Hummers, Fox Sparrows at UC Botanical Garden
Fri, 15 Oct 1999 15:27:13 -0700
From: Tom Condit
Friday, 15 Oct 99:
Selasphorus hummingbirds continued in reduced numbers at UC Botanical Garden this morning. All but one of the ones I was able to get good looks at perching or hovering had much more red than green on their backs; the one exception still had a lot of red, but the center of the back was pretty solidly green. None of them fanned their tails out well enough for a decent look, but the couple I could see fairly well had "a lot of white" in the tail, so that the tail as a whole appeared white-tipped. (I'm not sure I could tell the difference between Allen's Hummingbird & Rufous Hummingbird tails, no matter how good a look I got.)
The mystery hummers from last week appear to have moved on, at least I didn't see them. The Anna's Hummingbirds are out in force, courting, disputing territory, hawking for insects, and generally constantly in motion. Some of the flowers on the Mesoamerican hill have wilted, which may account for some drop off in Selasphorus activity, but there is continous bloom here all year around, so there's just about always some hummer activity.
I saw my first Fox Sparrows of the season, four or five of them, also on the Mesoamerican hill. They seemed pretty young, and one was even apparently engaged (fruitlessly) in begging behavior. Most were very dull in coloration - is this the altivagans subspecies? One darker individual, the only one with significant red in the rump and tail and also much more heavily spotted on the breast, perched on a bunch of Salvia and sang repeatedly.* It (probably, I guess, "he") had both upper and lower mandibles light colored, with a rough-looking dark area descending the culmen to the tip, but making up a little less than half the upper mandible.
Tom Condit
*Anyone on the list tracking misguided breeding behavior?
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Subject Index
Singing Fox Sparrow at UC Botanical Gardens
Fri, 15 Oct 1999 16:47:58 -0700
From: Tom Condit
After I posted my previous message I downloaded messages and see that Larry & Ore saw and heard the same singing Fox Sparrow yesterday. Is this at all common for this time of year?
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Meeker Slough, Richmond
Fri, 15 Oct 1999 22:34:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard Mix
Ann Callaway and I spent an hour birding from the bench behind the coyote bush just past the beach on the marina side of Meeker Slough in Richmond this afternoon. This spot overlooks a Y shaped channel, and with the setting sun at our backs we had good looks at the shorebirds as well as solitary Greenwinged Teal and American Widgeon.
Killdeer
Black-bellied Plover
Willet
Dowitcher
two Snipe (very dramatic back markings)
many Least Sandpipers
and a few small light ash-grey peeps among many larger warm-brown backed birds, both with darkish legs - would Dunlin and Western Sandpiper fit this time of year?
Finally, as the shadows fell around 6:20, a Clapper Rail emerged from the grass.
Richard Mix, El Cerrito
List owner's note: Meeker Slough is not labeled on most maps. To reach it, take Marina Bay Pkwy from Hwy 580 in Richmond south, winding through the Marina Bay development, until you come to Shimada Friendship Park, a small park facing on the bay with a parking lot. Park here and walk left (east) along the bayshore until you see the marsh area on your right. --Larry
Fox Sparrows
Sat, 16 Oct 1999 09:43:06 -0700
From: Larry Tunstall
Tom Condit asked about Fox Sparrow subspecies and autumn singing behavior. Here's some background information from James Rising's A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada (Academic Press, 1996).
He says that the Fox Sparrow is likely to be split soon into at least four species on the basis of molecular and behavioral (vocal) evidence. However, he then lumps two of these species back together as being essentially indistinguishable in the field, so he ends up with three species listed in his book.
Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) breeds in dense deciduous thickets (commonly alders or willows), in bogs, and in dwarf spruce or fir all across the north part of the continent. It winters on the Pacific Coast of the US and into southeastern California and southern Arizona, as well as through much of the eastern half of the US, including Texas. In migration or in winter it prefers "low, moist areas with rank, tall brush, and brush piles, often at woodland edge," "wet woods (such as maple swamps)", or "chaparral and streamside thickets." The song is described as "a series of over 6 loud, clear, slurred ringing whistles on different pitches, usually ending with a buzzy whistle. Individuals sing the same song repeatedly, but there is much individual variation in song." Rising comments that the males "occasionally sing in winter."
