Baird's Sandpiper in Richmond
Sun, 16 Sep 2001 07:51:04 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hi EB Birders,
Yesterday there was a Baird's Sandpiper at Point Molate in Richmond. It was in the partially dry, fenced-in pond at the north end of the road.
Also, there were at least 2 Red Knots at the north end of the Albany Crescent [near Central Ave in Richmond, Contra Costa County].
Those were the highlights of our Contra Costa Bird-a-thon for Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Our official tally for the team was 114.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Southern Tilden Regional Park at midday
Sun, 16 Sep 2001 08:31:26 -0700
From: Rebecca Freed
Yesterday I got out to Tilden Regional Park [Berkeley Hills] about 11:30 AM and hiked the Big Springs Trail up to Vollmer Peak. Even though it was quite warm I had a productive couple of birding hours. The most remarkable part was watching three Orange-crowned Warblers foraging close to the ground at Vollmer Peak. I stood 10 feet away from one who was gleaning on a couple of blooming fennel plants and watched him for 10 minutes. That first-fall male had no intention of giving up his good thing just because I was there.
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Turkey Vulture
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Tree (?) Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (heard only)
California Thrasher (heard only)
Wrentit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Western Tanager (heard only)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lesser Goldfinch
Tilden Nature Area
Sun, 16 Sep 2001 18:21:14 -0700
From: Lillian Fujii
Vollmer Peak [in Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley Hills] was thick with fog this morning, so we went to the Nature Area [at the north end of the park]. There was a huge feeding flock, including many Warbling Vireos, Hutton's Vireos, warblers (mostly Townsend's Warblers, but at least one Black-throated Gray Warbler, one Yellow Warbler, and one Wilson's Warbler), Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Brown Creeper. Also, there was a Swainson's Thrush (heard only) and a Winter Wren at Jewel Lake, seen from the boardwalk.
Lillian Fujii and Steve Hayashi
Hayward Shoreline
Sun, 16 Sep 2001 23:53:37 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
Seen today at the Hayward Shoreline:
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 immature at the Winton Ave parking area
Bewick's Wren - 1 at the Winton Ave parking area (rarely seen here)
A Common Yellowthroat was the only warbler seen at Winton Ave todaySay's Phoebe - 1 was the first of the year on the east side of Mt Trashmore
Sooty Shearwater - seen over San Francisco Bay from Hayward Landing, this is only the second one I have seen here.
Surfbird - 6 seen during high tide at Frank's Dump West
Snowy Plover - 24 at Frank's Dump West
Sanderling - 15 also at Frank's Dump West
Red Knot - hundreds seen at Frank's Dump West (as usual)Snow Goose - 1 at San Lorenzo Community Park, semi-tame bird that "migrates" to the park very early, and leaves late in the spring. It has been here for 7 to 10 years.
Good Birding
Bob
Coyote Hills Regional Park on Sunday
Mon, 17 Sep 2001 15:32:11 -0700
From: Vijay Ramachandran
Hello.
There was a noticeable drop-off in the number of birds seen in Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont this Sunday morning. The warblers, and most of the flycatchers, had all but disappeared.
Noticeable birds were:
Hermit Thrush
White-throated Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Western Tanager
All birds were seen around the visitor center, or in the lawns on the eastern side.
Good birding,
Vijay
Cormorant nesting platforms
Tue, 18 Sep 2001 09:47:22 PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
Pardon this digression, but design specifications for artificial nesting platforms for Double-crested Cormorants for the New Bay Bridge are finalized. CalTrans architects and engineers, along with bridge designers TYLin agreed to provide 3000 linear feet of platform, 2.5 feet wide to equal 7500 square feet of nesting space. The platforms will be built as environmental mitigation for the old bridge colony and more than compensate by allowing at least 1000 nesting pairs. "Corm condos" are available for moving in around 2005.
Just thought you might like to know.
Good Birding!
Mark Rauzon