Parent
From email@hidden Thu Jan 01 15:54:27 1998
Subject: birds
Today I went birding with Steve Rottenborn in the vicinity of Summit Rd and
Loma Prieta. We saw very little, although we heard a distinctive chink call
that recalled a Thick-billed (Fox) Sparrow on Loma Prieta.
I checked the Campbell (&Oka?) Ponds on the way back and had 3 Hooded
Mergansers and 20 Ring-necked Ducks.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 07:12:19 1998
Subject: Mines Road
Folks:
Adam Winer is correct about the current status of Mines
Road. It extends from the Livermore Valley to San Antone Junction where
it meets Del Puerto Canyon Road and San Antonio Valley Road. It was
not always this way. The mines of Mines Road were in the Blackbird Valley
and the Colorado Creek drainage well north of San Antone Junction and the
road inbetween was known as Beauregard Road and it is shown this way on
the topo sheets. Miledge markers are always appreciated.
Bill
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 08:19:29 1998
Subject: Re: Gavilan Hawk?
At 11:23 AM 12/31/97 -0800, Peter LaTourrette wrote:
>Does anyone know which species might have been known as the "Gavilan Hawk"
>to people living in the South County/San Benito area many years ago?
Peter (and South Bay Birders) -- Alvaro's post was right on. In the only
reference I have thus far found, James Kedzie Sayre's "North American Bird
Folknames and Names" (Bottlebrush Press 1996), he lists the Sharpie as
"Gavilan de Sierra" and the Harrier as "Gavilan de Cienaga." While neither
is shown to be "Gavilan Hawk," it is in the ball park.
The problem with Sayre's book is that he does not list sources, so we have
no way of knowing if this usage was common in San Benito county, or
California, or from elsewhere, or _when_ the name was used.
For the past five years I have been working (slowly) on a Dictionary of
American Birds Names, complete with sources and regional references, that
goes far beyond Sayre and the others efforts, such as Choate, that are
currently out there. I'd be interested in where the "gavilan" reference
came up.
Good birding --
Luke
Luke Cole
San Francisco, CA
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 09:23:37 1998
Subject: Canada birds
Hi old friends,
Well, you may remember about a year ago I started asking questions about
Cozumel Island in Mexico. A great trip (B+ for birds) and we are all ready
to go back again. In fact, we were ready to return as our plane flew over
the hotel heading toward Cancun, Texas, and home. I still have some missed
birds there and I think that's a good shortcoming in my birding skills.
Anyway, we are heading toward the Canadian Rockies this summer. Canada
Geese, Canadian Geese, Canada Rockies, eh? We visited in 1988 for about a
month. I got no new birds but would like any ideas or hints for a few lifers.
We will be visiting Banff, Jasper, and the Drumheller area (The Tyrell
Museum and dinosaurs). Target birds will be Mourning and Connecticut
Warblers, Ptarmigan (Geez, all these hard to spell words), Spruce and Ruffed
Grouse, Three-toed Woodpecker, and Baird's Sparrow (in the vicinity of
Drumheller, I'm hoping). I have J.C. Finlay's "A Bird-finding Guide to
Canada" which gives you general ideas of what to expect. But, remember, I'm
down to a few birds and need particular bushes and that sort of thing.
Thanks, all.
Yeah, yeah. Someday I'll get out and get a few of the local misses.
Black-backed Gull and Pygmy Owl come to mind. I'll try Saturday morning for
the owl at Alum Rock.
Bah, humbug to all.
Don
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmitted via Virtual Valley LiveWire Modem: 408.999.0966
(FirstClass, VT-100) http://www.virtualvalley.com/vvcn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 10:20:44 1998
Subject: Annual Message
All:
The following information describes the operation of the South-Bay-Birds
Mailing List and is provided to users of the mailing list once a year. The
mailing list is supported by Stanford University as a service to their own
campus as well as the greater community at large. All of us appreciate the
generosity of the university for their support of this mailing list.
The South-Bay-Birds Mailing List is a CLOSED and HIDDEN list. A CLOSED
list means that approval is required before a subscriber can be added to the
mailing list. The approving official is the List Bureaucrat who is Jeff
Finger. Jeff was kind enough to set this list up in the first place and, ever
since, has made certain that it functions smoothly. All of us appreciate his
volunteer efforts in this regard. A HIDDEN list means that the list is not
included on a public list of mailing lists. To subscribe to this list send an
email message to
email@hidden
and this will reach Jeff (or a substitute, when he is on vacation). He will
ask you a number of questions, including your full name and a phone number
where he can reach you in case bounced messages become a problem.
Because the South-Bay-Birds Mailing List is CLOSED and HIDDEN it remains
primarily a local list with new people added by word of mouth. It has been
our experience that this approach reduces the number of messages that are
not relevant to the mailing list and insures that when a message does come up
it will be of great interest to everyone.
Which brings us to the purpose of this mailing list. The purpose of the
South-Bay-Birds Mailing List is to communicate information on bird observations
in Santa Clara County and adjacent areas in the South San Francisco Bay.
Suitable communications include reports of recent discoveries, information
on plumages for rare or difficult-to-identify birds, description of local
birding spots that are not available in the local guides, and summary
information on birds in the local area. Most of us have other interests
beyond just birding and these interests, sometimes passions, lead us to
believe that we should share some of these other interests with the people on
this mailing list. Please don't. Please restrict your input to this mailing
list to South Bay birds.
Some background and information on how the data submitted to this
mailing list are used and retained may be of interest. Prior to the formation
of the South-Bay-Birds Mailing List there was an informal network of birders
who communicated bird observations in the local area via the Internet using
individually-maintained address lists. This informal network evolved, of
course, to the present mailing list that serves a larger community. In
addition to the original purpose of the informal network the reports to the
network were also used to provide records for the Santa Clara County
notebooks and that information was used in turn as source material for the
column "Field Notes" in _The Avocet_, the newsletter of the Santa Clara Valley
Audubon Society, and as a basis for the quarterly submission of Santa Clara
County records to the Regional Editors of _Field Notes._
I will continue to use the records provided to this mailing list for the
purposes mentioned above. I offer the following comments to describe how this
information is normally used.
1. A record is considered complete if it includes the bird(s) seen, the
numbers observed, the location of the observation, the date, and the
observer(s). I will use records that are second hand if I am familiar with
both the observer and the person passing on the record. In this case I
annotate the record with _fide_ which is the accepted way of noting that a
record has not been directly obtained, but has been provided by the _fide_
source. I rarely use third hand records out of concern with the mischief that
occurs during information transmittal as the number of pathways increase.
2. I am selective in which records I enter in the county notebooks. For the
more common birds I may record a report of a particularly large number of
birds or an unusual plumage. For uncommon birds, or those that I feel are
marginally rare, I may record all observations, although I rarely provide
these in _The Avocet_. These records are particularly useful for clarifying
the temporal distribution of birds that are not permanently resident in the
county. I attempt to record all species that are listed as rare
on the current Santa Clara County Checklist. For common non-resident species I
attempt to record the first arrival and last departure dates.
3. I write the "Field Notes" column ten months a year and it is nominally due
on the first of the month. I usually try to draft the column at the end of
the month and then fit the last few records in before I deliver it to the
SCVAS office.
4. Four times a year I provide a "quarterly" summary of records for _Field
Notes._ There are currently three Regional Editors and they each get a copy
of my summary although they split the species up between them. Currently, I
send electronic versions to Don Roberson and Dan Singer and a printed version
to Steve Bailey. If you would like a copy of this quarterly summary and your
mailer is able to handle Word 6.0 attachments then send me a request to
email@hidden.
5. I entered all county records in the notebooks by hand up until the summer
of 1993 when I started writing the records to Word files on a quarterly basis.
I intend, eventually, to create a data base based on literal string recognition
and I've designed my data entry structure accordingly. But at this time the
computerized aspect is a simple computerized echo of hand-entry.
6. It is not always obvious to people providing records to this mailing list
when they should provide additional details on a record or even if they should
provide the record at all. There is no simple answer to this other than
experience. A useful example to consider is stimulated by the detailed
plumage description that Mike Rogers provided for a December 1996 Ash-throated
Flycatcher. This species is a fairly common resident in the county, arriving
in early April and leaving by the end of August. First and last records
within that range are of interest as are very early or late birds. Wintering
birds are so rare in the county that a detailed description is necessary. In
part this is not just because of the rarity, but also to exclude other
_Myiarchus_ that may just as likely be here at that season.
7. When a rarity turns up and this information is passed on many people obtain
the opportunity to see the bird. The very quantity of people seeing the
rarity tends to encourage sloppiness in people's records after the initial
observation. If the bird is missed for a week and then found a mile away is it
the same bird? We may be able to answer these questions if people are careful
to age and sex each rarity they see (if possible) and note any unusual
characteristics. Rarities frequently come in clumps and these descriptions
are useful. Please include these in your posts for the real rarities--it will
help all of us.
The South-Bay-Birds Mailing List provides many of us immediate
information on the occurrence of rare birds as well as the vicarious pleasure
of birding and discovery. That this mailing list has worked so well is a
tribute to its many faithful contributors and, perhaps, to the mailing list
rules that we've implemented. There is some arbitrariness, however, in these
rules and I invite anyone to communicate directly with me,
email@hidden, if they would like to discuss any of these issues.
Bill
2 January 1998
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 10:21:51 1998
Subject: Re: Gavilan Hawk?
"gavilan de sierra" for sharp-shinned has the additional
resonance that "sierra" literally means saw/sawtooth.
w
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 14:13:19 1998
Subject: Levin Park
All:
Maria and I went to Levin Park this morning (Jan. 2). We refound
Chris Salander's Tundra Swan (reported on the Birdbox) on Sandy Wool Lake.
It had a larger yellow spot than we'd expected -- more like the eurasian
race depicted in the guides. We didn't find a Red-Naped Sapsucker. We
found a Red-Breasted Sapsucker in the trees along Calaveras Road; and found
the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker in the dark-barked Eucalyptus tree where we saw
it last year. This tree is perhaps 70 yards east of the lake in the
southern part of
the park. It is between massed picnic tables and a small footbridge.
Two Bobcats strolled by the intersection of Downing and Calaveras.
John Meyer
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 15:27:45 1998
Subject: Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, etc.
All:
On 31 Dec. 1997, I saw the EASTERN PHOEBE (singing!) at Shady Oaks
Park. Seven WOOD DUCKS were in Coyote Creek here. Very unusual was
a road-killed female WILD TURKEY along Coyote Road near Scarlett Way,
north of Shady Oaks Park along Coyote Creek. The bird was a typical
"wild-type" individual and showed no signs of recent captivity, and
I know of no pens nearby from which it might have escaped. However,
I also know of no records of "wild" Wild Turkeys nearby, so I don't
know how this bird arrived at this location. At Lake Cunningham, I
saw the two RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 female COMMON MERGANSERS, and 3
female RING-NECKED DUCKS but was unable to find the Lesser Black-
backed Gull. At Hidden Lake Park off Milpitas Blvd. north of
Calaveras Road in Milpitas, I saw an impressive number of THAYER'S
GULLS. Twenty-three of the 80 or so gulls on this small lake were
Thayer's, with only 2 HERRING, 2 MEW, 1 GLAUCOUS-WINGED, and the
rest split about equally between RING-BILLED and CALIFORNIA. Even
more unusual were the age ratios of these Thayer's Gulls: I saw
two each of first-winter, third-winter, and adults, with 17 second-
winter Thayer's! My last birding in 1997 was split between Alviso,
Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto looking for last-minute Glaucous Gull and
White-winged Scoter, to no avail.
