Coyote Hills on Sunday morning
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:16:47 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
On Sunday morning, December 13, Ore and I spent a pleasant morning birding the marsh at Coyote Hills Regional Park before the approaching storm chased us home.
Here's our list:
Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Canvasback, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned (?) Hawk, California Quail, unidentified rails heard (2 very different calls), American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater (?) Yellowlegs, Willet, unidentified gulls, White-throated Swift, Anna's Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Bushtit, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (heard), Hermit Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch.
Neither of us have enough experience with rails to identify the calls we heard with any certainty. One had a deep resonance that seemed to me very similar to Clapper Rail calls. The other was higher and thinner, perhaps a Sora? The two different birds were answering each other at one point along the DUST Marsh Trail.
Fascinating to watch a big raft of Ruddy Ducks swim vigorously away when we came near, almost all keeping their heads tucked on their backs as they swam!
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
SF Bay NWR & Coyote Hills Park on Saturday
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 19:09:59 PST
From: Bill Scoggins
Sat. 12 Dec 98
East Bay Birders,
This morning on a trip to San Francisco Bay Natl. Wildlife Refuge led by Vi and Ron Barklow, Ohlone Audubon Society, a Harris Sparrow was seen. It was in the marsh on the East side of the main entrance road past the bridge. Mark Peterson recognized it right away; he knows this sparrow well as he used to bird/live in Colorado. Unfortunately I arrived late and missed the Harris Sparrow!
A male merlin was having breakfast in the same area. We had great/long looks at clapper rail and sora. Two green-winged teal were near the bridge and black-bellied plover were abundant. Cedar waxwings were enjoying berries in the toyon. A fox sparrow was also seen.
1:00 PM at Coyote Hills:
This week buffleheads and American widgeons arrived at Coyote Hills Park. Both a male and female bufflehead were present. Northern Shovelers and ruddy ducks abound in the ponds in front of the visitor center. Cinnamon teal, green-winged teal and gadwall were also present. Cinnamon teal glowed in the afternoon sun. I heard two virginia rails call out when I shut the trunk lid of my car!
A female merlin finished off a mouse-shaped lunch and generally hung out in the old snag on the marsh just 50 yards north of the visitor center. I watched her there launching attacks for over 30 minutes. A hermit thrush appeared at the front door of the visitor center. Yellow-rumped warblers and ruby-crowned kinglets continue to be in abundance at Hoot Hollow.
Happy Birding,
Bill Scoggins
Castro Valley
Ohlone Audubon Society
Solitary vireo?
Tue, 15 Dec 1998 10:38:45 -0800
From: Ore Carmi
I think I may have seen a Solitary vireo on the UC berkeley campus yesterday about 4:00 PM; but CAUTION - I'm a beginner. The bird seemed to be generally gray above with two white wingbars, and whiter below, especially on the throat. It had definite "spectacles," with the eyering part broken in front (not above - so I don't think it could have been a Hutton's vireo). I didn't get a good look at the bill. I heard it make a call - a harsh "shhhh," sort of like the end of a titmouse call.
The bird was moving about in a little deciduous tree by the creek. It wasn't exactly slow, but it did spend substantial time on one twig before moving on to another. Once I saw it briefly hover at the tip or a branch. After a few minutes it flew high into another tall deciduous tree. Pretty soon I lost track of it (and had to hurry on with my work errand...)
Can anyone offer any suggestions as to whether I may have indeed seen a Solitary vireo, or what I might have confused it with?
thanks
ore
Re: Solitary vireo?
Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:09:01 -0800
From: Ore Carmi
sorry about that
here is a more detailed attempt at describing the location: The general area was the litlle grove by Strawberry Creek facing the Valley Life Sciences Building from the North (east of the "circle" with the giant Eucalyptus, and west of the Moffitt Library). Going upstream along the creek (which at that point flows generally westward), the creek curves and turns north. At that point is a wooden footbridge. Just to the south of the bridge, and on the west bank of the creek, are a few small trees, including two with small light green leaves (now beginning to bear berries) [excuse my non-existent botany skills]. Those two trees are where I first saw the bird. Moving back downstream along the creek, this time on the south bank, first stands a willow(?), and then two tall, now bare, (maple?) trees. Those two trees are where the bird flew next.
does this work as a description?
ore
Kay Loughman wrote:
With the Audubon Christmas Bird Count coming up on Sunday, Dec.20, someone (Lillian Fujii?) would like to know exactly where you saw this bird. Can you be more specific than "near the creek"? Thanks.
Kay Loughman
Berkeley