Red-breasted Sapsucker in Oakland Hills
Wed,
6 Nov 2002 08:31:51 PST
From: Sylvia Sykora
I just caught a Red-breasted Sapsucker merrily bathing in the birdbath. This is a first for what has been, in the past, a fairly shy bird in the yard around here. This is also not good news as this is the bird that last winter girdled several shrubs with its drilling, causing all growth above to die.
Sylvia Sykora
Oakland Hills near Skyline
Black Swans in Lafayette - not native but nice
Wed, 6 Nov 2002 11:41:12 -0800
From: Martha Breed
There is a pair of Black Swans that have been seen repeatedly on Las Trampas Creek in Lafayette. I saw them this morning in the area by the Olympic Blvd staging area parking lot between Pleasant Hill Rd and Reliez Station Rd.
They are close enough to see the red and white tip on the bill and the white feathers in the rump area.
Good birding,
Martha Breed
Pine Siskins in Oakland Hills
Wed, 6 Nov 2002
12:26:37 PST
From: Sylvia Sykora
The season's first large flock of Pine Siskins arrived today, a chittering mass of 40 to 60 birds, about half of which descended on the birdbath to drink while the remainder moved through the nearby trees. And then whoosh, they were gone.
Sylvia Sykora
Oakland Hills near Skyline
Re: Black Swans in Lafayette
Wed, 6 Nov 2002
14:13:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Diane P
My friend Tom had the following to say about the Black Swans recently sighted:
This area is very close to my parents' house. Las Trampas Creek is right down the street. I and my parents have been aware of these birds and/or their predecessors for probably 20 years or more.
For many years, these and other exotic waterfowl (several species of geese and swans) have been regular daily transients through that neighborhood. They would, and do, noisily fly westbound over our house on the north side of the Las Trampas Creek valley at treetop height at dawn every day. My father (may he rest in peace) even used them as an alarm clock. My mother probably still does. I've always figured they worked their way back eastbound later in the day within the creek canyon or on the other side of the valley, because we'd never see them coming back the other way and/or at other times than dawn.
According to the neighborhood grapevine, there is an exotic bird keeper / aviary / exotic waterfowl collector/breeder, located on Boulevard Way where it crosses Las Trampas Creek, who owns these birds. They are free flying but essentially domesticated as they apparently return to their "home base" every night.
Tom
Original Message Subject Index
Merlin in Oakland Hills
Fri, 8 Nov 2002 11:48:09
PST
From: Mark Rauzon
A wet Merlin preened on my neighbors antenna in mid-altitude Oakland Hills off Park Blvd. My journal shows a Merlin did the same thing last year on November 13, and another (same?) was first seen on November 8 in 2000.
Mark Rauzon
Wild Turkeys at Lafayette Reservoir
Fri, 08
Nov 2002 12:10:32 -0800
From: Kitty O'Neil
As a nice reward for getting out despite the weather, I got to see 3 Wild Turkeys right beside the paved path at Lafayette Reservoir. They were next to the employee-only parking lot by the nature center. (If anyone is interested in turkeys, I highly recommend the book Illumination in the Flatwoods.)
Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Cedar Waxwings and Fox Sparrows in Pleasanton
Friday, November 08, 2002 4:32 PM
From: Rich Cimino
This morning at 7:15 AM in my back yard, huddled up in a large Modesto ash tree, were 20 Cedar Waxwings.
I continue to have two consistent Fox Sparrows daily - this is my second year for two Fox Sparrows.
The California Oak Foundation has published, in conjunction with Point Reyes Bird Observatory and California Partners in Flight, "The Oak Woodland Bird Conservation Plan." This document addresses both birds of the oak savanna and oak tree conservation - 126 pages of conservation planning.
Birds discussed specifically are
Acorn Woodpecker
Oak Titmouse
Western Bluebird
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Lark Sparrow
Yellow-billed Magpie
Go to these Web sites for database:
www.californiaoaks.org
www.prbo.org/calpif
www.wcs.org
Possible Cassin's Finch in Berkeley Hills
Fri,
08 Nov 2002 19:13:34 -0800
From: Ann Callaway
November 4 and 6
I think I might have seen a male Cassin's Finch, along with two or three females or immatures, and possibly some Purple Finches frequenting the same area around the small pond in the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills). The pond can be reached by going in the botanic garden entrance (across the road from the parking lot), down the hill, bearing left,walking over one of the bridges across the stream and going part way up the grassy hill, which is in the "Sierran Meadow" section. The pond is small, self-contained (no feeder streams) and is planted on one side with spicebush. In fact, the first thing I noticed about the possible Cassin's as it perched in the bushes was the distinctly red crown, which was raised into a definite crest. At the time, I just said to myself, "Isn't it striking how red the top of that Purple Finch's head is, and how much of a crest he has raised. It looks just like one of the flowers on the spicebush" (which still had a few remaining flowers left from summer). I also remarked to myself how pale the rest of the head, throat, and upper breast were; not nearly so saturated with raspberry color as I recalled a male Purple Finch to be. The belly and undertail coverts were white, but as the bird came down out of the bush to ground level I thought I saw some faint streaks along the sides. The other bird (either adult female or immature) had narrower and much more sharply defined stripes on the white background of the breast than I remembered female purples to have. Both birds had a recognizable facial pattern with cheek patch, and a definite fork in the tail. They were shy; I had inadvertently snuck up on them, so I saw them at fairly close range (10 to 20 feet) but if I had moved my binocs up to my face, I know they would have flown. As it was, they eventually flew to some other trees, and their flight call was a kind of clear, gentle chirp. This first sighting was without me being suspicious that it might have been at least a pair of Cassin's Finches that I had seen. As I looked in a bird guide back in the car, I realized that these might have been special birds! I went back to the pond for a stake-out, sitting down on the opposite end of the pond, and was rewarded with a great view of a male, who came down again to the edge of the pond. This time, the head and back seemed a uniform pale raspberry (very non-Cassin's. Hmmm...) Since then, I went back and saw them several more times. Due to the difference in individual birds, however, or maybe due to there being both Purple and Cassin's Finches in the same area, I think I might have also been seeing Purples, especially since I heard them yesterday giving a metallic "chink" call. On November 6 I finally got a good look at the neck and back of the (an?) individual with the pronounced red crest, and it was indeed brownish, which seemed to favor the Cassin's description in guide books. The "chidilup" described in the Sibley guide could match what I was trying to find words for, and settled on "gentle chirp." I was never convinced in any of my sightings, however, that I could make out anything distictly about the bill, whether straight or curved culmen.
Maybe this little group of whatever they are will be around for a while. If you remain standing quietly at the edge of the pond on the side with the overgrown tangle of spicebush and blackberry canes, sometimes you will notice there are actually birds in that tangle, just preening or otherwise laying low. Then they might get more active and come down for a drink.
It's pretty neat! I know Cassin's are supposed to be east of the East Bay, and in mountainous country, but I read that they go to lower elevations in the winter (wasn't there one in Davis a few years back?), and occasionally they come this far west. I sure would like to know if anyone else can confirm that there are some Cassin's Finches at the botanic garden right now. And whether there are Purple Finches in the same area.
Ann Callaway
El Cerrito