[EBB Sightings] Hummer and Hawk

EastBayBirders,

Skip and I got off to a good start on our dog-and-bird-walk around west 
side San Ramon this morning. Behind the community pool on Toltec Circle 
a male RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD was guarding a blooming eucalyptus. 
Intruders not getting the message right away, including a female Anna's 
Hummingbird and a Bushtit, were subjected to an in-your-face shuttle 
display. Not having witnessed this particular behavior before, I was 
enthralled, but Skip was intrigued by the scent coming from a spot 
beside the walkway.

Soon we heard the new-to-the-neighborhood adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 
calling from somewhere near the tall eucalyptus grove on Norris Canyon 
Rd near Bollinger Canyon. Shortly after spotting a perched 
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, we had a flyover MERLIN heading south. A few blocks 
away on Marsh Dr we spotted a small dark raptor atop a redwood. As we 
approached what turned out to be a second MERLIN, it headed due north 
in a big hurry. PINE SISKINS and CEDAR WAXWINGS continue in our area. 
We saw a few of the former and a couple of flocks of the latter near 
Twin Creeks Elementary on Marsh. For our fourth walk in a row Skip and 
I had a WHITE-TAILED KITE in the same tree near the corner of Marsh and 
Norris Canyon. We had three kites on the day, about average lately. 
We've seen kites copulating, carrying nesting material, and one eating 
a large rat. (Hopefully it was the rat that invaded our garage and 
shredded my shop rags. Skip swears he tried to tell us, but he's cried 
wolf too many times. I'm starting to think his false alarms have 
something to do with the treat he gets after checking the perimeter of 
the yard.)

For the second day in a row as Skip and I neared home two RED-TAILED 
HAWKS, a dark-morph male and a light-morph female, soared overhead.  
For the second day in a row they were accompanied by a smaller raptor. 
Today it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk. But yesterday it was the 
Red-shouldered Hawk and since we needed a sight-record for our yard 
list, Skip and I raced the last couple of blocks home. Skip enjoyed the 
run more than I did.

Dennis Braddy and Skip
San Ramon