Probable Costa's Hummingbird in Hayward yard
Wed, 9 Oct 2002 16:09:43 PDT
From: Phil Gordon
Greetings EBB'ers,
Today at about 2 PM my kitchen window hummingbird feeder was visited by what was most likely an adult, female Costa's Hummingbird. Ironically I was preparing my Bird Class lesson for tonight's Walnut Creek Class, so now I have an additional lagniappe for identification practice along with our waterbird study.
I hope to see some additional details before making a positive identification and sending these out. If the bird returns more regularly I'll alert EBB'ers as to visiting times for those interested. I'm hoping this will make 114 species here.
Phil Gordon
Hayward, Alameda County
P.S. Our first Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow arrived today.
Semipalmated Sandpiper and more at Coyote Hills
Wed, 09 Oct 2002 16:35:32 -0700
From: Kris Olson
Hello East Bay Birders:
Today Dave Quady and I spent some time at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. We birded the trees around the Visitor Center and Hoot Hollow, checked the dried pond near the parking lot and headed over to the Bay mudflats for awhile, where the tide was coming in. Altogether we saw 49 species of birds.
Highlights:
One Semipalmated Sandpiper that Dave picked out on the Bay side - with a flock of Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers and DunlinsWarblers: 1 Black-throated Gray Warbler; 2 Yellow Warblers; (many) Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dave saw one Myrtle)
Kinglets: Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Golden-crowned Kinglet, one of each in an oak with most of the warblers
Teal: Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal and a male Blue-winged Teal
Sparrows: Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow
Raptors: 2 Peregrine Falcons, 2 American Kestrels, 2 White-tailed Kites, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Northern Harrier
Miscellaneous fall arrivals: 3 Hermit Thrush, 1 Say's Phoebe on the Bay side, 2 Western Meadowlarks (fall arrivals?), 1 "Western" Flycatcher (presumed Pacific-slope Flycatcher)
Good birding!
Kris Olson/Menlo Park
Red Knots - where are they?
Thu, 10 Oct 2002
14:39:13 -0700
From: Doug Vaughan
All,
The latest issue of Western Birds has a detailed article entitled "Abundance and Distribution of Shorebirds in the San Francisco Bay Area," which reports the results of surveys conducted by Point Reyes Bird Observatory staff and volunteers. Not exactly a "birdfinding" guide, but full of suggestive information all the same.
For example, I had never realized how productive the tidal areas of San Pablo Bay were, especially the tidal flats of the Napa River, an area I've never visited. Assuming, of course, that it's "visitable."
Anyway, my question....
Red Knots appear to concentrate, especially in the fall, along the east shore of the Bay, between Bay Farm Island and the San Mateo Bridge. They are essentially absent everywhere else. Does anyone know exactly where they can be found? This is a bird I often do not see from one year to the next. Can they be found reliably at the Hayward Regional Shoreline, or do they hang out somewhere north of there.
Many thanks.
Doug Vaughan
Berkeley
First Hermit Thrush
Thu, 10 Oct 2002 17:03:41
PDT
From: Mark Rauzon
Today my Hermit Thrush returned, or I heard it for the first time clucking in the toyon in the lower Oakland hills off Park Blvd. I checked my notes, and believe it or don't, October 10 was the first date I heard it last year! It stays as long as the toyon berries last.
Mark Rauzon
White-crowned Sparrows in Knowland Park
Fri,
11 Oct 2002 16:05:40 -0700
From: Arlyn Christopherson
At noon, in the Knowland Park mesa area (Oakland, near the zoo), I watched 20 to 25 White-crowned Sparrows moving, a few at a time, from poison-oak bush to poison-oak bush. It looked like they were feeding on the dropped berries. (Saw a nice coyote too! Middle of the day!)
Arlyn Christopherson