Another color-banded warbler in Tilden Nature Area
Sat, 3 Apr 2004 13:19:13 -0800
From: Laura Gee
Today, while on the monthly birdwalk with Wild Bird Center of Walnut Creek, we spotted another color-banded Wilson's Warbler in the Tilden Regional Park Nature Area, Berkeley Hills. It had a white (top) and yellow (bottom) band(s) on the left leg, silver band on the right leg. It was on the lakeside of the dirt trail leading to the lake before you get to the bench. The pair of Buffleheads continue at the lake. Other sightings of note: Violet-green Swallows, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Allen's Hummingbirds and Lesser Goldfinch. It was a beautiful day.
As of yesterday afternoon, a White-throated Sparrow which has been wintering in my backyard, is still here, along with 3 or 4 each White-crowned Sparrows and Golden-crowned Sparrows.
Laura Gee
Walnut Creek, north end of Overlook Dr
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Egyptian Goose at McNabney Marsh, Martinez
Sat, 03 Apr 2004 17:00:32 -0800
From: Dennis & Patricia Braddy
EastBayBirders,
On our way back from birding in Napa, we stopped by Waterbird Regional Preserve at McNabney Marsh in Martinez for a few minutes this afternoon. As we neared the entrance a Great-tailed Grackle flew across the road. We saw 2 or 3 more later. While scanning the mud exposed by a low tide, Pat spotted our first McNabney Sora foraging in bright sunlight. A couple of minutes later she found another. Nearby were a pair of tail-flicking, red-shielded Common Moorhens. Another personal McNabney first and our most unexpected find of the day was an adult Egyptian Goose.
Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon
Another lifer for Skip, Part II
Sat, 03 Apr
2004 18:26:25 -0800
From: Dennis Braddy
EastBayBirders,
Since our surprising discovery of Red-breasted Nuthatch nesting activity in a telephone pole on Norris Canyon Rd in San Ramon last week, Skip and I have passed by several more times with, unfortunately, no further sightings. I assumed the nesting attempt had been abandoned. When Pat stopped by a second time she thought she detected an enlargement of the entrance hole. I rashly suggested she was guilty of wishful thinking. Skip wisely kept his opinions to himself. Then late this afternoon as Skip and I passed a stand of conifers two blocks away from the nest pole, we heard the insistent call of Red-breasted Nuthatch. A birding acquaintance once suggested that Skip was smarter and better looking than me. Well smarter maybe.
Dennis and Patricia Braddy and Skip
San Ramon
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Hawks over Strawberry Canyon, Berkeley
Sat,
03 Apr 2004 18:28:37 -0800
From: Tom Condit
At midday today, two Red-shouldered Hawks were flying and calling to each other over Strawberry Canyon east of the UC Berkeley campus up by the fire trail and UC Botanical Garden. A Red-tailed Hawk was over the Rugby Field just above the Cal Stadium.
Tom Condit
Re: Color-banded warbler in Tilden Nature Area
Sat, 3 Apr 2004 18:28:41 PST
From: Bill Gilbert
Thank you, Kay, for answering on my behalf (my e-mail checks suffer in spring), and thank you, Ted, for your accurate Wilson's Warbler color-band report. This indeed was a male Wilson's Warbler I banded on 3 May 2002, about halfway along the Lower Packrat Trail, which would place it about the same spot Ted saw it, except on the other (west) side of the "swamp." This bird now is at least three years old; older than your average Wilson's Warbler.
Bill Gilbert
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Re: Color-banded warbler in Tilden Nature Area
Sat, 3 Apr 2004 19:01:46 PST
From: Bill Gilbert
Thank you also, Laura, for your accurate Wilson's Warbler color-band report. This bird is a female that I banded on 30 March of this year (I normally band females with silver band on left leg, but I messed up with this bird) on the Upper Packrat Trail about 100 meters north of the junction with the Memory Trail . Your sighting is of interest in that it was along the Lower Packrat Trail, some distance from where I banded the bird (I re-site most territorial males close to where I band them). Your sighting seems to demonstrate how the females often wander around, apparently "sampling" many male territories, and perhaps the males themselves, before finally deciding where to settle. I have seen females enter males' territories (the males become very attentive, usually stop singing, and follow the females), "check things out," and then move on. So it's not just human males that suffer rejection from choosy females.
Bill Gilbert
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