[EBB Sightings] Don Edwards NWR OAS Field Trip Sunday 1/18

This information is a bit stale but many of these birds may still be around. Last Sunday morning, Rich Nicholson led an Ohlone Audubon field trip at Don Edwards NWR.  About 30 participants, a mix of beginning and experienced birders, were treated to amazing views of a mated pair of peregrine falcons perched on an electrical tower south of the "W" Hotel.  The female was perched lower than the male, which I thought was unusual until I realized that the female had the much more preferable perch - a sturdy perch on a crossbar while the male was gingerly stepping from foot to foot to keep his balance atop the tower.  The female flew two sorties just off the deck over the northernmost ponds in La Riviere Marsh.  At one point, a snowy egret fluttered up into her path, apparently unaware of her until the last instant. The peregrine turned sideways on a dime - incredible flying! - and either showed the egret her fisted talons or punched it and then flew quickly
 back to her mate.  I prefer the former theory as the egret, other than beign startled, was none the worse for the encounter; I saw no blood or ruffled feathers whatsoever, and the egret immediately flew off to another pond and started displaying to another egret.  Also, the peregrine did not bother to look back as it flew to its perch, and I think if it wanted the egret, it would have gone back for it. 

We saw 39 species before 10:45, including great looks at a barn owl in its day roost in the Learning Center down the hill from the Visitor Center (red building with sink attached, look for whitewash under eaves on pond side of building).  You have to let your eyes adjust to just make out the owl from chest up. We also had a Cooper's hawk harrassing a red-tailed hawk on the hillside above the rock face across from La Riviere Marsh.

After I left, Rich tells me that the group found a common loon, two red-breasted mergansers, and a female hooded merganser in a bayside pond on the north side of the Quarry Trail (after you cross the foot bridge over highway 84), accessed from Marshlands Road west of the visitor center parking lot. They also found two Eurasian wigeons on the SF Bay trail, accessed under the bridge by the fishing pier.

That evening, at sunset at Coyote Hills RP the merlin was still hanging out in the snag just inside the park after the entrance gate.  I also saw three Say's phoebes just down the trail towards the bay from the Quarry parking lot. 


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont