[EBB Sightings] Alameda County Day

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Kris Olson, Dave Quady and I did our SFBBO "big" day yesterday.  We picked
Alameda County, since two of us live there.  Things started a little before
2:30 AM as we were loading up the cars in Berkeley, and a Barn Owl
hssssssshhhhed just over our heads, giving Dave a new yard bird.

 

We rushed about during the day, going to Redwood Park, MLK Shoreline,  Mines
Road, Sunol, Coyote Hills, the end of West Winton, the Bay Bridge Toll
Plaza, Berkeley Waterfront, etc.  

 

Highlights were 6 owl species, including Long-eared and Northern Pygmy-Owl,
and Sora, Clapper and Virginia Rails, all before the sun rose.  The wind
picked up on Mines Road in the early morning, but then the weather
cooperated.  The migrants didn't, however, and during the day we found very
few - perhaps due to our choice of route.  The fennel at Winton that had
held warblers and flycatchers a week earlier contained only sparrows, and
Coyote Hills only offered us one Pacific-slope Flycatcher.  Ducks were hard
to find.  We had few "notable" birds.

 

We did well on shorebirds, thanks in part to Bob Power helping us out with
Sanderlings and a Surfbird at Frank's Dump, and we found a couple of Black
Oystercatchers at the Berkeley breakwater.  There were lots of Elegant Terns
at the Toll Plaza.

 

We ended the day just short of 110 (I think - still sorting out the
details!), a far cry from John and Susanne's record setting total in the
same county a week or two ago.  But then, it's few days that I see more than
100 birds, and not very often that I get to scope Pygmy-Owl and stare at
Saw-whet, so we counted the day a success as our last bird, Spotted
Sandpiper, flew off into the dusk.

 

Now next time, I think we'd change the route a little, not spend so much
time on Mines Road (we said that last time we tried this, too!), do a bit
more scouting before the day (oh yeah, exactly when?), and maybe vary my
sandwich selection.  I guess we could have started a little earlier...  (we
say that every time we do one of these, too!).

 

Bob Lewis

Berkeley, CA

RLewis0727 at aol.com

 


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.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Kris Olson, Dave Quady and I did our SFBBO “b=
ig”
day yesterday.  We picked Alameda
 County, since two of=
 us
live there.  Things started a little before 2:30 AM as we were loading=20=
up
the cars in Berkeley,
and a Barn Owl hssssssshhhhed just over our heads, giving Dave a new yard bi=
rd.


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>We rushed about during the day, going to Redwood Park,
MLK Shoreline,  Mines=20=
Road,
Sunol, Coyote Hills, the end of West Winton, the Bay Bridg=
e Toll Plaza,
Berkeley Waterfront, etc.  


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Highlights were 6 owl species, including Long-eared=
 and Northern
Pygmy-Owl, and Sora, Clapper and Virginia Rails, all before the sun rose.&nb=
sp;
The wind picked up on Mines=
 Road
in the early morning, but then the weather cooperated.  The migrants di=
dn’t,
however, and during the day we found very few – perhaps due to our cho=
ice
of route.  The fennel at Winton that had held warblers and flycatchers=20=
a
week earlier contained only sparrows, and Coyote Hills only offered us one
Pacific-slope Flycatcher.  Ducks were hard to find.  We had few &#=
8220;notable”
birds.


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>We did well on shorebirds, thanks in part to Bob Po=
wer
helping us out with Sanderlings and a Surfbird at Frank’s Dump, and we
found a couple of Black Oystercatchers at the Berkeley breakwater.  The=
re
were lots of Elegant Terns at the Toll
 Plaza.


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>We ended the day just short of 110 (I think –=
 still sorting
out the details!), a far cry from John and Susanne’s record setting to=
tal
in the same county a week or two ago.  But then, it’s few days th=
at
I see more than 100 birds, and not very often that I get to scope Pygmy-Owl=20=
and
stare at Saw-whet, so we counted the day a success as our last bird, Spotted
Sandpiper, flew off into the dusk.


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Now next time, I think we’d change the route=20=
a little,
not spend so much time on Mines Road (we said that last time we tried this,
too!), do a bit more scouting before the day (oh yeah, exactly when?), and
maybe vary my sandwich selection.  I guess we could have started a litt=
le
earlier…..  (we say that every time we do one of these, too!).


.0pt; font-family:Arial'> 


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Bob Lewis


=3D2   face=3DArial>Berke=
ley, CA


.0pt; font-family:Arial'>RLewis0727 at aol.com


font-size: 12.0pt'> 





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