[EBB Sightings] Merlin, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl at Coyote Hills Regional Park (Fremont)

Rich Nicholson and I birded misty Coyote Hills RP in
Fremont this morning from 9 - 11 in preparation for
the December 16 CBC. We started in the first parking
lot on the left, where Rich saw the BLUE-GRAY
GNATCACHER before I arrived, and I saw the possible
yellow x red-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER in the hillside
pines as I pulled into the lot. Just as we set off
from the parking lot on the No Name Trail, we spotted
a MERLIN on a pole dead ahead, and both a GREAT HORNED
OWL and a BARN OWL within a branch or two of each
other in the first set of large trees to the left of
the trail. We had great views of all three birds, as
the merlin obligingly stayed put for several minutes,
the great horned never moved, and the barn owl moved
from branch to branch in an effort to hide, ending up
close enough to the great horned for us to have framed
both birds in one photo.  Definitely the highlight of
our morning! 

We continued down the trail to the bay, finding (among
others) Say's phoebes and many raptors, including at
least five white-tailed kites, two kestrels, three
northern harriers, and three juvenile red-tailed hawks
- one of which held fast to its low perch on a post
beside the foot path even when a hiker passed very
close by.

At the shoreline, we found many snowy and great egrets
and many shorebirds, including avocets, western
sandpipers, sanderlings, and greater yellowlegs.  On
the broad ponds beside the levees were eared grebes
and COMMON GOLDENEYES. We feared oil might be on a
streaky-looking scaup that was spending a lot of time
digging at its neck feathers. Through the scopes, we
saw five NORTHERN PINTAILS floating along the
shoreline north of us.  

On our way back on the No Name Trail, near the parking
lot the merlin appeared again and flew across the
trail and out over the dry wetlands, and the great
horned owl hadn't moved from its perch in the tree,
but we could no longer find the barn owl.


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont


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