Common Poorwill in Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley
Hills
Sat, 10 Apr 2004 21:18:31 -0700
From: Bob Brandriff
East Bay Birders:
Barbara and I walked up Big Springs Trail with some friends this evening in time for the sunset and a singing Rufous-crowned Sparrow on the ridge. On the way back down, a Great Horned Owl called and flew over us. At 8:30 PM a Common Poorwill was calling just upslope from the parking lot at the base of the trail [at South Park Dr] although we did not see it.
Bob Brandriff
Berkeley
Orinda Connector Trail to Briones Overlook
Mon, 12 Apr 2004 12:08:36 -0700
From: Denise Wight
Hello E. B. Birders,
This past Saturday, April 10th, I had a small class to the Orinda Connector Trail (south of San Pablo Reservoir) and Briones [Reservoir] Overlook off Bear Valley Rd (trail permit required from EBMUD). Nothing rare, but we ended up with 73 species. There was a Common Loon in alternate plumage at the northwest corner of Briones Reservoir, and we saw an immature and an adult Golden Eagle, also near the reservoir. We had the good fortune to study a pair of Wrentits which were in the middle of the trail collecting fur from a dead, unrecognizable mammal. We also witnessed a heated mid-air fight between 3 Wilson's Warblers only a few feet away from us.
This is a wonderful trail that passes through a variety of habitats. A few years back I had Winter, Bewick's, House and Marsh Wrens all seen on the same morning.
Here's the list:
All the Best Birding,
Denise Wight
Moraga, CA
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge,
Fremont
Mon, 12 Apr 2004 20:04:54 -0700
From: Jan Hintermeister
Saturday morning, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) and the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge held a joint training session in preparation for the Snowy Plover breeding season survey. As part of the training, the volunteers were taken to one of the dry East Bay ponds that currently has a few Snowy Plovers. From this single location, we saw three Snowy Plovers, but also a pair of Burrowing Owls, a Golden Eagle on a utility pole and three Horned Larks that flew into the dry pond. Also in the vicinity were Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Western Meadowlark, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, a male Northern Harrier and three American White Pelicans. The SFBBO and the Refuge still need volunteers to cover three East Bay locations: the Baumberg ponds, Coyote Hills, and the area around the Dumbarton Bridge near the Refuge. For more information, call 408.946.6548.
Jan Hintermeister
Santa Clara, CA
Short-eared Owls in Alameda County
Mon, 12
Apr 2004 20:42:33 -0700
From: Steve Huckabone
Sunday while doing the SFBBO Gull & Tern survey John Harris and I saw two Short-eared Owls hunting along Alameda Creek channel. The property is part of the Eden Landing Ecological Preserve. Other good birds seen included a Whimbrel and Peregrine Falcon. Good birding.
Steve Huckabone
Alameda County
Livermore California
Snow Goose in Pleasanton
Mon, 12 Apr 2004
22:04:31 -0700
From: Mark Miller
Hi Everyone-
As I was driving down Chabot Avenue in the middle of light industrial Pleasanton this evening April 12, I saw a Canada Goose (one of many that live in the storm channels) and a Snow Goose fly across the road, both birds headed east.
Mark Miller
Pleasanton, CA
Hooded Orioles in Berkeley
Mon, 12 Apr 2004
22:10:02 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Jeffrey Black:
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:57:48 PDT
On Haskell St between San Pablo Ave and Mabel St in Southwest Berkeley on Friday morning, two pair Hooded Orioles were flying about the middle of the block. A scope is helpful, since the birds were landing in the top of trees in the backyards.
Jeffrey
Forwarded to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Inspiration Point, Tilden Regional Park
Tue,
13 Apr 2004 15:05:23 -0700
From: Ted Robertson
Wanted to add to Larry Tunstall's list from April 1st.
A few highlights: This morning at Inspiration Point (off Wildcat Canyon Rd) in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills), I spotted a pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers by the first overlook on the east side of the Inspiration Point trail [Nimitz Way], about one-quarter mile from the parking lot. The pair of Buffleheads continue on the pond below (scope very helpful) and a pair of Tree Swallows appear to be using the large nest box below the park bench. Western Bluebirds were feeding nearby. A Northern Harrier was hunting in the area all morning (I witnessed one long-tailed rodent captured) and a Sharp-shinned Hawk was perched below the parking lot by the EBMUD trailhead.
Ted Robertson
Lawrence Hall of Science
University of California,
Berkeley, CA
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