Spring arrivals in Canyon
Fri, 19 Mar 2004
13:02:53 -0800
From: Johan Langewis
While riding my bike up Pinehurst Rd near Canyon School about noon today I heard the first (for me) Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Wilson's Warbler of the season calling. Orange-crowned Warblers were also present in abundance, I first heard them there last week.
Johan Langewis
Oakland
Eastern Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
Fri, 19 Mar 2004 19:22:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Matt Brady
Hello everyone.
Ryan Terrill and I headed out to look for the Snow Bunting that has been hanging around at Clifton Court Forebay. We also birded some nearby areas.
We did not refind the Snow Bunting, although we did see some other nice birds. Highlights include a very nice dark-morph Swainson's Hawk and a smattering of common ducks at Clifton Court Forebay in Contra Costa County. We also had some common grassland / oak woodland birds along Corral Canyon Rd in San Joaquin County, and a pair of Cassin's Kingbirds and a Western Kingbird about 100 yards east of the Alameda County line. I wish I had had a camera, because at one point the two species were perched together in the same tree. A very nice comparison. Further along Corral Hollow Rd was a Hermit Thrush in coastal sage scrub, which I thought was an odd habitat, and three Yellow-billed Magpies closer to Livermore. In Alameda County Corral Hollow Rd is called Tesla Rd.
Good Birding,
Matt Brady
Santa Cruz, CA
Garin Regional Park, Hayward
Sat, 20 Mar 2004
08:25:22 -0800
From: Judi Sierra
Ohlone Audubon Society birded lower Garin Regional Park near the creek this week. Of note, after much searching to find the source of song we found a House Wren and a Warbling Vireo. We also saw a Hutton's Vireo, Purple Finch, White-tailed Kite, 13 American White Pelicans, a pair of American Kestrels in the apple tree near the bathroom and many of the usual suspects.
Judi Sierra - Oakland
Urban Wild Turkey in Berkeley
Sat, 20 Mar
2004 08:31:05 -0800
From: Judi Sierra
One female Wild Turkey was seen this morning in Berkeley on Dwight Way between College Ave and Piedmont Ave. Maybe one of the two I last saw heading down Panoramic Way a week ago!
Judi Sierra - Oakland
Cassin's Kingbird on Corral Hollow Road east of
Livermore
Sat, 20 Mar 2004 19:16:21 -0800
From: Steve Huckabone
This afternoon about 3:30 PM I located one of the Cassin's Kingbirds reported by Matt Brady. This bird was flycatching from the fence on the north side of Corral Hollow Rd about 200 yards from the entrance to Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area [a short distance into San Joaquin County]. Excellent views from the road just yards away. It was a great chance to really study the Cassin's Kingbird fieldmarks. Further to the east we scanned two Western Kingbirds flycatching from a fence on the hillside. At the big rock outcrop we spotted two Rock Wrens foraging along the rock rim. Good birding.
Steve Huckabone
Alameda County
Livermore California
Original Message Subject Index
Is Clifton Court Forebay Snow Bunting gone?
Sun, 21 Mar 2004 18:40:36 -0800
From: Akira So
Hello birders,
This might be premature, but I'm under the impression that no one has seen the Snow Bunting at Clifton Court Forebay the last couple of days. Maybe he has finally decided that he had better start heading back toward the breeding grounds in and near the Arctic. I hope he makes it, though I realize the odds are against it.
Just for the record, is the March 17 (Wednesday) 4 PM sighting by Bob Dunn (reported in his March 18 post to EBB list) the last sighting of this bunting? Has anyone seen it since?
The bunting was originally found on February 27, roughly 3 weeks ago, and had been seen daily or almost daily until now.
Good birding,
Akira
Akira So
Pleasanton, CA (Alameda County)
Original Message Subject Index
Tilden Regional Park Nature Area, Berkeley Hills
Mon, 22 Mar 2004 06:14:14 -0800 (PST)
From: John Poole
Yesterday morning I took a foggy stroll over to Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (Berkeley Hills). Heard my first Warbling Vireo (warbling) and found a Black-crowned Night-Heron at the lake. The heron is a fairly regular but uncommon visitor.
Good birding!
John Poole
Early spring birds at the Oakland Zoo
Mon,
22 Mar 2004 08:34:59 PST
From: Phil E. Gordon
Greetings EBB'ers,
This belated message comes now since my AOL 6.0 gets refused along the way to our EBB listserver; fortunately I still have access to an AOL 4.0 Version.
Last Saturday morning, 20 March 2004, on the annual Zoo Membership Spring Bird Walk, we found 42 species. Highlights on this day follow:
After a few cross-sky passes, a large female Cooper's Hawk perched in a eucalyptus (great scope views of her orange-red eye), followed by the smaller male, who broke off twiglets and flew off - to a nest site? The Red-shouldered Hawk was mobbed by 4 Common Ravens. Four not-so-wild Wild Turkeys (1st year here), strutted, gobbled, and tail-spread for us on the road and lawn in front of the Education Center. Pat Gordon spotted 3 White-throated Swifts soon followed by Violet-green Swallows. 3 Barn Swallows flew around the open-walled barn where one of their old nests is still available. Allen's Hummingbirds were conspicuous, with one male bathing in a quarter-inch pool of a waterfall. One Red-breasted Nuthatch clung to Monterey Pine cones, while a Hermit Thrush bathed and drank from the pool water along with a furtive Wrentit in and beside the Sun Bear cage. The complete list may be picked up at the Oakland Zoo Education Center (from Jeanne Aceturo or Amy Gotliffe, Conservation & Educational Programs).
Happy Birding,
Phil E. Gordon
Hayward, Alameda County