[EBB Sightings] County Birding

EBB'ers,

I decided to look around for some shorebirds today and started at Ironhouse
Sanitary District.  At 10:00-11:00 AM, there were paltry few birds on and
around the ponds.  The BLACK-NECKED STILTs are still there, of course, as
are the MALLARDS, but the hoped for shorebirds were absent -- with the
exception of perhaps a hundred LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERs, and several resident
(I assume) KILLDEER.  Flying around the area were BARN SWALLOWs, a single
CLIFF SWALLOW, AMERICAN CROWs, 2 AMERICAN KESTRELs, MOURNING DOVEs, a single
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, several FORESTER'S TERNs, 2 CASPIAN TERNs, WESTERN
SCRUB-JAYs (2-3), & a single BLACK PHOEBE.  Out in the marsh could be heard
SORA (at least 4, new county bird) & SPOTTED TOWHEE (2), & 1 or 2
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONs were seen [to my surprise, this was a new county
bird for me].  A single CALIFORNIA GULL was perched on one of the sewage
aerators.

Later in the day, I stopped by Clifton Court Forebay, and was surprised to
see perhaps 50-80 CLARK'S GREBEs, most of which were sitting on nests in the
floating vegetation just offshore from the end of the fishing parking area.
As late as it would seem in the season for the grebes to still be on nests,
I was astonished to see several pairs still building nests, and a single
pair doing the dancing grebe display across the surface of the water.  I
tried to carefully study as many of the birds as possible to see if any were
Western Grebes -- none were detected by plumage, and all of the
vocalizations I heard were Clark's.  Several PIED-BILLED GREBEs swam amongst
the Aechmorphus grebes.  This was another new county bird for me, bringing
my Contra Costa list to 170.

Also surprising to me was a group of three MUTE SWANs.  I haven't noticed
any postings on EBB regarding Mute Swans here (or anywhere in the county
recently).  The birds were vigorously preening in the water, but two of them
had readily discernable black knobs on their bills; they held their necks in
the classic "S" pattern, and briefly carried their wings in the "sail"
position.  I won't be counting them for County Birding purposes, of course,
but it was fun to see them.

Other species at the Forebay included: DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (1),
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (2-3), NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (4), RED-TAILED HAWK
(hatch year bird), AMERICAN COOT...

Good birding,
Stephen Long
Oakland, CA