[EBB Sightings] Palm Warbler etc....

Greetings all,

    I made a trip to Oakland this morning to look for the Palm Warbler, and 
found it in the pine trees directly behind KTVU's building, which is North 
along the walkway from the flagpole near D'Anna Yacht Sales.  Interesting to 
me was the fact that a Cooper's Hawk flew into that same tree as I was 
looking for the birds which flittering among the limbs.  The Cooper's Hawk 
saw my movement as I tried to get a better view of it, and flushed out 
heading North along the waterfront walking path.  A few minutes later the 
Palm Warbler landed in the top of the same pine tree, right out in the open 
for some wonderful views.  Again he chased  Yellow-rumped Warblers out of 
his tree.  Eventually the Palm Warbler landed on the ground and bounded 
about pecking and eating for quite awhile, until some bike riders came by 
and flushed him away.  This occurred around 9:30AM.

    I also found a Wandering Tattler among the rocks at the waters edge 
opposite the green grass field South of the flagpole area.  I was able to 
get within about 40 feet or so of the WT before he would move away.  It was 
a very pleasant surprise to see him bobbing about as he seemed to feed at 
the waters edge.

Sightings included:
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Brown Pelican
Numerous Gulls
Cooper's hawk
Golden-crowned Sparrows
White-crowned Sparrows
Yellow-rumped Warblers;   Audubon and Myrtle's
Anna's Hummingbirds

    I then headed towards the Berkeley area along the waterfront, where the 
beautiful, calm, warm morning brought forth some more birds.  I met John 
Brenneman there and he pointed out the Surfbirds to me.

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Clark's Grebe
Pied-billed Grebes
Western Grebe
Horned Grebe
Scaups
Surf Scoter
Black Oystercatcher
Numerous Gulls
Willets
Black Bellied Plovers
Surfbirds
Black Turnstones
Least Sandpipers
Western Sandpipers

    And finally near the racetrack at the Albany Bulb area, where there were 
hundreds of Avocets and some Long-billed Curlews digging in the exposed 
mudflats.  A few American Wigeons, a few Northern Shovelers, and some 
Mallards were in the water channel preening about also.

Best Birding,
Paul Brenner
Martinez