[EBB Sightings] Coyote Hills

A class trip to Coyote Hills today was quite productive. 

Highlights:

The Red-flowering Eucalyptus next to the butterfly garden had Bullock's
and Hooded Orioles, side by side, and both genders of each. As we
watched this, a lovely male Western Tanager flew in!

In the Butterfly Garden we had MacGillivary's, Wilson's and
Orange-crowned Warblers. The MacGillivary's and and Orange-crowned both
bathed and afforded great views. One of the Orange-crowned Warblers was
the typical deep olive bird we see, with indisinct darker green
streaks; The second wasn't very olive at all, was rather pale headed
and with soft yellow flanks and no apparent streaking; Reminded me of
Orange-crowns I saw in Alaska near Sitka and on Kodiak Island. 

In 'Hoot Hollow' we saw a late-ish Varied Thrush, Ash-throated
Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Swainson's Thrush and at least 6
Black-headed Grosbeack. And this was all late morning as we had spent
the earler hours touring the marsh.

The big shallow pond to the West is down to mudflat, and had good
number of Western, Least Sandpipers, a G Yellowlegs, a SP Plover and
several LB Dowitchers.

Elsewhere the water seemed high (so I's sure it's managed somehow,
since this can't be a consequence of rain); so high there aren't many
muddy edges for Sora/Virginia searching. Tree Swallows afforded great
views (sometimes blue, sometimes green) and at one point we had Barn,
Tree and Cliff all together on a branch.

Nice Day.

          Rusty Scalf