Re: Nighthawks in Berkeley flatlands?
Sat,
31 Jan 2004 07:41:58 -0800
From: Debbie Viess
I am intrigued enough by this discussion to meet with Lisa and listen to the calls. I've heard plenty of nighthawks in my day. By the way, I've seen them feeding and heard them calling late at night, especially in areas where there is strong lighting. Nighthawk calls punctuated the night over the summer skies of Chicago well into the 1970s; then I moved out here. Bird distribution is constantly changing, albeit slowly, and with our great climactic changes afoot we should expect the unexpected. Look at all of the weird warm water fish and sea turtles showing up along our coast, for example.
You don't know, unless you go.
Debbie Viess
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Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, Richmond
Sat, 31 Jan 2004 08:20:08 -0800
From: Doug Greenberg
Hello everyone,
I walk my dog at Point Isabel Regional Shoreline in Richmond several times a week. At low tide it's a good place to see shorebirds, and there always are scaup, scoters, and other ducks just offshore. Because I am there so often I have been able to notice that certain individual birds regularly feed in exactly the same locations. These include a now-familiar Great Egret, Black Phoebe, and Spotted Sandpiper.
I regularly see an Osprey flying overhead. Last week (Wednesday) there were two Black Oystercatchers feeding along the northwestern shore of the dog-walking area, and Thursday I saw a Peregrine Falcon fly over.
Dog walkers are supposed to prevent their dogs from running out on the mudflats during low tide to chase the shorebirds. Mostly, they cooperate.
Doug Greenberg
Re: Nighthawks in Berkeley flatlands?
Sat,
31 Jan 2004 13:00:26 -0800
From: Lisa Owens-Viani
OK, all of you nighthawk skeptics:
Here is when and where to hear them (although again, I can't "guarantee" that you will hear them every night of course). The vicinity (range) of where I hear them is this: Between Curtis and Edwards St (west and east boundaries) and Channing Way and Bancroft Way in Berkeley. I hear them at different spots within this range. Usually I hear them around 9:30 PM or so. I've listened to the recordings, and I'm convinced this is what I'm hearing. The only other possible option I guess is the Barn Owls who live in the same vicnity. But their call is more raspy and hiss-like....
Lisa
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Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sat, 31 Jan 2004
14:04:25 -0800 (PST)
From: John Poole
Birders:
I paid a short visit to Mt Trashmore at Hayward Regional Shoreline this morning. There were 11 Greater White-fronted Geese, about 50 Aleutian Canada Geese, and two Snow Geese or Ross' geese (too far away to tell).
John Poole
Ross' Geese at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sat, 31 Jan 2004 16:07:34 -0800
From: Rich Cimino
Yes Dave Bowden and myself also visited the Mt Trashmore area of Hayward Regional Shoreline today around noonish. At 1 PM we found 34 Aleutian Canada Geese and 2 Ross' Geese. For the best viewing you'll need to cross the channel between "Mt Tmore" and the cell towers plain. You'll see many Canada Geese in that area. The subject birds are on the small rise that is grass covered. We spent some time diagnosing the Ross' Geese bills. The Ross' gave us a good angle to effectively view the bills as they walked up hill. The high sun exposed the warty bluish protuberances at the base of the bill nicely.
There are also several Tree Swallows on Mt Tmore.
Rich Cimino - Pleasanton
Dave Bowden - Dublin
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Eurasian Wigeon at San Leandro Marina
Sat,
31 Jan 104 17:12:19 PST
From: Patrick King
There is a Eurasian Wigeon at the San Leandro Marina, hanging out with American Wigeon. At low-tide today it was just off the rocks on the bay side at par course #17, where the Snow Bunting was earlier this week.
Patrick King
Martinez / Berkeley