Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont
Sun, 28
Mar 2004 22:31:12 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding the following message to the list for Matthew Dodder:
All,
This trip to Coyote Hills was the Palo Alto Adult School birding group's first outing of the term and spring was definitely in the air! It was overcast for the first hour or so, but cleared by mid-morning and became sunny and warm as we approached lunch. Breeding behavior was evident throughout the day. Whether it was the simple song of Orange-crowned Warblers, the courtship flight and nest building of Red-tailed Hawks or the full-on copulation of Black-necked Stilts, the change in seasons was demonstrated by the birds' activities. We began by identifying a few Anseriformes in the main pond, finding Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, and Ruddy Duck easily. On the Passerine front, Red-winged Blackbirds and multitudes of swallows foraged overhead, the Marsh Wrens buzzed, clicked and rattled for us at close range and a small group of American Goldfinches perched cooperatively in the willows. We then moved into the trees to try our luck at both the nesting Great Horned Owl and the colorful Bullock's Orioles, both of which were well viewed by everyone in the group. Quickly, the dry chatter and whistled "quick! quick! look up here, up here!" of the male orioles became familiar but we also located Allen's Hummingbirds nearby and noticed their high-pitched trill. It's hard to say which of these two species is more colorful or exciting... Up and over the hill to the second marsh we saw several more waterfowl, including a lone Snow Goose, Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail. Following the trail out to the bay we added American Kestrel, Eared Grebe in full breeding regalia and all of our Charadriiformes for the day, Killdeer, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt and Greater Yellowlegs. Numerous larids sat on the distant levy, but only two allowed themselves to be identified, Western Gulls and Bonaparte's Gulls. We then left the bay and retraced our steps for a while before reaching the small parking area near the road. Here we watched a male Northern Mockingbird in full song and Yvonne spotted an adult Golden Eagle far overhead. Lastly we climbed the trail to see the incredible view of the marsh and woodland below. Only one more species was added as we wrapped up the day, a White-throated Swift flying bat-like among the more graceful Cliff Swallows by the visitors center.
Matthew Dodder
www.birdguy.net
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Eared Grebe
- American White Pelican
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Snowy Egret
- Snow Goose
- Canada Goose
- Green-winged Teal
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Cinnamon Teal
- Northern Shoveler
- American Wigeon
- Bufflehead
- Ruddy Duck
- Turkey Vulture
- Northern Harrier
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Golden Eagle
- American Kestrel
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- California Quail
- Common Moorhen
- American Coot
- Killdeer
- Black-necked Stilt
- American Avocet
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Western Gull
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Great Horned Owl
- White-throated Swift
- Anna's Hummingbird
- Allen's Hummingbird
- Northern Flicker
- Black Phoebe
- Tree Swallow
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- Cliff Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Western Scrub-Jay
- American Crow
- Oak Titmouse
- Bushtit
- Bewick's Wren
- Marsh Wren
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- American Robin
- Cedar Waxwing
- European Starling
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Black-throated Gray Warbler
- Wilson's Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Common Yellowthroat
- Spotted Towhee
- California Towhee
- Savannah Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Golden-crowned Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Western Meadowlark
- Brewer's Blackbird
- Bullock's Oriole
- House Finch
- American Goldfinch
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Hermit Thrush in Pleasanton backyard
Mon,
29 Mar 2004 08:02:10 -0800
From: Ron
For the past 2 or 3 years, we've had the same Hermit Thrush stay in our backyard during the winter months. Do they typically feed alone? I never see a second bird in the yard. He seems to eat bugs exclusively, yet I found a photo on the web with a thrush eating a berry.
Ron
Pleasanton, CA
Albino Black-crowned Night-Heron in Walnut Creek
Mon, 29 Mar 2004 11:32:54 -0800
From: Hugh Harvey
An apparent albino Black-crowned Night-Heron appeared in Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek on Monday March 22, and again today, March 29. Last summer two of these birds were raised here which I didn't find until just about a week before their fledging. This bird has perched in the trees across from the long wooden railing at the natural pond where many folks bring their kids to feed the ducks. Heather Farm is off Ygnacio Valley Rd, east of John Muir Hospital.
Hugh B. Harvey
Black-headed Grosbeaks singing in Berkeley Hills
Mon, 29 Mar 2004 17:05:46 -0800
From: Douglas Vaughan
My wife and I spent about an hour between the Environmental Education Center and Jewel Lake in Tilden Nature Area (Berkeley Hills) this morning - a visit cut short by a roaring chipper-shredder. Along with the returning Wilson's Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks were in full song. I am an unsystematic observer to be sure, but this is the first time I've seen or heard the grosbeaks here before mid-April.
Cheers.
Doug Vaughan
Berkeley
Owls and jays in Oakland
Mon, 29 Mar 2004
18:36:50 -0800
From: Tim Howe
I live in the Montclair district of Oakland under a lot of live oaks. Often at night I hear Great Horned Owls but have never seen them. Today I was returning from birding Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (I saw a Golden Eagle). I was parking the car about 5 PM and saw a large, dark bird fly in to some oaks. The Steller's Jays were going absolutely ballistic over something at the same time. I took my binocs. and scope and there was a perched adult Great Horned Owl with a couple of Steller's Jays a few feet away flapping their wings and scolding. I usually don't pay attention to jays calling as they're pretty noisy birds to begin with, but I think I will pay more attention in future!
Tim
Tim Howe
Merriewood Dr
Oakland, CA