Re: Juncos back! (Already?)
Thu, 16 Oct 2003
07:30:03 -0700
From: Roger Hartwell
Dark-eyed Juncos are common permanent residents in the introduced Monterey pine forests around San Pablo Reservoir, and in the abandoned tree farm at the Pinole Y [the intersection of Pinole Valley Rd, Alhambra Valley Rd, & Castro Ranch Rd]. They are more numerous in winter, especially in mixed forests. Breeding Bird Atlas and Point Reyes Bird Observatory volunteers have documented it in areas not open to the public.
Roger D. Hartwell
EBMUD, Fisheries and Wildlife
500 San Pablo Dam
Road
Orinda, CA 94563
510.287.2025
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Juncos back! (Already?)
Thu, 16 Oct 2003
09:39:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Harris
Tom et al,
I see Dark-eyed Juncos through the summer in Redwood Regional Park (various sites), but in my neighborhood, along Hwy 13 near the Mormon Temple, they are often absent during most of the summer. I saw one in my yard last Sunday.
John H. Harris
Biology Department, Mills College
Oakland, CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Juncos back! (Already?)
Thu, 16 Oct 2003
10:40:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: Diane Perry
I am getting the idea Dark-eyed Juncos do hang out in the Bay Area in the cooler microclimates, like the Oakland-Berkeley hills. We never, ever see them in southeast Walnut Creek in the summer. I usually see my first one, every year, as summer is finally breaking its hold and our weather is cooling off. When I did see this Oregon Dark-eyed Junco (last weekend), it was still hot but, sure enough, it did cool down this weekend, and the sugar maples in Walnut Creek (planted as landscaping) are showing signs of red leaves. However, I hear we're due for a warm-up this weekend. Sigh.... I am so sick of the heat. Maybe it will be slightly cooler in Rohnert Park (where I am spending the weekend), but I doubt it (they are usually only a few degrees below Walnut Creek so far as heat goes in the summer/early autumn).
Diane
(In "southeast" Walnut Creek, near Northgate High School)
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Juncos back! (Already?)
Thu, 16 Oct 2003
20:51:42 -0700
From: Johan Langewis
I have Dark-eyed Juncos at my feeder all year long. See
http://folkbird.net/ebb/yardlist/yardlang.htmlfor my yard description. In early May this year there were 5 immatures at the feeder, indicating that they breed nearby. In winter there can be up to 30 at the feeder, and in summer only a few.
The first Golden-crowned Sparrows for my yard appeared this morning. The Hermit Thrush was first noted on October 13, and the first Ruby-crowned Kinglet on October 12. These 3 species seem to be appearing later as time goes by. Five to ten years ago they mostly came in September. Anyone else keep track and see a difference?
Johan Langewis
Original Message Subject Index
Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont
Sat, 18
Oct 2003 18:04:46 -0700
From: Rusty Scalf
The Golden Gate Audubon Society walk at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont this morning was a good one (despite meeting place confusion on the part of the leader!)
An Acorn Woodpecker called from a poplar tree near the visitor's center, the first I have seen there. The bird was alone.
We watched a Snowy Egret struggling to swallow a small fish. The egret repeatedly "softened" the fish between its mandibles and twice whacked it against the ground. In my scope I could see that the fish was a stickleback. Eventually the egret swallowed the fish. Anyone up on their sticklebacks? I think of stickleback as an estuarian fish. The egret was at the south end of the rather straight canal that runs north-south in middle of the park. We had nice looks at Green Heron along the same canal.
Lots of White-tailed Kites and Northern Harriers about. Lots of soaring American White Pelicans.
Some heavy equipment has been dozing out strips of reeds, apparently creating pond habitats. Yellowlegs, dowitchers and Least Sandpipers were already making use of this freshly exposed mud.
Rusty Scalf
Red-necked Grebe at Briones Reservoir near Orinda
Sun, 19 Oct 2003 12:25:26 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
From: Rusty Scalf
The Albany Adult School bird-identification class had a Red-necked Grebe at Briones Reservoir near Orinda this morning. The bird was north of the boathouse in a cove along a bank of reeds. Not the reeds close to the boathouse, but farther up.
Also an adult Peregrine Falcon.
Rusty Scalf
Chestnut-collared Longspurs at Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:53:01 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
3 or 4 Chestnut-collared Longspurs were seen earlier today at the Hayward Regional Shoreline. They were on what local birders know as Mt Trashmore - a former landfill.
To get there is very simple, from the parking area at the end of Winton Ave, go towards the bay a short way and up onto this old landfill. The last Hayward Shoreline record was on 4 November 1987. Several were here with a McCowan's Longspur for several weeks during October of 1986 and 1987.
Good Birding
Bob
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Reply #4 Reply #5 Reply #6 Reply #7 Reply #8 Subject Index
RFI: Pinyon Jays in the East Bay
Sun, 19 Oct
2003 19:04:05 -0700
From: Paul Webster
I'm a birder from the Pacific Northwest with limited experience in California, and I'm interested in the reports of Pinyon Jays in the Oakland hills. I believe both reports I saw were of single birds, and my experience with this species is that they're rather like Bushtits - if there's one there, there are a dozen in the next tree or somewhere else close. And it's hard to miss them because they're noisy like other jays. I haven't seen a Pinyon Jay closer to the Bay Area than the White Mountains of Central California and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. The range map in the National Geographic Guide shows that Pinyon Jays are pretty much birds of the Great Basin, ditto the Sibley guide, though he shows a lot of green dots closer to the CA coast. Based on my experience with Washington birds, these green dots may mean much or not very much. The Stokes guide shows the birds much closer to the CA coast, but includes a swath of the Central Valley. I've always seen them in open areas of mixed oak and conifers. That would also describe some of the area along Mines Rd if they get that far west - which apparently they do.
So what is the record on Pinyon Jays in the Bay Area? Occasional? Rare, but regular? Rare fall "migrant"? Uncommon? Or?
Thanks,
Paul Webster
Seattle
Editor's Note: See Steve Glover's earlier comments about previous East Bay sightings.
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Sun, 19 Oct 2003
20:57:25 PDT
From: Bob Richmond
Mt Trashmore:
W Winton Ave:
Hayward's Landing:
Frank's Dump West:
Good birding
Bob