On 1 January, Nick Lethaby and I visited Loma Prieta. Birding was
pretty dull, the highlight being a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL that called
twice from the edge of Summit Road between its intersections with
Morrill and Loma Prieta Roads (just barely within Santa Clara Co.).
On 2 January, I helped Rebecca jump-start her 1998 year list :)
At Shady Oaks Park, we got the EASTERN PHOEBE near the blue jungle
gym. An imm. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Hellyer Park; I
believe this bird was seen earlier this fall by Ann Verdi (?).
Lake Cunningham still had the two RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 RING-NECKED
DUCKS, and a female COMMON MERGANSER; a BARN SWALLOW over the lake
was very surprising, and two SWAMP SPARROWS were along Silver
Creek near the NW corner of the lake. Three CATTLE EGRETS were at
Arzino Ranch, and at Ed Levin County Park, the adult TUNDRA SWAN
was still at Sandy Wool Lake (the amount of yellow on the bill is
well within the range of variation in our North American "Whistling"
Swans). I ran into Scott Terrill near the ranger's residence in
the southern portion of the park, but much searching of the area
produced only a single RED-BREASTED and the male YELLOW-BELLIED
SAPSUCKER (no sign of Chris' Red-naped). A FERRUGINOUS HAWK was
soaring over the ridge to the east. At Calaveras Reservoir, an
adult SNOW GOOSE (visible both from Calaveras Road and from Marsh
Road) was foraging with 350 CANADA GEESE on the grassy slopes at
the south end of the lake.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 02 23:56:11 1998
Subject: Arnold Ranch?
Where is Arnold Ranch?
Any info on the Red-naped Sapsucker seen there would also be greatly
appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Vivek Tiwari
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 03 11:03:59 1998
Subject: Ed Levin Tundra Swan
I checked the swan out today. In my view this bird is at the extreme end of
"Whistling" Swan variation and could be an intergrade. I can't recall seeing
a Whistling Swan with this much yellow. Bowever, it certainly has less
yellow than typically shown by Bewick's Swan.
A couple of hours searching yielded 5 Red-breasted Sapsuckers but neither of
the two rarer ones. Doubtless they're there somewhere.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 03 16:52:51 1998
Subject: Aņo Nuevo CBC
Hi everyone,
I thought South-Bay-Birders might be interested in an informal summary
of the highlights of the Aņo Nuevo CBC, held Saturday, Jan 3rd.
An immature HARRIS'S SPARROW was found by Peter Metropulos at the Aņo
Nuevo State Reserve. An OSPREY and a locally rare COMMON MOORHEN were
also in the area.
As usual, Ron Thorn turned up a nice bunch of birds along Pescadero
Creek, including 4 NASHVILLE WARBLERS, 1 WILSON'S WARBLER, a male
LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH, 1 SWAMP SPARROW, and a CASSIN'S VIREO. He also saw
the adult male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER that is wandering up and down
Pescadero Creek for its third winter. It has apparently been spending a
lot of time in downtown Pescadero during the last few weeks, but it has
always been a very difficult bird to track down.
Francis Toldi discovered a SPOTTED OWL in a Santa Cruz County portion of
the count.
Barry Sauppe had a good day of seawatching, aided by strong westerly
winds. I don't have the exact totals, but some good seabirds were
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL, RED-NECKED GREBE, all the regular alcids
(including Cassin's, Rhino, and Ancient), BLACK-VENTED and SOOTY
SHEARWATERS, NORTHERN FULMAR, POMARINE JAEGER, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE,
RED PHALAROPE, and a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE flying north with over
400 BRANT. Barry also had a PALM WARBLER and a BARN SWALLOW in the
Pigeon Point area.
The highlight of the day for me was a male apparent MALLARD X NORTHERN
PINTAIL hybrid with a flock of Mallards on a ranch south of Pescadero. A
small pond on this ranch had 5 HOODED MERGANSERS.
Another WILSON'S WARBLER was at the entrance to Butano State Park. Three
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were along Pescadero Creek and Cloverdale Road.
AMERICAN DIPPER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, PEREGRINE FALCON, and WOOD DUCK
were seen at several locations each. An immature FERRUGINOUS HAWK was
seen by three parties as it explored the Pescadero area. A couple of
"stake-outs" didn't cooperate, but Grant and Karen Hoyt turned up the
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER along Water Lane in Pescadero, Dan Keller got
the CATTLE EGRET along Hwy 84, and Barry Sauppe saw the two PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVERS that winter in the fields north of Pigeon Point.
The current, unofficial species total is 184, which is quite good for
this count.
Bert McKee
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 03 19:03:46 1998
Subject: Saturday birds and belated Moss Landing CBC report
Hi south-bay-birders,
Today (Saturday, January 3) I led a Santa Clara Audubon post-CBC
rarities chase in the Monterey Bay area. In the morning our group had
good looks at the HARRIS'S SPARROW (in spite of an untimely downpour)
along the north levee of the Pajaro River just east of the Thurwachter
Rd. bridge (spot is marked with an orange ribbon). In this same area a
SWAMP SPARROW was also still present this morning, although it skulks
and is harder to get a look at.
Other goodies seen today: a RED-NECKED GREBE was at the mouth of Moss
Landing Harbor. Not seen in the morning, but found upon a late afternoon
stop, was a second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL on the sandspit opposite
Skipper's Restaurant at Moss Landing Harbor. The GLAUCOUS GULL looked
big next to the Western Gulls; it had white primaries, light buff
mottling on the wings and mantle, pale eyes, and a black ring around the
end of its bill, which had a pale tip. There was another very pale gull
in the flock which also had whitish primaries, black bill tip, pink
legs, etc., but its smaller size and bill shape, extent of the black on
the bill, and overall structure made me doubt its identity.
On the Moss Landing CBC, on Jan. 1, I covered the Mount Madonna Co.
Park and Hecker Pass area with Jolene Lange. In the early morning we saw
2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS at the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz County line, on
the shoulder of Highway 152 directly opposite the Mount Madonna Inn
(Santa Clara County?). This spot is only a stone throw from the entrance
to Mount Madonna Co. Park. They were seen side-by-side in a large flock
of juncos and Golden-crowned Sparrows. Whenever a car passed, all the
sparrows/juncos would flush back into the undergrowth, then immediately
return to the roadside to feed. They seem to only do this early in the
morning, so around 7-8:00a.m. would be the time to look for them. In
this same general area I have found WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS feeding in
this same manner on at least 3 past Moss Landing CBCs. Since they
continually return to the open roadside they can be viewed repeatedly.
On January 1 there was also a Merlin perching atop conifers in this same
area. Owling along a logging road off of Highway 152 about a mile east
of Hecker Pass on Jan. 1 produced 1 WESTERN SCREECH-OWL, 3+ NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWLS, and a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, all heard between 5 and 6a.m.
Walking this road by daylight I heard an unseen RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
call. This latter area is definitely in Santa Clara County.
John Mariani
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 04 11:23:06 1998
Subject: Rough-leg, Prairie and Palm Warbler
All:
Yesterday (3 Jan.), Heather, Rebecca, and I went for a walk at Rancho
San Antonio. Quite surprising was a light-morph immature ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK hovering repeatedly over the grassy hills above the tennis courts.
We saw this bird for about five minutes from a location along the path
between the tennis courts and the farm (where there is a broad gap in
the trees), but we were unable to see it from the tennis courts. Still,
I think it would have been most easily visible from the tennis courts
while it was hovering.
Today (4 Jan.), I checked the Guadalupe River just downstream from Hwy.
880 near the San Jose airport, hoping to refind the PRAIRIE WARBLER.
After about 10 minutes of searching, I saw the bird foraging in bushes on
the west side of the river. The bird foraged very actively near the tips
of the low branches and gave very good views for about five minutes (and
it was still visible when I left). This bird is apparently attempting to
overwinter. A single ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and three COMMON MERGANSERS
(2 males, 1 female) were farther downstream. Later in the day, at least
three male HOODED MERGANSERS were in the Oka Ponds (as seen from Hwy.
17), the PALM WARBLER was still at Great Oaks Park (seen by Heather and
me), and the YELLOW WARBLER was still along Homestead Road near the
public library in Santa Clara.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 04 13:41:00 1998
Subject: Orange-crowned Warbler races
Hi South-Bay-Birders,
Does anyone have thoughts on the status of _orestera_ vs. _celata_
Orange-crowned Warblers in the Bay Area? Yesterday along Butano Creek I
had a bird with a very gray head that contrasted noticeably with the
upperparts, a rather long bill, and a lot of yellow on the underparts.
Ron Thorn had a similar bird on the coast recently. At this point, we
think these were _orestera_. We've also seen a few birds on the coast
that resembled _celata_, mostly in the fall. Although there are
definitely going to be birds that are not identifiable in the field, my
impression is that the extremes can probably be tentatively IDed. I
could be wrong about this, however--I've always found OCWAs to be very
confusing. Any thoughts? Perhaps someone who has looked at more OCWAs in
the east than I have can comment. Do they ever show gray heads that
really contrast with the upperparts? And again, it would be very helpful
if anyone has ideas on status and time of year of these two races around
here.
Thanks,
Bert McKee
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 04 20:10:43 1998
Subject: Volunteers for bird surveys--Fremont
Birders:
Arleen Feng asked me to post this upcoming chance to help out doing some
bird surveys. Any takers? Please reply directly to Arleen.
>
>Volunteers wanted--for surveying waterbirds at a stormwater pond system
>in Fremont, CA.
>The Tule Pond in downtown Fremont (east of the BART station) will be
>expanded in 1998 by the addition of several smaller settling ponds.
>Future plans for the site include facilities and access for educational
>use. As part of biological monitoring of the site, the Alameda County
>Flood Control District is planning to survey bird use during this
>winter/spring for baseline data, with follow-up next year. Experienced
>birders are invited to participate in surveys of waterbirds in
>pond/wetland areas, and possibly for resident upland birds as well. If
>interested, please leave a message for Arleen Feng at (510) 670-6651 or
>bu email at email@hidden.
>
>--
>Arleen Feng
>
>
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 04 21:49:12 1998
Subject: Barrow's Goldeneyes, etc.
Hi South-bay-birders,
Today (Sunday, 4 Jan.) while testing out a new tripod I observed 2
female BARROW'S GOLDENEYES on Shoreline Lake in Mountain View. Other
birds there included 1 BROWN PELICAN.
John Mariani
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 03:33:35 1998
Subject: Re: Rough-leg, Prairie and Palm Warbler
Dr. Michael M. Rogers wrote:
>
> Steve,
>
> Is "Great Oaks Park" Fair Oaks Park??
>
> Mike
Yes, I meant Fair Oaks.
Steve
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 03:35:41 1998
Subject: Re: Mt. Hamilton CBC/Long-eared Owl
MMAMMOSER wrote:
>
> Steve Glover wrote:
>
> > and a probable Winter Wren. It sounded to me
> > like a WInter Wren but it refused to ever run it's calls into the usual >
> series of 2 or 3 so Bob and Jimm were skeptical.
