Iron House Sanitary District (Contra Costa
County)
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 13:14:14 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
Twice a year I work the later shift for one week, and this was one of the two times. So, I thought I would do a follow-up to Larry's report yesterday. I was mostly interested in the American Bittern he reported as this is one (believe it or not) that I still need for Contra Costa County. I have been to the Iron House Sanitary District several times this year. Each time I saw no American Bittern (and no otters), and today was no different. Larry, where did you see the bittern? Near the cattle, there were three Cattle Egrets, and over the east end past the bridge a dark Swainson's Hawk soured overhead. At the first pond there was a sigle Canada Goose likely on a nest. I should have joined Mike Moran's trip yesterday, but I knew nothing of it before-hand, and besides I wouldn't have had time to check out the Costa's Hummingbird. At times difficult choices need to be made. I did see a sign for the Big Break Trail but I saw no signs with reference to "Iron House". This week-end I will be doing some non-East-Bay-Birding which will end with viewing the implosion of old Verducci Hall at San Francsico State University at 4 PM this Sunday. Below is a list of birds I encountered.
Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
California Quail (Callipepla californica)
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
Bonaparte's Gull (Larus philadelphia)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
Cliff Swallow (Hirundo pyrrhonota)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Reply #4 Subject List
Re: Iron House Sanitary District (Contra Costa
County)
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 13:24:27 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East-Bay-Birders:
I forgot to mention the Virginia Rail I heard this morning. Last time I had heard three Black Rails there.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
Hermit Thrush and Mockingbird songs
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 15:35:02 PST
From: Denise Wight
On 18 Mar 99, at dawn, a Hermit Thrush was singing from the redwood trees in my apartment complex. This was my first experience with wintering Hermit Thrush singing in suburban Contra Costa flatlands. I'm interested in finding out if anyone else heard them singing in winter or prior to migrating.
Also, yesterday, at Martinez Regional Shoreline, a Northern Mockingbird included the call of a Black Rail in its repertoire. I have heard a mockingbird in my Point Edith atlas block mimic black rails, but this is the first time I have heard one do so within the park.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Re: Iron House Sanitary District (Contra Costa
County)
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 18:32:58 -0800
From: Lillian T. Fujii
Mike, Since Steve Glover first told us about the Big Break Trail, we've visited the Ironhouse Sanitary District ponds several times this past winter (via Big Break trail). (Sorry, but I don't have energy to report all that we see.) Each time, we saw American Bittern at the fist big pond (with the "islands", on the islands). I suspect that they will be harder and harder to find at the ponds now that breeding season has begun. If you just want to see the bird, I recommend that you try again next winter. Steve, please correct me if this is bad advice.
Lillian Fujii
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
Re: Iron House Sanitary District (Contra Costa
County)
Fri, 27 Mar 1999 21:08:35 PST
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
I think the absolute best thing to do to see bittern out there is to get there before anyone else so that you can be the one to flush it. I have most often had them in the small marshy pond at the northeast corner of the big gated pond. I suspect that it would probably be easy to hear out there through the spring and into the summer. This species is getting harder and harder in the county. The easiest place has traditionally been at Mountain View Sanitary District in Martinez (open only on weekdays) but this is subject to whether they have taken out all of the vegetation or not. Unfortunately most of the best habitat is on private property as at Dupont and Dow property near Antioch. They are also sometimes reported at the Dow Wetlands area at the Pittsburg Marina.
Best of luck,
Steve Glover
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
Re: Iron House Sanitary District (Contra Costa
County)
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 22:10:44 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Mike Feighner asked where we saw the American Bittern. Mike Moran saw one just before the walk vanishing into the cattails in the west end of the pond west of the IHSD headquarters building. Some of us watched for awhile, but we couldn't spot it. Near the end of the walk, we saw another north of the two very large ponds, coming from some of the marshy areas there. It flew northeast over the Big Break Trail and out toward Big Break.
If you're looking for the IHSD headquarters (also the East Bay Regional Park District Trails office), just continue east one block past Jordan Ln on Walnut Meadows Dr to the entrance to IHSD grounds. The road jogs south and becomes Oakley Rd, which continues into the IHSD parking lot.
Walking the Big Break Trail from Jordan Ln, you pass north of the northernmost of the two big ponds near the beginning of the stretch of trail heading east. The southernmost big pond probably can be seen well only from within IHSD grounds. The triangular pond near the headquarters building (where Mike saw the first bittern) might be visible from Hwy 4 (looking north across the railroad), but I see no reason why you couldn't drive in to the office and take a look as you drive by. I would think that the road and parking lot are open to the public even if the trails are not. You could call Mike Moran at (925) 757-2620 and ask. He has another Ironhouse walk scheduled on May 20, 9:30 to 11:30 AM.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA