About Fox Sparrows and migration
Thu, 22 Apr
2004 17:33:33 -0700
From: Phila Rogers
Greetings fellow birders:
Thanks everyone to getting me up to speed on certain migrations and to Steve Glover for the the good info on Fox Sparrows. I realize now that the Fox Sparrow I see in the early summer nesting in the manzanita at our Sierra vacation spot at Angora Lakes (7,500 feet) is the lighter, grayer subspecies.
What several folks, including Rusty Scalf, write about waterfowl that now longer migrate (like the Canada Goose) are most likely introduced birds who lack the proper migratory instinct, makes sense. What I believe I've observed over the years of living in the Bay Area is most likely the shifting of ranges. When I was a kid it was only when spending summers in Santa Barbara that I learned the Northern Mockingbird. Now all I need to do is visit downtown Berkeley. I'm sure there are other examples. I certainly don't remember American Robins in such year-round abundance
About microclimates: Terry Coddington and his wife invited me to sit at their breakfast table this morning so I could see "their" White-throated Sparrow. The Coddingtons live a scant three blocks from me in the Berkeley Hills but in terms of habitat it might has been miles away. They live in canyon with lots of eucalyptus and some bays while I feed birds on an open, sunny and breezy deck. In their sylvan environment I watched a number of Steller's Jays (I have only Western Scrub-Jays). While I was there probably 20 Band-tailed Pigeons dropped down out of the trees to feed both on their patio and on the slope under the trees (I have only Mourning Doves). And a male Black-headed Grosbeak came to the sunflower feeder next to the window. My microclimate seems to favor finches and lots of American Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches crowd my hanging niger feeder.
When mentioning the two remaining Golden-crowned Sparrows with their bright heads, I referred to them as males. Someone reminded me that in that species both the male and female are similarly colored and that the duller one (the sole remaining bird) is probably an immature bird. Of course, that made me wonder why in some species the male is bright and the female is duller (or shall we say subtler colored). I have some probably half-baked theories about that.
Thanks again,
Phila Rogers
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Golden-crowned Sparrows (and Black Phoebe)
Fri, 23 Apr 2004 10:30:57 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
From: Diane Perry
I'm still getting them here in my yard (Golden-crowned Sparrows, underneath the feeders) in Walnut Creek, too! Surprising considering our warm March weather, but then the past couple of weeks have not been all that warm. Still getting lots of White-crowned Sparrows too. Also, a wild Mallard couple has taken over our backyard pool recently (our yard backs up to the Contra Costa Canal - I guess they prefer our more peaceful pool setting better). It was amusing to see "our" Black Phoebe actually dive bombing them the other night (he was annoyed they had taken over his territory, I think). "Our" Black Phoebe shows up every evening, 7:15 PM sharp, to snip up bugs that are half-dying upon the surface of the pool. Puts on quite a show!
Diane Perry
Walnut Creek
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Blue Grosbeak on Patterson Pass Road
Fri,
23 Apr 2004 14:32:16 -0700
From: Arlyn Christopherson
I went to Patterson Pass Rd east of Livermore at the 6.21 mile post at 7:45 this morning, hoping to hear the Blue Grosbeak singing. At 8:10 AM I heard a chink! and found a male on an exposed branch. He flew down the drainage and perched again, giving me good views. I lost him when he chased a small bird down into the willows. I waited til 9:00 but neither saw nor heard him again.
Also seen:
Arlyn Christopherson
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A hat trick for Skip
Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:14:25
-0700
From: Dennis Braddy
EastBayBirders,
In a major departure from our usual sidewalk loop around the neighborhood, Skip and I took a two-hour hike through nearby Bishop Ranch Regional Preserve (BRRP) this afternoon. Along Stream View Trail we had a Black-headed Grosbeak, a bird Skip has only seen once or twice before. A few minutes later we turned to look back down the hill. At eye level in an oak tree below the trail we espied a pair of Warbling Vireos - a life bird for Skip! A bit farther up the trail we followed the Ka-briks to Skip's second life bird of the day - Ash-throated Flycatcher. In spite of his excitement about his first sighting of an Ash-throated Flycatcher, Skip objected that he had in fact heard, if not seen, Ash-throated Flycatcher before. Maybe. I had to admit that his hearing is far better than mine, but adding birds to Skip's life list that only he can hear is a slippery slope that we're not going to start down no matter how much he whines. Later, as we traversed Red Tail Hawk Trail on the open crests of BRRP's grassy hilltops, a flock of Cliff Swallows swarmed above us. Astoundingly, this species turned out not to have previously been entered onto Skip's life list. Skip complained bitterly (and much to my chagrin I had to agree) that this was a most egregious clerical error. Mea culpa.
Dennis Braddy and Skip
San Ramon
For directions and a map: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/bishop.htm
Note: Be sure to take the small trail on the right just past the squeaky metal gate. This hikers-only "short-cut" to Stream View Trail includes some of the best birding in the park. For a nice 2 mile loop, turn right onto Stream View Trail, left onto Red Tail Hawk Trail, and then left onto Grayfox Trail.
Wood Ducks at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area,
Fremont?
Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:58:49 -0700
From: Joan Bernstein
I had a meeting in Santa Clara a couple of days ago, and stopped in Fremont on the way back north to check out Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area, which I had never visited. I was particularly interested to see the section where many Wood Duck houses are installed. Does anyone know if Wood Ducks have been nesting here, and if so, what their nesting schedule is, roughly?
Thanks,
Joan Bernstein
Wild Turkeys and Acorn Woodpecker
Fri, 23
Apr 2004 23:06:30 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
I am forwarding this message to the list for Lee Ellis:
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 22:41:49 -0700
On Thursday, April 22, I saw a tom Wild Turkey crossing county road 130 at mile 5 east of the summit of Mt Hamilton, about 11:30 AM. In the afternoon, I saw one tom and 2 hens in the Arroyo Bayo at the junction of the (private) road to Bollinger Canyon, just west of the San Antonio Valley road at about mile 10.5. Also saw 3 Northern Orioles trying to resolve a territory or love conflict.
This afternoon, Friday, April 23, at about 2 PM, I heard a great commotion at my home north of Washington High School and east of Fremont Blvd, Centerville section of Fremont, and looked up to see dueling or foraging Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows. Then an Acorn Woodpecker landed briefly in my cork oak. Wouldn't that make a wonderful granary tree! An Acorn Woodpecker was reported in Garin Regional Park back in the 1970s, I believe, and within the year there have been several sightings in Hayward.
Forwarded to EBB by Larry Tunstall