> Steve,
>
> Wilson's Warblers have a call note that sounds like a Winter Wren; the only
> difference being that they give it in single notes, without running them
> together into twos and threes.
While I haven't heard Wilson's Warbler give call notes in quick series of
two or three, I have heard Winter Wrens on a number of occasions give single
call notes.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 03:43:58 1998
Subject: Re: 1998 Birds
Christopher Salander wrote:
>
> In the southern part of the park, we saw what I thought
> was a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. However, given my limited
> experience with sapsuckers, it could have been the
> YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. It was male, with an all red
> throat from beak to black gorget. I went for RNSA on
> the strength of black shoulders, and very little white
> on the back. By the time I was trying to find red on
> the back of the head, it had started to roost, and had
> fluffed up its feathers against the cold. It was in
> a bare tree between the first parking lot and the pond.
> I opted for the more likely species.
I don't think the amount of black on the shoulders is useful
as a field mark for distinguishing Red-naped and Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers. The back pattern and color are useful with good looks
and, especially, with experience with both species. The nape is
a critical mark. Unless ALL other characters pointed to a Red-naped,
I wouldn't think about calling a bird a Red-naped Sapsucker (rather
than a variant of Yellow-bellied or a possible hybrid) if I did not
see red on the nape.
Actually, based on the county records over the past five years,
Yellow-bellied is the more likely species in Santa Clara County.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 05:25:11 1998
Subject: Re: Mt. Hamilton CBC/Long-eared Owl
MMAMMOSER wrote:
>
> Wilson's Warblers have a call note that sounds like a Winter Wren; the only
> difference being that they give it in single notes, without running them
> together into twos and threes.
I certainly agree that they are similar; I cannot tell them apart all
the time. Winter Wren does often give a single note, which helps to
confuse things. The only useful difference I've found is that the
Wilson's chip note is generally weaker and more nasal than the wren's. I
would describe the Wilson's as "kemp" vs. the strong "kip" of the wren.
Again, it is sometimes very difficult--Ron Thorn and I never decided on
a bird we heard the other day along Pescadero Creek.
Bert McKee
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 09:49:43 1998
Subject: 1998 Birds
On January 1, Jeanne Leavitt (JML) and I went
birdwatching in Ed Levin Park. In the northern part of
the park, we observed one TUNDRA SWAN [North American]
in the middle of Sandy Wool Lake. For those who haven't
seen it yet, the yellow on the nasal part of the black
bill is just a lozenge, two circles connected with a
straight segment. There were also RING-NECKED DUCKS and
an EARED GREBE.
In the southern part of the park, we saw what I thought
was a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. However, given my limited
experience with sapsuckers, it could have been the
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. It was male, with an all red
throat from beak to black gorget. I went for RNSA on
the strength of black shoulders, and very little white
on the back. By the time I was trying to find red on
the back of the head, it had started to roost, and had
fluffed up its feathers against the cold. It was in
a bare tree between the first parking lot and the pond.
I opted for the more likely species.
Also in the southern portion of Ed Levin, we observed
two RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERs in the peculiar trees along
the road in the NE corner of the park, and at least
three YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES. The park was full of ANHU,
including one female. We also observed two RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLETS bathing in the stream from just a few feet away.
On Sunday, January 4, we went to the Palo Alto Yacht
Harbor, from low tide to flood tide. While there, we
saw a dark MERLIN zip in, snatch up a sandpiper, and go
roaring out, disappearing into the Eucalyptus trees at
the end of Embarcadero. We also saw a COMMON RAVEN and
a NORTHERN HARRIER at the harbor mouth competing for
perching spots.
I spotted the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at the back
of the Duck Pond, then discovered it had already been
reported.
- Chris Salander
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 10:50:16 1998
Subject: Re[2]: Long-eared Owl
Adam Winer wrote:
>To the best of my knowledge, Mines Road only becomes San Antonio Valley
>Road south of =22San Antonio Junction=22 - the 3-way intersection of Mine=
s
>Road, San Antonio Valley Road, and Del Puerto Canyon Road.
This is true; Mines Road begins at the junction, heading north. The large w=
hite
mile markers that are painted in the middle of the road are only in Santa C=
lara
County. These indicate the mileage from the summit of Mt. Hamilton.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 11:14:08 1998
Subject: Re:Mt. Hamilton CBC/Long-eared Owl
Steve Glover wrote:
> and a probable Winter Wren. It sounded to me
> like a WInter Wren but it refused to ever run it's calls into the usual =
>
series of 2 or 3 so Bob and Jimm were skeptical. =
Steve,
Wilson's Warblers have a call note that sounds like a Winter Wren; the only=
difference being that they give it in single notes, without running them
together into twos and threes.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 11:19:37 1998
Subject: Re:Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, etc.
Steve Rottenborn wrote:
> Very unusual was
> a road-killed female WILD TURKEY along Coyote Road near Scarlett Way,
> north of Shady Oaks Park along Coyote Creek. The bird was a typical
> =22wild-type=22 individual and showed no signs of recent captivity, and
> I know of no pens nearby from which it might have escaped. However,
> I also know of no records of =22wild=22 Wild Turkeys nearby, so I don't
> know how this bird arrived at this location. =
Steve,
I recently reported a flock of 6 Wild Turkeys along Coyote Creek right at S=
hady
Oaks Park. I, too, have no idea how they got here, but they have been aroun=
d for
some time.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 12:25:29 1998
Subject: east of Mt Hamilton
All,
On 12/28/97 Steve Rottenborn and I once again headed over Mt Hamilton,
hoping for rarities and different looking Fox Sparrows. The FOX
SPARROW search was somewhat successful, with 136 FOX SPARROWS seen or
heard, two of which (out of about 30 well seen) were gray-backed birds
that may be of the race "schistacea". One of these birds was heard
giving a somewhat different call note compared to the other birds, and
this note seemed to be in agreement with what the literature indicates
for this race. Two other heard-only birds were also giving this chip
note earlier and were probably also gray-backed ("SLATE-COLORED")
birds. Despite arriving at a higher number than I had on 12/6/97 with
Mike Mammoser, there were actually far fewer Fox Sparrows around, or
they were much less responsive. Steve and I split up and walked long
stretches of road in good chaparral habitat pishing to get this total;
I would estimate that Mike and I had about 3 times as many birds
responding for the same amount of effort. Many of the birds Steve and
I had (especially near Mt Hamilton) appeared to be typical "SOOTY" FOX
SPARROWS, but especially farther east more and more birds seemed
grayer in the face and collar, had a clear gray supercilium, and had
rustier uppertail coverts. The call note of these birds was like the
"Sooty" form, so perhaps they are a different race of "Sooty" Fox
Sparrow, but they are not a bad match for Rising's "altivagans"
illustration (especially if you compare to the colors in the original
Canadian Birder's Journal article instead of Rising's book, which is
too dark). On the other hand, written descriptions and illustrations
of altivagans seem to vary rather substantially. Hopefully we can
straighten out the identity of these birds by examining specimens.
Other things of interest included a territorial chase between vocal
adult male SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, the chaser with very prominent white
crissal feathers. At the same spot (about 4.5 miles east of Mt.
Hamilton) Steve had an immature bird fly at him twice when he pished.
We had several other SSHA on the day and a few COHA as well.
Otherwise an adult FERRUGINOUS HAWK south of the Gehri Bridge was the
only raptor of interest besides 3 GOLDEN EAGLES and a MERLIN (along
Mines Road south of Blackbird Valley). Pishing hard at chaparral all
day only resulted in 2 SAGE SPARROWS, 1 east of the pond on Del Puerto
Road east of the junction and another along Mines Road south of
Blackbird Valley. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH were also scarce, with a pair
of flyover birds north of Colorado Creek along Mines Road (actually
only one of these birds was calling, so the other may be better left
as goldfinch sp).
Birds that were not found on the Mt. Hamilton Christmas Count two days
later included 3 VARIED THRUSHES (a few miles east of Mt Hamilton), a
LINCOLN'S SPARROW (milepost 0818), and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (in
the big pine adjacent to the Fred Gehri Bridge in San Antonio Valley).
Other miscellaneous birds included two ROCK WRENS 7.5 miles east of
Mt. Hamilton, 2 RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS (NONE at our stop at the
Arnold Pond and Ranch!%$$#%^!$@!), 2 COMMON SNIPE at milepost 12, 4
LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS (3 near the "yellow gate" and 1 near the
junction), 2 male PHAINOPEPLAS (1 near the old nest site south of the
"yellow gate", the other south of Blackbird Valley on Mines Road), a
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (near the Gehri Bridge), CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES
all the way east to milepost 0881, 7 HAIRY WOODPECKERS, and several
HUTTON'S VIREOS.
Driving out Mines Road in Alameda County at dusk netted a GREAT HORNED
OWL over a possible nest at milepost 1.85 and 12 fly-by WOOD DUCKS.
Two days later on 12/30/97 I was back east of Mt. Hamilton working
Isabel Valley with Mike Mammoser for the Mt. Hamilton CBC. We had a
good raptor day, with 2 adult BALD EAGLES perched together at the big
reservoir, both SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER'S HAWKS (including a COHA
killing a CALIFORNIA QUAIL), an immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK that
appeared to be acquiring some adult-like features, many RED-TAILED
HAWKS, 3 FERRUGINOUS HAWKS (1 adult, 1 immature, and an adult dark
morph bird!), 2 adult GOLDEN EAGLES, AMERICAN KESTRELS, 1 MERLIN, and
an adult PRAIRIE FALCON. The dark-morph FEHA was very cooperative and
allowed for photos while it perched and hunted in the area northeast
of the ranch houses.
Another highlight was a GREATER ROADRUNNER coming to a stock pond east
of the ranch houses - I was also able to get decent photos of this
bird. This was a long overdue species for my county year list and
allowed me to reach the nice round number of 275 for 1997. Rare for
the count were 2 female-plumaged HOODED MERGANSERS on ponds northeast
of the ranch houses.
Other birds of interest included 18 COMMON MERGANSERS (12 adult
males!), 14 LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS, numerous ducks, two LOGGERHEAD
SHRIKES, 7 HAIRY WOODPECKERS, a HUTTON'S VIREO, 76 FOX SPARROWS
(including good looks at 4 gray-backed birds at close range!) and NO
Sage Sparrows, 4 RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, 2 male PHAINOPEPLAS,
8 COMMON SNIPE, 14 PRONGHORN, 10 ELK, COYOTES, and a BOBCAT. Leaving at
dusk added single GREAT HORNED and WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS, calling
without being solicited.
Wednesday 12/31/97 found me driving to southern California (no, not
for birds :( ) instead of keeping pace with Mike Mammoser, who added
three birds to his county year list to finish with 276, one ahead of
me. Congratulations on a very strong finish Mike! I did have one
decent bird on the drive south - an OSPREY perched along Coyote Creek
just west of highway 101 near the model airplane skypark (probably the
same bird that has been hanging around the Ogier Ponds).
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 12:47:02 1998
Subject: Final 1997 Composite List
FINAL 1997 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST
Remarkably, the Mount Hamilton CBC turned up a new species for the
county year list - a male RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER found on the Arnold
Ranch by Jean-Marie Spoelman, Maryann Danielson, and Lee Ellis and
relocated along San Antonio Valley Road the next morning by Mike
Mammoser! So our new record has been extended by one to the nice
round number of 305!
Mike Mammoser had a great New Year's Eve of birding, adding three
county year birds (one a county bird!) to finish at 276, one ahead of
my 275 reached the day before. A lot of activity for December. Steve
Rottenborn, without "doing a year list", still managed 268 species to
finish 3 ahead of Mike Feighner's 265. Steve never bothered to chase
many of the stakeouts found in the county this year but was the only
one of these four observers to find Heermann's Gull, nighthawk sp.,
Chimney Swift, Costa's Hummingbird, Gray Flycatcher, and Evening
Grosbeak. The four year list totals for these observers are all
excellent, exceeding all of the 1995 and 1996 individual totals!
I haven't heard from Kathy Parker in ages, and her total may well be
higher than the 232 listed - a very good total built up by lots of
work in January.
Bob Reiling reports that he hit 228 in 1997, which is 24 above his old
record!. Tom Grey was in hot pursuit with 211. Chris Salander's
finish was hampered by work, which prevented birding for much of the
second half of 1997 - he'll have to wait for another year to reach
that elusive 200.
If anyone else kept track of their Santa Clara County year list in
1997 (Al Eisner?) please let us know.
And now for 1998! Several of our rare stakeouts are still around
(Steve even refound the Prairie Warbler that disappeared for the windy
San Jose count), which should get us off to a good start. Please send
me your trip lists for the first few days of January so I can
construct the new composite list.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Mike
P.S. Some advice from Kendric:
[To make the columns line up, please copy this list to a word processor, and
change the font to a monospaced font (Monoco, Courier, etc.), and set the
right hand margin to 7.5 inches.]
________________________________________________________________________
Recent progress of the composite list:
305: 12/30/97 RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
Please send any additions, corrections, or comments to Mike
Rogers, email@hidden.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST - 1997
RWR AME WGB MMR MJM KLP MLF SCR CKS COMP SOURCE
377 275 276 232 265 268 186 305
% OF COMPOSITE FOR 1997 90.2% 90.5% 76.1% 86.9% 87.9% 61.0% 100.%
% OF 377 72.9% 73.2% 61.5% 70.3% 71.1% 49.3% 80.9%
1988 TOTALS 136
1989 TOTALS 183
1990 TOTALS 199
1991 TOTALS 214 209
1992 TOTALS 216 234 234 215 278
1993 TOTALS 228 254 250 235 279 295
1994 TOTALS 204 240 245 271 265 194 291 303
1995 TOTALS 201 220 170 257 242 165 262 185 293
1996 TOTALS 203 219 258 253 218 251 195 296
1997 TOTALS 228 275 276 232 265 268 186 305
Red-throated Loon 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/14 1/ 1 MMR
Pacific Loon 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 m.ob.
Common Loon 1/ 8 1/ 9 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/14 1/11 1/ 3 MLF
Pied-billed Grebe 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Horned Grebe 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red-necked Grebe 10/22 10/22 10/22 11/ 9 10/22 10/22 RCC
Eared Grebe 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Western Grebe 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 2 1/10 1/ 1 2/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Clark's Grebe 1/ 9 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 SCR
Northern Fulmar
Sooty Shearwater
Ashy Storm-Petrel
Brown Booby
American White Pelican 1/23 4/26 1/ 1 1/27 1/ 1 7/13 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Brown Pelican 1/ 1 6/15 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Double-crested Cormorant 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant 11/ 9 PJM
Magnificent Frigatebird
American Bittern 3/13 3/ 8 3/19 3/13 4/ 3 1/10 NLe
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
Great Egret 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Snowy Egret 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Little Blue Heron 6/ 9 6/15 7/29 6/ 7 6/ 7 MLF,AME
Cattle Egret 1/ 8 1/18 1/23 1/ 4 1/14 2/20 1/ 4 MLF
Green Heron 1/ 8 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 3/23 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 m.ob.
White-faced Ibis 9/ 5 9/ 5 9/ 5 9/ 5 9/ 4 AJa
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Tundra Swan 12/21 DM,GH,TGr
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/11 1/ 9 1/14 1/ 8 1/ 8 m.ob.
Snow Goose 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/ 7 1/ 7 KLP
Ross' Goose 1/ 2 1/ 8 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/14 1/ 2 MMR,KLP
Brant
Canada Goose 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
Wood Duck 1/ 5 1/ 3 1/11 1/11 5/11 2/ 1 1/ 3 MJM,WGB
Green-winged Teal 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Mallard 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Northern Pintail 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Garganey
Blue-winged Teal 1/ 9 1/18 1/ 9 1/ 9 1/ 1 2/ 9 1/ 1 SCR
Cinnamon Teal 1/ 8 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 2/ 9 1/ 1 SCR
Northern Shoveler 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Gadwall 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Eurasian Wigeon 1/13 1/19 1/14 1/27 10/12 1/11 1/ 4 DMu
American Wigeon 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Canvasback 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Redhead 1/ 9 1/ 5 1/ 9 1/ 9 2/ 6 2/ 9 1/ 4 DMu
Ring-necked Duck 1/ 5 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Tufted Duck 1/13 1/18 2/ 2 1/24 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Greater Scaup 1/10 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Lesser Scaup 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Oldsquaw 2/13 2/14 2/13 2/13 2/15 2/13 LCh
Black Scoter 12/22 12/31 12/30 12/22 MMR,AK
Surf Scoter 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 2/ 9 1/ 1 m.ob.
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Bufflehead 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Hooded Merganser 9/24 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 11/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 KLP
Common Merganser 1/ 3 3/ 1 1/ 6 1/11 1/ 1 2/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Red-breasted Merganser 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Ruddy Duck 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Turkey Vulture 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
California Condor
Osprey 4/ 3 3/ 1 2/ 8 3/ 3 1/10 1/10 SCR
White-tailed Kite 1/ 5 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Bald Eagle 1/13 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Northern Harrier 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/11 1/17 1/12 3/ 9 1/ 1 MMR
Cooper's Hawk 1/10 2/12 1/ 7 1/ 4 1/12 2/16 1/ 3 WGB
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/30 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Broad-winged Hawk
Swainson's Hawk 2/ 8 2/ 8 MJM
Red-tailed Hawk 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 m.ob.
Ferruginous Hawk 1/13 1/ 3 1/14 1/19 11/ 3 1/ 3 MJM
Rough-legged Hawk 12/19 12/19 SCR
Golden Eagle 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/14 1/19 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 SCR
American Kestrel 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 m.ob.
Merlin 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 3 10/ 4 1/ 4 1/ 1 MMR
Peregrine Falcon 1/ 5 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR
Prairie Falcon 1/23 1/ 3 1/ 1 9/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/23 1/ 4 1/14 1/ 1 MMR
Wild Turkey 3/ 5 3/ 9 4/ 5 7/20 3/ 9 1/26 LCh et al.
California Quail 1/ 3 1/ 3 3/20 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 SCR
Mountain Quail 5/ 7 5/ 4 5/13 3/21 1/12 LAY
Yellow Rail
Black Rail 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/ 9 1/ 9 2/ 8 1/ 8 m.ob.
Clapper Rail 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 SCR
Virginia Rail 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 7 1/ 4 1/14 1/ 1 MMR
Sora 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/ 7 1/ 6 1/10 11/29 1/ 6 MLF
Common Moorhen 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
American Coot 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Sandhill Crane 10/12 RLi
Black-bellied Plover 1/14 1/19 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 1 10/13 1/ 1 SCR
Pacific Golden-Plover 7/30 8/ 4 7/27 DNo,JAb
American Golden-Plover 7/27 PJM
Golden-Plover sp 7/24
Snowy Plover 5/12 4/ 6 12/19 8/13 4/ 6 MJM
Semipalmated Plover 1/14 4/12 1/ 2 7/21 1/ 1 7/21 1/ 1 SCR
Killdeer 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Mountain Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
American Avocet 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Greater Yellowlegs 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lesser Yellowlegs 7/ 7 3/ 8 1/ 2 1/17 3/26 1/26 1/ 2 KLP
Solitary Sandpiper 4/27 4/21 4/21 SCR
Willet 1/ 8 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Wandering Tattler 9/14 PJM
Spotted Sandpiper 4/23 3/ 9 5/ 8 5/13 1/10 1/ 3 AV
Whimbrel 3/16 2/23 3/19 7/ 8 1/21 7/21 1/21 SCR
Long-billed Curlew 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Hudsonian Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Marbled Godwit 1/14 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 1 3/29 1/ 1 SCR
Ruddy Turnstone 10/30 11/ 1 7/24 7/21 4/17 4/17 SCR
Black Turnstone 10/30 8/17 10/27 8/17 MJM
Red Knot 9/24 4/26 4/30 10/12 4/26 MJM
Sanderling 1/14 8/17 1/ 7 1/17 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5/12 7/ 6 8/13 7/ 8 7/ 6 5/12 MMR
Western Sandpiper 1/13 1/19 1/ 2 1/17 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR
Least Sandpiper 1/13 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR
White-rumped Sandpiper 9/ 4 9/ 4 9/ 4 9/ 4 9/ 4 9/ 3 NLe
Baird's Sandpiper 8/12 8/16 8/13 8/13 8/12 4/13 AJa
Pectoral Sandpiper 9/ 2 8/29 9/ 2 8/31 9/ 2 7/30 AJa
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 10/ 4 10/ 4 10/ 5 10/ 4 10/ 4 10/ 3 NLe
Dunlin 1/13 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR
Curlew Sandpiper 7/23 7/25 7/24 7/24 4/17 4/17 SCR
Stilt Sandpiper 8/27 8/24 8/22 8/24 8/28 8/20 NLe
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 9/ 2 9/ 6 9/ 1 9/ 1 AJa
Ruff 9/ 4 10/ 4 10/ 5 9/ 4 6/29 6/29 SCR
Short-billed Dowitcher 3/16 3/23 1/ 2 3/22 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 2/ 9 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Common Snipe 1/ 8 3/ 2 3/ 3 11/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Wilson's Phalarope 6/25 6/15 7/29 6/17 5/10 9/ 4 4/22 AJa
Red-necked Phalarope 4/ 1 7/ 4 7/29 7/28 4/20 9/ 4 4/ 1 MMR
Red Phalarope 10/20 RCo,RLe
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Laughing Gull 11/30 11/30 11/30 11/30 11/29 TGr
Franklin's Gull 4/13 MDa,LDa
Little Gull
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/16 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Heermann's Gull 10/17 10/17 SCR
Mew Gull 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 m.ob.
Ring-billed Gull 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
California Gull 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 3/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Herring Gull 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 m.ob.
Thayer's Gull 1/ 1 1/11 1/11 1/10 1/ 1 3/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1/ 1 10/11 10/26 1/14 1/ 1 MMR
Western Gull 1/14 1/ 5 1/23 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/ 6 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Glaucous Gull 2/10 1/11 3/ 5 1/17 1/11 m.ob.
