Warblers in Albany
Sat, 10 May 2003 12:59:11
-0700
From: Mark Westlund
A full complement of warblers today at Albany Hill Park: Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and Black-throated Gray Warbler. Cedar Waxwings are still around, and more Chestnut-backed Chickadees than I've ever seen in one place. In two separate circumstances, once on top of the hill and once down by the creek, saw an Anna's Hummingbird dive-bomb and displace a Black Phoebe. Anyone seen this behavior before? Territorial battle over flycatching rights?
And to add to the Black-headed Grosbeak discussion, I had one in my south-central Berkeley backyard earlier this week feeding from the platform feeder on safflower seeds - this the second year now that we've had grosbeaks.
Mark Westlund
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sat, 10 May 2003
18:30:47 -0700
From: Sheila Junge
Townsend's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, American Goldfinch and Selasphorus hummingbirds were seen around the W Winton Ave parking lot of Hayward Regional Shoreline this morning.
Three White-tailed Kites were seen over Mt Russell (closed landfill immediately south of the parking lot). At least one appeared to be a juvenile - it had streaking on the throat. Seems a little early to me - is this possible?
I then headed south to Cogswell Marsh. Tide was high most of the time I was there. There were few flyover birds: Forster's Tern and Caspian Tern, Great Egret and Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron. When the mudflats emerged, small numbers of Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot, dowitcher, Dunlin, Willet, Long-billed Curlew and Western Sandpiper appeared.
Sheila Junge
Hayward, CA
RFI: Common Poorwills in Tilden Regional Park?
Sun, 11 May 2003 07:25:34 -0700
From: John Poole
Birders:
A few years ago I heard of Common Poorwills being seen on Volmer Peak in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills).
Has anyone seen them lately?
John Poole
Some Alameda sightings
Sun, 11 May 2003 20:24:44
-0700 (PDT)
From: David Armstrong
This afternoon my wife and I took a long walk on Bay Farm Island, starting near the Ferry Dock and looping around on the Bay Trail over to San Leandro Bay, returning along various canals in the residential areas. Highlights included many Least Terns, 6 to 7 Red Knots, a late Common Goldeneye, several American Avocets, dowitchers, Dunlin, and a Western Tanager in a yard along one of the canals.
David Armstrong
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Sun, 11 May 2003 21:21:04
-0700
From: Bruce Mast
This morning, Sara Soper and I conducted our monthly colonial breeding bird monitoring at Lake Merritt (Oakland) on behalf of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. While there, a couple of unusual birds showed up. A Green Heron spent all morning there roosting on various islands and periodically flying in circles around the duck-feeding area. Also, a lone Northern Shoveler was lounging onshore in the birds-only area.
We counted about 90 Double-crested Cormorant nests, 70 Snowy Egret nests, 60 Black-crowned Night-Heron nests, 12 Great Egret nests (almost certainly a substantial undercount), and a possible Great Blue Heron nest. Except for the Great Blue Heron, many parents of the other species had chicks of various sizes. Many night-heron chicks have left the nest.
Also of local note, we had Violet-green Swallows, Barn Swallows, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
Bruce Mast
Oakland
Re: Great Horned Owl in Orinda
Mon, 12 May
2003 16:18:34 -0700
From: Richard Mix
Kitty O'Neil wrote:
I know this is our common neighborhood owl, but what a sight! Tonight at 8:15 (still light out) as I turned onto my street (north Orinda) I saw it fly to the top of a fruit tree. It looked around, preened, and just sat for about 5 minutes. The whole time another bird was desperately squawking (a Spotted Towhee?).
Hi -
I wouldn't count on finding that towhee! A sound that I described the same way turned out to be the Northern Saw-whet Owl that I thought I had lost after hearing a more recognizable call at a distance. As I kept up my attempt to whistle it back, my enraged "towhee" launched an attack, to be recognized as it made a U-turn at arm's length from my face.... Perhaps Great Horned Owls also resort to such short range vocalizations.
Richard Mix
El Cerrito
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Livermore and Mines Road
Mon, 12 May 2003
18:06:54 -0700
From: Les Chibana
I've recently led a few trips meeting in Livermore and stopping in only a few spots along Mines Rd in Alameda County. Most of the experiences were similar from trips on May 3, 8, 10 and 11.
At the Nob Hill Foods on E Stanley Blvd, there have been many Western Tanagers and Cedar Waxwings in the eucalyptus trees across the parking lot.
At the junction of Mines Rd and the road to Del Valle Reservoir [Del Valle Rd], there have been lots of Wild Turkey vocalizations. We finally saw one displaying male, 1 subordinate male, 2 young males and a hen in the yard on the west side of Mines Rd just north of the junction.
Just past the bridge a couple of miles down Mines Rd after the junction, the usual great mix of birds continues, with Western Kingbirds, Bullock's Orioles, Phainopepla, Western Bluebirds, and many other regulars. A new sound at this spot (since last year) is a peacock.
On May 3, there was a significant movement of Lazuli Buntings and Black-headed Grosbeaks along the road around MilePost 7.25 or so. There was a lot of both in the mustard below the road. This was not evident on the later dates. A bobcat approached the road about a mile further south on May 8.
I heard, thirdhand, that the Bald Eagles are nesting again at Del Valle Reservoir.
There are some nice small pockets of wildflowers in south Alameda County, although the real show is in San Antonio Valley in Santa Clara County.
Les
Les Chibana
BirdNUTZTM - Ornigasmic
Birding
http://www.birdnutz.com
Re: Great Horned Owl in Orinda
Mon, 12 May
2003 22:35:09 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hi all,
I also wouldn't rule out a fledgling Great Horned Owl as the source of those strange noises. Great Horned Owls nest early and there are fledglings everywhere by this time of year. I kind of liken their noise to a Steller's Jay rather than a towhee but with the adult nearby this seems like a pretty good explanation. This call is on some of the tapes, including the Peterson one.
Steve
Steve Glover
Dublin
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