[EBB Sightings] Leona Canyon, 9 May 2009

A good time was had by all at Michael Charnofsky's EBRPD "Birding By Ear" walk in Leona Canyon on Saturday, May 9, 2009.

Highlights were closeups of singing Wilson's Warbler and Black-headed Grosbeak, plus a Selasphorus hummer that actually stayed close enough and still enough to be positively identified as an Allen's (adult male, lots of rufous, but green cap).

Here's the list:

Mallards
Turkey Vultures
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Doves
Anna's Hummingbird (still singing and doing courtship flights in May!!!)
Allen's Hummingbird
Woodpecker sp. (probably Downy)
Pacific-sloper Flycatcher (heard only)
Violet-green Swallows
Steller's Jays (including famous Red-tail imitation)
Western Scrub-jays
Common Ravens
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
(probably Titmouse calling)
Bewick's Wren (heard only)
American Robins
Wrentits
Warbling Vireos
Wilson's Warblers
Black-headed Grosbeaks all up and down the Canyon
Spotted Towhees
California Towhee
Song Sparrows
Goldfinch sp.

and a mystery call or song which might or might not have been an Orange-crowned Warbler. I still don't have that one down, and neither did anyone else on the walk.

Plus many butterflies, esp. Lorquin's Admirals, Sara Orange-tips, Swallowtails and Checkerspot sp.

Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve is in the middle of Oakland, but hard to find, probably because deals had to be made with the NIMBY/real estate complex. There are no signs pointing you to it. There is an entrance from the parking lots at Merritt College (pay lots, closed on Sunday) and a hidden one inside a condo complex off Keller Ave. You take Keller to Campus Drive (the road which leads to Merritt), go northwest about a block to Canyon Oaks Drive. Make a right turn into the driveway. You'll see a sign saying "Private Property, Keep Out" or words to that effect. Ignore it. Make a left and go a short distance to the EBRPD parking lot at the trailhead to Leona Canyon, which overlooks a pond with reeds and ducks. There's a portapotty there which is the sole facility for the area, but since this is fancy residential, it's a fancy portapotty, complete with handwashing fountain.

The Leona Canyon trail is about a mile long, running through varied habitats up from Canyon Oaks Drive to the top of the canyon at Merritt. Lots of oak, bay, madrone, grassland, willows, coastal scrub, etc. Lots of extraordinarily well-behave dogs. Very pretty. There's a marked segment with Native American uses of plants up toward the top at the Merritt College end, with brochures available at both ends.

Tom Condit