Fwd: Barn Owls, Yellow-breasted Chat
Sat, 30 Jun 2001 17:08:30 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I'm forwarding this message to the list for Steve Glover.
Larry Tunstall
From: Steve Glover
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 16:56:04 PDT
Subject: Barn Owls aplenty / Yellow-Breasted ChatHello all,
On the evening of June 8 I went out to do some owling east of Mount Diablo and out into the Central Valley. Along Marsh Creek Rd there were lots of cars, even up to nearly 11 PM so I heard no owls except Barn Owls. But boy did I hear Barn Owls. The habitat along Marsh Creek Rd is mainly Oak Savannah woodland with some more heavily wooded portions. Further out it opens up and becomes predominantly open grassland and agricultural. Once dropping into the Central Valley the habitat quickly becomes purely agricultural and/or suburban. I stayed south of the rapidly spreading suburban areas. At just about every stop I made I heard Barn Owls, especially begging youngsters. The sound the fleglings make is reminiscent of the loud screech noise that adults make except the bursts are shorter and are given every few seconds, seemingly on and on and on..... On a few occasions I heard adults screech overhead and sure enough, without even seeing them, I could tell they had brought food for the fledglings because the cacophony of the fledglings became extremely urgent and even raspier as they vied for their share. In all I confirmed them in 9 different blocks with a possible in a tenth.
There were also at least 4 Burrowing Owls along Holey Rd near Clifton Court Forebay, most of them flushed off of fences or out of the road.
On June 26 at Piper Slough at the north end of Bethel Island, I was finally able to confirm Yellow-breasted Chat nesting, the first for the atlas project. Otherwise all of the birds there were typical for this time of year including Blue Grosbeak.
Good luck,
Steve Glover
Dublin
They're baaack!
Sat, 30 Jun 2001 22:17:05 -0700
From: Sheila Junge
Seen late this afternoon at Hayward Regional Shoreline (at "Frank's West"): Western Sandpipers and stunningly red dowitchers - the first I've seen of either since they left in the spring.
I've been seeing quite a few Long-billed Curlews in the last few days. Numbers of Willets have increased - so different in their breeding plumage.
Also seen a few Snowy Plovers.
"Frank's West" is the seasonal wetland between the radio towers and Sulphur Creek. Walk west to the bay from the West Winton Ave access to Hayward Regional Shoreline and then north (about 0.5 to 0.7 mile depending on your route). This is a good place to look for shorebirds when the mudflats are covered at higher tides (3 to 4 feet or more).
Good birding!
Sheila Junge
Hayward, CA