[EBB Sightings] from TUDU to ROGO

Hi

I hope this works. I have been trying to post this report for a week. I have
changed my email to send messages in plain format.

Last Sunday, March 19th, Jeff & I decided to try for the Northern
Waterthrush and the Tufted Duck in Berkeley. We had no luck at first with
the TUDU, and didn't know where in the southern pond to find the NOWA. As we
were crouched in the trees, watching a Hermit Thrush, we were beckoned at by
another birder, who introduced himself as Ken Archambault. He showed us
where to look for the NOWA, and told us a lot about it, as he has spent
somewhere around 30 hours on the bird. We did eventually see it, getting
good looks at the head and chest, but never seeing the whole bird. It is
very shy, or perhaps it is just weary of being visited. It was in the area
described in all the posts, although none of the posts I've seen mentioned
that it lurks at the water's edge, under the willow (?) trees, obscured by
many roots, limbs, trunks, and twigs.

Ken then took us to the TUDU, who pretended to be asleep for only about 5
minutes. He was very active for the remaining half-hour we were there.

Other birds seen at Aquatic Park:
Bufflehead (24)
American Coot (11)
Ruddy Duck (15)
Greater Scaup (13)
Snowy Egret (2)
Pied-Billed Grebe (2)
American Avocet (6)
Willet (32)
Common Goldeneye (1)
Common Raven (2)
American Goldfinch (3 males in beautiful breeding plumage)
Rock Dove (4)
Green Heron (1) very nice looks
Great Egret (1)
Black Phoebe (1)
DC Cormorant (1)
Great Blue Heron (1)
Chestnut backed Chickadee (2)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (6)
Western Sandpiper (5)
Red-tailed Hawk (2)
Black-necked Stilt (10)
American Robin (1)
Black-crowned Night Heron (2, 1 adult, 1 juvenile)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (1)
Mallard (4)
Song Sparrow (3)
California Towhee (3)
Anna's Hummingbird (2)
Forster's Tern (10, one on each of the floats dividing the lagoon, all
facing south)
Glaucous-winged Gull (2)
Marbled Godwit (12)
American Crow (1)
Gull sp.

We had not expected the birding at Aquatic Park to be that good. It was a
clear, sunny day, and cold as hell frozen over.

>From there we went to Coyote Hills Regional Park, in Fremont. At the
beginning of the Muskrat Trail, we got a lovely Bewick's Wren. At the top,
we saw House Finches, YR Warblers, A Spotted Towhee, and the ubiquitous
Black Phoebe. We then headed up the Red Hill Trail, to try for a Rock Wren,
which we got at an outcrop on a crest of the trail. Along the way, we saw a
flock of Western Meadowlarks, a Savannah Sparrow, three Say's Phoebes, and
any number of "pink"-ing ground squirrels. Up on Red Hill, we were at the
soaring level of a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, and a Turkey Vulture flew above
and below us. Also in the air were two White-tailed Kites, and a pair of
Northern Harriers. We looked down over the entire park, and identified the
trails we had taken 5 weeks ago, and how all the marshes are situated.
Looking west over the Bay, we saw a Great Blue Heron in a salt pond. We
continued on the Red Hill Trail all the way to Alameda Creek, then came back
to the Bayview Trail.

As we walked along the Bayview Trail, we began to see the North Marsh, and
the birds therein. There were two Great Egrets, Coots (14), Gadwalls (15),
Northern Pintail (3), Cinnamon Teal (16), Green-winged Teal (12), Red-winged
Blackbirds (40), Northern Shoveler, Canada Goose (15), Mallard (25),
American Wigeons (52), and one absolutely gorgeous male Eurasian Wigeon. He
did not appear to have a girlfriend. Along the Bayview Trail and Lizard Rock
Trail, we saw three Northern Flickers (red).  Marsh Wrens were conspicuously
heard along all the marsh trails, but only four were seen. Other birds were
Ruddy Duck (4), Common Moorhen (1), Pied-billed Grebe (1).

In the Main Marsh were more Northern Shovelers, Buffleheads, 2 Snowy Egrets,
Coots, American Wigeons (4), Cinnamon Teal (2), and Pied-billed Grebes (2),
as well as three DC Cormorants, and Golden-crowned Sparrows (14). Along the
D.U.S.T. Trail, there were countless (50+) Tree Swallows in the area around
the nest boxes. At least two Barn Swallows were seem, and in the narrow
waterway beside the trail, two otters were swimming; one was towing a very
long reed, and dived with it, presumably to its den. Also along the trail
were more RW Blackbirds, this time mostly males singing territorially.

We left Coyote Hills about 5:30 p.m., and crossed the Dumbarton Bridge,
passing, as always, Bayfront Park before joining 101. We glanced in the
direction of the park, and there on the dyke closest to the road was the
Ross's Goose, with a flock of Canadas.

All in all, a pretty good day.

Laurie Graham
Jeff Fairclough
South San Francisco