Sharp-shinned Hawks at Huckleberry Regional Preserve
Sun, 20 Apr 2003 12:06:22 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
This morning at Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve I watched a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks that were almost certainly a mated pair.
First noticed the female as she plucked a small bird (my guess is House Finch) while perched in a bay tree. Her mate flew in and perched perhaps two feet from her. There was much vocalizing between them. He lingered for several minutes, flew to a nearby tree. They exchanged more vocalizations. Then he flew off. Does anyone know of a Sharp-shinned Hawk nest at Huckleberry?
Lots of singing about in general. Wilson's and Orange-crowned Warblers, Warbling and Hutton's Vireo, Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Did not hear Western Wood-Pewee or Olive-sided Flycatcher. Perhaps they haven't arrived yet.
Rusty Scalf
Diablo Foothills Regional Park, Walnut Creek
Sun, 20 Apr 2003 15:24:29 -0700
From: Dennis Braddy
EastBayBirders,
This morning I followed up on Don Lewis' post and birded Castle Rock and Stage Road Trails at Diablo Foothills Regional Park from the Orchard Staging Area to a bit past the Mount Diablo State Park boundary. Of the birds that Don mentioned I saw Ash-throated Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo (many), Black-throated Gray Warbler, and House Wren (several).
I also saw Western Kingbird (5), Rufous-crowned Sparrow (3), Bewick's Wren (many), Orange-crowned Warbler (many), White-throated Swift, Brown Creeper, Hutton's Vireo (3), Wilson's Warbler, Western Bluebird (3), White-breasted Nuthatch (4), and a probable Swainson's Thrush - 48 species altogether.
Almost all of these birds were singing or calling - it was a real birding-by-ear workout. One of my favorites was the deer deer deer deer of a nearby Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
Directions and map: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/diablo.htm
Dennis Braddy
San Ramon
Pileated Woodpecker signs (not sighting) in Oakland
Hills
Sun, 20 Apr 2003 16:14:17 PDT
From: Sylvia Sykora
This afternoon on the Castle Peak Trail in Joaquin Miller Park, about one-eighth mile from the trail entrance on Castle Dr at Holyrood Dr in Oakland, I found two large (pine?) snags showing signs of recent Pileated Woodpecker activity. Both had large areas of trunk stripped of bark, and the snags were covered with multiple oval/rectangular holes. These appeared to have been freshly made. This location is very near the Sequoia Arena staging area off Skyline Blvd in Oakland where Pileated Woodpeckers have been seen and heard before.
Sylvia Sykora
Alameda County
Oakland, CA
Dawn chorus at Tilden Regional Park Nature Area
Sun, 20 Apr 2003 21:42:41 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
This morning a small but dedicated group gathered at Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (Berkeley Hills) for Alan Kaplan's annual dawn chorus birdwalk. As I drove up the hill in the dark, I moved steadily from one California Towhee territory to the next, accompanied the whole way by their sharp chip notes. At 6 AM with just the first hint of light, the parking lot area was full of song: Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Warbling Vireo, Mourning Dove, and the calls of Steller's Jay and Chestnut-backed Chickadee. A Common Raven dropped in to join the robins working the lawn, Wrentits began to sing, and two Black-crowned Night-Herons flew overhead.
Before we got out of the parking lot area, we heard a probable Swainson's Thrush and lots of Song Sparrows, and a Double-crested Cormorant flew eastward high overhead. Next the Black-headed Grosbeaks began to sing as the robins tapered off, and a Band-tailed Pigeon and a Turkey Vulture flew over. We began to hear the loud hums and squeaking dives of Selasphorus hummingbirds that would accompany us all morning. Bewick's Wrens joined the chorus, and a woodpecker (Downy?) began hammering.
As we walked Lower Packrat Trail (muddy in spots, but passable) to Jewel Lake, we finally began to pick out Pacific-slope Flycatcher songs. At the lake we added Mallards (a family of ducklings) and two female Buffleheads (Alan says they hang out together now that the male has departed, though they were rivals while he was around). Other birds seen or heard at the lake and on the way back along Upper Packrat Trail were Oak Titmouse, Black Phoebe, Purple Finch, Hutton's Vireo (carrying nest material), and Western Scrub-Jay. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flushed from a nearby tree as we got close to the end of the trail.
We did not hear or see any Western Wood-Pewees, Olive-sided Flycatchers, or Ash-throated Flycatchers. According to the data compiled by the Marin Breeding Bird Atlas, the wood-pewees have an average arrival date of about May 1 in the East Bay, and the Olive-sided Flycatchers of April 19, but can be as late as May 5. No East Bay data is included for Ash-throated Flycatcher, but the average arrival date at Palomarin is April 26. So, all of these should be along within the next week or two.
On Friday, I walked along the north side of Briones Reservoir from the Bear Creek Staging Area. The Pied-billed Grebes are beginning to "whoop" near that end of the reservoir, and I saw a nice pair of House Wrens with the male singing and the female gathering nesting material. It's a lovely walk right now. (EBMUD Trail Permit required.)
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Reply #4 Subject Index
Olive-sided Flycatcher in Tilden Regional Park on
Saturday
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 09:18:58 -0700
From: Doug Vaughan
Larry Tunstall wrote:
We did not hear or see any Western Wood-Pewees, Olive-sided Flycatchers, or Ash-throated Flycatchers. According to the data compiled by the Marin Breeding Bird Atlas, the wood-pewees have an average arrival date of about May 1 in the East Bay, and the Olive-sided Flycatchers of April 19, but can be as late as May 5....
An Olive-sided Flycatcher was "singing" near the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley Hills) Saturday morning, April 19 - right on time.
I believe there has been a striking decline of this species, however. They have struck me as being rather scarce recently, though their songs were commonplace 10 or 15 years ago.
Doug Vaughan
Berkeley, California
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Ash-throated Flycatcher southeast of Livermore on
Saturday
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 10:01:23 -0700
From: Anne Hoff
The Golden Gate Audubon group led by George Bing heard and saw an Ash-throated Flycatcher on Saturday, April 19, along Mines Rd, near the Alameda County / Stanislaus County line.
Anne Hoff
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Trail near Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center is
open again
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 10:13:55 -0700
From: Sheila Junge
The trail from the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center to the bay has been reopened and water is once again flowing into the HARD marsh. The three pipes that provided tidal access from the bay have been replaced by a bridge. The flow of water is much greater. It will be interesting to see how this affects the marsh.
Sheila Junge
Hayward, CA
Brown-headed Cowbird in Orinda yard
Mon, 21
Apr 2003 15:22:27 -0700
From: Kitty O'Neil
I have a new yard bird. A male Brown-Headed Cowbird is singing & calling and checking out my feeders. I don't recall seeing them much around here.
Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Ash-throated Flycatcher near Clayton last Tuesday
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:08:32 -0700
From: Wen Hsu
I saw an Ash-Throated Flycatcher on April 15 in Mitchell Canyon [Mt Diablo State Park near Clayton], not far from the parking lot.
Wen Hsu
(Berkeley)
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Ash-throated Flycatchers near Sunol on Thursday
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:57:37 -0700
From: Kay Loughman
I had Ash-throated Flycatchers in Sunol Regional Wilderness on Thursday, April 17.
Kay Loughman
Berkeley
Original Message Subject Index
Vaux's Swifts in Oakland Hills
Tue, 22 Apr
2003 20:14:41 -0700
From: Mark Rauzon, via Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding the following message to the list for Mark Rauzon:
I saw two Vaux's Swifts in Redwood Regional Park flying high over the open meadow, parking lot areas at 4 PM on April 22.
Mark Rauzon
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall