Albany Waterfront Trail
Fri, 25 Aug 2000 17:48:00 PDT
From: Roy Carlson
Birded Albany Waterfront Trail (foot of Buchanan St) early this afternoon looking for some of the species mentioned in earlier postings. There were many shorebirds on the mud flats north and east of the trail parking area, close to Hwy 80 - including a Sanderling and four Semipalmated Plovers. Hiked out to the very tip of the peninsula jutting out into the bay - passed some "eclectic" art work on the north side - painted rocks, oversized human figures, wood sculptures, etc - styles varied from neo-Christian to proto-voodoo and bayou pirates. At the narrow breakwater at the very end, there were two Black Oystercatchers on the north side of the breakwater in the elbow of the L-shaped part. Going through the brush here, noted many former (current?) "urban camping sites" - I suggest that women not bird alone here. Coming back along the south side of the peninsula, saw a solo Least Tern and an immature Common Murre in the surf near the beach which parallels the Golden Gate Fields parking lot. It appeared to be very weak. I watched it for 20 minutes, getting pushed closer and closer to the shore. There was no adult around during that period.
Roy Carlson
San Carlos, California
CoCoCo Common Murre, Harlequin Duck, etc
Fri, 25 Aug 2000 21:16:47 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
This morning I made it out to the Richmond Harbor Mouth in Contra Costa County and was there at about 10 AM. So, the light was reasonable. Scoping from here across to Brooks Island I found no Black Skimmer but finally landed my scope on the Harlequin Duck, which was swimming near some pilings and the old boat resting on the beach. I did manage to find one distant Brant but nothing more than that and no Long-tailed Ducks.
From here I drove over to Point Molate. The sign there says visitors are to sign in. That is apparently not so. The guard said I could climb up to the top of the hill and bird from there. I found no bird life on the island with the lighthouse, but the island to the left had plenty of Double-crested Cormorants including one comparatively smaller glossy-backed Pelagic Cormorant.
Next I exited Central Avenue West from Hwy 580 and parked outside the Costco lot and hiked along the paved path that parallels the freeway. Here I found one Least Tern calling in flight. The adult Common Murre was still present resting in the water at the eastern-most portion of the Albany inlet a mere 500 feet north of the Contra Costa/Alameda County line. The one described by Roy Carlson in Alameda County is a separate individual as his was an immature. I found one Sanderling, and about a dozen Red Knots about 20 feet north of the Contra Costa/Alameda County line.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Piper Slough
Sat, 26 Aug 2000 15:19:38 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello all,
This morning I spent about 3.5 hours out at Piper Slough at the north end of Bethel Island Rd. There were no rarities but lots of local interest things. Most notable was a significant movement of Tree Swallows and Willow Flycatchers, as well as a smattering of other migrants. It is always interesting trying to guess whether birds are migrants or local residents, some of my guesses from today are below.
American White Pelican - Three soaring over Webb Tract, which is directly north.
Osprey - One still present on the bare tree to the east.
Sharp-shinned Hawk - One immature. Accipiters are very unusual out there.
Swainson's Hawk - Two light-phase.
Western Kingbird - Two birds flying south over the slough, presumably migrants.
Loggerhead Shrike - Two today. Most of my records there have been from fall and the two today were both young birds, possibly migrants.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Five, three of them making noises diagnostic for Pacific-slopes.
Willow Flycatcher - At least 23, tying the high count for Piper SLough. This is now primetime for this species out there and can't be missed.
Black Phoebe - 10. This is the highest count yet for there and I suspect at least some migrants are involved. Previous higher than normal counts have come from early September so this makes sense.
Common Raven - Total of 14 in three flocks, all heading northwest. This is the second ost I have had out there.
Tree Swallow - Between about 10:30 and noon I counted 1708 Tree Swallows moving west, a very large percentage of them appearing to be juveniles. This total is ridiculous as they were flying by to the north and the south, high and low. There were certainly a lot more than 1708 and who knows how widespread this movement was.
Bank Swallow - One moving west with Tree Swallows. Note that there were hundreds of young Tree Swallows today doing their best to look like Banks but this one called or I would have missed it.
Barn Swallow - Approximately 60 still hanging around the boat slips at the end of the road where they nested but at least 40 moving west with the Tree Swallows.
Cliff Swallow - One moving west with Tree Swallows. Getting on the late side for this early departer.
Orange-crowned Warbler - 4
Yellow Warbler - 5
MacGillivray's Warbler - One
Wilson's Warbler - 6Blue Grosbeak - Adult male, female carrying food into willows where young were heard.
Hooded Oriole - One adult male and at least one begging fledgling, both around the house at the end of the road.
Good luck
Steve Glover
Binoculars
Sun, 27 Aug 2000 11:49:45 -0700
From: Lisa Owens-Viani
Hello, does anyone have a pair of old binoculars they would consider donating to the Urban Creeks Council? We are working on several riparian restoration projects this fall, and in conjunction with those projects, would like to teach some inner-city elementary school kids how to spot and identify birds. Please let me know.
Thank you, Lisa Viani
Lowensvi@earthlink.net
Las Gallinas
Mon, 28 Aug 2000 11:48:09 -0700
From: Sheila Dickie
A late afternoon visit to the ponds at Las Gallinas Sewer Plant in Marin County [north of San Rafael, at east end of Smith Ranch Rd just before the county park] last Saturday was rewarded with a beautiful sunny evening with first fall sightings for me of about 20 Pintails and Northern Shovelers with four Green-winged Teals in the third pond. Also present 5 Wilson's (?) Phalarope, Gadwall, 1 male Northern Harrier, about 21 American White Pelicans fishing, 2 Killdeer in the marsh, l yellowlegs, several stilt, hundreds of Mallards in the second pond sunning themselves, and about 100 Canada Geese doing likewise, all surrounded by thousands and thousands of downy feathers.
I also noticed about 8 California Quail feeding with blackbirds and starling in the rough plot of ground surrounded by chainlink fence to the right as you are approaching the bridge (where the Plant stores stuff).
Cheers!
Sheila Dickie
Berkeley, CA