[EBB Sightings] Marina migrants

There were some unusual species at the Berkeley Marina today.  In various 
trees around the harbor were Downy and Nuttall's Woodpeckers, chickadees and a 
Red-breasted Nuthatch.  In the crescent of deciduous trees north of the harbor 
and the auto turnaround were two Willow Flycatchers and three Warbling Vireos 
with most of the above birds, while a Lark Sparrow was with the finch flock 
just to the east.  The day's highlight came as we headed south past the Seabreeze 
Market, when a Bank Swallow flew over heading north; we've never seen this 
species before during summer camp time.  Later a juvie N Harrier and three 
Sanderlings briefly visited the cove south of the huge mounds of dirt near the 
pedestrian bridge over I-80, the Sanderlings were an EB first for us .

On Tuesday at Albany, as well as today at Berkeley, we saw single Pelagic 
Cormorants fly by.  On Monday, we found a Cassin's Vireo associating with a 
Hutton's northeast of the Nature Center in Tilden Park, where we also saw our first 
Tilden Wild Turkeys, a female with seven large chicks wandering quite near 
the Little Farm.

Most years we see a Townsend's Warbler or two during the last week of August, 
usually near Vollmer Peak in Tilden; on five Tilden visits this and last 
week, we've seen multiple Townsend's every day at every site we've visited in the 
hills and the valleys.

It's really a shame that school has to start just as migration is beginning 
to get exciting.

Brian Fitch & crew