[EBB Sightings] Spring Sing at Sibley

Howdy East Bay Birders,

A prefield for an upcoming GGAS/AAS Birding Basics Class field trip this
morning to Sibley Volcanic Preserve was in full spring swing and then some.
The first surprise was a very vocal Great Horned Owl in the large pines just
50 feet up the main trail and this was at 9:00 AM. Heard a hoot and returned
a hoot, it flew across the trail above me and after 5 minutes trying several
vantage points located it perched right out in the sun. Observed it calling
for at least 10 minutes with several appreciative passerbys. Variety of
passerines were good with quantities very good. A male Lark Sparrow feeding
on the trail within 10 feet ignored my presence as well as three dogs and a
dog walker so I didn't feel so bad. Lazuli's were very cheerful perched up
and singing and broadly distributed. Saw at least 5 m & 1f, heard more. The
Golden Eagle pair were perched dutifully on the radio towers and the Ravens
didn't mob them once during this visit. Warblers seen and/or heard included
Orange-crowned, Nashville, MacGillivray's and Wilson's. Two chattering CA.
Thrashers were their usual coy selves dropping into the brush if you raised
binoculars. Only saw one female W. Bluebird this time out and some funky
Starlings had snagged a nest cavity in a Euc where we suspected the
bluebirds were attempting to nest earlier. Drat! A few feet above in the
same tree two Pygmy Nuthatch were busy excavating and there were at least
three Red-breasted Nuthatch's honking. Amazing how many hummers there were.
A pair of Rufous-crowned Sparrows were busy fighting or loving. I couldn't
tell. The class is gonna have sore necks if it's this good on Sunday.
 

Here's what I was able to I.D.:

Double-crested Cormorant - 1 flyover
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Golden Eagle
California Quail
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Anna's Hummingbird - many, many
Allen's Hummingbird 
Nuttal's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pac. Slope Flycatcher
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Stellar's Jay
Western Scrub Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Swainson's Thrush
Wrentit
Northern Mockingbird
California Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
OC Warbler
Nashville Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Wilson Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee (cop.)
Lark Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
European Starling
 

Happy Trails!


Eddie Bartley
www.naturetrip.com