Fwd: Request for Info on Dunsmuir House area
(Oakland)
Sat, 12 Dec 1998 07:04:24 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East-Bay-Birders:
Forwarding the following message for Jennifer Matkin....
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
From: Jennifer Matkin
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 06:46:49 PST
To: Mike FeighnerHi Mike,
Would you forward this to East Bay Birds for me? I'm not on the list, as I don't bird there much. Thanks!
Hi East Bay Birders,
I will be covering the Dunsmuir area on the Oakland CBC. It includes the Oakland Zoo area (Knowland Park), the Dunsmuir House (we were granted access), and Sequoyah Country Club (ditto). Other areas shown on my map that might be "birdable" are Sobrante Park, King Estate Open Space, and a "Reservoir" marked near Holy Redeemer College. Looks pretty devoid of shorebird habitat, and maybe of duck habitat too. I have never birded this area before and would appreciate any tips on where to go. Please respond directly to me rather than to the list.
Thanks!
Jennifer Matkin
San Francisco
Re: CoCo Tropical Kingbird
Sat, 12 Dec 1998 07:09:19 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
Joe and East-Bay-Birders:
In this case the Tropical Kingbird is in Hidden Valley Park and not Hidden Lakes Park as has been reported until now.... The parking lot I refer to is opposite Center Avenue and Redwood Drive...
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
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Hidden Lakes
Sat, 12 Dec 1998 9:03:45 PST
From: Denise Wight
Hi EBBirders,
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, wrote:
I have checked several maps including the one on Joe Morlan's page. Are Hidden Valley Park and Hidden Lake Park one and the same?
The general area in which the Tropical Kingbird is being seen is known to us locals as Hidden Lakes Park, which encompasses Hidden Lakes Open Space AND Hidden Valley Park. If you have an AAA map of the Concord-Martinez area, you will see that these two area merge together.
Denise Wight
Original Message Next Reply Subject List
Place Names
Sat, 12 Dec 1998 12:20:58 -0800
From: Nick Story
Dear Fellow Birders,
The recent flurry of messages about Hidden Lakes Park, Hidden Valley Park, etc. points up something that has been bugging me for a long time (since before there was an Internet). Birders have tended to be pretty casual in their geography, so that there are numerous reports dealing with places called "Woodland sugar ponds" and "Fish Docks," while such places can almost never be found on most maps and the names seldom even have local currency. Fortunately, there seems to be a change going on, probably because of the spread of things like EBBirds.
A couple of years ago I went chasing out to Martinez to look for something rare that was supposed to be at Hidden-something Park (I think it was Hidden Lakes) but I never found the bird, and never found out whether I had gone to the right place. So much for chasing rarities. Thanks to all of you whose reports are gaining in informative detail, especailly regarding eastern Contra Costa County.
Does anybody know what happened to the Breeding-Bird Census that used to be published in American Birds every year? I was a contributor to it back in the 1970s, but then I dropped out for several years and when I came back to birding, American Birds had dsisappeared and so had the census. I will appreciate any enlightenment that might come along. Thanks.
Hooded Merganser
Sun, 13 Dec 1998 14:49:41 -0800
From: Rusty Scalf
There were 3 (1 male, 2 female) Hooded Merganser at the Mountain View Cemetery ponds in Oakland this morning. Sunday Morning.
Rusty Scalf
Valle Vista Staging Area
Sun, 13 Dec 1998 20:34:47 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East-Bay-Birders:
Yesterday I did some limited birding within Contra Costa County at the Valle Vista Staging Area which is at the east side of Canyon Road about two miles south of the intersection of Moraga Road and St. Marys Road. Moraga Road becomes Canyon Road where it meets with Moraga Way.
Not being pleased with the lighting over the reservoir I switched to the Rock Ridge Trail which takes you to the east side of the reservoir. Here I counted 19 Ring-necked Ducks and two pair of Hooded Mergansers and further back on the main part of the reservoir at least three Common Mergansers and many other ducks I could not make out. I didn't see any Wood Ducks.
On the hillside above the trail I counted over 70 Canada Geese, and at one point I flushed out a Cooper's Hawk. Probably the most unexpected bird was a wintering House Wren about mid-way on the trail where there is a locked gate on the left and a pile of gray rocks on the right.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA