[EBB Sightings] Evening Grosbeak continues Del Puerto Cyn

All,

Cricket and I toured Del Puerto Canyon and Mines Road today.  
Highlight was the continuing EVENING GROSBEAK at the Frank Raines  
campground. The bird, an adult male originally found by Juliette  
Bryson on May 21. We refound it along the creek between campsite #31  
and the entrance to the off-road trails. After paying the $5 day-use  
fee, we drove a few yards toward the creek and then to the right to  
the "lower loop". There is a "do not enter" sign because of the one- 
way campground traffic and a chain link enclosure to help locate the  
spot where we found the bird. It was foraging in the cottonwood tree  
for about 20 minutes during which time we heard it call  
occasionally.  It seemed to be keeping company with a female BLACK- 
HEADED GROSBEAK...

Other birds of interest during our tour of Del Puerto Canyon were  
most of the traditional targets: an immature BLUE GROSBEAK at MP 1  
where there is a small ditch and some standing water, HORNED LARKS in  
this area as well, COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD at MP 3.0, graffiti rock and  
Owl Canyon, all of which feature its favorite yellow tobacco flower,  
RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS most places where scrubby hillsides and  
exposed rocks prevailed, PHAINOPEPLA a female at the campground, ROCK  
WREN at Owl Canyon. Poor weather early afternoon made birding  
difficult between MP 22 where we have found Sage Sparrow in the past,  
and the Tricolored Blackbird pond was birdless. We were also  
impressed with how low the water was at the traditional Wood Duck  
pond just before the junction... We found one female later in a  
shallow pond south of the junction with Mines Road. LEWIS'S  
WOODPECKERS were easy to see just one mile south of the Junction. At  
the summit, as we headed back toward Livermore, a single singing SAGE  
SPARROW was heard.  Also in this area were several ORANGE-CROWNED  
WARBLERS, a WESTERN TANAGER and a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. GOLDEN EAGLE  
was seen on the downhill slope as we neared the bridge. Throughout  
the day we saw WESTERN KINGBIRDS and even a nest at the campground...  
and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, heard one PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER and  
a few WESTERN WOOD PEWEES.

A great day, despite the rain and cool temperatures.

.  .  .

Matthew Dodder
http://www.birdguy.net


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