Highlights from Oakland CBC
Mon, 20 Dec 1999 13:05:33 -0800
From: Kay Loughman
Here are some highlights from yesterday's Oakland Christmas Bird Count:
Red Knot and Brant at Point Isabel, Richmond
Snowy Plovers (10) in Alameda
Wilson's Warbler and American Redstart at Bay Farm Island [Alameda]
Red-necked Grebe in San Leandro Bay
Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt, Oakland
Rufous Hummingbird and Black-throated Gray Warbler at the UC Botanical Gardens, Berkeley
Evening Grosbeak in Redwood Regional Park
House Wren at Upper San Leandro Reservoir
Prairie Falcon in Montclair, Oakland
Barn Swallow at Sibley Volcanic Regional Park
Bald Eagle and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Lafayette Reservoir
I don't have the details on any but the last listing.
Kay Loughman
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Subject Index
Red-tails on CBC, at Alameda Point
Mon, 20 Dec 1999 14:13:12 -0800
From: Courtenay Peddle
Hello folks,
Linda Vallee and I birded the former Alameda Naval Air Station as part of the Oakland CBC on Sunday and counted a conservative 28 Red-tailed Hawks, more than 20 of them subadult.
We think we undercounted by three or so.
It's an incredible number of raptors for such a small area. Quite possibly the equally incredible number of feral, pet bunnies contribute to the number of raptors.
I don't know my rabbits, but most of the 60 or so we saw are very dark brown or black, with angora-looking soft pelts; there are also a few white ones.
Good birding and enjoy Wednesday's very high tide.
Courtenay
Rufous Hummingbird and Black-throated Gray
Warbler
Mon, 20 Dec 1999 18:06:20 -0800
From: Lillian Fujii
If anyone is interested in seeing the above birds [reported on the Oakland CBC], the male Rufous Hummingbird is in an area of the UC Botanical Gardens a couple of paths above (south and west of) the newt pond. It is with a female Selasphorus hummingbird. It stays on/in or near a bush with orange and yellow hanging flowers (we keep forgetting to check the name of the bush - sorry). There are also two other female/immature plumaged Selasphorus hummers buzzing in the Mesoamerican area of the gardens.
The Black-throated Gray Warbler is actually on [the UC Berkeley] campus, first found by Ore Carmi. It usually appears in the grove of trees near North Gate at about 3:00 PM.
Happy CBCs. Lillian Fujii
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Selasphorus hummers
Mon, 20 Dec 1999 18:28:28 -0800
From: Tom Condit
I'm wondering if we are getting overwintering Selasphorus hummers at UC Botanical Gardens. One of the reasons I went up several times this fall was to see if the presence was continuous.
And in the hummingbird department ... We had a hummer on a tree in our back yard this afternoon which was golden on the back and cap, white throat, two white patches on flanks. The gold wasn't pollen (our first thought) because it was irridescent, changing with the light. It kept faced away from us (so I can't describe any more than the back, cap and the part of the throat which showed when it turned its head), then flew south along the back yards of McGee Avenue toward Bancroft Way, Berkeley. Is this a common color variation? I notice the plates in the National Geographic guide have gold on a lot of the birds, particularly immatures.
Tom Condit
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Sapsucker identified!?
Mon, 20 Dec 1999 21:38:03 -0800
From: Martha Lowe
Hi,
Thanks again to all those who helped me out with my ambiguous sapsucker. It now seems most likely to me that it was a female Red-breasted Sapsucker (I know, I know, I was sure it was a hybrid last time...). One of Joe Morlan's web pages directed me to an article I thought others might be interested in if you happen to run into a sapsucker that doesn't fit the standard illustrations.
Johnson NK, Johnson CB. 1985. Speciation in sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus): II. Sympatry, hybridization, and mate preference in S. ruber daggettii and S. nuchalis. Auk 102: 1-15.
The article has a series of drawings depicting the range of variation in head coloration and markings seen in typical males and females of each species and their hybrids that really helped me out.
As soon as I started talking about taking photographs "my" bird disappeared for good. Oh well, maybe next year - there are sapsucker holes from previous years in the tree she was visiting so it seems to be a regular stop!
Martha
Original Message Subject Index
Rails
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 13:50:23 PST
From: Mark Rauzon
This morning around 9 AM I visited Elsie Rohmer Sanctuary [south end of Crown Memorial State Beach, Alameda]. I did not see any rails despite searching. I did see a Short-eared Owl sitting in the marsh grass and a male Northern Harrier on patrol.
Over at Arrowhead Marsh [Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline, Oakland], at high tide, East Bay Regional Parks or California Fish and Game biologists were censusing rails from 2 flat bottom boats. With the boat literally beating the bushes for rails, we saw Sora, Clapper Rail and maybe one Virgina Rail flush. When the boat came near land, they said they counted 13 clappers so far, but no Black Rails. A Merlin and Burrowing Owl were also in the area.
Mark Rauzon
Reply #1 Reply #2 Reply #3 Reply #4 Reply #5 Reply #6 Reply #7 Subject Index
Re: Rails
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 14:17:42 -0800
From: Rusty Scalf
Mark,
Thanks for the report.
Some folks complain that the use of tapes for rail census is too much of a disturbance. But what you describe seems a lot worse.
Rusty Scalf
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Re: Rails
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 15:49:23 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
Yeah, and explain to me again how we're supposed to convince dog owners what a terrible thing it is for them to let their dogs run free into the bird habitat and disturb the birds!
Best wishes, Larry
Larry Tunstall
El Cerrito CA
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Arrowhead Marsh
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 17:41:24 PST
From: Peter Dramer
Larry and friends observing the rail census at Arrowhead Marsh may be interested to know that the final tally was 35 Clapper Rails in the "arrowhead" area. While Sora were not counted they were seen in about equal numbers. Four Virginia Rails were seen. Also one Short-eared Owl and two diving rats. Two additional clappers were seen in the Damon Marsh area but this was incidental as the area is not easy to census.
To those concerned that the rails were being harrassed please be assured that no great trauma was inflicted. Many of the rails stay in place and some simply shoo from one clump of spartina to another. It is far from being in the middle of a freeway. This census is conducted once each year and clearly has importance to the overall monitoring of rail populations in a critical area.
Original Message Next Reply Subject Index
Oakland CBC: Mills/Merritt/Coliseum area
report
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 19:00:49 -0800
From: Kirk Swenson
This area includes the Mills and Merritt College campuses as well as the Leona Heights Open Space and Park and the area around the Oakland Coliseum. Initially it was unclear who was going to lead it this year, and so John Luther and I simply split the territory between the two of us. We tallied 70 species, which is about normal for the area in recent years. Highlights were a Slate-colored Junco on the Merritt College campus, a Virginia Rail and a Marsh Wren at a little marsh in the Leona Heights Open Space, a Thayer's Gull and two Herring Gulls tailgating at the Oakland Coliseum, and a new area high count of seven Hutton's Vireos at various locations. I have had as many as four Virginia Rails at the marsh, so getting only one was a bit disappointing, and the Red Fox that was hanging around the marsh may have been part of the problem.
Between the two of us John and/or I have led the area for the past five or six years and we're planning to retire from it next year to try something new. If anyone out there is interested in taking on the mantle of area leadership, we've got a decent little territory to offer. It's got quite a bit of good woodland habitat, plus the nicely landscaped grounds of the college campuses, plus a little bit of marsh and water for a good mix of habitats. California Thrasher, Say's Phoebe, and Western Bluebird are all fairly regular. In recent years we've had Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Western Tanager, Loggerhead Shrike, and Merlin. If anyone's interested, we'd be happy to answer any questions about it and/or help out with planning or logistics. Get your dibs in now with Clyde and Joelle or it might be gone by the time the count rolls around next year! ;-)
Kirk Swenson
Selasphorus hummers in UC Botanical Gardens,
rail census, Sharp-shinned Hawk
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 23:04:12 -0800
From: Lillian Fujii
Hi birders,
1. In recent years, Selasphorus hummingbirds have been somewhat regular in the UC Botanical Gardens in the Oakland CBC. I would be interested in hearing if they are seen in January and February.
2. Following up on Peter Dramer's comments on the Clapper Rail census, I am glad that government agencies are censusing rail populations in critical habitat.
3. Denise Wight mentioned being buzzed by a Sharp-shinned Hawk upon pishing for sparrows - during the Benicia CBC, I pished for sparrows and an adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk came streaking out of a bush. He did not come nearly as close as Denise's bird. Of course, if my pishing was better, he may have come closer. At that time, I just thought, "no wonder there are no sparrows."
Happy birding. Lillian Fujii
Original Message Next "rail count" Message Subject Index