Purple Martin in Alameda
Sat, 2 Aug 2003 23:56:14
PDT
From: Bob Richmond
Today a male Purple Martin was seen flying over the parking lot of the Albertson's market on Marina Village Pkwy in Alameda.
Good Birding
Bob
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Mon, 4 Aug 2003
01:36:34 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
On Sunday, I decided to go to Frank's Dump West (Hayward Regional Shoreline) at low tide just to see what was present (high tide is usually better). First at Hayward Landing, I saw a Black Oystercatcher and the only Red Knots of the day, I counted 5. At Frank's Dump West, one of the first birds seen was a Lesser Yellowlegs. I counted 119 Wilson's Phalarope, the most I have seen here at one time. Several Snowy Plovers were present. In the southeast corner was a Solitary Sandpiper.
Good Birding
Bob Richmond
Editor's Note: "Frank's Dump West" (this name is not shown on signs or maps) is the first flooded area east of the Bay Trail and north of Hayward Landing. From the parking lot at the end of W Winton Ave, walk to the bay (Hayward Landing), then north on the Bay Trail to the first area of water and mudflats on your right..
Albany Mudflats and Richmond Marina Bay
Wed,
06 Aug 2003 19:55:25 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
Wednesday morning at the 4-foot high tide, Kitty O'Neil and I birded the northeast corner of the Albany Mudflats (Albany Crescent). Take the Bay Trail south from Central Ave a short distance and you have a nice view of some small inlets and artificial "islands" on which quite a few shorebirds congregate when the mudflats are under water. The highlight here was a flock of around 20 to 25 Whimbrels, possibly including first-year birds. There was also a Ruddy Turnstone with a lot of breeding plumage left, busy turning big rocks.
After an hour there, we went to Shimada Friendship Park and birded along Marina Bay (Richmond Inner Harbor) and the shoreline back to Meeker Slough, then up the creek to the Rosie the Riveter Monument. Highlight was a Clapper Rail that Kitty spotted in the mouth of one of the channels draining into Meeker Slough, upstream from the Bay Trail bridge. There were a couple of Surf Scoters in the bay near shore, and several dark unidentified birds farther out on the water. Five Black Oystercatchers were working the mudflat along with godwits, curlews, and dowitchers just east of the crumbling old pier near the Zeneca restoration site.
In the following list, AM indicates birds seen or heard at the Albany Mudflats, and MB those seen or heard at Marina Bay or Meeker Slough.
-- MB Western Grebe
AM -- Clark's Grebe
-- MB Double-crested Cormorant
AM -- Great Blue Heron
AM MB Snowy Egret
-- MB Turkey Vulture
AM MB Canada Goose
-- MB Mallard
-- MB Surf Scoter
-- MB Cooper's Hawk
AM -- Red-tailed Hawk
-- MB Clapper Rail
AM MB Black-bellied Plover
AM -- Semipalmated Plover
AM MB Killdeer
-- MB Black Oystercatcher
-- MB Greater Yellowlegs
AM MB Willet
AM MB Whimbrel
AM MB Long-billed Curlew
AM MB Marbled Godwit
AM -- Ruddy Turnstone
AM -- Black Turnstone
AM -- Western Sandpiper
AM -- Least Sandpiper
AM MB unidentified "peeps"
AM MB dowitcher sp.
AM MB Western Gull
-- MB Caspian Tern
AM MB Forster's Tern
AM MB Rock Dove
AM MB Mourning Dove
AM MB Anna's Hummingbird
-- MB Black Phoebe
-- MB American Crow
-- MB Barn Swallow
-- MB Chestnut-backed Chickadee
-- MB Bushtit
-- MB American Robin
AM -- Northern Mockingbird
AM -- European Starling
AM MB California Towhee
AM -- Savannah Sparrow
-- MB White-crowned Sparrow
-- MB House Finch
-- MB Lesser Goldfinch
-- MB House Sparrow
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Thu, 07 Aug 2003
18:28:47 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am posting this message to the list for Mark Rauzon:
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 16:25:42 PDT
The W Winton Ave area of Hayward Regional Shoreline was interesting at midday August 7 at high tide. About 60 Least Terns were at Frank's Dump lagoon resting; that's about a sixth of the population in the Bay. Also Red Knots (hundreds), a few Snowy Plovers, a few Wilson Phalaropes, Ruddy Turnstones - 14 shorebird species in all.
Mark Rauzon
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Website with photos of East Bay birds
Thu,
7 Aug 2003 20:40:12 -0700
From: Mark Wales
As some of you already know I have a very strong interest in photographing birds - especially locally. Some of you have encouraged me to put my photography on the web for the whole of EBB to enjoy. Well - I've managed to do that and I have just pre-launched my own website. Very shortly there'll be a second release with more birds (5 online galleries) and a special section for those shots of greater interest to birders - like the Indigo Bunting hybrid at Briones Regional Park.
In the meantime please enjoy the site as it is:
http://www.harnserphoto.comIt is still being tested so please feel free to let me know your thoughts or any problems/typos/indentification errors that you find. I can always provide more information on locality and date of the shots.
Regards
Mark Wales
Marbled Murrelet at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sat, 09 Aug 2003 15:56:14 -0700
From: Dennis & Patricia Braddy
EastBayBirders,
A Marbled Murrelet swam just offshore between Hayward's Landing and Frank's Dump at Hayward Regional Shoreline today at 1:00 PM.
High tide filled Frank's Dump with shorebirds including Ruddy Turnstone, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Red Knot, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, dowitcher sp., Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet. and Killdeer. One Snowy Plover next to the levee at the north end repeatedly charged through clouds of flies with its bill open. Pretty cute.
Also loafing at Frank's Dump were several dozen Least Terns.
Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon