[EBB Sightings] Band-tailed pigeon and great-horned owls, Coyote Hills RP

I dropped by Coyote Hills Regional Park around 2:30 this afternoon to look for warblers in the trees around the visitor center.   

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red-tailed hawk in an all-out stoop heading for the hillside just north of Hoot Hollow.  Out went the talons and pounce!  The hawk had something, probably one of the young ground squirrels running around, but the prey got away and the hawk stumbled awkwardly after it in the long grass.  I lost sight of the bird, so I climbed up to the Quail Trail to see if it was on the ground now, eating. A second red-tailed flew by to check up on it.  I didn't see the hawks, but I could hear a strong, two-note whistle, ascending on the second note.  The call was repeated and each time answered.  Sounded like raptors, but not red-taileds. To my astonishment, through my binoculars I saw one of the resident great-horned owls on the ground on the hillside in the yellow grass not far from their nesting tree at Hoot Hollow.  The owl called, and an unseen owl answered, over and over.  Of course, the owl swiveled its big head and
 immediately saw me looking at it.  I climbed the stairs up into Hoot Hollow, hoping for a more indirect look at the owl,  and I saw just the flapping wings and shadow of the second owl flying low through the trees to join the first.  The two of them moved farther uphill, out of sight, and continued to call for awhile before falling silent.  

I walked down the little track out of Hoot Hollow to join the Quail Trail again.  At the junction, in a bare tree on the other side of the Quail Trail, was a band-tailed pigeon. I have never seen a band-tailed pigeon here before. I went back to the car for the camera, and when I returned nearly 10 minutes later, the pigeon was still in the same tree.  Photo here:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/IMG_0966.jpg

I walked out the Bayview Trail to the first big patch of fennel and found a Pacific slope flycatcher.  I'd seen one above the butterfly garden last week, too.  Back at the visitor center, I thought I had a yellow warbler in the bushes by the fenced-in path, but it flew before I could confirm.  I had a yellow warbler in my camellias at home last week (north Fremont about half a mile from Alameda Creek). 


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont