of flight-feather-encoded eagles, we saw a Peregrine Falcon at its usual post above Flag Hill, a pair of interacting Northern Harriers, one Cooper's Hawk, two American Kestrels, several Red-tailed Hawks, loads of Turkey Vultures, and a Red-shouldered Hawk. Just pick any open area with a good view of the ridges north of the parking lot. Be sure to bring a spotting scope.
As we were crossing back over the footbridge at 1:30 PM a Red-shouldered Hawk carrying nesting material flew over us and landed nearby. Mark Gary located the bird and its nest in a streamside tree near a "15 MPH" sign a few yards past the parking lot at the bridge. Perhaps this is the same bird that in previous years nested in spot easily observed from the footbridge. We, in turn, pointed out to Mark the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which had returned to its usual oak next to the "Wilderness" building.
Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon
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Re: Pileated Woodpecker in Oakland Hills
Fri,
14 Mar 2003 16:43:48 PST
From: Mark Rauzon
I refound this Piliated Woodpecker at 3 PM in the same general vicinity. I parked north of the Moongate at a pull-off at Skyline and Waterloo Dr, entered the park and headed north on West Ridge Trail. At the intersection of Tres Sendas trail I headed down and entered the forest. Where the trail levels out below the Eucalyptus stand and the trail edges the stream, I heard pecking (actually thought it was trees knocking together in the wind). There on the right was a male Pileated Woodpecker working a dead bay tree branch. I observed the bird for 40 minutes as it loudly chipped off bark and evidently lapped up termites. I placed a log across the trail and made a crude arrow pointing to the snag, about 50 feet off the trail. Perhaps it will linger in the area.
Good luck.
Mark Rauzon
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