White-throated Sparrow
Sat, 28 Nov 1998 08:01:51 -0800
From: Rusty Scalf
A white morph White-throated Sparrow is coming to my backyard bird feeder in Berkeley (which consists of seed thrown on top of a car port out of cat range). Quite a beautiful bird.
Rusty Scalf
Berkeley, Ca
Contra Costa Atlas Presentation
Sun, 29 Nov 1998 12:53:29 PST
From: Steve Glover
East Bay Birders,
Just thought that I would extend an invitation to the upcoming atlas presentation that I am giving on Sunday, Dec. 6th. Anyone interested in the atlas project or who might be interested in helping out next year is welcome to attend. It will be at 6 PM at the Lindsay Museum in Walnut Creek. It will last until 8 PM. I will be presenting the preliminary maps for each species. Hope to see some of you there. If anyone has any questions let me know.
Steve Glover
Turkeys at CSU, Hayward
Sun, 29 Nov 1998 20:58:42 PST
From: Bill Scoggins
Hello East Bay Birders,
I thought you would be interested in this information about our East Bay turkeys. See my reply below for more on turkeys.
Bill Scoggins
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Subj: Re: Let's Talk Turkey.
Date: 11/26/98 2:52:46 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Terry Preston
To: Bill ScogginsHi bill,
Yes it is true....there are turkeys in Hayward. I have seen as many as 40 at one time in the hills adjacent to the campus. I also have seen 10-12 birds grazing on the golf practice tee near the track. They flew immediatly when they saw me. These birds look about as wild as they come. They are not the white domestic "thanksgiving turkey" type. As to whether they are descendents of truly wild birds or whether they are descendents of Dept. of Fish and Game planted stock, I don't know. But they're wild now!!! I've seen the flock 4 times in two years. I believe they move up and down the canyons as someone has also sighted a flock in the south part of Garin Park. I've also seen a very large bobcat in the canyons near the Cal-State campus that is probably very pleased to have resident turkeys in the area.
Feel free to forward this information to anyone....and ....Yes, I would love to get e-mail from fellow birders. Birds are my passion and birders are VERY interesting people. AREN'T WE?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Terry Preston
Hayward
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Hi Terry,Thanks for your reply to my question about the turkeys at CSU, Hayward. I sent your email on to Bill Thomas and Coyote Hills bird watchers.
On Thanksgiving Day the San Jose Mercury News published a lengthy article about the dramatic return of America's wild turkeys and the introduction of California's "wild" turkeys. A short quote from this article follows here.
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From the Mercury News:The birds are not native to most western states, including California, Oregon and Washington. Under an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and state governments, the wild turkey federation has trapped and moved thousands of birds, effectively introducing a non-native species to the western states.Three years ago, environmentalists sued to stop it.
"We'd rather that people be shooting feral pigs," said Emily Roberson, a senior land management analyst with the California Native Plant Society in Oakland.
"We're extremely conservative," she said. "We don't know what the turkeys are doing out there, so we don't see any reason to take unnecessary risk by introducing them into native systems."
Arguing that a plan to introduce wild turkeys into the Cleveland National Forest near San Diego would upset the balance of nature, the California Native Plant Society in 1995 won a lawsuit against the state Department of Fish and Game to block the release. A county judge agreed that the state had not done adequate environmental study.
The plan was dropped.
The native plant society also has fought turkey reintroduction in Owens Valley, and in the woodland foothills of the Sierra National Forest outside Fresno.
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See the URL below to read the complete article.
Wild turkeys trot to full recovery (11/26/1998) http://www5.mercurycenter.com/premium/nation/docs/turkeys26.htm
Happy Birding,
Bill Scoggins
Castro Valley
What's going on at
Coyote Hills?
Reply #1 Reply #2 Subject List
Turkeys
Mon, 30 Nov 1998 08:35:21 -0800
From: Rusty Scalf
Does anyone know if the recent sighting of Turkeys at Briones and in Hayward represent additional plantings, or are these birds spreading from their established sites farther East and South ( Sunol etc)?
Rusty Scalf
Berkeley, Ca
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
Mandarin Ducks
Wed, 30 Nov 1998 21:16:04 PST
From: Bob Lewis
A friend has asked whether the pair of Mandarin Ducks she saw last weekend at Lake Solano are regular there - and escapees or part of a small breeding population. Can anyone help me with an answer?
Bob Lewis
Berkeley, CA