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Hayward Regional Shoreline on 12 May
Sat, 17 May 2003 12:40:19 -0700
From: Tom Condit

My apologies for lateness in posting, but I too went to the Hayward Regional Shoreline in search of the Red Knots and didn't find them. On May 12, mid-day, I saw some birds out on the island in the first lagoon north of the Interpretive Center which could have been Red Knots, but probably weren't and were too far away for my glasses in any case.

Three things of interest (to me at least), and then the total list:

• Near the Interpretive Center there was a Brandt's Cormorant swimming the ditch on the left of the trail as you go north. It flew to further up the ditch, then across to the east to the other side of the island in the first lagoon. I've never seen one in shallow brackish water before. It had the buffy throat pouch but no blue.
• At the Interpretive Center, Barn Swallows were hazing an American Crow away from the area.
• On my way back, a Killdeer sat on the mud at the edge of the first lagoon, fanning its tail and turning it from side to side in an apparent display. No other birds of the species were evident. The tail, once fully fanned out, was white in the center with a red-gold crescent around the edges. Is this an immature?

What I saw:

• Brandt's Cormorant
• Great Egrets
• Snowy Egrets
• Mallards
• Gadwalls (a pair - is this late?)
• Black-bellied Plovers
• Snowy Plovers
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilts
• American Avocets (breeding plumage)
• Greater Yellowlegs (foraging with a Willet as if they were a pair)
• Willets
• Western Sandpipers (some in breeding plumage)
• Dunlins (beautiful breeding plumage - see 'em now before they go away)
• dowitchers (breeding plumage, probably Short-billed Dowitchers, although it's been too long since I saw these daily for me to remember the fine points)
• gull sp.
• Mourning Dove
• Cliff Swallows
• Barn Swallows
• American Crow
• Common Raven
• California Towhee
• Savannah Sparrows (singing)
• Song Sparrows (singing)
• Brewer's Blackbirds
• Brown-headed Cowbird (one lone female, foraging by the path)

Tom Condit
Berkeley

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Grasshopper Sparrows not found in Wildcat Canyon
Sat, 17 May 2003 13:33:58 -0700
From: Doug Vaughan

My wife and I just returned from our quasi-annual walk through the Wildcat Canyon Regional Park grasslands in the vicinity of the Mezue Trail. We didn't see or hear any Grasshopper Sparrows, though we have seen them there pretty reliably in recent years. Anyone had better luck this spring?

On the other hand, Lazuli Buntings were numerous (this is where I usually see my first of the year), and I'm virtually certain that we heard distant Rufous-crowned Sparrows, though I have never seen them there.

Doug Vaughan
Berkeley

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Re: Predatory Western Scrub-Jay
Sat, 17 May 2003 15:59:20 PDT
From: Bill Gilbert

Jays are "blue meanies" when it comes to predation of eggs, nestlings, and recent fledglings. They are one of the major predators on eggs and young of Orange-crowned and Wilson's Warblers I study. Such predation in general is observed very infrequently, however, and the source of most nest predation must be inferred indirectly (or directly through high tech, self-activating cameras, which are expensive and troublesome). This infrequency of sighting predation might seem surprising until one considers that eggs and young of songbirds are in the nest for about three weeks, and vulnerable fledglings are in the bushes for a few more weeks. In over a month's vulnerability, it might take a predator only a few minutes to nab and dispose of eggs or young. If one observed a nest and (later) fledged young continually during daylight hours, even then they would see a predation event very infrequently. Considering that one studying nesting might check nests for just a minute or so a day, and also that much predation (mainly mammal) happens at night, one might start to appreciate why predation is so seldom observed. In that sense, you were quite lucky to see the predation event you did (if seeing a young bird dragged off screaming to be devoured can be considered "lucky").

How many predation events have I seen? In many years of study I have twice seen a garter snake coiled around an orange crown nest, and a couple of eggs missing (pretty incriminating if you ask me!). I also once found a Wilson's Warbler nest in which all young were dead, and on which wasps were feasting. I naively thought the wasps had stung the young to death. On returning to the nest in less than an hour, however, I found all young gone. I then realized I likely had narrowly missed seeing a Steller's Jay predation event. Finally, I once witnessed fledging of an orange crown nest during which a Stellar's Jay located one of the recent fledglings in the undergrowth. What followed was not pretty, but I did learn that jays are adept at storing body parts under tree bark.

Bill Gilbert

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Tilden Regional Park Nature Area, Berkeley Hills
Sat, 17 May 2003 18:01:54 -0700
From: Dennis & Patricia Braddy

EastBayBirders,

We spent the morning at Tilden Regional Park Nature Study Area birding the portion of Wildcat Creek Trail between the parking lot and Jewel Lake, the boardwalk along the creek, and the Upper and Lower Packrat Trails.

Though the number of species seen was modest (38), many individual birds were seen and heard. Present in double-digit numbers were Black-headed Grosbeak, Pacific-slope Flycatcher (4 different song phrases, excellent views), Warbling Vireo (some in pairs), Hutton's Vireo (3+ different phrases), Wilson's Warbler (song and chip note), Swainson's Thrush (3 seen, many heard - whit!, water drop, song), Bewick's Wren (3 or 4 different songs), Spotted Towhee (introductory note + buzzy trill), and Wrentit (many heard, 1 seen at close range).

We had a personal record 7 Brown Creepers. Seen in lesser numbers were Western Wood-Pewee (1 - peeeer), Northern Flicker (3), Nuttall's Woodpecker (3), Downy Woodpecker (2), Rufous Hummingbird (5), Allen's Hummingbird (2), female Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird (4), Anna's Hummingbird (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (2 or 3 - one perched briefly nearby, 2 flying together), and Orange-crowned Warbler (2).

Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon

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Re: Tilden Regional Park Nature Area
Sat, 17 May 2003 18:12:19 -0700
From: John Poole

Birders:

Also in Tilden Regional Park Nature Area this morning, a Winter Wren was in continuous song along the boardwalk. We got a good view of him when he popped up and sang for us.

John Poole

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Mount Diablo State Park
Sat, 17 May 2003 19:54:09 -0700
From: Les Chibana

Today, I led a trip to Mt Diablo State Park, entering from the South Gate. We had point-blank views of Sage Sparrows and Rufous-crowned Sparrows along the road before the entry kiosk. I heard a Black-chinned Sparrow sing once, but we were not able to see any. Lazuli Buntings were plentiful in the area. A silent Warbling Vireo moved through the area.

At the Rock City area, we found Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Western Tanager, and a very happy, husky-sounding House Wren at the ranger residence. The area was active with many regulars, especially Oak Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco and Lesser Goldfinch.

At the Blue Oak picnic area, we saw a stunning male Yellow Warbler.

The summit seemed to have more butterflies than birds with 2 Pale Swallow- tail and one Anise Swallowtail all chasing each other.

Back at the Sunset picnic area, we found a nice mix of birds including an Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 or 2 Hermit Warblers, a Townsend's Warbler, a couple of Western Tanagers, 2 Chipping Sparrows and a Hairy Woodpecker.

The weather and wildflowers made for a completely enjoyable day!

Les

Les Chibana
BirdNUTZ^TM - Ornigasmic Birding
http://www.birdnutz.com

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