Atlasing on 6/21 & 6/22
Tue, 22 Jun 1999 14:15:13 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
I did some atlasing the last couple of days, the following are the highlights.
On 6/21 I birded Riggs Canyon on the south flank of Mt. Diablo. I confirmed about 15 species although I had most of them already. There are lots of young birds around begging and being fed. I confirmed European Starling, Barn Swallow, Western Bluebird, Oak Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, House Wren, Warbling Vireo, American Crow, Brewer's Blackbird and Chipping Sparrow. Juvenile Chipping Sparrows were everywhere out there. This may be the best place in the county to see this species. I also had several pairs each of Western Tanagers and Cassin's Vireos but was unable to confirm either of them [breeding]. A Canyon Wren was buzzing around the rocks at the start of the trail at the end of Finley Rd. but I found no juveniles. This is the most accessible spot in the county for this species.
On 6/22 I birded the block in east county with Marsh Creek Reservoir. The best birding was along Marsh Creek Rd. just below (east of) the reservoir. Just east of the reservoir you drop downhill to what is basically the boundary between the Diablo Range and the Central Valley. Here, along the road, is a small stretch of oak riparian habitat. Species here included the following:
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Nuttall's Woodpecker - fledgling being fed
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bullock's Oriole - carrying food
Red-shouldered Hawk - A pair nests here but have avoided confirmation.
Oak Titmouse - fledglings
Black-headed Grosbeak
Tree Swallow
Barn Owl - 1 flushed
Brewer's Blackbird - carrying food
Bushtit - begging juveniles
California Towhee
Several of the above species reach only this far east in the county or become much scarcer, including California Towhee, Oak Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch. The highlight here by far was a pair of light-phase Swainson's Hawks feeding a nearly full grown juvenile at the nest in an oak tree. The nest is easily seen from the road at the east end of this riparian strip if you look to the north. If you look north and to the west of the transmission wires there are several lone oak trees. The nest is on the outside of the tree facing you. The adults carried in various rodents at least 4 times in the half hour I was there. This is the third confirmation for the atlas so far.
At Marsh Creek Reservoir I saw a Mallard with 5 babies, a young Pied-billed Grebe, Tree Swallows feeding begging juveniles, and Red-winged Blackbirds feeding young. Other birds there included Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron (a few nest there), and Common Moorhen.
Happy birding,
Steve Glover
Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland, 6/23
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 16:27:51 -0700
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
Wednesday afternoon, I saw a flock of eight Willets foraging in the mudflats at the foot of Arrowhead Marsh [in Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland], near the fishing pier. Six of the eight were adults in full breeding plumage. They were so heavily marked and so brown that at first I thought they were Godwits! The first returning migrants of the season?
The non-adult Bonaparte's Gulls that had been at the feshwater ponds in Mitigation Marsh for the past week were absent today.
At least one Burrowing Owl was still at the shoreline.
Good birding!
Courtenay Peddle
Trogon computer?
Thu, 24 Jun 1999 11:35:01 -0700
From: Becca Freed
I just saw an ad for a Trogon notebook. Just the thing for taking into the field, no doubt... ;-]
Becca Freed
Berkeley CA
Eastern Contra Costa County 6/24
Thu, 24 Jun 1999 13:41:32 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
This morning I atlased in two blocks in eastern Contra Costa County near Byron. The first is numbered 625-195 and the part I atlased is at the east end of Orwood Rd. At the end of the road before you rise up onto the levee where the boat harbor is, there is a nice cottonwood/willow clump that has water year round and a marshy area full of vegetation that I haven't bothered to figure out. This is a pretty good place for migrants in spring. This morning there I had the following:
American Robin - Carrying food. I have been surprised at how widespread this species is in east county. Earlier in the century this species didn't nest anywhere in the East Bay, let alone out there.Song Sparrow - Fledglings. Quite common here.
House Finch - Carrying food and feeding fledglings.Blue Grosbeak - There are at least 5 pairs squeezed into this little area so it is definitely one of the best places in the county for this species.
Red-winged Blackbird - Carrying food.
Common Yellowthroat - Very common here. It is interesting that Marsh Wren is completely absent.
Black-headed Grosbeak - One singing male. I was unable to find a mate (for the grosbeak).
Downy Woodpecker
Brown-headed Cowbird
Ring-necked Pheasant
Killdeer
American Crow
Common Raven - A group of 4. This species is continuing to become more common in east county.
Western Kingbird - A pair.
California Quail - Fledglings. This species is scarce and local in east county but this spot is reliable.
Northern Harrier - Carrying food to an assumed nest.
Swainson's Hawk - A pair of adults, probably nesting nearby.
Western Scrub-Jay
American Kestrel - Feeding a begging fledgling.
Two other birds of notice were an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Prairie Falcon. The Wilson's Warbler falls into no man's land. It could be a late migrant, an early migrant, a summering bird, who knows. Either way it doesn't breed out there. The Prairie Falcon is also pretty far from nesting habitat around Mt. Diablo. I rarely find this species in east county even in winter.
Next I went to the block just to the west for a few minutes. Along Orwood Rd. where it passes a harbor area and crosses over the Werner Dredging Cut is an area of lots of eucalyptus and some cottonwoods. There was a Green Heron nest and a Western Kingbird nest adjacent to the road, both in eucs. Here also were more American Robins and a vocal pair of Swainson's Hawks.
A Red-shouldered Hawk was in open farmland on Balfour Rd.
A pair of Burrowing Owls was alongside Highway J-4 just north of Clifton Court Forebay and another one was at the entrance to a burrow along Bruns Rd. just south of there. About 5 years ago this embankment was loaded with Burrowing Owls. One day I had 5 or 6 families there in June. I have since missed them on most trips. Since the ground squirrels are also nearly nonexistent I can't help but wonder if they have been poisened out of there. Would anyone be surprised?
Steve Glover