[EBB Sightings] Rare Ducks continue at Lake Merritt & Peralta Pk.

I'm forwarding this from Alice Hoch:


Today (1/5) my birding class saw the male Ring-necked Duck, Male Tufted Duck (teeny tuft), & female Redhead at Lake Merritt near the Rotary Nature Center.  There were lots of Barrow's & Common Goldeneyes at Peralta Pk.  The hybrid Barrow's Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser was also at Peralta Pk.  Other birds of interest at Lake Merritt were: a pr. of Clark's Grebes that were vocalizing and doing courtship displays; an adult Red-Shouldered Hawk, 1 Forster's Tern, 1 Brown Pelican, &  a male Belted Kingfisher.  In the area near the duck pond we saw : Bewick's Wren &  Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Yesterday (when I scouted) I saw the same rare birds (& most of the more common birds) in the same places, except that the hybrid duck/merganser was across 10th St., in the channel at Laney College.  There were also Cedar Waxwings in the Laney College channel area.  Yesterday I saw a Green Heron on the long island not  far from the Nature Center.

Peralta Pk. is in Oakland, on 10th St., next to the (Kaiser) Convention Center.  You can park in the lot behind it.

Alice Hoch