Inspiration Point area
Tue, 9 May 2000 17:15:38 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hello E.B. Birders,
Dorthy Furseth and I birded the area around Inspiration Point and the Nimitz trail [in Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley Hills] from 8:30 - 10:00 this morning. Some of the highlights included a pair of Lawrence's Goldfinch calling from a leafless tree on the north side of the road. This tree was close to the trail, within 0.25 mile of the parking lot. There was also a male MacGillivray's Warbler in the pine grove farther along the trail. I saw one in this exact spot last year, too. Does anyone know if this is a nesting bird?
In the pine grove directly across Wildcat Canyon Rd from the parking lot entrance, there was a silent Pygmy Nuthatch perched atop a broken trunk. This, or a similar bird, was in the exact same spot, and silent, on my 29 April bird-a-thon. Maybe a nest nearby? There was a Great Horned Owl perched overhead, too.
Other birds included:
White-throated Swift - close and at eye level, flying with Violet-green Swallows
Nuttall's Woodpeckers - pair at a nest hole
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Townsend's Warbler - singing
Purple Finch
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Masked Lovebirds once again in Livermore (Alameda
County)
Tue, 09 May 2000 18:58:35 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
For the fourth season in a row Masked Lovebirds (Agapornis personata, native to Tanzania) have shown up on my street here in Livermore, Alameda County. At 4:15 PM, while I was sorting out the recyclables for tomorrow's pickup, I first heard and then saw four Masked Lovebirds flying around the house across the street.
The most I have seen at one time in one flock were 10 birds in 1997. The birds seem to disappear in the fall and reappear in mid-spring. Masked Lovebirds never seem to be able to handle California's damp cold winters and likely die out and are then replaced by the next "escape" or "release." I have never been able to determine where the birds are coming from. If someone is enjoying releasing these beauties, there is a certain cost. A pet shop in the area sells them for $69 each.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Re: Inspiration Point area
Wed, 10 May 2000 09:28:51 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Denise Wight wrote:
Dorthy Furseth and I birded the area around Inspiration Point and the Nimitz trail from 8:30 - 10:00 this morning. Some of the highlights included a pair of Lawrence's Goldfinch calling from a leafless tree on the north side of the road. This tree was close to the trail, within 0.25 mile of the parking lot.
Is this the trail that runs north from Inspiration Point? Lawrence's Goldfinches have been confirmed in that block but the block line runs east to west just south of the parking lot somewhere. If these Lawrence's Goldfinch were south of the lot then we need to figure out which block they were in.
There was also a male MacGillivray's Warbler in the pine grove farther along the trail. I saw one in this exact spot last year, too. Does anyone know if this is a nesting bird?
I can't say whether or not this specific bird is nesting but they definitely do nest at Inspiration Point, and we have not yet managed to confirm them in either block, although I'm sure we will. If anyone goes out there and sees any evidence of nesting Macs please let me know.
As usual, we would be interested in hearing about nests of any species in Contra Costa County.
To see the atlas maps of either of these two species go to Joel Herr's website at
http://www.flyingemu.com/ccosta/
The map of Lawrence's Goldfinch is particularly interesting as we have more confirmations from the watershed areas in the Berkeley Hills than we do in the more arid parts of the Diablo Range where we would expect them.
Steve Glover
Dublin, CA
Original Message Subject Index
Little Blue Heron
Wed, 10 May 2000 17:36:34 PDT
From: Peter Dramer
This afternoon the Hayward area Field Technician for Mosquito Abatement reported, with fair certainty, that he had seen a Little Blue Heron. While he is not a birder, he spends his days visiting every wet spot in the Hayward area and was quite certain that it was neither a Great Blue Heron nor a Black-crowned Night-Heron. From a book he identified Little Blue.
The location is not particularly convenient. The west side of Skywest Golf Course ends at a chain link fence which separates the course from the railroad tracks. Between the fence and the railroad is a small wet area. The heron flew from that wet area up into a eucalyptus tree. There is another moist to wet channel on the other side ot the tracks.
The only access to this area would be to walk north along the tracks from West Winton Ave or south along the tracks from Grant Ave. Keep in mind that the railroad might not approve.
The tropical kingbird was seen today, at 3050 West Winton Ave, carrying nest material. It carried a beakful of dried grasses to a perch and proceeded to beat the grass to dust. It then resumed flycatching. Sounds like a frustrated nester.
Peter
Briones Regional Park
Wed, 10 May 2000 21:15:50 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
A small group joined Willie (Anna Wilcox) this morning at the Bear Creek Rd entrance to Briones Regional Park (near Orinda) for a Golden Gate Audubon Society birdwalk. It was cool, windy, and mostly overcast, and we didn't see or hear too much bird activity, though we did end up with a respectable species list.
The fire road to the Archery Range is still blocked by a washout, with no sign of any impending repairs. People do go through here routinely, despite the signs. We walked down to the washout, on the way checking the location across the valley where there has been an active Red-tailed Hawk nest for the past few years. With scopes, we could see no signs that the nest is being used this year.
We then made our way back to the parking lot closest to the entrance kiosk and went a short distance on the Abrigo Valley Trail. Except for a Lazuli Bunting singing in the low growth near the parking lot, and a Warbling Vireo singing in the trees in the parking lot, there was so little activity and the breeze was so chilly that we ended the walk a little early. We did hear a Cassin's Vireo near the picnic tables just northeast of the parking lot.
Here's what I caught of the group's observations:
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Band-tailed Pigeon
Anna's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Nuttall's Woodpecker - heard only
Olive-sided Flycatcher - posed on perch, silent
Pacific-slope Flycatcher - heard only
Black Phoebe
Cassin's Vireo - heard only
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay - heard only (I saw one on the way out of the park)
American Crow
Tree Swallow - I saw this on the way out of the park
Barn Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse - heard only
Bushtit - active nest along fireroad above washout
Western Bluebird - seen by some along Bear Creek Rd before walk
American Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler - heard only
Wilson's Warbler - heard only
Spotted Towhee - heard only
California Towhee
Song Sparrow - heard only
Dark-eyed Junco
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird - only one seen at a distance
Driving up the hill toward Inspiration Point, I stopped to watch a Red-tailed Hawk doing a lot of kiting above the slope, its tail bright red-brown in the sun that was breaking through. I saw an Orange-crowned Warbler by the road, heard a number of Olive-sided Flycatchers (I think they say "I knowwww that!" like a whiny kid), and heard a lot of other calls in the woods up the hill. This was around noon. Also, a coyote ran across Bear Creek Rd in front of me. (Keep those kitties indoors!)
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Fwd: News from Richard Mix
Wed, 10 May 2000 21:21:26 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I received a note from Richard Mix, whose old e-mail account was unexpectedly interrupted. He is resubscribing, but sent along some news that I'll forward to the group:
Not too much to report since we were burgled and lost both glasses about the same time; but I found a very tame Green Heron at the [Berkeley] Aquatic Park this Sunday and Ann managed to see an Orange-crowned warbler in Wildcat Canyon last month. On Easter we went to Mitchell Canyon [near Clayton] and besides the parking lot full of Siskins, Lark sparrows and Bluebirds, we heard and glimpsed two vireo sp. and Western Tanager on the trail. We also heard Orange-crowned Warblers and saw a female goldfinch with a fleshy bill, but decided it was more likely a trick of the sunlight than a Lawrence's Goldfinch.Oh, looking in the archive at threads we have missed, I should mention a bright fox-red swift in Wildcat Canyon (a close pass showed it had teeth). :-)
Richard Mix, El Cerrito
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall