RFI: Target Birds
Tue, 2 Nov 1999 18:19:35 -0800
From: Don Lewis
A birder friend will be here this weekend. His target birds are Lawrence's Goldfinch, Mountain Plover, and Mountain Quail.
I've not heard of any Mountain Plovers yet. Have you?
Is there any place one can chase Mountain Quail with any hope of success? He may be in Monterey, so our area isn't the only possibility.
Can Lawrence's Goldfinches be found at the fire station at San Antonio junction, or along Mines Road, at this time of year? Any other good spots?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Don Lewis
Lafayette, CA
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Re: RFI: Target Birds
Tue, 02 Nov 1999 22:43:29 -0800
From: Joseph Morlan
Don Lewis wrote:
I've not heard of any Mountain Plovers yet. Have you?
A couple were seen at Point Reyes a few weeks ago. They are in at the south end of the Salton Sea.
Is there any place one can chase Mountain Quail with any hope of success? He may be in Monterey, so our area isn't the only possibility.
Try Tassajara Road out of Carmel Valley. Mountain Quail can be heard in the manzanita near the ridge and occasionally come out onto the roadside early in the morning. Otherwise try Old Howell Mountain Road out of Anguin in Napa County.
Can Lawrence's Goldfinches be found at the fire station at San Antonio junction, or along Mines Road, at this time of year? Any other good spots?
I don't know, but Al Eisner recently posted this on another mailing list:
On to Monday morning.... For several years at about this time, I've found that the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club apparently attracts migrating Lawrence's Goldfinches. Perhaps it is the combination of open areas with lots of pines. I haven't tried to track their numbers through the season, and I have never yet found them there for the CBC. Anyway, today's observations far surpassed anything I've seen in the past: there were a minimum of 45 Lawrence's Goldfinch - counted in one flock on the ground; there were quite likely some additional outliers. (This was a pure flock - I did see Lesser's on the golf course, but not in the same location.) The same area had about a dozen Western Bluebirds and lots of Yellow-Rumped Warblers, making for a great deal of activity. Other than those, I mainly saw typical oak species. The particular area today was northeast of the restroom. (The restroom is located by the 15th tee, along the west edge of the course, where there's an open view to the Arastadero Preserve. One can get here by walking in along the service road from near the end of Alexis Drive.)Monday is by far the best day to visit the PAHGCC, because the course is usually closed except to staff. (It's a maintenance day, so you have to put up with some noisy equipment.) If you do go on another day, go early, and stay far away from and out of the way of any golfers. Of course, avoid walking on greens at all.
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044
California Birding; Mystery Birds:
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee:
http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/
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East Contra Costa County
Wed, 3 Nov 1999 13:40:16 PST
From: Steve Glover
Hello everyone,
This morning I birded eastern Contra Costa County. It was pretty slow, and the wind was a hindrance to say the least. At Piper Slough there was a White-throated Sparrow very close to the north end of Bethel island Rd. This is only the second one I have had there. I don't think that the ongoing bulldozing has done anything to help the sparrow habitat, and this is always a tough place to see sparrows anyway. The Zonotrichia there spend virtually all of their time foraging in the willows and brambles and are almost never out feeding on open ground where they can be seen easily. There were also 6 Orange-crowned Warblers (probably in for the winter).
Just south of Bethel Island there was a Merlin.
At Holland Tract, which is at the east end of Delta Rd, there were 5 Cattle Egrets amongst the cows at the very start of island just after crossing the bridge. For some reason this little spot has been very consistent for Cattle Egret over the years.
At Clifton Court Forebay I was able to discern no unusual birds, but duck numbers are starting to increase there, with well over 100 Bufflehead and 1500+ Ruddy Ducks. There were also 18 Bonaparte's Gulls on the water.
Steve Glover
Interesting Birding Site
Wed, 03 Nov 1999 17:35:49 PST
From: Peter Dramer
Bob Richmond saw a flock of Mountain Plover passing over Hayward Shoreline last week. Birders at Hayward Shoreline may want to check out a currrently active area. Next to the parking area at the end of West Winton Ave, there are two capped landfill areas that are attracting a lot of birds.
There is a smaller landfill at the south edge of the parking area, and immediately west of that a much larger landfill. The larger landfill, locally, is referred to as Mount Trashmore, or more often as Mount T.
As a part of the on-going capping process, much of Mount T has been graded smooth and does not attract many birds. However, the south landfill and the southeast corner of Mount T are grassland which were disked late in the summer. These disked areas are attracting hundreds of Killdeer, Horned Larks, sparrows, and pipits. These disked areas are similar to the disked fields at Point Reyes.
Historically, golden-plover and longspurs have occured at Hayward Shoreline and, judging from the activity, these disked areas are likely to attract any such visitors this year.
Good Birding. Peter Dramer
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Blue-winged Teal at Coyote Hills
Wed, 3 Nov 1999 20:28:02 PST
From: Bill Scoggins
3 November 1999, 1 to 4 PM.
Coyote Hills Regional Park, Visitor Center to Main Marsh.
Hello East Bay Birders,
A male Blue-winged Teal slept quietly in the pond by the gravel parking lot at the visitor center; later he flew toward Lizard Rock. I watched an American Bittern foraging for over half an hour in the edges between the pickleweed and cattails at the same location. He was never more than twenty-five feet away the whole time; so I had wonderful full frame views of this silent hunter. I was very delighted with these observations, but before I could leave a House Wren darted out of the shrubs at the front door of the visitor center to perch in clear view. It was a beautiful autumn day at Coyote Hills; quiet with only a few visitors. This gave me the opportunity to get close to these birds.
Here is my list.
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Ruddy Duck 5
Green-winged Teal 2
Mallard 18
Northern Pintail 14Blue-winged Teal 1 male, possible 2 females with him. Also seen by Erica Herron and Sue, Park District Naturalists.
Northern Shoveler 15
American Bittern 1
White-tailed Kite 1
Northern Harrier 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 1 by voice
Virginia Rail by voice
Common Moorhen 1
gull species 5
Northern Flicker 1 by voice
Black Phoebe 1 by voice
Common Raven 2 foraging in newly tilled soil at park entrance
European Starling 6
Marsh Wren 2
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 11 "Audubon's"
Golden-crowned Sparrow 25+Monarch butterfly 9 and 3 larvae; thanks to Jan Southworth, EBRPD Naturalist, for pointing the out the larvae
Cabbage White 4
Tree frog 2 by voice
Raccoon 1 youngster approaching visitors for handouts; first time I have seen this behavior at Coyote Hills
Happy birding,
Bill Scoggins
Castro Valley, CA
Tree Planting this Saturday at Coyote Hills, Fremont, CA
6 Nov. 1999, 12:30-2:30 PM, Meet in front of Visitor Center.
Bring a bucket and a shovel and love of the outdoors! Birding Parks Partners
and friends of Coyote Hills will continue the planting of oaks and other
trees in a quest for the forest of the future. Come out to bird watch in
the morning and plant in the afternoon. Bring a friend. For more information
call Doc Quack at (510) 795-9385.
Hayward Shoreline
Thu, 04 Nov 1999 09:58:00 -0800
From: Tom Condit
Historically, the Lapland Longspurs at Hayward Shoreline flocked with Horned Larks, so if the Horned Larks have returned as reported, look for Longspurs in the flocks. (They'll drive you crazy with inconspicuousness, but once you finally spot them you'll know them.)
(We lost the regular occurrence when the cattle pasture north of the creek was graded a few years ago and the cattle - who create perfect lark habitat - were removed.)
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