June 29 at Black Diamond Mines
Mon, 01 Jul 2002 12:06:12 -0700
From: Jeff Mohamed
An excellent morning's birding at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve (Antioch) - as long as you don't mind heat! There were all of the usual suspects: Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Western Scrub-Jays, Oak Titmice, Western Bluebirds, etc., but also a few less common types:
Phainopepla in the trees just before the pay booth.
Western Kingbirds and Ash-throated Flycatchers at many points on both sides of the entrance road.
Bullock's Orioles in the fields to the west just after passing the pay booth.
Lazuli Bunting in the trees around the main parking/picnic area.
Jeff Mohamed
Pittsburg
Cooper's Hawk in Oakland bird bath
Mon, 1 Jul 2002 17:16:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Joy Maxion
I casually glanced out of my back window and wow was I surprised to see an adult Cooper's Hawk, in our bird bath! I was able to observe and videotape him for about 10 minutes, as he bathed and preened. I guess the hawk was as hot as the rest of us....What a fantastic sight. The Chestnut-backed Chickadees were busy sounding out alarm calls the entire time.
I had an immature Cooper's Hawk in the bird bath here once before, in August of 1997.
Joy Maxion
Oakland
Rose-breasted Grosbeak still in Lafayette
Mon, 1 Jul 2002 23:12:06 -0700
From: Maury Stern
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak was at my feeders briefly at about 2 PM and 7 PM today. I will be gone for the next 8 days, but my feeders will be tended, so I hope the bird will stick around.
Maury Stern
Lafayette
Another Cooper's Hawk in Oakland
Tue, 02 Jul 2002 09:51:54 -0700
From: Mike Ezekiel
Dear Joy,
We had a Cooper's Hawk hunting some screeching jays fly over our house and land on the roof, tree and phone wire. I live in "Baja" Piedmont (just a couple blocks below Piedmont, yet oh so many hundreds of thousands in real estate value) on Moss Ave just above Hwy 580 off Oakland Ave, near the Rose Garden. (Where I have often seen Cooper' Hawks in past years.) We have had a number of Cooper's Hawks in and around our yard over the years, including one perched in our Brazilian pepper tree stripping bird feathers.
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
Original Message Subject Index
Yellow Warbler with fledgling at Lake
Temescal
Tue, 02 Jul 2002 10:01:40 -0700
From: Mike Ezekiel
Saw an adult Yellow Warbler and a begging, young-looking kid following it around at Temescal Regional Recreation Area, Oakland. I know that the Yellow Warbler nesting at Jewel Lake last year was big news and that Yellow Warblers are becoming a species of concern - would one at Temescal also be?
Mike Ezekiel
Oakland
Destruction of Barn Swallow nests in
Orinda
Tue, 02 Jul 2002 13:48:39 -0700
From: Kitty O'Neil
I know I am probably overreacting but I have just discovered the Barn Swallow family nest which I have watched for weeks was hosed down and destroyed. Last time I saw the birds there were little babies with big open mouths in the nest. That was a few days ago. Today it is all gone and the ground is wet.
I wish there was something I could do. I wish people knew what they had done! How could they be so cruel? I could write the property owner but I don't want to jeopardize the lease (I work in the building.) Does anyone out there have any ideas how to deal with this? Can someone with some authority write them a letter and let them know these birds and their nests are protected? I heard from a co-worker that the same thing was happening at St. Mary's College.
Any ideas? I am so upset and angry! Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Subject Index
Re: Destruction of Barn Swallow nests
Wed, 3 Jul 2002 09:43:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corinne Louise Paff
Endangered Species and Species of Special Concern are certainly protected from nest destruction...I am unclear about the status of the swallows ... however, the California Dept of Fish & Game Wildlife Biologist who covers the East Bay area is: John Krause 415.454.8050.
call him and ask... often you will get a machine, but leave a message and he will get back to you.. he often is in the field. ... perhaps you could speak to the owner in a non-threatening manner about the nest.... perhaps whoever destroyed them was unaware they were there....
corinne
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Destruction of Barn Swallow nests
Wed, 03 Jul 2002 10:33:24 -0700
From: Kitty O'Neil
I want to thank everyone for their helpful advice and heartfelt feelings regarding the destroyed swallow nest. I feel like I have all the data I need now and really appreciated having this board to go to for advice.
Thanks,
Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Peeps at Martin Luther King Jr Regional
Shoreline
Wed, 03 Jul 2002 19:58:50 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
Wednesday afternoon at Mitigation Marsh, Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland, Alameda County, I saw my first flock of small sandpipers for the season. Unfortunately, they were a long way away, and I was only able to see that they had extensive warm brown on their topsides. My guess is Least Sandpipers.
So, "peeps" join the returning migrants' Usual Suspects list, which previously had only Willets (certainly more than 50) and Long-billed Curlews (10).
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle