Sage Thrasher north of Livermore
Sun, 9 Nov
2003 07:38:29 -0800
From: Steve Huckabone
I saw the Sage Thrasher yesterday around 2:00 PM in the previously described location. Note that this bird spent much of the time on the ground so, if you don't see it on the fence, hang out for awhile and scan the fence. When I left the location I continued north on Dagnino Rd past the intersection of May School Rd. As I approached Hartman Rd in the field on the left I noticed a large raptor on the ground. I took a closer look and saw that it was a adult Ferruginous Hawk.
Also a male Hooded Merganser was at the Wente golf course pond off Arroyo Rd yesterday around 11:00 AM.
Good birding.
Steve Huckabone
Alameda County
Livermore California
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Possible Cackling Canada Goose at Albany Mudflats?
Sun, 9 Nov 2003 07:58:29 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Bolinger
Cackling Canada Goose or juvenile Canada Goose?
Saturday about 3 PM I saw a flock of five typical Canada Geese accompanied by one goose with identical markings and about two-thirds their size. After about ten minutes the larger birds flew off and the smaller bird stayed. I am a low-intensity, inept and persistent birder, and I could not shake the idea that I was looking at a variant on normal rather than a juvenile. The most striking thing was the shorter neck. I never heard a sound.
My Cornell birding CD-ROM shows a Canada Goose subspecies - "Cackling Goose." The photo shows two geese and I assume the smaller one is the Cackling Canada Goose. It fits what I saw.
The birds were located on the mudflat area very close to the fence [north of Buchanan St].
Help anyone?
Strange bird in Strawberry Canyon above Berkeley
Sun, 09 Nov 2003 08:31:27 -0800
From: Judi Sierra
Strange bird seen this morning in Strawberry Canyon (Berkeley Hills), alighting on a shrub, while I was running. It was all white with random black splotches (sort like a Dalmatian) on its back and underside. About 6 inches or so. Unfortunately didn't get a look at its bill. I looked through Sibley and it wasn't there, so I'm wondering if it's some escaped exotic or off course.
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Yes, a Cackling Canada Goose
Sun, 9 Nov 2003
10:53:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Bolinger
It was a Cackling Canada Goose [Branta canadensis minima] rather than an Aleutian Canada Goose [B. c. leucopareia].
I just got back to Oakland from Albany - 10:50 AM. The cackling goose was grazing on the tiny peninsula in the mudflats area across from the observation ramp. I had ample opportunity to see the bird in great detail - not a trace of white on the neck. I also had a chance to look at all my books and now am quite content to say it is a cackling goose - a life bird for me. I have been to that location a hundred times and never before saw that goose there.
Stewart Bolinger
Oakland
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Sage Thrasher still north of Livermore
Sun,
9 Nov 2003 12:08:25 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
The latest rains (Livermore got 1.3 inches yesterday, 8 November 2003) have not pushed the "Livermore" Sage Thrasher on to other "pastures". This morning at around 10 AM this Sage Thrasher was a very easy "find." It was sitting on the plastic orange fence netting right at the east side of Dagnino Rd when I arrived. This fence netting runs east from Dagnino Rd at exactly 0.6 mile north of May School Rd (I had set my trip odometer back to 0 at May School Rd).
To reach the area, turn north on N Livermore Ave from Hwy 580 (there is a shopping center here with both a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot). Drive north on N Livermore Ave to May School Rd and make a right. Later turn left on Dagnino Rd and drive exactly 0.6 mile north to the Sage Thrasher.
Does anyone know what sort of development is going on here? The current Livermore City Council and Mayor have a "zero" development policy in the portions of Livermore north of Hwy 580. At May School Rd there are two signs. The sign east of Dagnino Rd says "Livermore-Pleasanton Rod and Gun Club". The sign west of Dagnino Rd says "PG&E Development".
