Hybrid Zonotrichia sparrow in Berkeley Hills
Wed, 17 Dec 2003 15:21:07 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for George Griffeth:
On the Oakland Christmas Bird Count last Sunday, I was with Helen Green and others when Helen spotted what appeared to be a hybrid Golden-crowned X White-crowned Sparrow, and I got a few snaps of it before I did the usual photographer's maneuver of advancing threateningly on the bird for a "better shot" and thus flushing it back into the shadows:
http://universe.housing.berkeley.edu/GGTest/photos/HybridSparrow.htmAs it says on the web page (but for the benefit of anyone who has trouble getting there), the spot was near the parking lot that is directly across from the entrance to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (below the Brazil Bldg) on Wildcat Canyon Dr. It was actually on the golf course, close by the place where the creek flows out of the course. (If one was not too hung up on golf course trespass niceties, one might step carefully from the parking lot across the mossy spillway, and go through the gigantic hole in the fence onto the edge of the golf course and look around at the cattail-clogged (or some-marshy-plant-clogged) "pond" there. That's where it was.)
It was a reeeeaaally neat-looking bird!
George Griffeth
Kensington, CA
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland
Thu, 18 Dec 2003 10:16:00 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
Of interest at Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland, on Wednesday were a single Greater White-fronted Goose and a male Barrow's Goldeneye. There were more than a dozen of the small-headed, medium-sized races of Canada Goose amid the big guys.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
Male Tufted Duck at Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland
Thu, 18 Dec 2003 18:26:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Bob Power
Hi all:
A male Tufted Duck, breeding plumage, was seen this afternoon at Arrowhead Marsh in Oakland, a portion of Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline. The Tufted Duck was in resting position at the north end of the main road through the park, accessed off of Swan Way. Drive to the end of the road, park, and walk out to the fishing pier 20 yards at most from the parking area. The tufted Duck was relatively close to the pier, which is good, because this afternoon, there were probably 2,000+ ducks on the water.
This bird is in very clean breeding plumage, as opposed to the male Tufted Duck seen this and last month along the bay at Ashby Ave in Berkeley.
It seems that Greater Scaup have been late arrivers to the general bay area this year. The sizable number of waterfowl at Arrowhead Marsh looked to be 90%+ Greater Scaup, with a mix of American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, 2 Canvasbacks, a half-dozen Northern Shovelers, and a scattering of Western Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes, and Eared Grebes.
Bob Power
Female Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt, Oakland
Fri, 19 Dec 2003 09:59:35 -0800
From: Lee Ellis
Ohlone Audubon's "Willie and Friends" (third Thursdays) led by Anna Wilcox and Jean-Marie Spoelman had good views of a female Tufted Duck at the northeast end of Lake Merritt, Oakland on Thursday December 18. Eared Grebes were present, as were Common Goldeneyes and Barrow's Goldeneyes.
Townsend's Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers were seen in the dense-foliaged oaks north of the lake, east of the Rotary Nature Center.
On Wednesday December 17, Lee Ellis' Wild Wednesdays.class at Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park (south end of Garin Regional Park in Hayward) had a good, close view of a Varied Thrush in a bare tree along Dry Creek on the trail from Tamarack Dr to the Old Meyers' Ranch. There was a Townsend's Warbler in the cluster of tall eucalyptus east of the same trail.
Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland
Sun, 20 Dec 2003
20:18:32 -0800
From: Judi Sierra
I wasn't able to find the male Tufted Duck at Arrowhead Marsh (Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland) today, but of note were at least 8 male Surf Scoters with females close to the fishing pier and 15 Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets within close proximity of each other, lining the channel.
Judi Sierra - Oakland
Original Message Subject Index
Possible Virginia Rail at Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland
Sun, 21 Dec 2003 17:10:24 -0800
From: Gary & Michelle Baker
Nice walk at Arrowhead Marsh (Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland) today. Several Clapper Rails, Black Turnstones, Merlin perched quite a while on the first tree across the first bridge, Greater White-fronted Goose.
We caught a quick glimpse of a very small rail with a long beak. Are there Virginia Rails at Arrowhead?
Thanks,
Gary and Michelle
Editor's Note: See http://folkbird.net/ebb/archive/a9912f.html#2104
Clapper Rail counts at Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland
Tue, 23 Dec 2003 22:18:52 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Peter Dramer sent a graph of the annual Clapper Rail counts at Arrowhead Marsh (Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland) over the past decade. This includes the results of the 2003 count conducted on Monday. The graph is at
http://folkbird.net/ebb/archive/pic0312a.html
Thanks to Peter.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA