[EBB Sightings] Sunol Reg. Wilderness 04-23-04

All,

I led my Palo Alto Adult School birding group to Sunol Regional 
Wilderness Saturday. Despite the rainy weather forecast, conditions 
were just fine for birding although there was a bit less activity than 
the previous week. Knowing it could begin raining at any moment we 
devoted our attention to finding the previously reported HARRIS' 
SPARROW. Within just a few moments of beginning, the bird popped out of 
the shrubbery along the small dirt road that leads down hill behind the 
outhouses. As many birders have observed, the bird was associating with 
a few GOLDEN-CROWNED and one WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. Other highlights 
of the trip included a pair of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS on the road side 
of the bridge, two CASSIN'S VIREOS just downstream (left) after 
crossing the bridge. Other frequently seen and/or heard species 
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, WARBLING VIREO, ASH-THROATED 
FLYCATCHER, HOUSE WREN and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Oddly, 
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS and WILSON'S WARBLER were encountered much 
less than the previous week. Other color: two female and one male 
WESTERN TANAGER, two to three YELLOW WARBLERS heard along the creek and 
a single MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER was heard clearly somewhere in the 
underbrush close to the lot. Many other expected birds were seen as 
well.

Matthew Dodder
http://www.birdguy.net