Great-tailed Grackles at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation
Area
Fri, 28 Apr 2000 18:56:38 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders, County Listers:
Late this afternoon on the way home from work I stopped off at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area off of Stanley Boulevard between Livermore and Pleasanton in Alameda County.
Best find there was a pair of Great-tailed Grackles. Some may recall a pair were first reported from there last year on May 10, 1999. They were beginning nest building when I observed them there on the following day, May 11, 1999.
Today the pair was on the lawn in the Marina View Picnic Area directly opposite the reeds where they had nested last year.
Directions are as follows:
Enter the park and park after paying the entrance fee: $4 on week-days, $5 on week-ends. You can avoid the fee if you park outside the park at the side of the road (eastbound direction) just west of the entrance, and walk in.
Walk southbound past the boat rental office. Just past here are the reeds where the pair had nested last year and the Marina View Picnic Area where I found the pair today.
Nearest cross-street in Pleasanton is Stanley Blvd & Valley Ave/Bernal Ave. Nearest cross-street in Livermore is Stanley Blvd & Murrieta Blvd.
Good birding...
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Least Terns
Sat, 29 Apr 2000 17:27:59 PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
The first Least Terns of the season appeared this 10 AM at the Alameda colony site where we were weeding. Found that Horned Larks nest there also, tho the nest that held an egg last week was abandoned today.
Mark Rauzon
Lawrence's Goldfinch in Pinole
Sun, 30 Apr 2000 14:52:54 -0700
From: Lillian Fujii
Today while surveying for the Contra Costa County Breeding Bird Atlas in the Pinole area, Steve Hayashi and I found a Lawrence's Goldfinch. It was also the birdiest day we that we can remember enjoying in the East Bay.
Lillian Fujii