Fox Sparrow at Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland
Wed,
25 Feb 2004 10:11:12 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
I've been remiss in not posting the following:
For at least the last three weeks, a Fox Sparrow has been in the shrubbery at the Arrowhead Marsh parking lot, usually in the patch between the parking lot and the trail. (Arrowhead Marsh is in Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland.)
The "Amerasian" Wigeon reported by Don Lewis yesterday was photographed. A good picture can be found at
http://badboybirding.com/EUWIxAMWI_01252004.htm
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
White-throated Sparrow at Albany shoreline
Fri, 27 Feb 2004 15:33:05 -0800
From: Travis Hails
Yesterday, 26 February, I found a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), tan phase, in the Albany Waterfront Park located just north of Golden Gate Fields racetrack.
The bird was foraging in a small flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows in a "Sculpture Garden" located on the top level more or less in the northwest corner of the park ["Albany Bulb"]. The sculptures are about 8 feet below grade, but considerably above the lower (shore) level.
Travis Hails
Alameda, CA
Snow Bunting and Chukar at Clifton Court Forebay,
near Byron
Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:28:50 -0800
From: Akira So
Hi all,
Earlier this afternoon, I decided to take some time out for a relaxing birding at Clifton Court Forebay. (East of Livermore, near Patterson Pass, in the area of Byron.) Instead, I ended up working hard trying to re-find an elusive Snow Bunting. It was rather frustrating than relaxing.
Here is the only documentation photo I managed of the Snow Bunting today, seen from the rear end of the bird:
http://home.earthlink.net/~akira_s/Temp/SnowBunting.htm(Although the photo doesn't show the bill, the bill color was yellowish, not black.)
I initially noticed the bunting moving around on the shore of the forebay/reservoir in a scoped view, in the background of a Herring Gull that I was looking at. The bird was moving actively (foraging?) on the water-side of the levee slope. I couldn't get a very good look then, and quickly lost sight as I hurried toward it, because of the winding shape of the reservoir levee.
After much walking around, I eventually gave up. When I returned to my car, however, I saw the flashy white-black-and-tan colored bird in the grassy area near the gravel parking lot at the end of Clifton Court Rd. Then, again, it quickly flew to the nearest slope of the reservoir levee.
A very frustrating hide-and-seek ensued, but I eventually managed a single distant shot shown above, before it flew away to the westward direction, toward the area where access is restricted. I looked around for it some more, but couldn't find it. The bird was very active, and didn't tolerate a close approach.
Another unexpected find in the same general area today was a pair of Chukars, getting warmed up in the Sun, on the dirt road that runs along the water channel on the north side of the reservoir (not the paved levee where the bunting was seen). As I was watching them, they got literally chased around by two dogs that someone was walking. They escaped, but got separated from each other. Later I saw one of them - the one in the photo below - calling for the other.
Here is a photo of one of the Chukars:
http://home.earthlink.net/~akira_s/Temp/Chukar.htm
The Chukars were seen roughly 0.5 miles from the parking lot, heading (walking) east, along the dirt road. If you reach the big bend in the waterway where there is a small island, you have gone too far.
Better yet, here is a map of Clifton Court Forebay. I marked up the locations of my sightings of these birds. Hope someone can re-locate the bunting.
http://home.earthlink.net/~akira_s/Temp/CliftonCourtForebayMap.htm
Good birding,
Akira
Pleasanton, CA
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