Los Vaqueros Reservoir, between Livermore & Clayton
Sat, 27 Dec 2003 18:35:13 -0800 (PST)
From: John Harris
Taking an opportunity for a side trip from an errand in Livermore, I visited Los Vaqueros Reservoir, located about 4.5 miles north of Hwy 580 on Vasco Rd. There is a $6.00 entrance fee. Between the entry station and the reservoir is some nice oak woodland. I stopped along the way at several points, seeing Western Bluebirds, Phainopepla, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Flicker, Acorn Woodpecker, among others. At the reservoir, American Pipits, Say's Phoebe, Western Meadowlarks were present in the grasslands. On the reservoir were Pied-billed Grebes, Western Grebes, Eared Grebes, a small group of American White Pelicans on an island, Common Mergansers and large numbers of Mallards and Northern Pintails. I saw one Osprey. Those are some of the highlights, not a complete list.
John Harris
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker still at Tilden Nature Area
Sat, 27 Dec 2003 evening
From: Judith Dunham
Hi Holiday Birders,
The [juvenile] Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was found yesterday (December 26) about 4:15 PM in plain view in the eucalyptus trees where it has been seen previously in the Tilden Nature Area (Berkeley Hills). My husband, Charlie, first spotted it working slowly along a branch. Two energetic Ruby-crowned Kinglets invaded the sapsucker's space, causing it to seek a quieter tree, but it did not wander far. The trees are uphill (which is east) from the nature/environmental center and just north of the easternmost end of the fence that defines north boundary of the Little Farm corrals. The fence provided a convenient brace so we could lean back and observe the bird high in the trees. See previous messages from John Poole and Dave Quady for other location descriptions. We looked for the Swamp Sparrow reported on December 16 by Joe Morlan but did not see it.
Happy holidays,
Judith Dunham
Berkeley, CA
PS In our backyard the past three weeks, we've had a Lincoln's Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow mixed in with the Golden-crowned Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows.
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Black-and-white Warbler at Lake Merritt, Oakland
Mon, 29 Dec 2003 12:54:00 -0800 (PST)
From: David Armstrong
I am forwarding this message to EBBirds with permission from Don Johnson, who found and photographed a Black-and-white Warbler at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Saturday. Don's report follows:
I observed and photographed the bird on Saturday, December 27, at approximately 1:00 PM at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The Black-and-white Warbler was mixed in with a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers. The specific location was in the grove of birch trees on the east side of Perkins St about halfway between Grand Ave and Bellevue Ave.
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Wilson's Snipe at Martinez Regional Shoreline
Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:06:19 -0800
From: Scott Restivo
I saw a Common Snipe [see note below] at Martinez Regional Shoreline, on Sunday December 28, from the long (level) bridge just after the big arched bridge. I don't know if that is unusual or not, but it was interesting to see.
Scott Restivo
San Ramon
Editor's Note: The American bird was recently split from the Common Snipe of the Old World and is now officially known as Wilson's Snipe.
Unusual dove on Richmond / El Cerrito border
Tue, 30 Dec 2003 14:48:18 -0800
From: Lory Poulson
Our yard is located on the Richmond / El Cerrito border, on the side of a shallow canyon (about 8 blocks above San Pablo Avenue - slightly upslope, but well below Tilden and Wildcat Canyon Regional Parks).
Sunday morning (December 28) between 7 and 8 AM the yard was very birdy: Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, White-crowned Sparrows and Golden-crowned Sparrows, California Towhees, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Hermit Thrush.
Suddenly two large whitish doves flew up (possibly from the vicinity of a neighbor's pyrocanthus from which waxwings and robins had been eating this week). They flew upward, side by side - and appeared to have identical markings: white or very light on breast, underwing and undertail - with what appeared to be a speckled dark band near the undertail coverts, widening at the outer edges (couldn't see the back of the neck from my angle).
I was prepared to decide that these were actually white pigeons (enhanced by my eagerness to see something new) - but the length of tail and symmetry of their markings suggest otherwise. Looking primarily at Sibley and National Geographic guides, and Joe Morlan's rarities site, my best guess is Eurasian Collared-Dove or Ringed Turtle-Dove. Has anyone seen either species recently in the East Bay or Bay Area?
thanks! (and thanks to everyone for sightings shared via the EBB list - much appreciated)
Lory Poulson
Black-and-white Warbler still at Lake Merritt, Oakland
Tue, 30 Dec 2003 15:20:44 -0800 (PST)
From: John Harris
Birders,
The Black-and-white Warbler reported at Lake Merritt in Oakland this weekend was still there today at about 1:30 PM. It was associated with a large flock of warblers (I saw lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a few Townsend's Warblers), Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees. The flock was near the entrance road to Children's Fairyland area, not far from where the bird was seen on the weekend. The Black-and-white Warbler's habit of acting like a nuthatch is helpful, and I got a really nice look at this very crisply-plumaged bird. Best of luck.
John H. Harris
Biology Department
Mills College, Oakland, CA
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