Mike Feighner, Livermore, California, Alameda County
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Near Livermore & Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 09 Nov 2003 12:35:31 -0800
From: Bob Power
Hi all:
Just to add to Mike Feighner's and Steve Huckabone's notes, this morning between 7:30 and 8:30 in the area of Dagnino Rd & May School Rd north of Livermore were White-tailed Kite, adult Ferruginous Hawk, juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, adult dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk, half a dozen American Kestrels, and - perched just south of the intersection of May School Rd & N Livermore Ave - was a juvenile Peregrine Falcon. A most excellent backroads raptor tour for those into that sort of thing.
At Hayward Regional Shoreline, Bob Richmond graciously led me to an hour's worth of hide and seek with the Chestnut-collared Longspurs. Along with Rusty Scalf's Albany Adult School class, and Lillian Fujii & Steve Hayashi, we were able to study the birds,and many clumps of grass where we thought the birds were.
Bob reported that 6 Lapland Longspurs had been seen this morning as well.
Four Aleutian Canada Geese reported by Emily Serkin yesterday remained in the same area even after all other Canada Geese cleared out. Tuckered out?
Good birding,
Bob Power
Oakland, CA Alameda Co
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Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 9 Nov 2003
16:06:00 PST
From: Bob Richmond
Today at Hayward Regional Shoreline.
W Winton Ave:
Mt Trashmore:
Hayward's Landing:
Transmission Towers south of Mt Trashmore:
San Lorenzo Community Park:
Mouth of San Lorenzo Creek:
Good Birding
Bob
Re: Strange bird in Strawberry Canyon above Berkeley
Sun, 9 Nov 2003 16:53:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Tim Kask
I saw a similar bird, which I took to be a mutant Cooper's Hawk. This was 2 to 4 weekends ago, and I was in UC Botanical Gardens. I did not get a long enough look to be sure of identification, but it was a smallish raptor.
Tim Kask,
Oakland
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Re: Strange bird in Strawberry Canyon above Berkeley
Sun, 9 Nov 2003 18:13:30 -0800
From: Paul Webster
Yesterday's report estimated the bird at about 6 inches, which would be far too small for even a male Sharp-shinned Hawk which is about the size of a flicker, and that's much larger than the 6 inches from the report. And the black and white coloring is pretty mysterious if we're dealing with a small raptor. I wonder if the reporter didn't get a quick look at a Dark-eyed Junco or a Black Phoebe. (Probably not a molting Snow Bunting in search of a warmer climate.) Actually, it's too bad the report didn't have more information.
Paul Webster
Seattle
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Re: Strange bird in Strawberry Canyon above Berkeley
Sun, 09 Nov 2003 20:04:31 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Is it possible that you misjudged the size of the bird? (I certainly do this very frequently, especially at a distance.) I don't know if it is still around, but in past years there has been a partially albino Red-tailed Hawk around Strawberry Canyon (from the Botanical Garden on up to the ridge) that had an appearance of being white with dark splotches.
Good birding, Larry
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More on strange bird in Strawberry Canyon
Sun, 9 Nov 2003 20:52:33 -0800
From: Judi Sierra
Larry asked that I pass on the little bit more info I have regarding the bird seen today in the Berkeley Hills. It was very close, 2 or 3 yards away. It was there more than a few seconds, maybe 30 seconds. The coloring - white with black splotches, back and underside - I have no doubt about. It was bigger than a House Sparrow but no bigger than a Spotted Towhee. It was definitely a songbird of some type (as opposed to raptor). I thought this was going to be explained by some exotic....
Judi Sierra - Oakland
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Sage Thrasher and raptors near Livermore
Mon,
10 Nov 2003 02:09:48 -0500
From: Kathy Robertson
I, too, easily found the Sage Thrasher at its previously reported location at around 12:30 today. It was on the fence when I arrived, then dropped down onto the road to bathe vigorously in a puddle, after which it spent many minutes preening in the weeds at the base of the fence.
And, to add to Bob Power's list of raptors, I also had two Golden Eagles soaring above me, which were being harassed by two Red-tailed Hawks. The eagles made those Red-tails appear downright "petite."
Regards,
Kathy Robertson
Hayward, CA
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