[EBB Sightings] Oakland CBC Results, December 14, 2008

Bay Area Birders (with apologies for cross-posting):

In yesterday's challenging weather, the 180+ participants in  
Oakland's 68th annual CBC reported 173 species (about five below our  
recent average), with a few areas'  results not yet available.   
Another fine compilation dinner rounded out our day.

Oakland's Count Week extends from Thursday, Dec 11 through Wednesday,  
Dec 17.  As always, we missed a few regularly occurring species on  
Count Day.  Please let us know if you locate, or learn of, any of the  
following species in our count area during count week:

Redhead
Pacific Loon
Bald Eagle
Barn Owl

Several unusual species were reported.  All of the following were in  
Alameda County unless indicated otherwise.  Details have not yet been  
reviewed by our CBC's rare birds committee.

2 Snow Geese on a soccer pitch on Treasure Island, SF
2 Long-tailed Ducks offshore the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, and  
another on the bay north of the Bay Bridge
2 Snowy Plovers in Alameda's Robert Crown Memorial State Beach,  
between Sunset Road and Grand Street
Several Surfbirds at the end of the Albany bulb in Eastshore State  
Park at high tide
20 Tree Swallows over Lafayette Reservoir, CCC
Townsend's Solitaire near Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park, CCC.   
Found on December 7, and chosen as the count's Best Bird.
Nashville Warbler in bottlebrush at the intersection of Rydin Road  
and Central Avenue in Richmond, CCC
Yellow Warbler near the pond in the small public park at the  
intersection of Swan Way and Doolittle Drive, Oakland
Palm Warbler in Estuary Park, Oakland, likely last year's bird  
returning for another winter
Black-headed Grosbeak visiting a feeder on Peralta Avenue, Berkeley.  
birders interested in seeing this bird may call Mr. and Mrs. Collier  
at 510-524-2671

Unusual species found during count week, but not yesterday, included  
a Red-necked Grebe off the Bay Bridge toll plaza, and immature Bald  
Eagle at Washington Park in Alameda on Saturday (reported on EBB) and  
two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in Tilden Regional Park.

Finally, a bird seen briefly along Skyline Boulevard near the ALA/CCC  
county line was initially thought to be a Veery.  Veery is a rare  
bird in California, with only 11 reports accepted by the California  
Bird Records Committee (CBRC) through 2006.  None of these occurred  
later in the year than 5 November.  Veery is very difficult to  
distinguish from other Catharus thrushes; indeed, the CBRC has felt  
that the bird's actual identification was not established in about  
70% of the Veery reports that it has reviewed. Hermit Thrush, very  
common here in winter, is highly variable, and is likely the subject  
of the Skyline observation.  Those interested in trying to relocate  
the Skyline bird may contact David Erdreich at Cloudman.1 at juno.com   
The CBRC's fine book, Rare Birds of California, is invaluable in  
understanding the status and distribution of California's bird life.   
See
for more information.

Co-compiler Bob Lewis and I thank everyone who contributed to the  
success of Oakland's 68th annual CBC, and invite you all to  
participate next year.  Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 20,  
2009.

Dave Quady
Berkeley, California
davequady at att.net