Lake Merritt Tufted Duck
Sat, 17 Mar 2001 09:31:40 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Saturday, March 17th, about 9:00 AM, I refound the female Tufted Duck in the lobe of Lake Merritt in Oakland which stretches around the corner from the islands in the nature preserve area to the ??East?? - the Grand Lake Theater side, in any event.
It still has a nubbin of tufts at the back of head, and is still sleeping. (In fact, I have seen relatively few signs that this birds is not hibernating all winter.)
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland, Ca
Swallows at Arrowhead Marsh
Sat, 17 Mar 2001 17:08:20 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
I saw my first Cliff Swallows of the season this morning, flying over the freshwater ponds at Mitigation Marsh, Arrowhead Marsh area, Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland (Alameda County). They were coming in from their nesting sites in the eaves of buildings at North Field airfield. Other than that, good looks at Clapper Rails, lots of Black Turnstones, and a birder from Hampshire, England, but she was the only rarity!
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
Red-necked Grebe, Alameda County
Sat, 17 Mar 2001 19:27:13 -0800
From: John Luther
Today, March 17, there was a Red-necked Grebe (with a red neck!!) in Alameda. It was at Alameda Point north of the USS Hornet in the waters of what will some day be the Alameda National Wildlife Refuge.
John Luther
Spring yard birds in Livermore
Sun, 18 Mar 2001 17:00:38 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East Bay Birders:
Livermore yardbirds of note today, 18 March 2001:
1) two fly-over Tree Swallows
2) one male Rufous Hummingbird checking out the eucalyptus trees
3) a pair of Bushtits...actually the pair has been around for at least three weeks hanging around the bush outside the kitchen window and tapping on the glass. I haven't yet discovered the nest. They sure are interesting in close view.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County
Oakland-area birding notes
Sun, 18 Mar 2001 22:50:22 PST
From: Anthony Fisher
Saturday, Redwood Regional Park, Oakland Hills (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties): 5 singing Orange-crowned Warblers sprinkled about the park. I visit once a week and these are the first I've heard this season. Also, a (the?) Piliated Woodpecker flew across the canyon from around the area where it has often been reported (Westridge/Skyline/Moon gate area) over to the Eastridge X Canyon Trail area. This occurred shortly after 6 AM. About the same time the previous week, a Cooper's Hawk was performing that beautiful, goofy display flight over the canyon, briefly landing in a madrone on the west side.
Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland: Last week, Red-shouldered Hawks were seen mating in the eucalyptus above the middle pond. As soon as the intimacies were concluded, the male immediately began telling all. An adult Cooper's Hawk in possession of an unidentifiable bloody songbird carcass and the regular Merlin were also seen.
Children's Fairyland, Lake Merritt: A pair of Downy Woodpeckers were harassing a Nuttall's Woodpecker, swooping and trilling. I didn't see how it started or how it turned out, but it was pretty intense. Later, the Downies were seen fornicating in a tree inside the Children's Fairyland grounds. Imagine! My kid hated it there and as I looked around objectively, I could see how all the pop-eyed little cartoon statues, talking puppets and tinny music blaring from the trees might add up to one bad trip for a little kid who hasn't been exposed to much "entertainment."
Ant
Birding near dairies
Sun, 18 Mar 2001 23:12:23 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Some birders have suggested passing along a reminder that the current danger of hoof and mouth disease creates a very strong reason for dairies and other cattle ranches to be very reluctant to allow people near their animals or grazing lands. In Europe, entire herds are being destroyed simply because one infected animal was found in the area. Similar conditions could go into effect here almost immediately if any infected animal is found in this country.
Therefore, please be cautious about birding in the vicinity of dairies or going into any pastures or grazing lands without explicit permission. And please be understanding if someone rather harshly orders you off their land - they are fearing the possible loss of their entire business.
In particular, I've been asked to pass along the following message for East Bay birders who might be heading to Monterey County:
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 17:32:45 -0800
Sender: National Birding Hotline Cooperative (West)
From: Bill Hill
Subject: [BIRDWEST] Moon Glow DairyPlease excuse the variance from the usual Birdbox report for a very important message to birders
Effective immediately, Mr. Louis Calcagno, owner operator of Moon Glow Dairy in Moss Landing, California, has asked me to post that he is suspending all access to visitors ... including birders, for the next 60 to 90 days in an effort to curtail the potential spread of Hoof-and-Mouth Disease to his livestock.
To quote Mr. Calcagno. "It's a bad situation. If one animal becomes diseased all will have to be destroyed wiping out a lifetime of work. The virus can be transmitted on clothing or sustained in the nasal cavity of humans for up to 48 hours. This disease effects all split hoofed animals and can easily spread to or from wildlife." To learn more about this disease, go to
For those people or organizations with web sites mentioning Moon Glow Dairy, to please make reference about this moratorium.
Please join in and honor Mr. Calcagno's request putting fellow birders on notice. Mr. Calcagno, a long time friend of the birding community, will again allow access once the spread of Hoof-and-Mouth Disease has been suppressed. Please, do not take any liberties.
Bill Hill
You might also be interested in an article that appeared recently in the San Jose Mercury News:
This article suggests that it might become necessary to send out snipers to shoot any deer appearing infected if an outbreak of the disease does occur in California.
And finally a note that Orange-crowned Warblers and Wilson's Warblers are back in good numbers in Tilden and Wildcat Regional Parks. I think I heard Warbling Vireo as well, though I'm not as certain of that. This morning, a California Thrush was singing (dare I say "lustily"?) in Tilden Regional Park on the east side of Vollmer Peak, near the spot where the unpaved Seaview Trail leaves the road to the summit.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA