Townsend's Solitaire in Moraga and Eurasian Wigeon
in Martinez
Mon, 06 Jan 2003 09:20:59 -0800
From: Nat Weber
Hello EBBirders,
On Friday I took my brother-in-Law Ray Witbeck to see if the Eurasian Wigeon was at McNabney Marsh east of Martinez. When we had worked our way down to the corner just before you turn into Mountain View Sanitary District, I took out my scope. I said, "Just a minute I have to focus it on something on the other side of the marsh before we get started." As it turned out the exact bird I was focusing on was the Eurasian Wigeon! Ahh, If all birding could be that easy. We also went over to the new Waterbird Regional Preserve off Waterfront Rd on Waterbird Way and found Rough-legged Hawk and about 15 White-throated Swifts.
On Saturday while not birding (but sweeping the driveway) I saw a Townsend's Solitaire. It was in Moraga feeding on juniper berries. It was located between two apartment buildings on Rheem Blvd,336 Rheem and 332 Rheem to be specific. Several years ago I had a solitaire in my yard regularly from mid-December to mid-January. Now I know where one of the food sources is.
Nat Weber
Moraga, CA
Hooded Merganser pair at Berkeley Aquatic Park
Mon, 06 Jan 2003 09:52:55 -0800
From: Bob Power
Good Morning:
At 7:30 AM today, my son Sam and I observed the male Hooded Merganser, reported this weekend, along with a female Hooded Merganser at the middle pond at the southern end of Aquatic Park (Berkeley). They were actively diving and moving along the perimeter of the western edge of the pond in a clockwise pattern.
Good Birding
Bob Power
Oakland (Alameda County) CA
Pine Siskins
Wed, 8 Jan 2003 15:43:25 -0800
From: Judi Cooper
Yesterday I had one Pine Siskin on one of my thistle sock feeders which are always covered with Goldfinches.
Does anyone else have Pine Siskins?
Judi Cooper
Moraga
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Re: Pine Siskins
Wed, 08 Jan 2003 17:07:58
-0800
From: Nat Weber
Judi,
I have not had a single Pine Siskin this year. I thought it was because my thistle feeder was empty on the designated day that the siskins moved through. However, I have not heard much about siskins from others this year. On the four Christmas Bird Counts that I was on this year I had zero siskins.
Nat Weber
Moraga
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Re: Pine Siskins
Wed, 8 Jan 2003 17:39:16
-0800 (PST)
From: John Harris
Judi et al,
I have not had a single Pine Siskin this year at my thistle feeders, which are attracting 30 to 50 Lesser Goldfinches and a handful of American Goldfinches. The last two years, I usually had around 10 to 20 Pine Siskins. The last two years, they have initially appeared in my yard in mid-November. My house is in the Oakland Hills near the Mormon Temple, along Hwy 13. I did not start putting out thistle feeders till winter of 1999, which is also the first year that I recorded Pine Siskins in my yard.
John H. Harris
Biology Department, Mills College
Oakland, CA
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Aleutian Canada Geese at Arrowhead Marsh
Wed,
08 Jan 2003 18:13:04 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
Four Aleutian Canada Geese (the smallest race of the Canada Goose) were with a flock of Canada Geese in Airport Channel, between Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline and Oakland's North Field on Wednesday afternoon. I did not see the Greater White-fronted Geese. I've been out of town and wonder whether they've been seen in the past week or 10 days.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
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Re: Aleutian Canada Geese at Arrowhead Marsh
Wed, 08 Jan 2003 19:27:40 -0800
From: Joseph Morlan
I believe the smallest race of Canada Goose is Branta canadensis minima, the "Cackling Goose." The "Aleutian Goose" (B. c. leucopareia) is a little larger than minima, with paler breast, longer neck, distinct white collar and squarer head shape.
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA
San Francisco Spring Birding Classes (February
4) http://fog.ccsf.org/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/
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White-winged Scoters at San Leandro Marina
Wed, 08 Jan 2003 19:47:07 -0800
From: Kathy Robertson
EBB:
Around 8:00 this morning (January 8) I saw several White-winged Scoters at the San Leandro Marina. They were just off the end of the peninsula where the marina office is located, near the USS Argonaut memorial.
The birds were very close to shore, at times just a few feet from the rocks.
Kathy Robertson
Hayward, CA
Re: Pine Siskins
Wed, 8 Jan 2003 20:25:24
-0800
From: Helen Green
I had only 1 Pine Siskin in November. This was on my sunflower chip feeder. It seems a little unusual to have only one, but this is not their year.
Helen
Berkeley
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Re: Aleutian Canada Geese at Arrowhead Marsh
Thu, 09 Jan 2003 09:07:54 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Oops. Thanks, Joe, for correcting me. They were indeed Aleutian Canada Geese, not the smallest Cackling Canada Geese.
Courtenay
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