[EBB Sightings] Summer Camp Birds - June 15-26

All:

I am posting this message for Brian Fitch who has difficulty posting on 
this site.  If you have questions or comments, please send them directly 
to Brian at:  fogeggs at aol.com

Kay Loughman
Berkeley
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School's out, and the young birders and myself have been out for two 
quiet (birdwise) weeks already.  On the 15th we found a Yellow Warbler 
singing by the Jewel Lake bathroom, but we couldn't refind it this week. 
  The 16th at Albany turned up Heermann's Gull and Common Murre, both 
much earlier than usual in our experience, and several more murres were 
seen this week, none looking healthy.  A young/female Hooded Oriole was 
at Cesar Chavez Park on the 18th.

On the 22nd, we saw a White-breasted Nuthatch in the huge pine north of 
Wildcat Peak, and five Grasshopper Sparrows were calling and singing 
just north of the Tilden-Wildcat boundary along the Conlan Trail.  An 
overdue first for us was provided by three Eurasian Collared-Doves over 
the Albany Bulb on the 23rd, flying toward the Golden Gate but swerving 
back toward the south and out of sight.  And today, the 26th, an 
American Kestrel was over the maintenance yard between Grizzly and 
Vollmer Peaks.

At least one Sharp-shinned Hawk has been seen both weeks in the steam 
trains area of Tilden, Olive-sided Flycatchers were heard or seen along 
the Seaview Trail and near the Nature Center in Tilden, and 
MacGillivray's Warbler has been seen and heard along Seaview on the 
north flank of Vollmer.  Numerous Clark's Grebes have been on the Bay in 
both Albany and Berkeley, while ducks except Mallard have been absent 
thus far.  We've never in thirteen years missed seeing some non-Mallard 
over-summering duck species on the Bay.  Green Herons have also been 
unusually well represented, with multiple sightings at both waterfront 
sites.

Brian Fitch & Crew