[EBB Sightings] "Yellow-crowned" Sparrows

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Hi

Having thoroughly explored the South Bay ;-), Jeff & I have headed East. =
Last week we went to Don Edwards. In one pond alone, we saw 56 eared =
Grebes; the day's total was 76. Species total was 32, not bad for such a =
narrow habitat.

Yesterday we went for a Power Walk with Bob at MLK Shoreline. It was a =
fantastic morning. The highlight was/were the Clapper Rails off the =
boardwalk. One had a mussel clamped to its foot, and it seemed at a loss =
as how to deal with it. The light on the rails was fantastic. Total =
species 66 or 67, depending how you ranked the Eurasian Wigeon.

After 4-something hours keeping up with Bob, we went to Coyote Hills. At =
the visitor's center, some people with big-lensed digital cameras asked =
us if we knew anything about birds, and showed us pictures of an Allen's =
Hummingbird. We stuck around til he reappeared. Very nice.=20

We walked out into the marsh and just kept going. We eventually ended up =
on the Willows Trail, all the way to the DUST (what does that stand =
for?) Marsh, only to discover a dead end. Upon retracing our steps, when =
we got to the pumping machine (can't be more specific, it's big and =
orange and has a hose in each side of the channel), we saw these amazing =
sparrows. They were all bright yellow, but with varying amounts. All of =
them had yellow heads, and some had yellow chests and bellies and =
undertails. We just stared for ages. Then I noticed that some of them =
looked like adult White-crowned Sparrows. Their heads weren't quite as =
yellow as the other sparrows. As we approached them, they flew up into a =
willow tree. It was covered with brand new buds, bursting with yellow =
pollen. Oh, duh. I walked over and grabbed a fistful, and became a =
yellow-handed human.

So, they weren't a new species of sparrow, but they sure were pretty.=20

Our total for the day, both sites: 9 hours, 9 miles, 80 species, two =
life birds (Nuttall's Woodpecker and Barrow's Goldeneyes). Thanks, East =
Bay.

Laurie Graham
Jeff Fairclough
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
Bay ;-),=20
Jeff & I have headed East. Last week we went to Don Edwards. In one =
pond=20
alone, we saw 56 eared Grebes; the day's total was 76. Species total was =
32, not=20
bad for such a narrow habitat.
with Bob at=20
MLK Shoreline. It was a fantastic morning. The highlight was/were the =
Clapper=20
Rails off the boardwalk. One had a mussel clamped to its foot, and it =
seemed at=20
a loss as how to deal with it. The light on the rails was fantastic. =
Total=20
species 66 or 67, depending how you ranked the Eurasian =
Wigeon.
with Bob, we=20
went to Coyote Hills. At the visitor's center, some people with =
big-lensed=20
digital cameras asked us if we knew anything about birds, and showed us =
pictures=20
of an Allen's Hummingbird. We stuck around til he reappeared. Very nice. =

kept going.=20
We eventually ended up on the Willows Trail, all the way to the DUST =
(what does=20
that stand for?) Marsh, only to discover a dead end. Upon retracing our =
steps,=20
when we got to the pumping machine (can't be more specific, it's big and =
orange=20
and has a hose in each side of the channel), we saw these amazing =
sparrows. They=20
were all bright yellow, but with varying amounts. All of them had yellow =
heads,=20
and some had yellow chests and bellies and undertails. We just stared =
for ages.=20
Then I noticed that some of them looked like adult White-crowned =
Sparrows. Their=20
heads weren't quite as yellow as the other sparrows. As we approached =
them, they=20
flew up into a willow tree. It was covered with brand new buds, bursting =
with=20
yellow pollen. Oh, duh. I walked over and grabbed a fistful, and became =
a=20
yellow-handed human.
sparrow, but=20
they sure were pretty. 
hours, 9 miles, 80 species, two life birds (Nuttall's Woodpecker =
and=20
Barrow's Goldeneyes). Thanks, East Bay.
Fairclough

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