[EBB Sightings] Black Diamond Mines--Grasshopper Sparrow

The Mt. Diablo Audubon Society field trip to Black Diamond Mines was well 
attended by 15 birders this morning.  We walked up the Loop Trail past the 
Hazel Atlas Mine, turned left and continued up the Ridge Trail before coming 
back down the Stewartville Trail to the parking lot.

Shortly after starting down the Stewartville Trail we found some Lark 
Sparrows in the draw to our left, but behind us and up the hill we heard, 
then found a singing Grasshopper Sparrow.  The Grasshopper Sparrow was below 
the Carbondale Trail, which also came off the Ridge Trail just back up the 
hill a bit.  While we all saw the bird from below, looking up the grassy 
hillside, some of us walked back up the trail and turned left onto the 
Carbondale Trail.  A short walk brought us to a better view of the bird, 
closer and still posing for us as it sang.  It was a lifer for some and 
certainly one of the best views ever for many of us.  After 15-20 minutes, 
the bird finally disappeared back into the grass.

Altogether we had 46 species.  Other notable sightings included nesting 
House Wrens, nesting Western Bluebirds, a singing and visible Canyon Wren, a 
singing and openly perched Orange-crowned Warbler, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
and White-throated Swifts.  We also had a very educational viewing of both 
male and female Violet-green Swallows; most of us had never paid attention 
to the sexual plumage differences of this swallow.  A Coyote was seen in the 
lower areas before returning to the parking lot.

Hugh B. Harvey
MDAS
Field Trip Chair