Raptors and Phainopepla in Tilden Regional Park
Tue, 24 Sep 2002 09:12:50 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hi all,
For those of you paying attention I have been trying to find a site in Contra Costa County where I can see good numbers of migrating raptors and Friday, September 20th, I might have finally found the spot. Last fall I spent quite a bit of time at Inspiration Point in Tilden Regional Park and, though I did see some neat birds, I didn't see enough of them. Last week I walked to the next hill to the north (by where the power lines cross the fire road) and though I didn't have many birds the next hill still further north looked even better. On Friday the 20th I walked to the top of Wildcat Peak (perhaps 1.5 miles north of the Inspiration Point lot) and started scanning. From 11:30 to 12:30 I saw the following raptors that were clearly migrating: 16 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 immature Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 American Kestrel, 4 unidentified accipiters, 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (all immatures as far as I could tell; typical for this time) and 11 Cooper's Hawks (also all immatures, also typical). In the honorary raptor category were at least 10 Turkey Vultures clearly moving south. Fifty-two birds in an hour is a far higher rate than I have encountered anywhere in the East Bay though of course it will remain to be seen if this is a frequent occurence or not.
Other birds amongst 54 species recorded at Wildcat Peak or on the way there included all 3 species of nuthatches, Western Tanager (3), Orange-crowned Warbler (4), Hermit Warbler (1), Townsend's Warbler (1), Black-throated Gray Warbler (1), Yellow Warbler (2), Western Wood-Pewee (1), White-throated Swift (6), Vaux's Swift (12), Barn Swallow (1), "Western" Flycatcher (1).
Finally, on September 18 I was stunned to see a male Phainopepla fly by heading south past Inspiration Point.
Good birding,
Steve Glover
Dublin
Fwd: Question about Berkeley parrots
Tue,
24 Sep 2002 15:46:56 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this question to the list for John Vinopal of Berkeley. Replies can be addressed to birds at this domain.
September 20, 3 PM A pack of at least 3 parrots perched for a few moments near Jefferson School on Ada St. The one I saw clearly was perhaps 9 inches long, green with a red head. Sadly they vanished as I ran for the binoculars although I did hear them later in the day.
Where do these parrots nest?
September 23, 11 AM At least 4 parrots up and down the street in the trees.
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
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Fwd: Bay Trail, San Leandro to Hayward
Tue,
24 Sep 2002 15:52:37 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Kathy Jarrett:
Golden Gate Audubon Bicycle Birding Trip Sunday Sept 22, San Leandro Marina to Hayward Shoreline Regional Park.
13 people including trip chair Susan Groves and two children enjoyed this incredibly beautiful fall day. We started at 8:45 AM, soon after low tide, and saw masses of birds. The scope revealed a Black Oystercatcher and some Ruddy Turnstones. We lunched sitting on driftwood about half a mile from the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center and had a great view of the bay. The trip ended at 1:30 PM.
Birds seen include:
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
gull sp.
Forster's Tern
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Phoebe
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
House Finchkathy jarrett
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Re: Question about Berkeley parrots
Tue, 24
Sep 2002 21:06:49 PDT
From: Brian Fitch
I have a child in my camp who lives near San Pablo and University, and her family has had parakeets come to their feeder on rare occasions. I kept my eyes open for them after that report, and at least four times in the last two years, I've seen large green parakeets (long, pointed tails) with red on the head and shoulders. My sightings were along or near Delaware St, between 10th and the BART station. Each sighting was while driving, and I never could pull over to get details on the birds, nor have I ever toured the area to track them down.
Brian Fitch
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Albany Hill
Tue, 24 Sep 2002 21:21:46 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
On Alan Kaplan's East Bay Regional Park District birdwalk this morning at Albany Hill, we began at the top of the hill at 7 AM as the fog lifted with an Osprey flying past and disappearing east into the fog. Three hours later, we ended at the same spot in sunshine with two Red-shouldered Hawks screaming in the top of the eucalyptus above us.
In between, we walked down the trail on the north side of the hill to the creek and back up again. In addition to a pair of obviously domestic rabbits and a homeless camper, we identified the following:
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Selasphorus sp.
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Black Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Mockingbird
Townsend's Warbler
Spotted Towhee (heard)
California Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch (heard)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Re: Question about Berkeley parrots
Tue, 24
Sep 2002 23:25:59 -0700
From: Kay Loughman
It's likely the same flock seen regularly by my friend who lives on 10th just south of Gilman. He says he thinks the flock roosts east of San Pablo Ave, but doesn't know just where.
Kay Loughman
Berkeley
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