Happy Holidays
Wed, 23 Dec 1998 12:38:19 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
I'm busy with family celebrations for the next few days, so the EBbird list will be on autopilot, and messages won't get posted to the website until Sunday or Monday.
Joyous solstice and happy birding,
Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
http://www.best.com/~folkbird/
Hooded Merganser
Sat, 26 Dec 1998 15:26:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Emilie
On Christmas Day, Mike McClaskey and I saw a female hooded merganser in Briones Regional Park. The bird was on a large stock pond just north of the junction of Mott Peak Trail and Briones Crest Trail, swimming with bufflehead and ring-necked ducks around a large sheet of ice.
Sandhill Crane fly-in
Sun, 27 Dec 1998 08:13:24 PST
From: Bill Scoggins
27 Dec. 1998
Yesterday I went by the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve near Lodi, CA. I was there for the sundown fly-in. I have seen this fly-in before, but yesterday was really spectacular with thousands of sandhill cranes returning to roost, along with hundreds of teal, shovelers, shorebirds, and about 100 beautiful tundra swans. All this with Mt. Diablo, the Central Valley, and a red and pink clouded sundown in the background. I was there at from about 4:15 PM until 5:15 PM.
The fly-in of cranes is nearing its peak so I have included some information if you want to take the Dept of Fish and Game two-hour tour which offers close-up views of these magnificent birds.
Public tour dates are every Sunday through February, except Feb. 14; plus the Saturdays Jan. 16, Jan 23, Feb 6 and Feb 27, and the Thursdays Jan. 7 and Feb 4. Group tours are also available on some Saturdays. The tours are in the late afternoon ending at sunset and involve a little walking.
To register, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and a card listing name, address, phone number, first and second choices of date, and number in your party to Crane Tours, Dept. of Fish and Game, 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. A $5-a-person donation is requested at the site. Please call (916) 358-2900.
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Golden Gate Audubon is also going to Woodbridge:
Sunday, January 31WOODBRIDGE ROAD ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE AND AREA, San Joaquin County
Meet at 9:00 AM at the park and ride lot on the east side of the intersection of I-5 and Hwy. 12, west of Lodi. The first planned stop will be the Lodi Sewer Ponds. This location is very birdy, and depending upon water levels, is usually reliable for Pacific Golden Plover. We will then caravan to the Woodbridge Road Ecological Area, where we should see Sandhill Cranes and Tundra Swans. The rest of the day will be determined by the leader on the day of the trip. Bring lunch. Trip will end by mid afternoon or sooner depending upon weather. Beginners welcome. Be prepared for cold. Heavy rain cancels. Fog may make viewing difficult.
Leader: Jim Rowoth (209) 462-7512.
Oakland CBC highlights
Sun, 27 Dec 1998 16:03:53 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Clyde Morris and Joelle Buffa report the following preliminary highlights on the Oakland Christmas Bird Count, which was held on Sunday, December 20, "amid record cold temperatures, high winds, and an occasional snowflake.
"The high winds made it difficult for the boats on the Bay as well as [counters on] exposed shoreline areas such as Treasure Island, but our birders are a hardy bunch, recording 178 species, which is on the high end of our recent average years."
Highlights included a Ross Goose at Aquatic Park, a Snow Goose at Albany Flats, a female Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt, an adult Bald Eagle at Lafayette Reservoir, 4 Black Oystercatchers and 2 Surfbirds at the Point Isabel area, a 1st-winter Glaucous Gull off the Berkeley Marina, a Long-eared Owl at Siesta Valley, an Allen's Hummingbird in Redwood Regional Park, a Violet-green Swallow at Arrowhead Marsh, 30 Tree Swallows at San Pablo Ridge, a Black-and-White Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler at Lake Merritt, and a Palm Warbler in Alameda. There also is a report of a Wood Duck seen on count day within the CBC circle.
The rare bird committee will review the reports of rare species, and all counts and tallies will be rechecked. Within the next few weeks, a complete final report should be ready and will be distributed to this list.
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall
RFI: other East Bay CBCs
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1998 16:14:25 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Forgot to mention in the previous message that it would be very nice if someone could post preliminary highlights (and eventually complete official counts) for the other East Bay Christmas Bird Counts.
Thanks, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA