Migrant Wilson's Warblers
Sun, 27 May 2001 19:40:32 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
Dear EBB'ers,
This morning I was atlasing in Richmond, covering a good-size stand of willow that for three years has never had Wilson's Warblers. This morning there were two singing birds. (This is next to the YMCA off Richmond Pkwy, right next to Garrity Lake). Is anyone out there still seeing migrant Wilson's Warblers?
Also worthy of note: Nuttali White-crowned Sparrows do seem capable of some expansion. They are singing, apparently on territory, on a hillside in the same general area and were definitely not there for three previous seasons. I believe that Steve Hayashi and Lillian Fujii have had them just to the south at Hilltop Mall. Nice to know that they're not all succumbing to cowbirds.
Any opinions about the status of Wilson's Warblers on May 27 would be appreciated.
Rusty Scalf
Re: Lazuli Buntings
Mon, 28 May 2001 21:27:52 -0700
From: Tom Condit
There were singing Lazuli Buntings at Mitchell Canyon [south of Clayton, in Mt Diablo State Park] yesterday (Sunday). Full list tomorrow.
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Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile at Sunol
Tue, 29 May 2001 00:20:03 -0700
From: Mary
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk (still fuzzy) in the nest in a sycamore immediately east of the footbridge near the Visitors' Center at Sunol Regional Wilderness this morning, with a parent visiting off and on.
(Also one Bullocks Oriole in the streamside willows, and several Acorn Woodpeckers, well documented, with a nesting hole and granary in the sycamores.)
Mary
Shadow Cliffs
Tue, 29 May 2001 01:36:04 PDT
From: Kathy Robertson
Hello East Bay Birders,
I birded Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area east of Pleasanton [on Stanley Blvd] in the late afternoon/early evening on Saturday, May 26. This is a wonderful spot that I think many people don't know about. I had 49 species in a leisurely 4-hour walk (4 to 8 PM). I spent most of the first hour at the heronry, where I counted at least a dozen Great Blue Heron nests, at least 10 Great Egret nests, and one Double-crested Cormorant nest. A good number of the Great Blue Heron "chicks" are nearly the size of their parents, the Double-crested Cormorants have a large chick in the nest, and most of the Great Egrets appear to still be incubating/brooding. The resident Osprey was perched on his regular branch, eating a fish, on the left (east) side of the island. There was also a Canada Goose on a nest on the island.
The main recreational attractions at Shadow Cliffs (for the non-birding public) are the boating, swimming, fishing, and water slides at the main lake. While a good number of species can be found there in the lawn/lake area (especially on weekdays), the best birding is on the other side of the levee that borders the parking lots. There is a wonderful riparian area, actually a chain of lakes and ponds. Birding from the levee itself is quite good also, because you can look into the upper levels of the trees without craning your neck. The heronry island is viewable from the east end of the levee.
In addition to the nesting birds on the island, I located a Red-shouldered Hawk nest with three chicks, also visible from the levee trail. Other highlights were a singing California Thrasher, and Bullock's Orioles and Tree Swallows feeding young in nests.
My species list, roughly in the order seen:
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Brewer's Blackbird
Bushtit
Great Blue Heron
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Song Sparrow
gull sp.
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Forster's Tern
American Crow
Lesser Goldfinch
Osprey
Tree Swallow
American Coot
Mallard
House Finch
Red-winged Blackbird
Oak Titmouse
House Finch
Mourning Dove
Spotted Towhee
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Scrub-Jay
American Goldfinch
Clark's Grebe
Rock Dove
Bullock's Oriole
Black-headed Grosbeak
American Robin (nest)
Barn Swallow
Bewick's Wren
Red-shouldered Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
California Towhee
California Thrasher
Eurasian Starling
Black Phoebe
White-breasted Nuthatch
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Common Moorhen
California Quail
Anna's Hummingbird
Steller's Jay
(Other species I have seen in previous visits and/or different seasons include (off the top of my head and in no particular order): White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Gadwall, Surf Scoter(!), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, Wrentit, Western Bluebird, Northern Harrier, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Flicker, Northern Mockingbird, Marsh Wren, Western Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Bonaparte's Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer.
I should also note that Steve Glover reported (possible?) nesting of Great-tailed Grackles at the main lake last spring. Although I looked several times, I was never able to find the birds myself. Steve, can you give us an update?)
Good birding,
Kathy Robertson
Hayward, CA
Purple Finch female singing?
Tue, 29 May 2001 07:32:52 -0700
From: Kay Loughman
EBBirders:
For the last week or so I've had a Purple Finch singing from the top of one of my feeders. An apparent female! Is this typical or is someone having an identity crisis? If so, who (me or the bird)? I don't have a lot of experience with this species, so I've checked several ID guides.
Only Stokes gives a clue: "Imm. male and female like adult female. Male may sing and breed in this plumage. Imm. plumage kept 1 year." If true, that would suggest my bird could be an immature male. Likely? Comments appreciated.
Kay Loughman
Berkeley
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Re: Purple Finch female singing?
Tue, 29 May 2001 08:46:57 PDT
From: Rusty Scalf
Kay,
Female song is a known phenomenon among the Carpodacus finches. Cassin's Finch females likewise sing. It is a shortened version of the male song.
Rusty
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Re: Purple Finch female singing?
Tue, 29 May 2001 08:55:50 PDT
From: Phil Gordon
Greetings Kay,
You wrote:
For the last week or so I've had a Purple Finch singing from the top of one of my feeders. An apparent female! Is this typical or is someone having an identity crisis?
We had an immature male Purple Finch singing at Cull Canyon Regional Park, Castro Valley, Alameda County, 12 May 2001, for my Acalanes Bird Class. He later was feeding on the ground beside a female, who was gathering nesting material, which she later carried up into a Blue Gum Eucalyptus. We conjectured "mated pair"? His song was fairly full and long. We didn't witness any further courtship or mating behavior, but it looked likely and a revisit to confirm such was called for. Sub-adult males occasionally are successful in securing a mate in other Passeriforms - i.e., Bullocks Orioles, White-crowned Sparrows. In my experience female Purple Finches (or House Finches) don't sing. The number of Purple Finches at my yard in Hayward hills is always sporadic and the late winter/early Spring singer has now gone; but, they are certainly Bay Area nesters, attracted for nesting to both natural and planted evergreen groves or forests as long as they are fairly moist. See The Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas, 1993. Dave Shuford has included a wealth of breeding bird natural history in his fine work, including Purple Finches - shown copulating in Keith Hansen's Frontispiece!
Happy Bird Sleuthing,
Phil Gordon
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Re: Purple Finch female singing?
Tue, 29 May 2001 09:37:41 -0700
From: Mark Eaton
Kay, you answered your own question. :-) Yes, first-spring male Purple Finches do have "female-type" plumage and do sing, so your bird was indeed a first-spring male Purple Finch.
Mark
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Northern Pygmy-Owl in East Bay
Tue, 29 May 2001 11:15:55 PDT
From: Jim Tietz
I've only seen one Northern Pygmy-Owl in Contra Costa County. One at my yard in Lafayette in fall. It was perched on my fence at dusk while I was digging a ditch.
Jim
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Female song in Carpodacus
finches
Tue, 29 May 2001 11:54:09 PDT
From: Rusty Scalf
Dear List,
Having stated (from memory) that there is female song in Purple Finch and Cassin's Finch, I now need to validate that memory by finding a reference. My memory is certainly imperfect - I hope I wasn't too hasty in my post. If I can't verify this, I will let the list know.
Rusty Scalf
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