Redwood Regional Park
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 14:43:19 -0800
From: Tom Condit
I took a short hike in Redwood Regional Park this morning. I was mainly checking out the condition of the trails, so I didn't put any great effort into bird identification. Here's what I saw on a swing from Skyline Gate over West Ridge Trail, down Tres Sendas Trail to the Stream Trail and back to the Skyline Gate parking lot.
Steller's Jay (several)
Robins (many)
Hermit Thrush (two)
Varied Thrush (a handful on Tres Sendas)
Dark-eyed Juncos
California Towhees
sparrow sp.
Black Phoebe
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
Bushtits
Barrow's Goldeneyes, Oakland
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 16:04:05 -0800
From: Tom Condit
Friday, 12/17/99, 11 AM:
Six Barrow's Goldeneyes (two male, four female) in the Lake Merritt channel
behind Laney College near the East 8th St. bridge, Oakland.
Varied Thrush at Tilden Nature Area
Sun, 19 Dec 1999 13:38:08 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
A family of four and I joined Alan Kaplan this morning on his "Unofficial Christmas Bird Count" walk at Tilden Regional Park Nature Area. We walked the Upper Packrat Trail to Jewel Lake, then back along the road [Wildcat Creek Trail].
Highlight was a Varied Thrush along the Upper Packrat. Otherwise, we saw most of the expected winter Tilden birds.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Martinez and Pleasant Hill Birds
Sun, 19 Dec 1999 18:08:05 PST
From: Denise Wight
Hi EB Birders,
For the December 18th Contra Costa County Christmas Bird Count, Rusty Scalf, Judi Hamberg, and I covered some of the suburban area of Martinez and Pleasant Hill. Highlights included a White-throated Sparrow, tan morph, at Paso Nogal Park in Pleasant Hill, a Merlin in the field east of Kaiser off Center Ave, an Orange-crowned Warbler along the Contra Costa canal behind Target, and a very tame, very vocal male Wood Duck at the main lake of Hidden Lakes Park (good photo opportunity). A pair of White-tailed Kites were hanging out together in the area just south of the lake.
Also at Paso Nogal I tried to pish up some sparrows, and a female Sharp-shinned Hawk flew up from behind me, within 3 feet at waist level. About an hour later, on the next trail over, I pished again, and the bird did the exact same thing, even on the same side of me! Very cool. Did I pish in the hawk, or did it know pishing birders bring up small birds??
I would enjoy hearing about the highlights and adventures of this weekend's East Bay counts from other area leaders.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA