Vollmer Peak, Tilden Regional Park
Fri, 25
Jul 2003 12:28:37 -0700
From: Kitty O'Neil
Larry Tunstall and I birded Vollmer Peak in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills) this morning. The highlight was a clear view of a Great Horned Owl. We enjoyed decent views of Pygmy Nuthatches too. (And lots of bunnies!)
Kitty
What we saw (or heard) at Vollmer Peak:
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Hermit Warbler at Vollmer Peak
Fri, 25 Jul
2003 18:35:25 PDT
From: Brian Fitch
Around 10:30 this morning, we found an immature male Hermit Warbler in the ridgetop pines north of Vollmer Peak, awhile after Larry and Kitty showed us the owl. The warbler flew downhill to the west into other pines.
Brian Fitch & crew
Red Knots at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Mon,
28 Jul 2003 02:58:21 +0000
From: Bob Power
Hi all:
I walked out to "Frank's Dump" from the W Winton Ave access to Hayward Regional Shoreline and I was greeted by (well, they weren't all that happy to see me) between 40 and 50 Red Knots loosely organized around the several islands and isthmuses (a word?) that make up this habitat.
Also of note were two Red-necked Phalaropes and seven Least Terns.
Hope you were out birding,
Bob Power
Oakland, CA
Alameda County
Day care for White-tailed Kites?
Sun, 27 Jul
2003 21:48:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Marc Rumminger
I took a long walk at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont today around mid-day. I saw many American White Pelicans in various places, a large family of California Quail near Hoot Hollow, and much of the usual Coyote Hills population.
As I was walking westbound along the DUST Trail, I noticed a dead tree that contained 12 juvenile White-tailed Kites and 2 adults. The tree was between the DUST Trail and the Alameda Creek Trail, about halfway between the DUST/Creek intersection and DUST/Chocheyno intersection.
It is unlikely that a single pair could have raised so many young, so was this a day care for the Coyote Hills kite community? If so, do any other raptors show this sort of behavior?
Marc Rumminger
Berkeley, CA
Bayfront Park, Pinole
Mon, 28 Jul 2003 10:24:52
-0700
From: Terry Coddington
Dear EBBers,
My return (yesterday) to Pinole's Bayfront Park [at the bay end of Tennent Ave, which you can access from San Pablo Ave in downtown Pinole] was rewarded by looks at four American White Pelicans, a secondary-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper, several Least Sandpipers and Sanderlings and a single Willet. Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets were present in numbers along with as many American Crows, acting like shorebirds.
My return was prompted by a hope of seeing foraging Ospreys which I had seen on a previous visit en duet, with one catching a sizable fish. This time a single Osprey showed up for a close look, but didn't seem to be foraging. This one flew low to the water, leaving a wake from his trailing talons in the water. Anyone know why?
Happy hunting.
Terry Coddington
Tilden Nature Area & Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:22:53 PDT
From: Brian Fitch
We hiked five miles today in hopes of finding something unusual for our last week of camp. We went north from the Tilden Visitor Center along the Wildcat Creek fire road, then up the Conlon Trail to Wildcat Peak, and back down to the Visitor Center. It was quite quiet, but here's the highlights:
Brian Fitch & crew
Berkeley Marina
Wed, 30 Jul 2003 16:51:18
PDT
From: Brian Fitch
We found a Pelagic Cormorant in the harbor at the Berkeley Marina today, sitting discreetly on the northern houseboat dock until it was flushed by a resident dog. We watched it swim northward into the tangle of yachts. Also unusual was a pair of Long-billed Dowitchers amongst the Short-billed Dowitchers, and twelve Black Turnstones on the mud north of University Ave, just west of the frontage road.
Brian Fitch & crew
Western Tanager at Sausal Creek, Oakland
Wed,
30 Jul 2003 17:48:54 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Mark Rauzon:
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 16:39:28 PDT
I spied a Western Tanager in bright non-breeding plumage taking a bath in Sausal Creek today, near the El Centro Ave Trailhead. The yellow bird looked fabulous admidst the mossy green rocks as it got totally soaking wet. I'm also seeing birds that look like Lincoln's Sparrows here now. This is a great creek restoration project and habitat mimics a Sierran stream in places. if you haven't checked out this Oakland creek, you should note it for in a few years it promises to be a rich riparian site. For location see
http://www.sausalcreek.org/images/transitmap.gifMark Rauzon
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall