[EBB Sightings] Continuing birds in Alameda Co. 12/27/09

This morning I saw the continuing GRAY FLYCATCHER in the same general area as reported previously, at around 10 a.m. Thanks to Stephanie Floyd for getting me on this bird which was a bit tough to pick out, moving continously among a swarm of 50+ Yellow-rumped warblers. After getting several brief looks (enough to note the diagnostic phoebe-like downward tail flicks,  pale gray appearance, long/thin sillhoutte, full/round eye-ring etc.) \I was unable to refind it again in 30+ minutes of searching. Other species present at this park included: Red-breasted Nuthatches (several calling), Downy/Nuttall's Woodpeckers, Western Bluebirds (5), Townsend's Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, Wrentit, Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Oak Titmouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee etc.

I then made a brief stop at Lake Merrit. A couple of birders there were looking at an intersting duck sleeping among the scaup on the Northeast portion of the lake. This bird showed a vestigial tuft at the back of the head, black back with some gray smudging/streaking, white flanks with minimal gray smudging/streaking. To my eye it resembled the possible TuftedXScaup hybrid that was photographed on the lake in January of this year but the bird never woke up to allow closer study. I never saw the "real" Tufted Duck or the female Redhead, previously reported from this spot.

Last stop was Jack London Square. I walked the Bay Trail from the back of the KTVU building south to the end of the trail at a small park/kite flying area finding only a couple of Yellow-rumps in the trees. Making my way back I saw a male American Kestrel land on a flag pole next to the two pine trees behind the Danna Yachtcenter building. Almost instantly, the continuing PALM WARBLER emerged, scolding the kestrel from the top of one of the pines with a chip call noticeable softer than that of the Yellow-rumps. The Palm stayed in view lower in the tree for a few minutes, it was joined in scolding the kes by a male and female RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Good birding,

Dominik Mosur
San Francisco