[EBB Sightings] Summer's End

Summer ended in a foggy whimper for us, at least compared to past years, but 
we did manage a few unusual sightings.   On the 15th, a Peregrine stormed the 
Albany mudflats, and on the 17th, we found two more Ruddy Turnstones and 
another Red-necked Phalarope along the rocky beach between the Berkeley Meadow and 
the racetrack.   Several Elegant Terns were flying off of Cesar Chavez Park 
that morning, and a Warbling Vireo and Black-headed Grosbeak were in the willows 
in the Meadow.
On the 22nd, a Pelagic Cormorant and a Wilson's Warbler provided some unusual 
juxtaposition on the Albany Bulb, and on the 23rd, a White-breasted Nuthatch 
wandered westward into Tilden, where we also saw at least four Western 
Tanagers that day.   On the 24th, we had still another Ruddy Turnstone south of the 
racetrack, and a juvenile Common Murre near the Seabreeze.   We were able to 
study the live murre at close range while making comparisons with a dead murre 
lying at our feet.   On the 25th, three Great Horned Owls made up for their 
previous dearth during August up on Vollmer Peak in Tilden.
This was my tenth year of providing summer camp in the EB while 
simultaneously keeping track of birds along our routes.   For the first time in that 
decade, we completely missed Northern Harrier, California Quail, and Ash-throated 
Flycatcher, while missing for the second time, Clark's Grebe and MacGillivray's 
Warbler.   We also had unusually few Am White Pelicans, woodpeckers except for 
Nuttall's, and Lazuli Buntings.
Species whose numbers were above our norm were; Brown Pelican, Green Heron, 
Osprey, Black Turnstone, and Hermit Warbler.   We found Hermits in Tilden every 
week since I first reported them on 7/19.
That's it for '06,
Brian Fitch & crew
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