Orioles, Quail, and Steller's Jays
Mon, 2 Aug 1999 11:42:22 -0700
From: Nancy Harrington
We have both Hooded Orioles and Bullock's Orioles coming to our nectar feeders. Four days ago I saw a male Hooded feeding a (presumed) fledgling. The fledgling followed him when he flew off. The Bullock's male that frequents the feeder has a severed leg - his foot dangles on a "thread."
We've seen at least three clutches (proper terminology?) of California Quail come to the yard but had not seen any newly hatched for a while. Until yesterday. I wasn't able to count them. Is this late in the season for them? We've been watching the other families grow - and one family of 10 juveniles has 7 males and 3 females.
I hadn't seen Steller's Jays in the yard for some time, but a couple of times in the past couple of months I saw one along Blackhawk Road. Today, there were three in my yard, two of which appeared to be juveniles. They weren't as blue underneath, and their beaks had light markings at the corners like you see on fledglings. One of them was wing-fluttering and begging for food, but ate on his own.
Nancy Harrington
Blackhawk, CA
Lake Merritt's resident White Pelican is dead
Mon, 2 Aug 1999 11:48:55 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
Stephanie Benavidez of the Rotary Nature Center called me today to tell me that Helen, the longtime resident White Pelican at Oakland's Lake Merritt, died on Saturday. An exhibit about her is being prepared for the center and/or their website.
I can't swear to the accuracy of the details, but here's the story as it was told to me years ago. In 1970, 7 White Pelicans were brought to Lake Merritt from Pyramid Lake in Nevada (I'm not sure why). Two of the first-year birds were pinioned to make them flightless and keep them on the lake. (Need I say that this would now be both highly illegal and ethically forbidden, but it was not considered unusual or improper by the general standards of the time.) The five who could fly did not stay in Oakland for long, but Helen and Hector were favorites of visitors to the lake over the following years. Hector died several years ago, drowning when he became entangled in a rope that someone had left attached to one of the log booms protecting the nesting and wintering birds from boaters. Since then, Helen has toured the lake alone or with her frequent companion, a Mute Swan. With advancing age, she had gotten a bit crotchety, but we'll all miss her.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
http://www.best.com/~folkbird/
Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Aug 1
Mon, 2 Aug 1999 16:29:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Condit
We took a walk in Huckleberry Preserve [in the Oakland Hills] on Sunday, August 1, mid- to late afternoon.
Mostly uneventful, very few birds seen or heard. The huckleberries are ripening, however, as are a few other fruits. Probably more action in a couple of weeks.
Steller's Jays very noisy and aggressive. What's the nesting season for this species?
Chestnut-backed Chickadees in a few small flocks. Most we could see seemed young.
Spotted Towhee heard calling.
Mourning Doves near the parking lot.
Two Northern Flickers.
That's it.
Tom Condit