Berkeley Meadows
Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:40:48 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Plans are currently being made by city agencies and East Bay Regional Park District to convert the shoreline between the Bay Bridge and Marina Bay housing development into the new Eastshore State Park. Naturally there are conflicting ideas about what to do with some of the open areas - in many cases there are debates between restoring natural habitat vs recreational uses. In making such decisions, it is important to know what wildlife currently uses each area.
One such area is the "Berkeley Meadow," the area north of University Ave between Hwy 80 and Marina Blvd. This currently is a large "vacant lot," with shrubbery and random informal paths. A number of local birders have been surveying the area recently. Here are results for a couple of those observing trips (the first one was briefly reported to this list earlier, but this is the complete list of observations).
On 13 February 1999, Lillian Fujii, Steve Hayashi, and Emilie Strauss spent 2.5 hours in the morning surveying the area. Here is their full list:
3 Great Egret, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 American Kestrel, 3 Killdeer, 1 Common Snipe, 3 Mourning Dove, 5 Anna's Hummingbird, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Black Phoebe, 5 Tree Swallow, 10 Bushtit, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 Hermit Thrush, 3 American Robin, 1 Northern Mockingbird, 9 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 Wilson's Warbler, 2 California Towhee, 2 Fox Sparrow, 15 Song Sparrow, 5 Lincoln's Sparrow, 15 Golden-crowned Sparrow, 75 White-crowned Sparrow, 25 Red-winged Blackbird, 5 Brewer's Blackbird, 100 House Finch (orange), 3 American Goldfinch
Other observations: (1) Copepods in several "ponds" of water; (2) Daphnia in many ponds of water; (3) rabbit droppings and several jackrabbits; (4) small stand of cattails; (5) many people walking unleashed dogs; (6) one person walking dogs said that last year there was so much water that the city sprayed to kill mosquito larvae.
On March 11, Lillian Fujii and Jim Tieitz visited the area for almost 2 hours in the late morning. They found:
2 Mallard, 1 Northern Harrier, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 3 American Kestrel, 4 Mourning Dove, 4 Anna's Hummingbird, 2 Allen's Hummingbird, 2 Northern Flicker, 6 Bushtit, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 American Robin, 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 California Towhee, 7 Savannah Sparrow, 1 Fox Sparrow, 18 Song Sparrow, 5 Lincoln's Sparrow, 25 Golden-crowned Sparrow, 55 White-crowned Sparrow, 5 Red-winged Blackbird, 27 Brewer's Blackbird, 170 House Finch, 16 American Goldfinch
They also noted much water, daphnia in most ponds and mosquito larvae in some, a jackrabbit, ground squirrels, and 7 dogs.
Observations by others of this area or other parts of the new park can be very useful in making sure that habitat is protected as much as possible. Please post your observations to the list or e-mail them to me (with an indication of whether or not you want them posted).
Thanks, and good birding,
Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Subject List
Re: Berkeley Meadows
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 10:04:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Tom Condit
Before Santa Fe's wholesale destruction of this ecosystem, I saw Ring-necked Pheasant* and Yellow-shafted Flicker here. Savannah Sparrows are common. I know Merlin was seen on at least one Christmas count. Red-shouldered Hawk has been in the area immediately south of University (Brickyard), and we had phalaropes along the north shore and in the ditches south of University on more than one occasion.
________________
*Ring-necked Pheasant used to be scarce but regular in most of the "wastelands" along the Bay, but seem to have disappeared. Were they trapped out?
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
FWD: Re: Berkeley Meadows
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 10:16:58 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Hi East Bay birders,
With Ore's permission, I'm forwarding the following note to the list.
Larry
Re: {EBB} Berkeley Meadows
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:25:55 -0800
From: Ore CarmiHi Larry!
Sunday afternoon (March 21) I went to the Berkeley Meadow. I wanted to find the Lincoln's Sparrows, but didn't. I did, however see other things, and I have some additions to what's already been reported:
1. A flock of Western Meadowlarks.
2. A yellowlegs in one of the ponds, and three others flying overhead.
3. A Great Blue Heron.
4. Gull sp.
5. Starlings.
ore
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
El Cerrito Osprey
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 17:07:45 -0800
From: Kirk Swenson
Yesterday morning an Osprey flew over my yard in El Cerrito (near the Del Norte BART station) heading north. A new yard bird.
Kirk Swenson
El Cerrito, CA
Re: Berkeley Meadows
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 17:16:11 -0800
From: Kirk Swenson
Unfortunately I don't have any dated reports to offer, but I've seen some interesting birds there. There's frequently one or two White-tailed Kites present and I've seen Loggerhead Shrike although I don't recall seeing the shrike recently. A couple years ago there was a Palm Warbler there in the spring. If you could identify the person(s) who were responsible for that block on the Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas they might have some information about breeding status.
Kirk Swenson
El Cerrito, CA
Lake Merritt quiet today
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 21:11:58 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
At Lake Merritt this afternoon, during the feeding, I saw one male Gadwall and one male Canvasback. Otherwise no wintering ducks except scaups (mostly Greater). Lots of American Coots. I didn't have time to go scan the islands, but the naturalists told me that egret and night-heron nesting is underway. There were some ducks out near the islands, but only a fraction of the numbers of a week ago. From just a naked-eye scan, I didn't see Bufflehead or Ruddy Ducks - looked like mostly scaups. I didn't see the Tufted Duck or the Cattle Egret.
Two Double-crested Cormorants have been found at the lake recently badly entangled in fishing line, with hook caught in gizzard. One was so badly injured that it had to be euthanized. This is of some concern because the lake is being stocked with fish and public fishing programs are planned for the future. Many of those who have been involved with the waterbird refuge in the past have horror stories to tell of the many injured birds they saw in the old days when fishing was allowed at the lake. If you have information about past or present effects of fishing at the lake, please contact the naturalists at the Rotary Nature Center.
Thanks for the reports on the Berkeley Meadows.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Golden Eagle at Arrowhead Marsh
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 21:58:19 -0800
From: Lillian Fujii
This is being posted with the permission of the observer, Judith Duhnam, one of Golden Gate Audubon Society's volunteer counters for the monitoring project at Arrowhead Marsh. On Sunday March 21, shortly after 1:00 PM, Judith observed a Golden Eagle take a ground squirrel near the parking lot at Arrowhead Marsh. It took its time, then flew off with the squirrel towards the quarry area of the Oakland Hills.
Happy Birding. Lillian Fujii