[EBB Sightings] Swainson's Hawks continue

Although the Swainson's Hawks haven't been reported on this listserve  
for about two weeks, this morning, braving 95 degree heat, Gail De  
Lalla and I drove out to eastern Alameda County/Contra Costa County,  
hoping they might still be around.   Not only were they there, but we  
were very pleasantly surprised to find many more than had been  
previously reported.  Our initial stop was at Lindemann Road where we  
looked across Byron Rd/Hwy to an irrigated field that yielded about  
26 hawks, which were competing with about a dozen Great Egrets, half  
that many Great Blue Herons, and lots of crows. The voles and  
whatever else really didn't have much of a chance.  We then continued  
down Lindemann Road to where it meets Herdlyn Road and there,  
incredibly, were approximately 70 Swainson's Hawks sitting in a green  
field and soaring above.  Here too where Great Egrets and Great Blue  
Herons, so if you're looking for the hawks, you might want to keep an  
eye out for them as they are easier to spot from the car.

We had a male Western Tanager on Clifton Road, where we stopped to  
eat lunch in the shade of the only large tree.  Among a variety of  
other species seen during the morning were White-tailed Kite, Red- 
tailed Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Western Meadowlark, Western Kingbird,  
Acorn Woodpecker, Northern Mockingbird, etc.  On the way we stopped  
at MM 6.21 on Patterson Road but did not find Rick Cimino's famous  
Blue Grosbeak.

Good birding,

Marilyn Trabert
Walnut Creek