[EBB Sightings] Alameda Creek, Livermore burrowing owls

Rich Cimino and I searched the Alameda Creek flood control channel, from the
lower Niles Staging Area to Isherwood Bridge for the Little Blue Heron on
Wednesday afternoon, to no avail. We did find plenty of other herons and
egrets, including GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, GREEN HERON,
and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. Also of interest were 10 GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.
 
Yesterday morning we located a pair of ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS in the oak
woodlands right along Mendenhall Road, just past where it turns off from Del
Valle Road on the way into Del Valle Reservoir. We suspect they were
breeding here.
 
During a tour of Springtown Preserve yesterday, two WESTERN BURROWING OWLS
were seen at burrows on the Livermore property at the Springtown Preserve,
including a juvenile. Pairs of both WESTERN KINGBIRDS and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES
were foraging in these fields also.
 
The City of Livermore has done little to protect the preserve or educate the
public about the sensitive species at the preserve. Illegal and damaging
bike trails have been dug and built right through endangered plant habitat
on the preserve and bike activity has chased nesting burrowing owls out of
portions of the preserve.
 
- Jeff Miller
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