Sooty Fox Sparrow (Passerella unalaschcensis) breeds along the southern coast of Alaska and the coast of British Columbia, and winters along the coast from British Columbia through Southern California. "In winter in California they are found in chaparral, often in fairly dry chaparral but especially in dense arborescent chaparral, or dense understory of oak woodlands." "In winter they are found singly or in small groups, although they do not tend to flock and are quite responsive to spishing." There is no reference to winter singing.
Slate-colored Fox Sparrow (Passerella schistacea, including Passerella megarhyncha). Breeds in the interior of British Columbia and the northwestern US, even in scattered mountain locations in southern California. Winters in central and southern California, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico. Nests in "deciduous thickets (rose, willows, alders, aspen, birch, mountain whitethorn (Ceanothus), manzanita, bush chinquapin, bearberry, wild rose, gooseberry, or elderberry), and sometimes in thick scrubby conifers (pine, spruce, fir), generally along streams. In winter they are found in chaparral and streamside thickets." Again wintering birds "usually are solitary or occur in small flocks," but there is no mention of winter singing. The altivagans subspecies is the northernmost-breeding part of this group. The distribution map shows this "species" only in the Central Valley and not along our coast, but it might be found here during migration (perhaps Joseph Morlan or someone else might comment on this).
Rising's book has much more discussion of these three groups of Fox Sparrows as well as several color paintings. In anticipation of a split someday, I suppose listers will want to distinguish among them.
Good birding, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Richmond Black Scoter
Sat, 16 Oct 1999 16:20:34 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
This morning I at least attempted to take advantage of the dead-calm bay by scoping from Point Isabel. Since both Ashy and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels have apparently been seen in Alameda County this week I thought it would be worth a shot. There is still no county record of Ashy Storm-Petrel for Contra Costa County, this despite probably 10 records for Alameda.
I found no seabirds but did have the following:
Surf Scoter - 900
Ruddy Duck - 1100
Horned Grebe - 19
Black Turnstone - 70 flybys
loon sp. - 2
Elegant Tern - Many foraging beyond Brooks IslandPied-billed Grebe - Unusual on the bay in Richmond, particularly well out on the bay. They are sometimes in harbors or around marshy areas but these were several hundred yards out.
Eared Grebe - One, also unusual on the bay
scaup sp. - 290 All were quite distant. Flying birds were all Greater Scaups, and Lesser Scaup appears to be quite rare at this spot.
Aechmophorus grebes - One Clark's and several Westerns were close enough to identify. There were 350 Aechmophorus sp.
Osprey - One carrying a fish to the radio towers.
Black Scoter - One male fairly close to shore in the company of Surf Scoters. Generally very hard to find out here and never a bird you can really hope to see on any given day. I probably see one or two per winter.
I then stopped at the new ferry terminal at the end of Harbor Way. From there I saw 3 Peregrine Falcons chasing shorebirds (and each other). I don't believe I have ever seen 3 at once in the county, and I'm not all that sure that I have seen 2 at once.
This new ferry should provide an interesting birding opportunity. The website can be accessed at www.redandwhite.com. It goes to the SF Ferry Terminal on Monday through Friday, but goes to the SFFT and Fisherman's Wharf on weekends. One-way tickets are $5.
The bad news for Contra Costa County birders is that the county lines have been designed (Maliciously, I think) so that you will be in CCC for only a few minutes. I assume that the boat wraps around the west side of Brooks Island which means that very quickly you will enter - wait, guess which county. Nope, not Marin, that would make sense. Just beyond Brooks Island you will enter San Francisco County. The boat would then stay in San Francisco County the rest of the way. Counties aside, this will provide a nice opportunity to bird the open bay farther than a scope from shore will allow. If anyone does this I would love to hear the results, even if they aren't from the county that really counts. :-)
Steve Glover