[EBB Sightings] Sat Feb 11-Emeryville to Richmond-GGAS SF Bay Trail-Bicycle Trip

Emeryville to Richmond on the SF Bay Trail, Bicycle Trip
Saturday, February 11, 2006

Fifteen people started at 8:30 at Aquatic Park in Berkeley. We did not
see the Northern Water Thrush or the Tufted Duck, but we did see the
Hermit Thrush, and Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers. The
Black-crowned Night Herons were not only in their usual roost in the
willows of the south pond, but were in a large pine overlooking the
middle pond. A large group of American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts
were on the west shore, with Forster�s Terns overhead. It is very bad
that CalTrans has decided to route such a volume of traffic from
Shellmound/Bay Sts. onto Potter and I-80 E right through the middle of
Aquatic Park. It was a relief to get this large group onto safer paths
and the pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-80. It was cool to start, but
the sun came out and it quickly warmed to a very pleasant temperature
for the rest of the day. The enthusiasm of the two children in the
group was fun to watch. We went south to Emeryville to begin our survey
of ESSP and passed large groups of Surf Scoters on the way. We arrived
at Powell St. at high tide, as planned. Past the fire station and
approx. opp. Trader Vic�s the shore birds were waiting out the high
tide, which let us have excellent looks at Whimbrels, Marbled Godwits,
Willets and Black Turnstones. Large groups of Ruddy Ducks were out on
the bay to the south, toward the toll plaza. We saw many Eared Grebes
on the bay throughout the day. Turning north, our group diminished to
six hardy bird-watchers who covered the remaining ESSP territory all
the way north to Richmond. The tide was still keeping the shore birds
on the rocks, and about a third of the way from Powell St. to
University Ave. on the SF Bay Trail we found a very special group of
Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plover and five Surfbirds. Stopping for
refreshment at the Seabreeze at University, we had lots of noisy
Starlings and Brewer�s Blackbirds, and two Red-Tailed Hawks overhead.
We turned in for a brief look at the Berkeley Meadow just north of
University Ave. and found two Kestrels and a Northern Harrier, and a
nice group of House Finches, and we began to see White-crowned
Sparrows. We also saw a fair number of Anna�s Hummingbirds all along
the trail. Passing the race track, we had Starlings, Rock Pigeons and
Red-Winged Blackbirds. Coming down to the Albany Beach we saw a large
group of Black-bellied Plovers and Double-crested Cormorants, and one
Pelagic Cormorant. The tide was still fairly high as we passed by the
Albany State Marine Preserve between Buchanan and Central, but on the
return trip the mud was exposed and the Avocets were all over. We
headed for lunch at Richmond, outside the scope of ESSP, but a place we
often see lots of birds, and we were not disappointed. As we sat there
outside Amini�s, a Common Loon surfaced very near us. Large groups of
shorebirds were feeding on the exposed mudflats as we passed the South
Richmond Shoreline, and a nice group of Green-Winged Teals was in the
channel. 67 species:
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Canvasback
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
Forster's Tern
Rock Dove (I)
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Phoebe
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
American Pipit
European Starling (I)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
California Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow (I)


kathy jarrett
kathy_jarrett at yahoo.com

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