Wildcat Canyon Regional Park today
Sun, 9 May 1999 19:56:37 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
This morning (Sunday) I walked into Wildcat Canyon Regional Park from the north side at the Clark Road gate, following the Clark-Boas Trail up to its junction with the Belgum Trail on San Pablo Ridge. It's a little less than a mile, with a climb of around 700 feet or more. The views over San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait are lovely, with views over San Francisco Bay and El Cerrito/Richmond if you continue west a short distance on Belgum Trail.
Not far from the end of the road, I saw a Lazuli Bunting, singing loudly from the top of a big thistle plant. Near the top of the ridge, there were Western Bluebirds feeding and perching on the thistle plants. There were also some lovely grasslands, but I didn't see much animal life on them except for the omnipresent cows.
A sign at the first gate indicated that East Bay Regional Park District will be poisoning the artichoke thistle plants this week, to stop them from invading the grasslands. Hikers were urged to avoid the areas of chemical application, or at least to keep their dogs on leash. There was no indication of any concern for birds or other wildlife.
Poisoning is scheduled along Mezue Trail on Monday and Tuesday, Belgum Trail on Wednesday and Thursday, and Wildcat Creek Trail on Friday.
I was out in late morning to a bit past noon, so there weren't a lot of birds around. Here's my list:
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) - heard only
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) - heard only
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) - heard only
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - heard only
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - heard only
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Goldfinches
Sun, 9 May 1999 20:16:45 PDT
From: Marilyn Trabert
Can someone tell me how much longer I can expect the Lesser and American Goldfinches to frequent my thistle feeders? Is there a rule-of-thumb schedule for when they are expected to leave to nest and when they usually return? We've had them for months, and I will hate to see them go!
Marilyn Trabert
Walnut Creek
Fwd: Contra Costa County, Part 6: Mini Big Day
Sun, 09 May 1999 21:27:13 -0700
From: Mike Feighner
Posted to EBbird by Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Contra Costa County, Part 6: Mini Big Day
Thu, 6 May 1999 19:34:25 PDT
From: Mary Beth StoweHi, all.
Decided kinda at the last minute to do a mini Big Day, to revisit some of my favorite areas before hitting the Richmond area tomorrow with Steve. Didn't wind up with a big list having skipped shorebird habitat (that's tomorrow), but it was fun nonetheless.
Started off at Tilden Park, where this time I had the Jewel Lake Trail all to myself (almost)! Hitting it first thing in the morning proved to be great: the chorus consisted of Black-headed Grosbeak, junco, Song Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, and Chestnut-backed Chickadee to name a few! Took the boardwalk at a slower pace, where a very soft rising "whah" revealed a new trip bird: Swainson's Thrush! (That call note is hard to "phonicate"...) A Great Blue Heron, new for the county, was at the lake, and picked up Brown Creeper in the redwoods (or whatever) on the way back (I actually ended up looping back on the Pack Rat Trail, which made for a nice variety of habitat). Unique for the day there as well were American Goldfinch, Allen's (probably) Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk, Violet-green Swallow, and Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Made the long drive to Mt. Diablo after that, and went up South Gate Road to the Upper Mitchell Canyon Trail. Rolled down my window to listen on the way up (which I shoulda done at Tilden Park) and picked up several birds that way, including Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, and my trip Sage Sparrow! The trail was pretty quiet compared to the last one, but did pick up Meadowlark, Lark Sparrow, and Horned Lark up there. I was sweating the Rufous-crowned Sparrow until he sang just as I reached my car!
Headed down North Gate Road and over to Lower Mitchell Canyon, where it was much quieter than the last time I was there (amazing what a difference the time of day makes!). Did pick up White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, and Anna's Hummer for the day; another birding couple said they had a Phainopepla down the trail, but I couldn't find him/her. My two wintering sparrows from the last time evidently headed north, for they were nowhere to be found! A pair of Hutton's Vireos alternately sang and scolded instead.
A little discouraged at the lack of species, headed on over to Contra Loma Reservoir (after getting lost and winding up in Pittsburg first), where that was a little more productive: parked down by the lake to walk the trail to the beach, and was shocked to find a Common Loon sitting placidly on the water! He was later joined by a pair of Western Grebes. Barn Swallows were all over (as well as Redwings), and at the beach the Tricolored Blackbird was right where I left him! Robins fed on the lawn, as well as many Brewer's Blackbirds. Picked up the shrike on the way out.
Decided to try Piper Slough again (now that I knew about the gate), but first decided to see if I could get my magpie for the county by checking out the specific grove of eucalyptus they're supposed to nest in. Found the place, pulled over, and sure enough, after awhile one if them swooped out! I usually don't make a special effort to find a particular bird, but I do love those magpies!
On to Piper Slough, where I added a gorgeous Bullock's Oriole on the wire. The wind was picking up pretty good, but at least it wasn't raining like last time! Found the gate (I hadn't looked hard enough the first time...) and took a hike: things pretty much stayed low, but managed to add by ear several riparian things, such as Downy Woodpecker, pheasant, yellowthroat, and a stupid cowbird. Coots and a lone Forster's Tern were over the water, and a young male harrier hunted over the vegetation. A Western Kingbird was on the wire fence by the car.
On to Ironhouse, where the wind was still howling and the water in the ponds was up! Lost my shorebirds!!! But the Gadwall and Cinnamon Teal were still around (as well as the Canada Goose family), and the Marsh Wrens sang dutifully from the reeds. A Caspian Tern flew overhead, and when I clapped to try to get a rail to call, got a Green Heron to pop up instead. Boy, am I glad I got such a good "listen" of the Black Rail last time!
Was tempted to check out some of the north bay localities, but it was getting late and I was bushed (was shocked I did so well on two hours of sleep), so headed on in to Richmond to the hotel (where I got to add California Gull to the list), and what a pretty drive in along Highway 4!
Bird List:
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
California Quail (Callipepla californica)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
California Gull (Larus californicus)
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)
Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus borealis)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Cliff Swallow (Hirundo pyrrhonota)
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rufescens)
Oak Titmouse (Parus inornatus)
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)
Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)
Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)87 SPECIES
So Far: 129 SpeciesMary Beth Stowe
San Diego, CA