[EBB Sightings] Vesper Sparrows at Cesar Chavez Park - Clapper Rail at ArrowheadMarsh - Snow/Ross's Geese seen from Miller-Knox - 11.28.09

While leading a field trip on Saturday for Yolo AS to several East Bay locations, we had up three VESPER SPARROW on the grassy knoll at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley. We watched one individual repeatedly run ?mouse-like? through the short grass, no doubt trying to avoid flying in a 25mph wind. One BURROWING OWL was also present behind the barrier of the protected owl habitat. During the afternoon low tide at Arrowhead Marsh, we were treated to in-the-scope-views of a CLAPPER RAIL  bathing for two minutes in a shallow pool at edge of the marsh near the wooden pier. Shortly thereafter two more Clappers were seen chasing one another about on the exposed mud flats. Up to three males and one female EURASIAN WIGEON were at the Albany Mudflats. Of interest to our group were two small flocks of SNOW GEESE, each with several ROSS?S GEESE, observed from Miller-Knox Park, flying low over the Bay. Interesting because we?d never white geese in five previous years of this annual Thanksgiving weekend field trip.
 
Cheers,
Terry Colborn
Davis, CA
 
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