[EBB Sightings] Blue Grosbeak

Good go'n William
Nice to hear that your timing was right on target.
Oddly, but typically the Bluse Grosbeaks get to Patterson Pass rd. this pass weekend.
Last year I was taken back when one arrived very early April 3rd weekend. 
I must have just missed you yesterday.
I arrived at PATTERSON PASS Rd. marker 6.21 9'ish for round numbers.
Immedately stepping on to the berm I had a Male Blue Grosbeak fly by at eye level.
He was fighting a strong head wing so his progress was slow at best, I got good looks at him.
About 15 minutes later I had the Male BG come up directly below the wooden fence near the 6.21 road marker.
He came onto the fence line and drop down.
I think that the Blue Grosbeak(s) will easy to see this year because the "wildfire" last fall has open up much of their habitat. Much of the woody plants williows have been burnt.
Also yesterday I had two Ashthroated Fly catchers at r.m. 6.21 and many Golden VCrown Sp.'s
Later while driving east on Patterson Rd. around road marker 5.xx I had a Male GB fly over the road to the north side and kept flying.
I am assuming this was the fly by Male BG I had ealier and heading stright north.
I have had numberious BG on the north side of patterson Pass Rd. heading north in the pass, so this was not an uncommon sight. 
I have often specuated  to myself that these Blue Grosbeaks may be the birds seen in Contra Costa Delta,
Places like Pipper Slough.
I don't know this is a fact just an opinion.
William - good birding, see you on the berm so saturday.
Rich Cimino
Pleasanton


-----Original Message-----
From: William Clark 
Sent: Apr 18, 2005 9:53 AM
To: sightings at diabloaudubon.com
Subject: [EBB Sightings] Blue Grosbeak

He's Back!

Sunday morning (4/17) I spotted a male BLUE GROSBEAK
at milepost 6.21 on Patterson Pass Rd, Livermore.
My thanks to Rich Cimino and others for their
directions to this birdy location.  Based on their
messages last year, this seemed the day to go birding.
 I arrived at 7:25am, but, with no sunlight yet, was
soon driven back to my car to warm up.   The wind was
blowing!  By 7:50 the sun had peeked out, and the
birds were waking.  I spotted him on a tree directly
opposite the pull-out.  He stayed put several minutes
and then flew down stream.   Other birds at milepost
6.21: 
LARK SPARROW (another lifer!!) 
TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRD 
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE 
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 
LESSER GOLDFINCH 
ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD 
RED-TAIL HAWK 
MOURNING DOVE 
AUDUBON'S WARBLER 
WESTERN KINGBIRD 
WESTERN MEADOWLARK

Other sightings of note:
Hundreds of WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS are nesting at Owl
Rocks on the south side of Corral Hollow Rd, just east
of Livermore Lab's site 300.  (Take Tesla Rd east from
Livermore, or Corral Hollow Rd west from I580).

CEDAR WAXWINGS are in the Eucalyptus trees at Lawrence
Livermore Lab this morning.

Good birding,
Bill Clark
Livermore, CA

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