Re: Decline of Mourning Doves in Berkeley
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 11:19:59 -0700
From: B. Slatkin
No Mourning Doves heard recently here in Berkeley (normally I hear them first thing in the morning), but we've got plenty of Lesser Goldfinch, both males and females, coming to the feeder everyday and squabbling amongst themselves.
B. Slatkin (north Berkeley)
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Re: Mystery bird at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 11:19:59 -0700
From: B. Slatikin
Might it be a Spotted Sandpiper, or is the neck too short?
http://www.lros.org.uk/archive/Spotted%20Sandpiper%20EBR%20May%2098%20JH.jpg
B. Slatkin
Berkeley
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Clay-colored Sparrow at Hidden Lakes, Martinez
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 11:49:38 -0700
From: Judi Cooper
After reading Denise Wight's report of the Clay-colored Sparrow in Martinez I decided to go for a look. Well, it was noon by the time I got there and the temperature gauge was hitting 100, however, I got one brief look at the bird - along with other sparrows - but I decided this wasn't good enough.
So, this morning I ran over again. I got there about 7:45 AM and Denise was already there. It took until about 8:35 before the Spizellas flew in to the community vegetable garden at the southeast corner of Hidden Lakes School - as Denise had reported. We got numerous good looks at the Clay-colored Sparrow. Also in the garden were White-crowned Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow Warbler, and many other more-common birds.
Judi Cooper
Moraga
P.S. Oops. I forgot to add that there were also Chipping Sparrows.
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Lewis' Woodpecker near Inspiration Point, Berkeley
Hills
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 12:20:05 -0700
From: Bob Power
Hi all:
Our Sunday morning Ridge Trail birdwalk out of Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills) yielded a Lewis' Woodpecker in the bleached snags 100 yards northwest of the Inspiration Point parking lot. The woodpecker appeared to be either a molting or a bedraggled, well-traveled adult.
Vaya con binos,
Bob Power
Oakland, CA
Alameda County
Red knots near W Winton Ave, Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 12:30:51 PDT
From: Bob Lewis
Yesterday, September 20, the Golden Gate Audubon Society trip to the end of W Winton Ave in Hayward Regional Shoreline enjoyed the large flock of loafing shorebirds at Frank's Dump (walk north along the shoreline from the W Winton Ave entrance until you reach a large shallow pond on the east side of the trail). Among hundreds of Willets, Marbled Godwits, Black-bellied Plover, Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers and dowitchers, we had about 200 Red Knots.
In the northwest corner of this pond there were a few Snowy Plover and one Red-necked Phalarope. On the way out, we saw Black Turnstone and Ruddy Turnstone.
On September 19, at the same place, I watched about 50 White-throated Swifts swooping low over the water, with some dropping low enough to pick up a drink.
Bob Lewis
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 21 Sep 2003
15:21:47 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
The following was seen today at the shoreline:
Frank's Dump West had the usual shorebirds, nothing unusual.
Bob
Re: Decline of Mourning Doves in Berkeley
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 15:54:0 -0700
From: Terry Coddington
Dear EBBers:
My Campus Dr/Avenida section of the Berkeley Hills is not lacking in Mourning Doves, but I do recall a graphic change in the hills in 1991. The extreme amount of brush (habitat) removal after the Oakland fire eliminated Wrentits, Song Sparrows and California Quail from our yard/feeding station quite dramatically.
Terry Coddington
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Nuthatch bonanza in Oakland Hills
Sun, 21
Sep 2003 16:03:58 PDT
From: Sylvia Sykora
This afternoon, with the temperature nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit, within the space of three minutes I had all three nuthatch species in the yard. Pygmy Nuthatches have been regulars at the bird bath throughout the day for the past several weeks and occasional before that. The Red-breasted Nuthatches hog the nut feeder. The new bird today was a White-breasted Nuthatch who drank briefly at the bird bath. This is only the second record I have for this species at this location; the first was in December 1994.
Sylvia Sykora
Oakland Hills near Skyline Boulevard
Alameda County
Lewis' Woodpeckers near Martinez
Sun, 21 Sep
2003 18:43:44 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding the following message to the list for Steve Glover:
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:27:02 PDT
Subject: Lewis's WoodpeckersHi all,
I have been thinking about trying the hills west of Martinez for a potential hawkwatch spot and I finally gave it a shot on Friday. I went to Carquinez Straits Regional Park just west of Martinez Regional Shoreline. I parked in the first lot, which is just after the cemetery on Carquinez Scenic Dr, and took the righthand trail up the hill. It isn't a tall hill but the trail is quite steep. At the top of the trail you will reach a T-intersection. Go right and walk about five minutes to a bench overlooking the straits.
The first bird I saw was a Lewis' Woodpecker flying west! Later on I had two birds flying west and then later I saw three more. I also had several Acorn Woodpeckers that seemed to be migrating by. There has been a significant movement of both these species, particularly the Acorn Woodpeckers, this fall throughout Northern California.
Another phenomenon I watch closely is flocks of Western Scrub-Jays in fall. They are generally considered pretty sedentary but in some years flocks are found migrating. Don Roberson believes these birds to be wandering juveniles in search of unoccupied territories. Anyway, I had flocks of 6, 10 and 24 birds all moving west. These flocks almost invariably seem to be silent.
Other migrants included a few Violet-green and Barn Swallows and two Vaux's Swifts.
Shortly before noon I started to see some raptor movement (when the winds started to pick up a bit) and managed 2 Northern Harriers, a White-tailed Kite, a couple of Cooper's Hawks, lots of Turkey Vultures and an adult Red-shouldered Hawk. All of these species may be resident here so you need to watch carefully to be as sure as possible that you are seeing migrants and not locals.
I had 45 species from the top of the hill and think that this might be a good hawk-watch spot due to its geography.
Good birding,
Steve Glover
Dublin
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall