Brown-headed Cowbird in Moraga yard
Mon, 5
May 2003 09:22:43 -0700
From: Judi Cooper
I too have a Brown-headed Cowbird in my backyard.
Judi Cooper
Moraga
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Hayward Regional Shoreline
Mon, 05 May 2003
10:51:29 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Mark Wales:
Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 08:17:08 -0700
We walked the loop round the Hayward Regional Shoreline yesterday and saw the usual suspects of Dunlins, Western Sandpipers, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts (including one on her nest), Whimbrels, Barn Swallows, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Ducks, Common Terns, Forsters Terns, etc.
What was exciting was to see a lone Snowy Plover on the gravel track � almost completely camouflaged!
Also a Northern Harrier put in an appearance in the middle of the loop.
Regards
Mark Wales
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Red Knots at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Mon,
05 May 2003 10:54:01 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Anne Jennings:
Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 09:17:48 PDT
Subject: Red Knots at Frank's DumpOn Sunday between about 3:00 and 4:00 PM we saw many Red Knots, as reported earlier. They were in the northeast corner of the first lagoon. With them were some similarly sized and colored birds with down-turned bills. Could these be Curlew Sandpipers? There were also sandpipers I could not identify, several avocets, a few stilts, Semipalmated Plovers, and what I believe were Short-billed Dowitchers, some ducks (wigeon, pintail, Mallard, scaup) and not much else. In the grass we also saw a meadowlark, killdeer, and many Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds and Barn Swallows, and one jackrabbit.
Anne Jennings
Posted to EBB by Larry Tunstall
Least Tern at Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline
Mon, 05 May 2003 11:24:21 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
hello folks,
Monday morning, in the Airport Channel at Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline in Oakland, I saw a single Least Tern feeding, amid a couple of dozen Forster's Terns. This seemed to be really early, at least 15 days before my previous earliest record for the area. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is unusually early?
Thanks, and good birding,
Courtenay Peddle
Western Tanager in Berkeley backyard
Mon,
5 May 2003 11:33:30 -0700
From: Rita & Leonard Elmwood
A lone male Western Tanager made an all too brief stop in our backyard on Saturday (southeast Berkeley, west of College Ave). This is the first time we have seen this species. This bird is drop dead gorgeous!!!
Rita & Leonard
Sunol Regional Wilderness
Mon, 5 May 2003
11:51:08 -0700
From: Bruce Mast
Despite the cloudy, drizzly weather, I had a good day birding at Sunol Regional Wilderness yesterday. Not much in the way of unusual migrants but it was good to see the expected breeding species in good numbers: Western Wood-Pewees, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Bullock's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, 1 Swainson's Thrush, Wilson's Warblers, 1 Cassin's Vireo.
Trip highlight had to be the American Dipper above Little Yosemite. Wood Ducks and Green Heron would have made the highlight reel if I could have had more than a quick look at birds in flight.
Bruce Mast
Oakland, CA
New yard bird in Orinda
Mon, 05 May 2003 14:05:58
-0700
From: Kitty O'Neil
Wowie Zowie! I have a female Black-headed Grosbeak at my backyard feeder in Orinda!! What a beaut!
Kitty
Kitty O'Neil
Orinda, CA
Brown-headed Cowbirds in Pinole
Mon, 5 May
2003 15:14:32 -0700
From: Terry Coddington
Dear EBBers, now that the cowbirds are out of the bag, I should mention that a short noontime, high tide visit to the Pinole Creek mouth on Friday gained me only two sleeping gulls and two sleeping terns and a few Least Sandpipers, but two pairs of Brown-headed Cowbirds were walking through the creekside habitat, much to the distress of a California Towhee.
While on the subject, this area that I have been calling Pinole Wetlands Field Station should best be called Pinole Bayfront Park (this is according to Alan Kaplan and a large sign as you enter the parking lot).
Terry Coddington
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Tilden Regional Park Nature Area
Mon, 05 May
2003 17:58:35 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Mark Rauzon:
Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 15:01:00 PDT
Hi folks,
I birded around the Tilden Regional Park nature center in late morning. Saw an Eurasian Turtle-Dove at the Little Farm cooing in a redwood tree next to the horses. On the upper Pack Rat Trail, I saw an immature White-throated Sparrow. In between these species were a constant symphony of calling birds. Many Wilson Warblers, including a banded one (Left- orange?), a banded Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Cassin's Vireo, several Black-headed Grosbeaks, Rufous hummingbird, no tanagers!
Good birding.
Mark Rauzon
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Editor's Note: The dove seen most likely was a Eurasian Collared Dove. --Larry Tunstall
Location of American Dipper at Sunol Regional Wilderness
Mon, 5 May 2003 16:15:25 -0700
From: Bruce Mast
I was asked how far above Little Yosemite I saw the American Dipper at Sunol Regional Wilderness. In the event others are interested in the response....
I saw the bird on a gravel bar just above where Alameda Creek enters the rapids/falls. There's a wide spot in the trail overlooking the creek, perhaps 20 feet below. The spot can't be more than about 100 yards beyond the pit toilet.
Bruce Mast
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My Observations in Oakland and Alameda
Mon,
5 May 2003 18:34:31 -0700
From: Jeannette from Alameda
I am forwarding the message below on behalf of Jeannette from Alameda.
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2003 5:53 PM
- At Arrowhead Marsh [Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland], a reduction in quantities of American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt. And less chicks. More gulls in the first pond area. All this compared to the last 2 years.
- At Crab Cove Visitor Center duck pond [Alameda], have seen evidence of puffball baby duck chicks only lasting this very young age. The female ducks seem to have abandoned them. very low quantities of all ducks. We sadly witnessed today, a Black-crowned Night-Heron swoop down and took one right out of the water, as he was in the water (standing) a Red-winged Blackbird was aggressively trying to stop this from happening or simply trying to let the heron know he is unwelcome here.
- Also at Crab Cove duck pond, I have spotted a Common Moorhen, a muskrat, a Green Heron. These spottings in the last two or three weeks.
Please forward this to correct person if it is not you. I would like a response and any information you can offer especially about the ducks.
Thank you
Jeannette from Alameda
Posted to EBB by Bruce Mast
Dove at Tilden Regional Park Nature Area
Mon,
05 May 2003 18:35:16 -0700
From: John Poole
I wouldn't be too eager to discount the Eurasian Collared Dove at Tilden Nature Area as an escapee. This species is noted for its colonizing abilities and is established in the USA as far west as Texas.
John Poole
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