[EBB Sightings] Mitchell Canyon and Mt. Diablo, Sunday April 23

A joyous group of 16 birders enjoyed a birdy day, despite overcast
conditions, at Mitchell Canyon and Rock City in Mt. Diablo on Sunday.
Highlights included

WILLOW FLYCATCHER (1, see description below)
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (2)
HERMIT WARBLER (1, in a very active group of migrants about 300 yards up the
trail in Mitchell Canyon)
SWAINSON'S THRUSH (very early, but definitively identified by numerous
observers - at least 2, likely 3 individual migrants, not singing)
OSPREY (1 flew over us at about 2,000 feet elevation in Rock City)

A few more descriptive notes.  There were many, many VIREOS and EMPIDOMAX
FLYCATCHERS around!  I don't think we were ever out of earshot of one of the
three VIREO species while in Mitchell Canyon - we counted at least seven
HUTTON'S, four CASSIN'S and six WARBLING VIREOS there.  Likewise, there
seemed to be at least one puzzling Empidomax flycatcher everytime we
stopped.  We had two HAMMOND'S, one PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER calling, and at
least eight more that we could not identify to species.  The WILLOW
FLYCATCHER, though, was a huge surprise.  Here is my description: a thin
empidomax, with only the thinnest of eye rings (imperceptible without
binoculars), dull wingbars, flicking its tail up and giving a "wit" call.
Its geez was small headed and elongated, eliminating Hammond's or Pac-slope.
I know this is a very early, and out-of-range, sighting, but the conclusion
seemed inescapable given the evidence.

The grove that housed the HERMIT WARBLER and the first of our SWAINSON'S
THRUSH also had a single TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, numerous WILSON'S and
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, and a few BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.  We did not
see any MacGillivray's or Nashville through the day.  WILSON'S and
ORANGE-CROWNED were common in the canyon.

Other unusual sightings included a pair of NUTTALL'S WOODPECKERS who chased
each other around the trees at the start of the trail, seemingly
incessently: they were doing this when we started out at 8:30, and were
still at it when we returned four hours later!  We had a pair of
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS near the beginning of the trail, too.  No unusual
hummingbirds - just numerous ANNA'S and a few fly-by SELASPHOROUS.

Rock City was not very birdy in the afternoon, but still beautiful.  We
enjoyed the OSPREY, and saw a very high-flying NORTHERN HARRIER that may
have been a migrant bird.  Three WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS hawked insects
overhead.  We had two close encounters with COYOTES (may have been the same
animal, since both we saw appeared to be nursing females).

Overall, we had 55 species at Mitchell Canyon, and 64 for the day.

This trip was the first-ever meeting of Bay Area members of the Gay and
Lesbian Birders of North America.  If you are interested in joining this
group (we are planning future trips to Pt. Reyes, Santa Cruz, and other Bay
Area spots), send me an email, and/or visit the website of the group's
national email list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gaybirding .  Members
range from beginning birders to professional ornithologists, across all
ages, with a good gender balance.  Hope to hear from some of you!

Jennifer Rycenga
Half Moon Bay, CA
gyrrlfalcon at earthlink.net