Western Bluebirds in El Cerrito flatlands
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 11:24:51 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
About 11 AM, there were at least 6 Western Bluebirds in the parking lot just north of the El Cerrito Plaza BART station and the adjoining Ohlone Greenway under the BART tracks. I've lived in this area for 6 years, and this is the first time I've seen bluebirds around here. They were all fluffed up and looked cold!
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Re: Redheads at Point Emery
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 16:39:27 -0800
From: Tom Condit
Redheads are uncommon to fairly common for the Point Emery area. They're found just about every winter at Berkeley Aquatic Park, sometimes in fairly large numbers, and move out into the Bay from there, usually in the afternoon. Were they between Point Emery and the Emeryville Marina office and condo area? That's where I've seen them in the past.
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Re: Redheads at Point Emery
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 17:03:02 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Dear all,
I saw at least one Redhead off Point Emery which I never remembered to write-in about 3 weeks ago.
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
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Canvasbacks
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 17:05:10 -0800
From: Scott Restivo
This afternoon, January 29: 40 Canvasbacks and 6 Ring-necked Ducks in a secluded pond near Camino Tassajara, Diablo Vista Park, and Gale Ranch over on San Ramon-Danville border. Also, Golden Eagle flying around. I don't know if Canvasbacks are unusual, but thought I'd mention this sighting. Seemed like a lot on such a small pond.
Scott Restivo
Berkeley Aquatic Park
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:39:39 -0800
From: Evelyn Zavala
My friend and I were at Berkeley Aquatic Park today and saw mergansers, goldeneyes, avocets, stilts, Buffleheads - in the trees were Cedar Waxwings, kinglets, Black Phoebe, hummers - it was a totally great place to see all these birds today even though it was brrrr cold..
Barrow's Goldeneye at Emeryville Marina
Wed, 30 Jan 2002 11:45:12 PST
From: Denise Wight
Hi E.B. Birders,
This morning there was a male Barrow's Goldeneye foraging along the inner rocky shoreline of the Emeryville Marina, directly behind the Marina services building. The bird was relatively approachable for great, close-up views.
A Spotted Sandpiper and other expected shorebirds where also nearby.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA
Wood Ducks at Upper San Leandro Reservoir
Wed, 30 Jan 2002 12:01:45 -0800
From: Kitty O'Neil
I went for a walk this morning at Valle Vista Staging Area [Upper San Leandro Reservoir] off Canyon Rd near Moraga and saw 35 species. Highlights were sunshine, dozens of Wood Ducks, Common Merganser and a very close-up Brown Creeper. [This area requires an EBMUD trail permit.]
Also,the Red-winged Blackbirds were singing like crazy in the parking lot at Safeway. Sounds like spring!!!!
Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA 94563
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Still more robins - at Lake Merritt
Wed, 30 Jan 2002 19:40:51 -0800
From: Mike Ezekiel
Although I was determined to not participate in this robin-mania, to the extent that I managed to leave my binoculars home and drove the wrong vehicle to work today so that I didn't have my backup binocs, I still stumbled into a serious flock of perhaps 200 or 300 thrushes foraging on the lawn opposite the duck pond at Lake Merritt just before dusk when I took a break from work.
And despite my myopic - and unbinocularized - eyes, I couldn't turn any of them into Varied or perhaps eye-browed thrushes, and was forced to conclude that Lake Merritt had joined the Robin Irruption.
Also of local note was the continued presence of the Cattle Egret - not to mention the vocal, screaching pair of resident Egyptian Geese.
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland, Ca.
Re: Wood Ducks at Upper San Leandro Reservoir
Wed, 30 Jan 2002 22:08:28 -0800
From: Lory Poulson
Inspired by Kitty O'Neil's Wood Duck report earlier today, we went to Upper San Leandro Reservoir between 3:30 and 5:30 PM (Valle Vista Staging Area, between Moraga and Canyon).
More than a dozen Wood Ducks were present (males and females, breeding plumage). They weren't immediately visible, but then small groupings swam into the area nearest the marsh. Some individuals did a little preening. All headed back out toward the reservoir within about 45 minutes of our first sighting.
We were also lucky enough to see a pair of Varied Thrushes (just before the trail starts to climb uphill along the reservoir), several Hermit Thrushes, and a Bewick's Wren dust-bathing on a mostly muddy road.
Lory Poulson
Richmond CA
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