Arrowhead Marsh Wednesday
Wed, 21 Jul 1999 19:01:12 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
I finally saw two Burrowing Owls at the main burrow today - the washed-out bird that's been visible for weeks and a second, much darker bird.
A couple of weeks ago, Sally Walters, Don Schmoldt and I found evidence (two legs) that the owl(s) have been eating Black-necked Stilt and American Avocet chicks. Also of note today was a Mourning Dove carrying nesting material. Seemed late to me.
Talking of which, I haven't seen a new stilt or avocet chick in the last week, although some stilts are still divebombing, so perhaps they've finished after a long season (February to July) of breeding.
Four Least Terns seem now to be regular, along with the Bonaparte's Gulls.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
Turnstones, Hayward Regional Shoreline
Thu, 22 Jul 1999 11:55:07 -0700
From: Sheila Junge
This morning at Hayward's Landing I saw 3 Black Turnstones and 5 Ruddy Turnstones. All were still in breeding plumage. The tide was pretty high (about 5.3 feet corrected) so the birds were quite close. The Turnstones were the only birds in the immediate area and soon left for higher ground as the tide was still rising. A tide closer to 3 feet corrected is a better level for birding in this area. At that level the mud flats are out and the birds are still close enough for good looks. Hayward's Landing is about 0.5 mile west of the West Winton Avenue access to Hayward Regional Shoreline.
Good birding
Sheila Junge
Arrowhead Marsh, Friday morning
Fri, 23 Jul 1999 17:37:49 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello Birders,
A good day at Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline [in Oakland]! Highlights first, then the complete list of sightings.
Top of the list for me: Two Burrowing Owlets seen at the entrance to the main burrow, with the darker adult; the paler adult was guarding the secondary burrow. Next best was a Semipalmated Sandpiper among the Leasts and Westerns. (The peeps are in myriad plumages and sizes right now, but I'm confident of my semipal). Next is my first Black Turnstone of the season, and finally a couple of definite Long-billed Dowitchers among the 800 or so Short-bills. My sightings today are actually 99% from Mitigation Marsh. At high tide I was able to study the peeps from within 20 yards, which was a treat.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
California Gull (Larus californicus)
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)
Least Tern (Sterna antillarum)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)