Black-legged Kittiwake
Sabine's Gull 10/ 8 10/ 7 10/ 8 10/ 8 10/ 7 10/10 10/ 7 SCR
Caspian Tern 3/ 6 4/26 8/30 4/ 5 3/ 6 7/13 3/ 6 SCR,MMR
Elegant Tern 10/18 10/17 10/ 2 PJM
Common Tern 10/26 10/17 10/17 SCR
Arctic Tern
Forster's Tern 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 7 1/10 1/ 1 3/29 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Least Tern 7/21 7/ 6 7/29 7/21 7/24 7/21 7/ 6 MJM,PJM
Black Tern 10/ 8 NLe,RWR
Black Skimmer 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 9 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Common Murre 8/29 8/29 8/29 8/29 MLF
Ancient Murrelet
Cassin's Auklet
Rock Dove 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/ 3 1/ 3 3/ 3 3/ 8 2/13 5/11 1/ 3 MMR,MJM
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner 12/30 5/17 5/17 1/ 3 WGB
Barn Owl 3/16 2/23 1/ 7 1/ 6 1/ 6 6/ 7 1/ 4 RWR,FVS
Flammulated Owl
Western Screech-Owl 2/15 1/19 3/21 7/20 1/19 MJM
Great Horned Owl 2/15 1/19 1/ 7 2/23 1/ 3 WGB
Northern Pygmy-Owl 2/15 1/19 3/ 8 10/12 1/19 MJM
Burrowing Owl 1/ 1 1/18 1/ 9 1/10 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Long-eared Owl 1/ 6 5/11 1/ 3 GBi
Short-eared Owl 1/ 9 3/ 8 1/ 9 1/19 12/30 1/ 8 SSt
Northern Saw-whet Owl 2/15 1/19 1/ 1 10/12 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk 6/12 SBT
Nighthawk sp. 7/18
Common Poorwill 5/ 7 4/27 3/21 3/21 MLF
Black Swift 5/24 5/24 MJM
Chimney Swift 9/19 9/19 SCR,SBT
Vaux's Swift 4/17 4/27 4/ 8 5/10 6/23 7/16 4/ 8 KLP
White-throated Swift 1/ 5 1/11 1/ 4 1/ 4 1/ 6 2/16 1/ 3 MtHamCBC
Black-chinned Hummingbird 4/22 4/12 8/11 4/ 3 5/14 4/ 3 NLe
Anna's Hummingbird 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Costa's Hummingbird 7/18 7/19 7/18 7/18 DCr
Calliope Hummingbird 5/ 6 5/ 6 SCR
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird 3/15 3/29 4/ 1 4/ 3 2/22 TGr
Allen's Hummingbird 1/13 2/15 1/23 1/21 3/23 2/16 1/13 MMR
Belted Kingfisher 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 2/13 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Lewis' Woodpecker 1/ 3 1/ 3 3/ 1 5/17 1/ 3 m.ob.
Acorn Woodpecker 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 SCR
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/ 5 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Red-naped Sapsucker 12/31 12/30 JMS,MAD,LE
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/ 3 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 3/22 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Williamson's Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 m.ob.
Downy Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 4 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Hairy Woodpecker 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 4 1/ 1 2/23 2/15 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Northern Flicker 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 m.ob.
Pileated Woodpecker 5/31 m.ob.
Olive-sided Flycatcher 5/ 6 5/ 3 5/ 6 5/ 4 5/ 8 4/20 4/17 JMa
Western Wood-Pewee 4/17 4/19 5/ 6 5/ 4 4/20 4/20 4/16 JMa,AV
Willow Flycatcher 8/30 9/ 1 9/ 1 8/31 5/27 5/18 LCh
Least Flycatcher 9/10 CCRS
Hammond's Flycatcher 4/12 4/25 4/12 MMR
Dusky Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher 5/ 6 5/ 6 SCR
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/29 2/17 4/ 2 3/ 5 3/23 3/30 2/17 MJM
Black Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Eastern Phoebe 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 5 3/ 3 12/31 3/ 2 MJM,MMR
Say's Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Ash-throated Flycatcher 3/16 4/ 5 5/ 6 4/30 4/ 8 2/ 5 1/23 MNi,CNa
Tropical Kingbird 10/10 10/10 10/ 5 DSt
Cassin's Kingbird 4/13 4/13 4/17 5/ 4 5/ 2 4/13 MMR,MJM
Western Kingbird 4/ 3 4/13 4/17 4/ 5 4/ 3 4/ 5 3/30 NLe,LAY
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Horned Lark 1/10 1/19 1/29 1/ 4 5/13 1/ 4 MLF
Purple Martin 5/ 6 5/ 3 5/ 7 5/10 4/20 3/23 FVs
Tree Swallow 2/28 2/23 3/ 5 2/28 3/ 2 1/ 3 WGB
Violet-green Swallow 2/28 2/23 5/ 6 3/ 6 1/ 1 3/ 9 1/ 1 SCR
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow 2/27 3/ 9 3/ 5 3/ 5 3/13 3/22 2/27 MMR
Bank Swallow 9/29 7/ 6 4/?? LTe
Cliff Swallow 3/ 6 3/ 8 3/19 2/28 3/ 2 3/22 2/28 MLF
Barn Swallow 3/12 2/28 3/ 5 3/10 3/ 2 3/23 2/24 AJa
Steller's Jay 1/ 3 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 m.ob.
Western Scrub-Jay 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 m.ob.
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR
American Crow 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Common Raven 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 SCR
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Oak Titmouse 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Bushtit 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/10 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/ 4 1/ 1 2/15 1/ 1 SCR
Pygmy Nuthatch 2/17 2/16 1/ 1 10/12 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Brown Creeper 1/ 3 1/19 3/20 1/ 1 1/10 1/ 3 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Rock Wren 1/10 1/ 3 1/29 1/ 4 5/13 1/ 3 MJM
Canyon Wren 1/10 2/ 9 3/20 1/19 1/ 1 3/22 1/ 1 SCR
Bewick's Wren 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 2/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
House Wren 3/15 3/16 3/20 3/15 1/ 1 3/22 1/ 1 SCR
Winter Wren 2/17 1/19 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Marsh Wren 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 7 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 9 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
American Dipper 3/ 2 3/ 1 3/19 3/ 4 1/30 CFi
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/ 3 2/15 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 2/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,KLP
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3/29 3/23 5/ 6 3/29 4/13 5/11 1/17 AJa
Western Bluebird 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 2/15 1/ 1 SCR
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire 12/31 11/ 4 1/ 3 GCh,HGe
Swainson's Thrush 5/ 1 5/ 4 4/17 5/10 5/ 8 4/17 KLP
Hermit Thrush 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 2 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 m.ob.
American Robin 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Varied Thrush 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/ 1 1/ 1 2/15 1/ 1 m.ob.
Wrentit 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/23 1/ 1 1/ 1 2/15 1/ 1 m.ob.
Northern Mockingbird 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Sage Thrasher
Brown Thrasher
California Thrasher 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/14 1/ 4 1/ 1 2/15 1/ 1 SCR
Red-throated Pipit
American Pipit 1/ 5 1/ 3 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/11 1/ 1 SCR
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing 1/ 3 2/17 1/23 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR
Phainopepla 6/10 5/18 5/31 5/17 1/ 3 DSc
Northern Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 9 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
European Starling 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Bell's Vireo 5/14 5/13 5/13 5/13 SCR
Blue-headed Vireo
Cassin's Vireo 3/16 4/ 6 5/13 5/ 4 4/12 1/ 6 KNe
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton's Vireo 2/15 2/16 3/ 1 4/ 8 1/19 1/ 1 JMa
Warbling Vireo 3/29 3/15 5/ 6 3/22 4/ 8 4/ 6 3/12 AME
Red-eyed Vireo
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler 2/12 1/25 5/ 6 3/ 8 1/ 1 4/ 6 1/ 1 SCR
Nashville Warbler 4/24 4/ 5 5/ 4 5/12 4/ 5 MJM
Virginia's Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler 1/ 8 4/12 5/ 6 4/ 5 1/12 9/13 1/ 8 MMR
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler 10/26 10/25 10/26 10/25 10/25 MJM,SCR
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Black-throated Gray Warbler 4/12 3/30 5/13 4/ 5 5/17 3/30 MJM
Townsend's Warbler 1/ 5 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/10 1/11 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Hermit Warbler 3/15 4/25 1/ 4 3/15 2/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 3 CKS
Black-throated Green Warbler 9/28 AJa
Blackburnian Warbler
Prairie Warbler 11/22 11/21 11/23 11/21 11/21 SCR
Palm Warbler 1/ 5 1/11 1/ 4 1/ 3 12/19 1/ 3 1/ 3 MLF,CKS
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart 8/ 8 8/16 8/11 8/12 8/ 7 8/ 7 SCR
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird 9/23 CCRS
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler 5/11 5/11 5/11 MMR,MJM
Common Yellowthroat 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Hooded Warbler 1/ 6 1/11 1/11 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Wilson's Warbler 3/16 3/23 8/11 3/29 4/ 3 4/ 6 3/16 MMR,TJo
Yellow-breasted Chat 5/10 5/18 5/18 5/13 4/13 DLS
Summer Tanager 1/16 3/ 2 1/14 2/23 1/24 1/14 KLP
Scarlet Tanager
Western Tanager 4/24 4/25 5/ 6 5/ 7 5/ 8 9/ 3 4/20 AV
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak 4/ 3 4/ 5 4/17 3/21 4/ 3 9/ 5 1/ 8 RCO
Blue Grosbeak 4/20 4/22 5/ 5 4/30 5/ 6 4/27 4/20 MMR
Lazuli Bunting 4/13 4/13 5/ 5 4/30 4/20 4/27 1/19 MMi
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Green-tailed Towhee 10/ 7 10/ 7 10/ 5 BHa
Spotted Towhee 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 SCR
California Towhee 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 4/10 2/ 9 3/20 3/22 5/ 6 4/27 1/ 3 MtHamCBC
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow 4/12 4/13 5/13 5/11 5/17 4/12 MMR
Clay-colored Sparrow 12/ 8 KMc
Brewer's Sparrow 9/28 10/12 9/28 MMR
Black-chinned Sparrow 5/ 6 5/10 5/10 5/17 5/ 6 MMR
Vesper Sparrow 10/ 5 CCRS,NLe
Lark Sparrow 1/10 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/19 5/13 1/ 3 MJM
Black-throated Sparrow
Sage Sparrow 1/ 3 4/19 5/17 5/17 1/ 3 m.ob.
Lark Bunting
Savannah Sparrow 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 SCR
Grasshopper Sparrow 4/10 4/20 4/16 5/ 4 4/13 4/10 MMR
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1/ 8 1/ 8 1/ 9 1/ 9 11/14 2/ 9 1/ 8 m.ob.
Fox Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/11 1/11 1/ 1 1/ 8 1/ 1 m.ob.
Song Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 9 1/11 1/ 1 2/ 5 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Swamp Sparrow 12/ 7 11/27 12/ 8 12/15 11/27 MJM
White-throated Sparrow 10/12 11/ 7 4/17 11/11 1/16 1/ 6 KNe
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
White-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Harris' Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lapland Longspur 11/ 2 NLe
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Bobolink 9/ 1 9/ 1 MJM
Red-winged Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/26 1/ 1 m.ob.
Tricolored Blackbird 1/ 2 2/22 1/ 2 1/28 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Western Meadowlark 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Yellow-headed Blackbird 4/13 4/13 5/ 7 5/ 4 4/11 4/11 SCR
Brewer's Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 MMR,SCR
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/ 1 2/20 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 5/ 8 1/ 1 m.ob.
Hooded Oriole 3/27 3/29 4/16 3/27 4/10 4/ 5 3/19 PLN
Baltimore Oriole 10/21 10/17 10/21 10/21 10/18 10/17 MJM
Bullock's Oriole 3/15 3/15 3/20 2/23 3/26 4/20 2/23 MLF
Scott's Oriole
Purple Finch 1/16 1/ 3 1/29 1/ 1 2/13 3/22 1/ 1 MLF,JMa
Cassin's Finch 4/12 4/ 5 3/ 2 SBT
House Finch 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red Crossbill 4/10 3/ 8 3/27 1/ 1 2/16 1/ 1 SCR
Pine Siskin 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/15 1/ 1 1/ 1 2/16 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lesser Goldfinch 1/ 3 1/ 3 1/ 7 1/11 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 1 SCR
Lawrence's Goldfinch 4/ 3 4/13 4/ 5 4/ 3 1/ 3 WGB
American Goldfinch 1/ 1 2/17 1/ 2 1/ 4 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR,MMR
Evening Grosbeak 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
House Sparrow 1/ 1 1/18 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 12:56:21 1998
Subject: oops
Steve saw the only Calliope Hummingbird, not Costa's in 1997...
the note atop the composite list is in error - sorry.
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 13:31:59 1998
Subject: GOEA on 280
On Saturday AM, 1/3, we had an adult Golden Eagle on Sand Hill Road about a
half mile west of 280. It flew up to perch in an oak, just a hundred feet or
so from the road - impressive, when you've been on a steady diet of red-
taileds! Also the pair of kites is still in residence south of Sand Hill.
Happy New Year to all!
Janet Hanson
SFBBO
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 16:15:25 1998
Subject: Early nesting?
Hello All
Today (01/05/98) at 12:30PM I observed a female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
looking for insects up and down a tree trunk at Murphy Park in
Sunnyvale.
The bird then flew up a short distance away and proceeded to sit on a
nest, presumably incubating eggs, about 8 feet up a Calif. Pepper
tree. I don't know if this is the earliest nesting record locally,
but it's the earliest I've ever seen a hummer on a nest. Nest
construction must have started in December!!
Does anyone know if this timing is common ?
Alan W.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 16:37:02 1998
Subject: RE: Early nesting?
REPLY RE: Early nesting?
Alan,
Yes, Anna's Hummingbirds do start early. I recall coming across a downed =
nest with two dead fledglings in early January, seen on a fieldtrip about =
8 years ago in Pescadero near the creek. Nesting must have started in =
December.
Another early starter was a Red-tailed Hawk carrying nesting material to a =
nest along Felter Rd., seen in mid-December while scouting for the San =
Jose CBC about 4 years ago.
Les
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 16:37:35 1998
Subject: Re:Early nesting=?US-ASCII?Q?=3F?=
Alan Walther wrote:
> The bird then flew up a short distance away and proceeded to sit on a
> nest, presumably incubating eggs, about 8 feet up a Calif. Pepper
> tree. I don't know if this is the earliest nesting record locally,
> but it's the earliest I've ever seen a hummer on a nest. Nest
> construction must have started in December=21=21
> Does anyone know if this timing is common ?
Anna's Hummingbirds will typically start nesting in December (I have seen a=
female sitting on a nest in December at Matadero Riparian). It seems strang=
e,
but is actually quite normal.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 05 17:59:35 1998
Subject: birds
On Monday, 29 Dec 97, I went out to the mouth of Stevens Creek, =
hoping to find the Black Scoter seen by Mike Rogers the previous day =
on the CBC. Along the way, I had an adult PRAIRIE FALCON perched =
on a power tower at the mitigation tidal pond across from Crittenden =
Marsh. At the bay proper there were a large number of ducks, whose =
numbers I roughly estimated at 80000. I had a EURASIAN WIGEON =
along the edge of the levee towards A3N and later, after joining Nick =
Lethaby back at the mouth of the creek, we had two more. At one point =
22 SNOW GEESE =22appeared=22 on the bay well out, but by my estimate =
still in Santa Clara County. =
Later, in Alviso, I had an adult PEREGRINE FALCON and a =
MERLIN.
On Tuesday, 30 Dec 97, I joined Mike Rogers for the Mt. Hamilton =
CBC, where we counted in Isabel Valley. We had a killer raptor day =
including 2 adult BALD EAGLES, 2 adult GOLDEN EAGLES, 3 =
FERRUGINOUS HAWKS (including a nice dark morph individual), an =
adult PRAIRIE FALCON, and a MERLIN. Speaking of =22killers=22, at =
one point we flushed up a group of CALIFORNIA QUAIL while an =
immature COOPER'S HAWK was nearby. The hawk immediately flew =
to a perch outside of a dense juniper, where a number of quail had =
=22holed up=22. After a minute, it dove in and the quail burst out. An =
unusual squeal, however, indicated that one of the quails probably =
didn't make it. Other nice birds on this count included 2 female =
HOODED MERGANSERS, 8 COMMON SNIPE, a very cooperative =
GREATER ROADRUNNER, 14 LEWIS' WOODPECKERS, 4 RED-
BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, 3 SAY'S PHOEBES, and 2 male =
PHAINOPEPLAS.
The next day, 31 Dec 97, after learning of a Red-naped Sapsucker =
having been found on the Mt. Hamilton CBC by Maryann Danielson =
and Jean-Marie Spoelman, I was heading back across the mountain to =
the Arnold Pond. This pond is right along the road, surrounded by =
extensive willow growth, about 9.5 miles east of the summit of Mt. =
Hamilton. If you keep an eye on your odometer to measure the mileage, =
the pond should be quite obvious when you get there. After having a =
MERLIN near the summit, I arrived at the pond and walked up the road =
towards the east, keeping an eye on the telephone poles that ran from =
the east end of the pond along the feeder creek, where the bird had been =
reportedly seen. A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER flew into the =
digger pines on the south side of the road first thing after I got there, bu=
t =
continued searching produced no others. Finally, as I was staking out =
the second pole east of the pond, I heard a tapping upslope on the south =
side of the road (right where a =22rock catching=22 chain link fence starts)=
. I =
scanned the digger pines here, expecting to find the earlier sapsucker, =
but could see nothing there. Continued tapping kept me looking and I =
finally noticed some movement low in the chaparral. There, at the base =
of these bushes only a few feet off the ground, was the male RED-
NAPED SAPSUCKER. It was a typical-looking bird, with a solid red =
crown, a solid red throat, and a distinct red nape patch. I couldn't see =
any extraneous red in any area where it shouldn't have been, which =
might have indicated some hybridization. It had a narrower white =
supercilium line towards the nape than is shown by Yellow-bellied =
Sapsucker. At one point, the bordering black feathers completely =
covered this line, making the bird look as though it had only a white =
spot above the eye. I didn't think to look at the pale patch on the back, =
which might have offered more clues for identification, but I don't think =
this is much of a concern, considering the other characters.
After getting this new county bird, I headed back over the top to =
continue my search for year birds. I stopped at the summit to check for =
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and while walking the road I =
miraculously had 2 of these birds fly into a tree downslope almost =
immediately after arriving. They were very similar to American Robin =
in size and structure, except that they looked entirely gray. When they =
flew I could see the pale wing patch and the white outer tail feathers. =
They disappeared quickly downslope, and I headed for the bay.
Shortly after arriving at the mouth of Stevens Creek, Nick Lethaby =
joined me and we watched small flocks of SURF SCOTERS flying by. =
Finally, Nick called out that he had a female BLACK SCOTER. This =
bird flew in with a couple of Surf Scoters and settled on the water, no =
more than 300 yards from us. It showed the white cheek patch and =
throat, and the smallish black bill that is typical of a female. This =
represented my third year bird of the day, and brought my total to 276, =
a personal best for me. I thank all the contributors to south-bay-birds, =
whose reports helped me reach this goal.
On Friday, 2 Jan 98, I went out to work on the county composite list for =
the new year. Highlights included a PEREGRINE FALCON over salt =
pond A12 in Alviso, a male TUFTED DUCK at the Sunnyvale sewage =
ponds, 12 BLACK SKIMMERS at Charleston Slough, a male and =
female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE on Shoreline Lake, 2 male BLUE-
WINGED TEAL and 5 REDHEADS on the flood control basin, the =
immature WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at the duck pond, a male =
EURASIAN WIGEON in the mouth of the Palo Alto estuary, the =
immature LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and 2 RED-NECKED =
GREBES on Lake Cunningham.
On Saturday, 3 Jan 98, I had the TUNDRA SWAN at Sandy Wool =
Lake in Ed Levin Park and a MERLIN along Calaveras Road at the =
reservoir.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 09:56:59 1998
Subject: RNSA
All,
Up until 8:25am this morning the male RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER was still near
the Arnold Pond along San Antonio Valley Road. The bird was about 100
yards west of the sharp turn that overlooks the Arnold Ranch buildings
and was about 25-30 yards upslope on the south side of the road. It has
many wells in the small evergreen oaks between the Digger Pines. Listen
for the tapping as the bird can be hard to see through the vegetation.
Mt Hamilton Road and San Antonio Valley Road were very icy in the turns
this morning - be careful early in the am!
Mike Rogers
1/6/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 10:05:38 1998
Subject: Panoche etc.
I headed south for little central Calif birding on Jan 1 - Morro Bay and
vicinity, then Carrizo Plain. Lots of rain cut into the birding, but still
a good time - got my life Rough-legged, but dipped on LeConte's on the
Carrizo/Maricopa portion.
On the way down, I stopped at San Felipe Lake - 30+ swallows, a bit
far away but I'm pretty sure at least some of them were TREE SWALLOWS.
Yesterday on the way back I went through Panoche Valley from I-5. In
Fresno County I had VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW at Little Panoche Reservoir,
1 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at mile 7 of Little Panoche Rd in Fresno Co,, a MERLIN
at mile 9.7, 5 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS 0.8 miles up the BLM Access Road (still
Fresno Co).
Then on New Idria Road (San Benito) at milepost 3.17, the Griswold Access
trailhead, there was a huge mixed flock of sparrows, including 300+ LARK
SPARROWS, in which I found 2 BREWER'S SPARROWS. This is a less than
totally confident i.d., as my scope was out (fogged, thanks to rain at
Morro Bay) and I've not seen too many of these nondescript little guys. I
bet a sparrow expert could extract more from this flock. I also saw a ROCK
WREN going into a hole in the stream bank here. A good number of the Lark
Sparrows were singing.
There were 10+ MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS along New Idria Road after milepost
10.00. At milepost 18.69 I found a flock of Juncos and a couple of
Scrub-jays mobbing a small owl. It was quite a way off the road on private
property and I only had a fleeting glimpse of thw owl - not enough for an
i.d. There were also Lesser and American Goldfinch here, but try as I
might I couldn't turn up a Lawrence's.
The reported TUNDRA SWANS (11) were still on Paicines Reservoir.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 13:58:53 1998
Subject: Mines Rd/San Antonio
This morning I birded Mines Rd and San Antonio Valley with Bob Reiling and
Frank Vanslager. We got to Mile 27 at 5.15 am but there were no owls here or
further along except for 2 Great Horned.
Just N of San Antonio junction, we saw 2 Phainopeplas and a Lawrence's
Goldfinch. We saw a Lewis's Woodpecker at the ranch south of the junction
along with lots of Tricolored Blackbirds. We had good views of the male
Red-naped Sapusucker at Arnold Ranch on both sides of the road, along with
another unidentified sapsucker. We saw a Red-breasted Sapsucker at Smith
Creek. Despite extensive searching, we could not locate any of the
Solitaires seen last week.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 14:04:21 1998
Subject: Tilley in Panoche
I forgot to mention - I found and retrieved a Tilley hat, size 7 3/8, at
milepost 20.52 on Panoche Road. If the owner is out there, let me know.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 17:35:03 1998
Subject: WWSC
All,
I made a quick stop by the Palo Alto Baylands and scoped the Bay
from the old yacht harbor mouth. There are far fewer ducks out
there now, but what was out there was close to shore and contained
a high percentage of scoters. The birds were flying around a lot,
and I soon had a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER lift off from behind Hook's
Isle and head north into San Mateo County with some dark-winged
(Surf) Scoters. Also here were an adult BROWN PELICAN flying
north over the Bay and a SANDERLING flying south near shore (both
Santa Clara County). A raft of 400+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS was forming
just outside the entrance.
The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still at the duck pond and a
quick scan of the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin from the frontage
road turned up 6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (4 males, 2 females), only one
REDHEAD (a male) with 3 CANVASBACKS, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON
once again perched again on a post in the FCB (probably the Elwell
Court bird since a RTHA was on his tower), and a BLACK SKIMMER
foraging way out over Adobe Creek near the pump house.
Mike Rogers
1/6/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 17:44:32 1998
Subject: Oka Ponds
This morning there were eight HOODED MERGANSERS (four of each sex) at the
Oka ponds. A female MERLIN was in the large tree across the path from the
observation tower....On 1-4, while talking to a ranger at Lake
Cunningham, I learned that the park is going to be expanded near the
water slides (southwest corner). The ranger said that the city believes
there is no wildlife impact, but the ranger has seen borrowing owls on
the embankment that is going to be leveled. Do our Audubon people know
about this? Do they want to get involved?
Jack Cole
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 06 23:21:24 1998
Subject: GLGU, REKN
All:
Yesterday (6 Jan.), I saw a first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL perched with
other gulls on the edge of the golf course at Shoreline Lake. Two
female BARROW'S GOLDENEYES and a fairly high count of HORNED GREBES
(34) were on the lake.
At the Palo Alto Baylands, I scoped the ducks on the bay without
finding anything unusual, but two RED KNOTS were roosting with
shorebirds in the new marsh "pond" in the yacht harbor. The imm.
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and an ad. PEREGRINE FALCON were
also at the Baylands. Matadero Creek had the HUTTON'S VIREO and
an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, the PAFCB had 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS
(ad., imm.) and 5 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (3 males), Charleston Slough
had at least 12 BLACK SKIMMERS, and a female REDHEAD was on pond
A-1. An adult GOLDEN EAGLE and an ad. PEREGRINE FALCON were near
the EEC in Alviso, and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS was in New Chicago
Marsh east of the Alviso marina.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 07 13:43:49 1998
Subject: TUSW
All,
I made a quick check for the TUNDRA SWAN at Sandy Wool Lake today
1/7/97 and indeed the bird was still there, swimming in the middle
of the lake. It does indeed have an extreme amount of yellow for
a "Whistling" Swan...and also a lot of red showing on the tomium
as well. I talked to a local fisherman and he thought the bird
had been present by Christmas (he walks around the lake daily)
and also guessed that it had been released, which might indeed be
possible. Has anyone checked for bands? or pinioned feathers?
It did not flap while I was there and according to this guy it
rarely ever does much of anything. Also here were 3 female type
COMMON MERGANSERS and 4 male RING-NECKED DUCKS.
Mike Rogers
1/7/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 07 14:22:38 1998
Subject: Fall Challenge
All,
Many of you may be members of SFBBO and get "The Stilt", the SFBBO newsletter.
In the Winter 1997 issue there is a table of all the birds seen on the "Fall
Challenge with a column for each county in which Big Days were done. Santa
Clara County is listed first with the highest total of 163 species seen by
3 teams. The total should actually be 165, as Stilt Sandpiper (mentioned in
the article on page 2) and Common Raven were seen by the SCL teams. The five
species that Scott, Steve, and I missed on 10/12/97 that were seen by other
teams were Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Barn Owl, MacGillivray's
Warbler, and Bullock's Oriole.
Let's field more teams next year and beat that 165!
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 07 18:59:43 1998
Subject: SBBU update
Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for January 10-16.
Mike Rogers has posted the FINAL VERSION of the 1997 SANTA CLARA COUNTY
YEAR LIST.
More sightings of Merlie the Merlin.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 08 14:59:03 1998
Subject: Lake Cunningham and Alviso
Hi South Bay Birders,
Today (8 Jan) I finally got a chance to head for the South Bay to look
at the Lake Cunningham gull and to give the Alviso _Calypte_ another
shot. I arrived at the lake at about 0745. A check through all the
available gulls did not turn up anything different. However, there were
still some gulls flying in and out of the main flock, so I kept looking
at them for a while (besides, these gulls were a nice change from the
Glaucous-wings and Westerns I've spent so many hours staring at lately).
Halfway through one of my scans, I got a shock. A darker-mantled gull
among the Californias lifted off the water to flap its wings. My
immediate reaction was "adult Lesser Black-backed Gull!?". It sure
looked like one, but I didn't want to be too hasty. I watched the bird
for about six or seven minutes, and everything I saw suggested LBBG. The
bird was just a little too distant and the sky a little too overcast to
confidently judge the eye color through my 20x77 scope, though, and it
unfortunately flew off to the northeast before I could get closer.
However, the head streaking, mantle color, leg color, overall size and
shape, bill shape and color, and wing pattern clearly eliminated all of
our regular gulls.
The mantle was perfect for a _graellsii_ Lesser Black-backed; it was
conspicuously darker than all of the California Gulls (overcast
conditions are good for judging shades of gray on gulls). I could still
pick out the darker mantle in the distance as it flew away with a couple
of CAGUs. I saw the legs three times: twice when the bird raised off the
water to flap, and finally when it took flight. They were clearly bright
yellow. The head was well streaked, and this streaking was mostly
confined to the head--unlike most of the California Gulls, which have
the streaking at least as heavy on the hindneck and sides of the neck as
on the head. The bill shape was also perfect for LBBG (shorter and
straighter than CAGU, without a pronounced gonydeal angle), as was the
bill color (bright yellow with a very large, oblong red spot at the
gonys).
I can only assume that this is Nick Lethaby's Alviso LBBG. I have seen
that bird twice, and I could not see any differences between it and
today's bird--the resemblance was striking. I guess I will submit a more
complete description from my field notes to the CBRC; they can either
consider it part of the Alviso record or reject it as Identification Not
Established (because I didn't see the eye color). If anyone wants to
look for this bird at Lake Cunningham, I had it at about 0810 out in the
middle of the lake before it flew off to the northeast.
There were a few other interesting birds on the lake. As I was looking
through the gulls, a RED-NECKED GREBE flew by, coming from the west side
of the lake. Later I saw two Red-necked Grebes swimming around the
marina together. I began scanning the far shore and soon found the first
bird, while keeping the two in sight in front of me. Three RED-NECKED
GREBES on one lake in a non-coastal county seems pretty weird. There
were also four AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, two COMMON MERGANSERS, and one
GREEN HERON on the lake. I spent about three hours checking all around
the lake for the second-year LBB-type gull (and trying to refind the
adult) in the morning without any luck. Another hour of scanning in the
afternoon was also unproductive.
I spent an hour or so searching for the apparent hybrid _Calypte_ at the
Alviso Environmental Education Center, without success. I did see the
RED FOX SPARROW (along with a few Sooties), the YELLOW WARBLER, and an
adult COOPER'S HAWK there.
By the way, the apparent MALLARD x PINTAIL is still over here on the
coast; I got some distant photos of it yesterday. Ron Thorn also told me
that the apparent RING-NECKED DUCK x SCAUP is back, this time at Leo
Ryan Park in Foster City.
Bert McKee
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 08 16:03:57 1998
Subject: Immature Rough-legged Hawk
All,
At about 1:15 PM today, after having unsuccessfully looked for the Prairie
Warbler, Frank Vanslager and I saw what for an instant looked like a White-
tailed Kite just crossing the creek downstream of us and headed for the
airport. The bird had an overall light colored body, wings and tail. At that
point I noted that the bird was a hawk and not a kite. The bird was then seen
to pull-up, drop its legs and hover for 4-5 wingbeats (just like a kite). It
repeated this maneuver for 9 to 10 times during our observations as it soared
in circles over the airport (while looking toward the ground} as it gradually
moved upstream (toward downtown San Jose). We then drove to the pullout at
the end of the runway adjacent to Hwy 880 but we were unable to re-find the
bird.
Description: The most striking thing when the bird would hover was that the
upper tail was white with a wide, dark subterminal band and a narrow white
edge. The bottom side of the tail however was an overall light, dusky gray
with no apparent bands. The wingtips were black, the aft portion of the wing
was whitish (becoming darker toward the body) with the forward arm portion of
the wing being a light gray-brown to medium gray-brown. The wrists on the
lower wing had contrasting, darker gray-brown to black semicircular marks.
The upper wing looked much like the lower wing except that the forward arm
portion of the wing was darker with no obvious contrasting wrist patch. The
upper body excluding the head was about the same color as the upper wing. The
head did not contrast with the neck and chest and as such was an overall light
dusky gray. There was no obvious contrasting belly coloring. As such it is
apparent that this was a light-phase, immature, Rough-legged Hawk.
Questions/Comments?
Bob Reiling, 3:35 PM, 1/8/98
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 06:57:49 1998
Subject: Re: Lake Cunningham and Alviso
Bert McKee wrote:
>
> By the way, the apparent MALLARD x PINTAIL is still over here on the
> coast; I got some distant photos of it yesterday. Ron Thorn also told me
> that the apparent RING-NECKED DUCK x SCAUP is back, this time at Leo
> Ryan Park in Foster City.
Hi again,
Sorry everyone, there was a misunderstanding between Ron and I. He saw a
dark-backed _Aythya_ there yesterday, but said that it could have been
the hybrid back for its third winter--it was not close enough to be
sure. In fact, it did turn out to be a Tufted Duck; he called to tell me
that he had confirmed it this morning (the bird was much closer). His
report on the BirdBox has more details. My apologies for the
misunderstanding (never trust a second-hand report!).
Bert McKee
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 07:12:46 1998
Subject: Lake Cunningham swifts
All,
Yesterday Frank Vanslager and I also tried for the LBBG with no luck. The
only thing of interest at Lake Cunningham besides the Red-necked Grebes was a
even dozen chittering White-throated Swifts over the northeast side of the
lake.
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 6:58 AM, 1/9/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 10:27:58 1998
All,
After sketching out the pattern of yellow on the bill of the Ed Levin
Park Tundra Swan I looked at a few references to see what they had to
say regarding Wistling/Bewick's Swans and the amount of yellow on the
bill.
I found a very good match to the Ed Levin bird sketched out on page
316 of the October 1994 issue of Birding magazine. This sketch by
Shawneen Finnegan is drawn as a "Bewick's Swan". The match is very
good, including the overall extent of yellow, the way the yellow meets
the face, the amount of black over the yellow spot, the black indent
at the tip of the yellow spot, and the speckles of black in the outer
part of the yellow spot. However, the photograph on the cover of this
issue shows a bird with perhaps even more yellow on the bill and it is
called a "Whistling" with "an unusually large amount of yellow" but
"less than is shown by the average Bewick's form". Also, the Bewick's
photograph on page 314 shows much more yellow, including some over the
top of the bill.
