[EBB Sightings] Shoreline Drive, Alameda shorebirds

Today I birded the beach near Shoreline Dr, across from Alameda Towne Center 
and AMF Bowling between 1:00 and 2:00 PM. The mudflats were exposed all the 
way across to San Leandro Marina, and they were full of shorebirds. Most of 
the birds were foraging relatively far out on the mudflats, but still close 
enough to be identified. There were also numerous ducks on the water, most 
too far out to be identified, but flocks of scaup stayed closer in, even 
joining the shorebirds on the mud. The marshy/grassy areas produced 
surprisingly few songbirds. Species seen were:

Surf Scoter - numerous; far out on the water.
Ruddy Duck - several
Greater Scaup - 1 identified; probably more
Lesser Scaup - numerous.
Snowy Egreat - 5.
American Coot - several.
Glaucous-winged Gull - 1.
possible Thayer's Gull - 1.
Western Gull - 3.
Mew Gull - numerous.
Ring-billed Gull - numerous.
Black-bellied Plover - numerous.
Semipalmated Plover - 20.
Dowitcher sp. - 1.
Willet - 15.
Marbled Godwit - numerous.
Dunlin - numerous.
Least Sandpiper - numerous.
Western Sandpiper - numerous.
Sanderling - 1.
City Pigeon - 30; on the sand in one flock
Western Meadowlark - 1.
Song Sparrow - 3.
Common Yellowthroat - 4.


Noah Arthur

Oakland