[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt vireo nesting

Highlight from yesterday's walk around Lake Merritt (aside from the lack of
rain) was a HUTTON VIREO nest at Children's Fairyland. The birds first
caught my eye in a courtship display: head back, bill and tail straight up
in the air, and wings vibrating rapidly. I thought they might mate but
instead one abandoned the posture and jumped on a completed nest. Shortly
after, I watched both birds foraging together. The combination of courtship
behavior, completed nest, and the apparent lack of incubation makes me think
the pair is currently at the egg-laying stage.

BLACK PHOEBES appear to be nest building.

While I walked around the lake, I also kept a running tally in my head of
EARED and HORNED GREBES. I counted 74 Eared and 12 Horned. The former are
almost all in full breeding plumage, while the latter are just starting to
molt. These numbers are much higher than I expect to see in mid-winter,
suggesting lots of north-bound transients.

The RUDDY DUCKS are looking pretty ruddy and those powder-blue bills are
dazzling.

FORSTERS' TERNS are back in force. I counted 35. 

Solo BARN SWALLOW.

The ROSS'S GOOSE was again paddling around the shallows near the Rotary
Nature Center. 

The Cormorant-Night Heron-Egret nesting colony is full of activity. The
Cormorants look like they will be expanding the number of nests again this
year. It will be interesting to see whether they start competing for nest
sites with the Egrets and Night-Herons. If so, my money's on the Cormorants.

I didn't notice any Cooper's Hawk activity but the tree they nested in last
year is still bare.

No Mergansers this time, very few Goldeneyes, and none of them Barrows' that
I noticed. No Sapsuckers, though I didn't scour the area around the
fountain.


Bruce Mast
Oakland, CA