[EBB Sightings] Corral Hollow/Del Puerto Cyn/Mines Rd.

Yesterday was a beautiful, very warm day, we saw no other birders, 
and saw around 67 species.

I met Harold Fukuma, Harriet Gerson and Kay Partelow at the Nob Hill 
in Livermore around 8:45. While I was waiting, a flock of about 60 
Cedar Waxwings flew over the parking lot. We decided to try 
Tesla/Corral Hollow Road over to 580/5. This proved to be a very 
birdy road, but also noisy from the trucks and motorcycles going to 
the vehicle recreation area.

We pulled over at marker 7.69 (viewed from the opposite direction). 
There's a v-shaped rock formation on the north side. Two Great Horned 
Owl branchers (actually, rockers, who occasionally adjusted their 
footing) were spotted there. In the two trees on the down side of the 
road between 7.69 and 7.73 were Wilson's Warbler and Warbling Vireo. 
Farther down at 9.25 were at least 4 Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli 
Bunting, Northern Rough-wing Swallow, Bewick's Wren feeding a 
hidden-in-the-grass baby. Closer to the veh. rec. area at the 
driveway to Connolly Livestock, were Western Kingbird, a flock of 
Cliff Swallows, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and a pair of Golden Eagles. 
Somewhere along there we heard Rock Wren, and we saw one later, I 
think on Del Puerto.

We entered Del Puerto Canyon Road around noon. We stopped close to 
the entrance, and a herd of cattle came walking over from a ways away 
to come see us. We heard Horned Lark, and got a couple of Barn 
Swallows. We drove a bit down the road, and there was a Horned Lark 
sitting on a fence post!  We could see its horns. Unfortunately, just 
as I was about to take a picture, one of many motorcycles flew by and 
scared it off.

Our lunch stop was the raven's nest place, where Kay spotted a bat 
flying around. We could hear Canyon Wren, and found it across the 
--well-- canyon. We stopped at the Pygmy Owl pullout, but, alas, no 
POs for us.

Around 2:45 we arrived at Frank Raines. We used the men's room 
because the women's was rather unappealing. There was a loud 
reverberating Starling baby, whose location was not readily apparent. 
Later, we found out that it was in a half-moon shaped hole at the 
bottom of one of the squares in the windows, as it popped up when a 
parent flew in to feed it. Then it disappeared from sight. There was 
quite a bit of noise and dust from some off-road vehicles across the road.

There's a pond east of the Junction. It's on a curve, and the water 
is on both sides of the road. We heard Virginia Rail, found a 
Lawrence's Goldfinch nest, saw and heard Cassin's Finch (x-rated 
activity), a Coot with red-headed baby, Western Wood Pewee, Western 
Tanager, a Golden-crowned Sparrow, Violet-green Swallow, Western 
Bluebirds, and the Red-winged Blackbirds made a descending whistle in 
unison when an accipiter, we thought Cooper's Hawk, flew over. They 
did that twice while we were there. I don't recall what set them off 
the second time, maybe a Red-tail. Needless to say, that was a very 
enjoyable spot. We got very good looks at the LAGOs. And the pop-eyed 
Bullfrog on the north side.

At the Junction there was an Acorn Woodpecker excavating a hole that 
was at the bottom of a big knot/bulge on a tree looking downhill from 
the tables. It would carry the excavated wood to another tree, where 
another ACWO was sitting, and deposit the wood there. There were 
three piles of shavings.

Nothing new at the firehouse. On to San Antonio for the Lewis' 
Woodpecker who showed up on the big snag. Then on to the pond around 
6:15, where a few Wood Duck pairs were. There were two foals among 
the horses nearby. And a couple more Bullfrogs in the water. It was 
so quiet noise-pollution-wise along here and Mines Road, compared to 
the other two roads, hardly any traffic. Well, quiet except for one 
of many begging Starlings along the way. I told this one to shut up. 
I walked over pretty close, from looking at something else. 
Fortunately not too close, because right after I stopped, poop came 
shooting out of the hole!

There were lots of CA Quail coming out while we drove back to Livermore.

Acorn Woodpecker (2) excavating at Junction
American Coot with red-headed baby
American Crow
American Kestrel
American Robin (1)
Anna's Hummingbird
Barn Swallow (2)
Belted Kingfisher (2), pair
Bewick's Wren
Black Phoebe
Black-headed Grosbeak (1), 2 pair
Brewer's Blackbird (2)
Brown-headed Cowbird (2)
Bullock's Oriole
Bushtit (1)
California Quail
California Thrasher (3)
California Towhee
Canada Goose (2)
Canyon Wren (2)
Cassin's Finch (2)
Cassin's Kingbird (1)
Cedar Waxwing (1)
Cliff Swallow (1)
Common Raven (1)
Cooper's Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
European Starling, nest in window of men's bathroom at Frank Raines
Golden-crowned Sparrow (2)
Golden Eagle (1) pair
Great Horned Owl (1)
Horned Lark (2)
House Finch
House Sparrow
House Wren
Killdeer (2)
Lark Sparrow (2)
Lawrence's Goldfinch (2), nest in tree with small dead tree 
underneath, between two pines on marshy side of the pond
Lazuli Bunting (1)
Lesser Goldfinch (2)
Lewis's Woodpecker (3)
Loggerhead Shrike (2)
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (1)
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Oak Titmouse
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Rock Wren
Turkey Vulture
Violet-green Swallow (3)
Virginia Rail (2) heard
Warbling Vireo (1)
Western Bluebird
Western Kingbird
Western Meadowlark
Western Scrub-Jay
Western Tanager (2)
Western Wood-Pewee (2)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2)
Wild Turkey (3)
Wilson's Warbler (1)
Wood Duck (3)
Wrentit
Yellow-billed Magpie (1)
(67)

I tried to mark the above as to the first sighting.

(1) 919 E. Stanley Road to Tesla/Corral Hollow Road.
Mile marker 7.69 (viewed from the other direction) Great Horned Owls
Mile marker 9.25 Black-headed Grosbeaks
(2) Del Puerto Canyon Rd.
(3) Mines Rd.

There are photos of the pond, among other things, here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dgbrusco/album?.dir=478escd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dgbrusco/my_photos



Debbi Brusco
Hayward