[EBB Sightings] Mitchell Canyon Area - Phainopepla, Sage Sparrow, Bullock's Oriole

Hello E. B. Birders,

Mitchell Canyon (Mount Diablo S.P.) was very pleasant
this morning, not too hot. Nothing rare to report.   

Expected species, such as Western Wood-Peewee,
Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Lesser Goldfinch were
vocalizing in many places.  I was happy to hear
Swainson's Thrush singing within the first quarter
mile of the parking lot.

I wandered around the top of White Canyon for about
two hours, photographing habitats and watching three
Phainopeplas, two males and a female.  At one point
the males got into a conflict directly above me. The
female moved around quietly, but I was unable see any
indication of breeding.  I watched one of the males
preen for about five minutes, and as he did, he
relaxed his wings to show the white on the inner
primaries.

A female Bullock's Oriole frantically tried to feed
two young still in a nest, while attending to one that
had fledged under a poison oak bush nearby.  I never
saw a male come to the nest to help feed. It appeared
she was doing all the work herself.

While walking down White Canyon, I watched a
bedraggled plumaged Sage Sparrow hop up from the creek
area and fly back into the chaparral across the road.

Lots of young birds were out and about, with Steller's
Jay and Hutton's Vireos still being fed by adults.  

I encountered 9 people on the trails in a total in six
hours.  None had binoculars.  Not at all a bad time to
check out Mitchell Canyon.

All the Best,
Denise Wight
Moraga, CA