Birds at the Blackhawk Museum
Sat, 3 May 2003
10:42:59 -0700
From: Don Lewis
Along with all the car displays, the Blackhawk Museum [in Blackhawk, east of Danville] has a new exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian and UC Berkeley, "Audubon of the West: Andrew Jackson Grayson".
In 1853, when Grayson saw Audubon's Birds of America, he realized that the work failed to include any birds of the West, and he set out to complete the collection with his own Birds of the Pacific Slope.
In addition to much on birds of California and the western Mexican coast, the exhibit is interesting from its historic perspectives.
Don Lewis
Lafayette, CA
Tilden Regional Park Nature Area
Sat, 03 May
2003 12:11:10 -0700
From: John Poole
This morning the Jefferson/Malcolm X School Chickadee Club took a two-hour walk in Tilden Nature Area out past Jewel Lake. Highlights included:
We also saw an immense flock of Cedar Waxwings (75 to 100 birds).
Good Birding!
John Poole
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sat, 03 May 2003
16:23:12 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Mark Rauzon:
Hi All,
I took my bike and scope and headed to W Winton Ave in Hayward. I went to the place called Franks' Dump, a lake north along the shore, and then turned around and visited Hayward water reclamation ponds, south of parking area. Even though it was looking black in the hills, the shoreline was sunny if muddy. Saw about 50 species, highlights including:
- American White Pelicans - around 50
- Black Oystercatchers - 2
- Red-necked Phalaropes - around 75
- Eurasian Widgeon- males 2? - might have moved from original location
- Least Terns - 2
- Western Kingbird - 1
- Ash-throated Flycatcher - 2
- odd Empidonax flycatcher - 1
happy birding.
Mark Rauzon
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, Pleasanton
Sat, 3 May 2003 18:09:47 -0700
From: Steve Huckabone
After watching Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak in the backyard this morning, I decided to brave the weather and went to Shadow Cliffs. I was surprised to see a Lazuli Bunting right off, first one I've seen at Shadow Cliffs. Spent three hours combing the park and ended with a pretty respectable list, 60� birds. The highlights besides the Lazuli Bunting where, many Yellow Warblers, Wilson's Warblers and one MacGillivray's Warbler (also a first timer at Shadow Cliffs), Golden Eagle and two Caspian Terns.
Good birding.
Steve Huckabone
Alameda County
Livermore California
Cedar Waxwings galore
Sat, 3 May 2003 20:51:31
-0700
From: Russ Wilson
Greetings,
Reports of Cedar Waxwings have been so frequent that I thought I wouldn't clutter the records by submitting my observations of flocks of 75 to 100 that pass through the neighborhood 2 or 3 times a week. But today was different.
About 6:00 PM today I was doing a count of a flock that had settled on the telephone wires across the street when a second flock arrived. I almost completed my revised count when a 3rd flock arrived, then a 4th. Some were momentarily spooked by a Turkey Vulture that soared nearby, but they returned to the wires and remained shoulder to shoulder while I completed the count: 300+.
Russ Wilson
El Cerrito
Original Message Subject Index
New yard bird in Oakland Hills
Sun, 4 May
2003 10:27:36 -0700
From: Johan Langewis
Some good news and bad (depending on your point of view) from the Oakland hills. Starting yesterday I have had 4 juvenile Dark-eyed Juncos at my feeder. They must have been nesting nearby. The bad news is that first thing this morning I had an adult male and an adult female Brown-headed Cowbird at the feeder. This is a new yard bird for this location. I have been here for 12 years, and it's the first time I have seen this species up here in the hills. I hope they're just passing through.
Johan Langewis
Aitken Drive (off of Shepherd Canyon)
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Subject Index
Least Bittern at Coyote Hills Regional Park
Sun, 4 May 2003 13:25:16 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
The Albany Adult School Bird Identification class found a Least Bittern at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont this morning. The bird was seen on the north side of the large pond (the pond directly north of the visitor's center). It disappeared back into the reeds, then eventually flew across the pond in roughly a southeast direction. First time I have seen this species in northern California. Pretty exciting.
Rusty Scalf
Re: Birds at the Blackhawk Museum
Sun, 04
May 2003 13:29:42 -0700
From: Sarah Lewis
Don Lewis wrote:
Along with all the car displays, the Blackhawk Museum [in Blackhawk, east of Danville] has a new exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian and UC Berkeley, "Audubon of the West: Andrew Jackson Grayson".
Thank you very much for posting about this. For anyone who wants to learn more about the exhibit, the link is:
http://www.blackhawkauto.org/newsf.htmlIt says the exhibit opens May 7, but it actually opened yesterday (I called). What a perfect rainy Sunday afternoon activity ... I'll have my husband take our daughter (the birder in the family). We live about 2 miles up the road from the museum!
Thanks again for the information,
Sarah DeJesus
Danville, CA
Original Message Subject Index
Re: New yard bird in Oakland Hills
Sun, 4
May 2003 14:32:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Harris
Sorry to hear about your cowbirds! I just thought I would add that cowbirds are frequent visitors to the barns and horse boarding stables in the Oakland Hills for a number of years, and they are certainly breeders there. We have also had them as breeders here on the Mills campus. They have been parasitizing California Towhees at least, and no doubt other species too.
John H. Harris
Biology Department, Mills College
Oakland, CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Spring "fallout" in Berkeley backyard
Sun, 4 May 2003 17:41:19 -0700
From: Doug Greenberg
There's a large black acacia in my backyard in south Berkeley. Every year some migrants pass through, using the tree to forage and for cover. Yesterday and today have been huge days for such migrants, reminding me on a (very) tiny scale of "spring fallout" days in the eastern part of the country. Species sighted included Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Black-headed Grosbeak.
Doug Greenberg
Olive-sided Flycatcher in Berkeley Hills
Sun,
04 May 2003 17:57:48 -0700
From: Tom Condit
There was an Olive-sided Flycatcher calling in Strawberry Canyon, Berkeley, on Saturday, May 3.
At the UC Botanical Garden there were singing Orange-crowned Warblers, Spotted Towhees and American Goldfinch (sort of - making single or double notes, but not really tearing into it).
At least two Selasphorus hummingbirds at the Garden as well.
Tom Condit
Vaux's Swifts in Berkeley
Sun, 4 May 2003
20:52:24 PDT
From: Brian Fitch
On Saturday morning, I went to Berkeley to pick up some kids for a field trip, and upon exiting my car, looked up to see approximately 60 Vaux's Swifts circling the neighborhood of the 2700 block of Matthews St, near San Pablo & Ashby. I was there from 8:30 until 9 AM, and the flock spent the entire time hawking around the area. I saw no White-throated Swifts, but a few unidentified swallows appeared at times.
The resident family thought the birds had been around for some time, but I explained that it would be unlikely for them as migrants to spend too much time there, and I'm hoping they'll remember to keep watch for the eventual departure.
Any EBbirders live nearby to help keep track?
Brian Fitch
San Francisco
Vaux's Swifts at Coyote Hills, Fremont
Sun,
4 May 2003 20:56:42 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
There was a mix of Vaux's Swifts and White-throated Swifts over Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont this morning. Nice seeing them together. And as well as a good collection of migrant warblers: Yellow-rumped Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Wilson's Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Townsend's Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers....
Rusty Scalf
Original Message Subject Index
Black-chinned Hummingbird in Martinez
Mon,
5 May 2003 21:39:46 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hi E. B. Birders,
Yesterday, an adult male Black-chinned Hummingbird was at my hummingbird feeder. This is only the second time in 18 years of living in Martinez that I've had one visit me.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA