[EBB Sightings] Coyote Hills Friday

I spent a couple of hours today around the Quarry parking lot looking for
the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-- no luck. My second attempt. 

However, I found the Rock Wren and took pictures of it as it worked its way
up the face of the lower rock structure.  I noticed a couple of things I
thought were interesting about how this bird worked the rocks. You sort of
think of a Rock Wren hopping up a rock face, but actually, this one did a
lot of rock climbing. It would up its long legs and feet up ahead of it and
almost pull itself up. Or it would keep both legs behind it and push itself
up, especially when feeding. (It seems to like spider webs.) A couple of
other times spread its legs wide to straddle two rocks, and used its tail to
push or balance itself. Once it stuck its foot on a rock vertically. Great
spiderman inspiration!  When you think about it, there are no perches such
as branches, just rock crevices, etc. I took a bunch of photos and have put
them on flickr. I need to prune them but for now there are a lot there
showing how it climbed. Has anyone else seen this?

As I was getting ready to leave, I came around a corner on the trail in near
the picnic tables and found a male Northern Harrier on the side of the road.
It flew up but landed again quickly and seemed to be looking at or for prey.
When it left, however, I saw that it had a stick in its talons.  (more
photos)

Also saw a/the adult Golden Eagle fly right over--coming from the direction
of the ponds and headed towards the big rock quarry.


On the way in at about 1 or 2pm, I saw a pair of American Kestrels. As I
drove by I think they were copulating. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27741504 at N08/sets/


Kris

Kris Olson
Menlo Park, CA