Patterson Pass
Tue, 08 Jun 1999 18:06:56 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Patterson Pass, east to Midway, June 8, 1999
Please note that I've added some questions, for birders more knowledgeable about the area than me, and comments at the end of this list.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Dendroica nigrescens) - song only
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) - song only, see below
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) - song only, see below
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea)
Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
As to the Grasshopper Sparrow, I think I heard one in a pasture just east of the oil pumps, and in the pasture beside Gate #9, but my hearing is not what is was, and I might have actually heard insects. Does anyone know if they do nest in those areas?
As to Rufous-crowned Sparrow, my knowledge of its song is a little tenuous, but the habitat appeared right, in the rocky outcrops east of Gate #9 on the east side of the pass, near the nesting rock wrens. Again, if anyone knows for sure that the rufous-crowns don't live there, please set me straight.
I thought I heard a Black-throated Gray Warbler singing in the willows near where I found my county bird Blue Grosbeak, but again, my knowledge of the warbler's song is insufficient to confirm it.
As to the Burrowing Owls, the nests I found were both on the east of the summit, although there appeared to be ample appropriate habitat west of the summit. Did I just miss finding the birds on the Livermore side? Also, I'm not sure of the protocol about identifying exact location of nest sites, so I won't ID them here, but should you need or desire the info, please contact me.
I noted a Red-tailed Hawk nest, with two juveniles and a third bird that looked more like a parent.
As to bluebirds, I was surprised not to find them breeding there. Should I not have been?
Good birding!
Courtenay
What do people think of the revised National Geographic
Guide?
Tue, 8 Jun 1999 20:07:14 PDT
From: Doug Greenberg
I just got my copy in the mail today. Consequently, I have not been able to study it closely, but on superficial inspection it looks terrific. I had long thought (as have lots of birders) that the NGG was the one that "every birder should have," but it had really gotten out of date. This revision seems to remedy the problem. I know some people think that it's too large to carry conveniently in the field, so there's probably good reason to have a second guide for that purpose. But I am tickled that National Geographic has finally gotten this book updated.
--Doug Greenberg
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Re: What do people think of the revised National
Geographic Guide?
Tue, 8 Jun 1999 21:12:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Peter Rauch
Doug Greenberg wrote:
Subject: What do people think of the revised National Geographic Guide?
This question was posed and responded to by a number of birders on the Birdchat discussion list.
So, let me suggest two things.
1) Go to birdchat's WWW archive and take a look at what others have already said (use the search command for "NGS or National Geographic" since May 1999; you can find the archive and search function at:
Linkname: Archives of BIRDCHAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
URL: http://listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/birdchat.html
I just did a search and got back 35 postings.
2) Post your general views of the book there, but post opinions about how well the book does on Bay Area species here on EBbird.
Peter
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Re: What do people think of the revised National
Geographic Guide?
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 11:14:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Condit
I picked up mine at the Sierra Club bookstore in Oakland a couple of weeks ago. (Golden Gate Audubon Society didn't have it yet at that time, but may now.) The new color on the maps took a little getting used to (it's ugly enough to qualify for Wired magazine), but it's good to finally get some of the new species sorted out.
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