Mono shorebird volunteers
Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:59:30 -0700
From: Emilie Strauss
Experienced volunteers are needed!
In April (April 22) you can expect to find American Avocets, Eared Grebes, White-faced Ibises, Western and Least Sandpipers, ducks and geese, with the potential to see Snowy Plovers, Dunlins, dowitchers, and much more!! This is a chance to explore remote parts of Mono Lake and count shorebirds, ducks, and other birds. Since 1994, Mono Lake has risen over 10 feet!! Help us monitor birds as changes to lakeshore habitat occur.
Details: Plan on a half to full day of hiking. Weather can be variable in April, from summer-like to winter-like, so be prepared with layered clothing and sun protection. Bring plenty of water and food for a full day in the field. There's a high probability of hiking through some mud or soggy areas. Binoculars are essential. Participants need to have a working knowledge of the common shorebirds. A spotting scope and 4-wheel-drive vehicle would be useful, but not necessary.
Call: Bartshe (bar-shay) at 760.647.6595 at the Mono Lake Committee for more information.
Red Knots
Sat, 15 Apr 2000 21:42:54 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hi EB Birders,
Today on the mudflats just over the train tracks in Rodeo, there was one Red Knot in breeding plumage. I check this area each year for migrating Red Knots, because on 19 April 1997, there were 70 knots in breeding plumage at nearby Pinole Bayfront Park.
I ended my birding early to enjoy "Cal Day" at UC Berkeley. This is the one day of the year when the public can tour the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, which has an extensive bird skins collection. They had on display a mounted California Condor, a Wandering Albatross, and many smaller local birds skins. I asked to see two local races of Song Sparrow side by side, so I could take a look at that larger bill on M. m. maxillaris. I was fortunate to have Carla Cicero show me the bird skin trays. She also showed me Oak and Juniper Titmice side by side, and told me a bit about her research which led to the splitting of these species. Check it out next year.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Hayward Regional Shoreline on 15 April
Sat, 15 Apr 2000 21:39:04 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
Rusty Scalf forwards the following report on the visit of his section of the Albany Adult School birding class to the south end of Hayward Regional Shoreline this morning.
21 students. Drizzle for the first 45 minutes, then it cleared. Tide was high and coming in - we had big overflights of shorebirds going to high-tide roosts. We did get some nice close-in studies of Western and Least Sandpipers, dowitchers, and Dunlin. We also had some "giant amoebas" formed in the sky by huge flocks of Western Sandpiper. No raptors! The counts given here are "seat-of-the-pants" estimates.Clark's Grebe - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Great Egret - 2
Snowy Egret - 8
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1
Canada Goose - 10
Gadwall - 4
American Wigeon - 2 close, scores far away
Mallard - 16 (plus a family of 10 ducklings)
Cinnamon Teal - 1
Northern Shoveler - hundreds, far away
Northern Pintail - 1
Canvasback - 25
Greater Scaup - 20 close, scores far away
Ruddy Duck - 7 (breeding plumage)
American Coot - 4
Black-bellied Plover - 150+, all in flight
Semipalmated Plover - 20 (good looks)
Killdeer - 2
Black-necked Stilt - 40+, and a nest with 2 eggs near Interpretive Center
American Avocet - 50+ (breeding plumage)
Willet - 50
Marbled Godwit - 80 fairly close, hundreds flying by
Ruddy Turnstone - 2
Black Turnstone - 5
Western Sandpiper - 250 close, thousands in flight
Least Sandpiper - 50+
Dunlin - 25+ (breeding plumage)
Long-billed Dowitcher - 6 (identified by call)
dowitcher sp. - 300+ (many in flight)
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 30+ (courtship behavior)
Mourning Dove - 1
Cliff Swallow - 75+
Barn Swallow - 100+ (nesting under Interpretive Center)
Marsh Wren - 7 (a couple well seen)
Savannah Sparrow - 6 seen (many heard)
Song Sparrow - 10 seen (many heard)
White-crowned Sparrow - 1
American Goldfinch - 8
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall.
Winton Avenue - Tropical Kingbird still there
Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:25:49 PDT
From: Bob Lewis
Took my young nephew for his first birding experience this noon, to the West Winton Ave entrance to Hayward Shoreline. The Tropical Kingbird was still there, on the fence near the ranger residence. We walked in along the trail just north of the channel that is north of the residence. The Kingbird was north of the trail. Continuing west on the trail, and then turning north, we watched a Short-eared Owl in flight.
Bob Lewis
Berkeley, CA
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Lawrence's Goldfinch
Sun, 16 Apr 2000 18:16:38 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hi EBBirders,
This afternoon on Mt. Diablo, I saw 9 Lawrence's Goldfinch (5 males, 4 females) between the North Gate entrance and Turtle Rock Ranch. Check for them in the oaks along the road, or foraging in the fiddleneck on the hillside with the Lessers.
There was also a male MacGillivrey's Warbler.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Hayward Regional Shoreline on 16 April
Sun, 16 Apr 2000 19:01:24 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
Bob Lewis forwards the following report on the visit by his section of the Albany Adult School birding class to the southern end of Hayward Regional Shoreline this morning.
8 students. Overcast with periods of sun, but windy. High tide, with large mixed flocks occasionally circling overhead. The Marbled Godwits and Black-bellied Plovers were especially notable. We had to work hard to identify shorebirds in flight, although Western and Least Sandpipers gave us great close-up views.Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Egret - 3
Snowy Egret - 5
Turkey Vulture - 1
Canada Goose - 10
Gadwall - 4
American Wigeon - 2
Mallard - 15
Cinnamon Teal - 2, a pair
Northern Shoveler - 20+
Northern Pintail - 2, flew over several times
Canvasback - 25 in the bay
Greater Scaup - 30 in the bay
Ruddy Duck - 30 in one of the ponds, in breeding plumage
Osprey - 1 seen by a few at the end of the trip
Black-bellied Plover - 100+, in large flocks, most with black bellies
Semipalmated Plover - 1
Killdeer - 2
Black-necked Stilt - 50, one on a nest with 2 eggs
American Avocet - 30
Willet - 30
Marbled Godwit - 300, in great circling flocks
Ruddy Turnstone - 15 on rocks
Black Turnstone - 30 on rocks, really visible only when they flew
Red Knot - 3, in mixed flock, noted by red belly and short bill
Western Sandpiper - 300+
Least Sandpiper - 50, very close
Dunlin - 100, with black bellies, but all in flight
Long-billed Dowitcher - 20+, plus dowitcher sp.
Ring-billed Gull - 4
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 15
American Crow - 1
Cliff Swallow - 20
Barn Swallow - 100+, nesting under Interpretive Center
Marsh Wren - 2+
Savannah Sparrow - 4, with bright yellow lores
Song Sparrow - 8
White-crowned Sparrow - 2
Brown-headed Cowbird - 3
American Goldfinch - 6
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall.