Saturday - Mines Road, etc
15 May 2000 15:45:11 -0700
From: Les Chibana
[Sorry for any duplicates that you may receive from my cross-posting.]
I took another group from my birding class on the Mines Road route, starting in Alameda County at the Murietta Wells Winery, continuing down Mines Rd into Santa Clara County past the San Antonio Junction about 3 to 4 miles, then back to the Junction and east into Stanislaus County.
ALAMEDA COUNTY
Best bird of the day was a Brewer's Sparrow at the house just south of the bridge between mileposts [MP] 4.7 and 4.8. This small sparrow with an unstreaked breast flew in to the fench at roadside and paused for about 15 to 25 seconds. The forecrown showed fine, dark streaking across the width of the crown (no median crown stripe). The facial pattern was reminiscent of a Savannah Sparrow but not as contrasting in markings and lacking any yellow in the lores. The bill was pinkish-yellow. I did not see the back or the face in profile. There was a slight impression of a light collar on the side of the neck. The bird was last seen flying back toward the rear of the house in the direction of the creek. I welcome any questions on this bird and suggestions of possible alternatives.
[My apologies to the county listers for not getting the word out sooner on this bird. I understand that it's casual in the fall and not expected in spring in the area.]
Also seen in a sycamore above this house was a pair of Phainopepla apparently going to a nest, a Western Kingbird near its nest, and House Finches at yet another nest.
We started at the Murietta Wells Winery, where the dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk stood watch over its nestlings. The activity at the nest boxes were not in evidence as on the previous weekend (American Kestrel and Wood Ducks).
From the road between the Del Valle Park turnoff and a mile south, we found another probable Red-tailed Hawk nest in a eucalyptus high over the road. Red-shouldered Hawks were active here and one was chased off by a Red-tailed.
Near MP 5.5, just north of the sharp turn with the abundant sticky monkey flowers, we had one Lazuli Bunting, a Rock Wren high upslope, and excellent views of several singing Rufous-crowned Sparrows just below the road.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
On San Antonio Valley Rd, at the cattle guard north of the firestation, we saw two Sage Sparrows but many more were heard singing. This was a bit after noon, it was warm and the sun had begun to burn past the overcast. At the firestation and the Junction, we had many good views of Lawrence's Goldfinches coming to fiddleneck. Coming to nesting cavities in the oak moth larva-laden trees at the Junction were European Starling, Western Bluebird, and possibly Violet-green Swallow.
0.25 mile south of the Junction on San Antonio Valley Rd. just north of a gated driveway was a pair of Lewis' Woodpeckers coming to a nest. This is the same pair we saw a week ago. 3.5 miles south of the Junction, about 100 yards south of the YL Ranch entrance, we saw another 4 Lewis' Woodpeckers.
STANISLAUS COUNTY
At MP 10.4 on Del Puerto Canyon Rd, the creek snakes and there is a wide turnout on the south side. Here we found the male Costa's Hummingbird far across the creek. A Canyon Wren was singing and hanging out on the steep cut on the north side of the road above the bridge. We watched two Common Ravens at the nest above the turnout.
At MP 3.3 just east of the graffiti-ed rocks, we once again located the trusty male Costa's Hummingbird for a close-up view.
Approximately 2.5 miles west of Hwy I-5, we found a Rock Wren on a steep slope north of the road.
At first cattle guard west of I-5, there were 2 Burrowing Owls on the fence on the south side of the road.
0.25 mile west of I-5, there were many active Tricolored Blackbirds and one flyby Blue Grosbeak.
Overall, this weekend, the Western Kingbirds seemed the most plentiful species with Bullock's Oriole in close second.
Les Chibana, Palo Alto, CA
Avocet chicks at Mitigation Marsh
Mon, 15 May 2000 17:22:17 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
On Monday afternoon, I saw my first American Avocet chicks of the season on freshwater pond 2 (the middle one) in Mitigation Marsh at Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline in Oakland. I suspest there were more that I did not see, since I did see 11 adult avocets mob a Turkey Vulture that was cruising by.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
McNabney Marsh Grackles, Contra Costa County
Mon, 15 May 2000 19:37:41 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
This afternoon I headed out to McNabney Marsh to check on the reported pair of Great-tailed Grackles. I parked in the small dirt lot Steve Glover described 0.4 mile east of the Marina Vista exit from Hwy I-680. When I got there, winds were a little high, and the most vocal species was Marsh Wren. I walked along the road to the west and then headed back toward my car. Here both the male and female grackles showed up on the ground right next to my car. They seemed to be checking out the small pieces of green plastic scattered over the ground. The pair then headed over to the large pipes at the north side of the road. At no time did I see the birds collecting any nesting material. Sometimes the female would follow the male around, then the male would follow the female around. Last year I confirmed the Great-tailed Grackles nesting at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Alameda County on 11 May 1999 where the female would be collecting nesting material followed constantly by the male wherever she went. I noticed nothing like that today while watching the pair for some 20 minutes, but I did watch where they seemed to disappear into the reeds: At the first curve on Waterbird Way there are four yellow arrow signs (two for the west-bound traffic; two for the east-bound traffic. Looking out over the marsh from between the westbound pair and east-bound pair of signs, you will notice an island group of reeds. Here is where the pair seemed to disappear.
Earlier I was wondering why the Marsh is now referred to as McNabney Marsh and no longer Shell Marsh (anyway there is no sign with either name). Here is what Steve Glover says in his "Guide to Finding Birds in Contra Costa County" found on Joe Morlan's Contra Costa County Page (I take it May 1 was May 1, 1999, correct?):
McNabney Marsh and the Mt. View Sanitary District are adjacent to I-680 just before the Benecia Bridge. Note that most know the marsh by the name Shell but a movement has started to rename it after Al McNabney. Al worked passionately for over 20 years to protect places such as the marsh before passing away on May 1. Besides, why name the marsh after the company that nearly killed it?
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
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Re: McNabney Marsh
Mon, 15 May 2000 21:02:47 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Mike and all,
McNabney Marsh, as mentioned in yesterday's post about the grackles, is indeed what was formerly know as Shell Marsh. We have locally begun to call it McNabney Marsh (although I have no idea if this is at all official, I am not sure if Shell ever was either). It seemed to make more sense to name it after a man who worked tirelessly to save it rather than the company that nearly killed it.
This is the marsh on your right just before you reach the Benicia Bridge [heading north on Hwy 680].
Steve Glover
Dublin, CA
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Re: McNabney Marsh
Mon, 15 May 2000 21:25:13 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
This marsh is jointly managed by the Mountain View Sanitary District, East Bay Regional Park District, Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District, and California Dept of Fish and Game. It is now "officially" known as McNabney Marsh. See
http://www.mvsd.org/mrsh.html
I'm almost certain that I recently read about a plan to use mitigation funds from a recent oil spill into the marsh to improve habitat and create some bird-watching trails through the marsh, with the place becoming a Regional Park.
The website linked above describes recent improvements in tidal circulation that are expected to improve habitat conditions in the marsh significantly within the next few years.
Had a new yard bird today - a Swainson's Thrush poking about under the bushes.
Within the past week or so, I've seen Western Tanagers in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park near the foot of Rifle Range Road and in the staging area parking lot at Alvarado Park.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
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