Looking in Madge and Burn's "Waterfowl", the Ed Levin bird seems to
lie in between the ranges shown for both species, with less yellow
than a weakly colored Bewick's and more than a strongly colored
Whistling.
Maybe it's time to look at Evans and Sladen 1980 Auk 97: 697-703.
"A comparative analysis of the bill markings of Whistling and Bewick's
Swans and out-of-range occurrences of the two taxa."
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 11:11:05 1998
Subject: Re:
Mike Rogers wrote:
>
>Maybe it's time to look at Evans and Sladen 1980 Auk 97: 697-703.
>"A comparative analysis of the bill markings of Whistling and Bewick's
>Swans and out-of-range occurrences of the two taxa."
I just had a look at this and its interesting. Overall they found that the
range of yellow on Whistling went from 0% - 15.8%, while on Bewick's it
started at 22% and went up from there. They also use a classification
scheme (Darky, Pennyface, and Yellow neb) for bill types in Bewick's.
Pennyface has a yellow spot on the culmen, Yellow neb has the yellow of the
sides continuous over the culmen. Only 'darky' (yellow restricted to the
bill sides) occurs in Whistling Swan. Whistling Swans with more than 8%
yellow on the bill were rare. If good side-on photos are available of this
bird, one could replicate the methods this paper used in order to figure
out how it falls out. Someone previously mentioned 11% yellow, was this an
estimate or measured in some way?
Al.
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 11:16:18 1998
Subject: P.A. Baylands 1/9/98
I was out at the Palo Alto Baylands this mornings for the SFBBO Clapper Rail
Count. High Tide
was at 9:40AM. Saw 3 CLAPPER RAILS in my area. A lot more were seen in all.
40 minutes after high tide, when the crowds had left the Black Rail spot, did
have leisurely
looks at a couple of BLACK RAILs and a VIRGINIA RAIL. 5-7 Black Rails were
seen in all.
A MERLIN flew past the parking lot. The resident PEREGRINE FALCON was around.
Also saw COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and MARSH WREN among the other common birds there.
Vivek
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 12:57:39 1998
Subject: Re:
I've seen a lot of Bewick's Swans and this bird definitely had less yellow
than is typical. However, it has a lot more yellow than is typical for
Whistling.
There is great variation in the pattern of yellow for Bewick's. In Britain,
they can identify individual birds by the pattern of yellow. A Bewick's
might show a pattern like this, but I suspect a Whistling Swan could too.
At 11:11 AM 1/9/98 -0800, Alvaro Jaramillo wrote:
>
>Mike Rogers wrote:
>>
>>Maybe it's time to look at Evans and Sladen 1980 Auk 97: 697-703.
>>"A comparative analysis of the bill markings of Whistling and Bewick's
>>Swans and out-of-range occurrences of the two taxa."
>
>I just had a look at this and its interesting. Overall they found that the
>range of yellow on Whistling went from 0% - 15.8%, while on Bewick's it
>started at 22% and went up from there. They also use a classification
>scheme (Darky, Pennyface, and Yellow neb) for bill types in Bewick's.
>Pennyface has a yellow spot on the culmen, Yellow neb has the yellow of the
>sides continuous over the culmen. Only 'darky' (yellow restricted to the
>bill sides) occurs in Whistling Swan. Whistling Swans with more than 8%
>yellow on the bill were rare. If good side-on photos are available of this
>bird, one could replicate the methods this paper used in order to figure
>out how it falls out. Someone previously mentioned 11% yellow, was this an
>estimate or measured in some way?
>
>Al.
>
>
>
>Alvaro Jaramillo
>Half Moon Bay,
>California
>
>email@hidden
>
>Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
>
>http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
>==========================================================================
>This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
>server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
>message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
>
>
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 13:22:50 1998
Subject: Address change request
I am getting way to much mail at work.
PLEASE CHANGE
email@hidden
to
email@hidden.
MUST USE LOWER CASE ONLY
this is my home address ........Thanks!
Richard Cimino
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 13:29:39 1998
Subject: Re:
At 02:57 PM 1/9/98 -0600, Nick Lethaby wrote:
>I've seen a lot of Bewick's Swans and this bird definitely had less yellow
>than is typical. However, it has a lot more yellow than is typical for
>Whistling.
>
>There is great variation in the pattern of yellow for Bewick's. In Britain,
>they can identify individual birds by the pattern of yellow. A Bewick's
>might show a pattern like this, but I suspect a Whistling Swan could too.
>
However, the paper states that while the extremes in the amount of yellow
shown by both of these taxa come close to each other, they do not overlap.
Based on their work an accurate quantification of the amount of yellow on
the bill sides should identify almost all birds.
Al.
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 13:48:09 1998
Subject: Guadalupe River Common Mergansers
All,
Today after seeing the Black Rails at the Palo Alto Baylands (and not seeing
any rare sparrows) Frank Vanslager and I once again failed to find the
mythical Prairie Warbler :-{(. The best thing in the Guadalupe River
downstream of the I-880 overpass was seven Common Mergansers (three absolutely
pristine males and four females).
Take care and keep smiling,
Bob Reiling, 1:35 PM, 1/9/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 14:07:40 1998
Subject: More Baylands
One addition to Vivek's note: a couple of birders saw the Nelson's
Sharp-Tailed Sparrow along the levee path about 2/3 of the way to the
airport channel. I hung around that area for about 20 minutes or so
after that, but I didn't see it. Some days or times it can be very
cooperative, other times very difficult....
Al Eisner
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 14:35:37 1998
Subject: Re: Ed Levin swan
>However, the paper states that while the extremes in the amount of yellow
>shown by both of these taxa come close to each other, they do not overlap.
>Based on their work an accurate quantification of the amount of yellow on
>the bill sides should identify almost all birds.
>
>Al.
If it's really true they don't overlap, then I feel the bird is closer to a
normal Bewick than to a normal Whistling Swan. Having said that, the bird
could possibly be a hybrid. In addition, I feel uncomfortable claiming
vagrants that significantly deviate from the normal appearance of a species,
especially as this is the only distinguishing feature. If we can establish
that this amount of yellow is regularly shown by at least a few percent of
Bewick's, I'd feel OK. It's possible it is, especially as Madge claims that
eastern population show less yellow (although still more than this in my
experience).
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 09 23:41:10 1998
Subject: Swan bill markings
The following BBC website has an illustration of Whooper and Bewick's swan
bills that explains what they mean by the terms Yellowneb, Pennyface and
Black Stripe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/heading_south/bill.htm
Bruce
Bruce E. Webb
Granite Bay, California
(916) 797-0535
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 10 02:36:00 1998
Subject: Re: Lake Cunningham and Alviso
Bert,
Three RNGR at Lake Cunningham is really amazing, but this has
been the best fall/winter ever for this species in SCL Co.
Your gull definitely sounds like a LBBG, and I'd accept it as
the same as the San Jose bird for the sake of conservatism.
However, it would not surprise me at all if we have multiple
adult LBBG in the South Bay right now. We only scrutinize a
very small percentage of the gulls around here, and given the
ease with which "the" adult LBBG disappears for weeks at a time
before being seen again, it would be easy for a rare gull to
escape us. By the way, Mike Rogers briefly saw an apparent
adult LBBG at Lake Cunningham on 31 Oct. 1997, but he was so
busy trying to photograph the immature we had found that day
that he was unable to get a good look at the adult before it
had flown.
If anyone does see "the" adult LBBG, please pay particular
attention to the pattern of streaking on the head and neck,
and describe this pattern as well as possible. Photos would
be great. If we do have multiple adult LBBG in the South Bay,
comparison of the pattern of streaking on the head and neck
might allow us to confirm this (but only if the sightings occur
in close temporal proximity).
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 10 12:08:29 1998
Subject: Baylands birds
In the hour or so before high tide at "Black Rail corner" I saw 6 BLACK
RAILS and a VIRGINIA RAIL. Later along the levee a number of us had fairly
good views both in the reeds across the water and in the foliage alongside
the levee itself of a NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. The PEREGRINE FALCON
flew by, and the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at the Duck Pond. 2
BLUE-WINGED TEAL were right near the parking lot in the north pond of the
FCB. The usual couple of BARROW'S GOLDENYES were on Shoreline Lake.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 10 14:08:45 1998
Subject: Re: Baylands birds
I'd like to add a bit more to Tom Gray's posting. Most importantly, because
of the storm, the tides are really high. I've been coming here for 6 winters
and I have never had such great looks at Black Rail as I had today of 3.
In addition, I spent some time at the yacht station. There were 6 Soras (one
being eaten by a Great Blue Heron) and 10 Clappers here. I had 2 sightings
of White-winged Scoter from here too by scoping flying scoter flocks.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 10 23:16:44 1998
Subject: Lake Cunningham 1/10
At Lake Cunningham today around 1:30PM, 4 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs,
a GREEN HERON on the shore near the Marina, and 3 AMERICAN PIPITs
on the grassy embankments. What may have been the Imm.
LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL was on the water, but I didn't have a scope
and couldn't confirm.
Vivek
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 11 14:40:41 1998
Subject: Glaucous-wing Gull
This afternoon. after getting close-up views of BLACK RAILS, there was an
adult GLAUCOUS_WING GULL at the Duck Pond at the Baylands.
Kathy Parker
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 11 16:24:52 1998
Subject: Sunnyvale WPCP
Hi Everyone--
I took a walk around the outermost levee at Sunnyvale WPCP today, and
saw 3 BROWN PELICANS fishing in the channel. There were 3 ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS in the fennel patch on the west side of the old landfill, near
the intersection of Mathilda Avenue and Caribbean Drive.
Mark
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 11 19:57:54 1998
Subject: Palo Alto CBC
Here are the final results of the PA CBC. (For those of you who participated
and received a mail copy these results are slightly different.)
Penelope K. Bowen
Menlo Park, Calif.
e-mail: email@hidden
Palo Alto Christmas Bird Count 1997
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 144
Horned Grebe 46
Red-necked Grebe 1
Eared Grebe 365
Western Grebe 60
Clark's Grebe 5
Grebe-W.or C.?Aechmophorus Spp 5
American White Pelican 10
Brown Pelican 15
Double-crested Cormorant 264
Great Blue Heron 32
Great Egret 93
Snowy Egret 117
Green Heron 4
Black-crowned Night-heron 44
Greater White-fronted Goose 2
Canada Goose 315
Wood Duck 45
Green-winged Teal (Amer) 412
Mallard 1295
Northern Pintail 1384
Blue-winged Teal 6
Cinnamon Teal 77
Northern Shoveler 15061
Gadwall 1180
Eurasian Wigeon 4
American Wigeon 2313
Canvasback 4427
Redhead 16
Ring-necked Duck 21
Tufted Duck 2
Greater Scaup 68
Lesser Scaup 393
Scaup Spp. 32583
Oldsquaw CW
Black Scoter 1
Surf Scoter 42
Common Goldeneye 149
Barrow's Goldeneye 1
Bufflehead 4287
Hooded Merganser 17
Common Merganser 13
Red-breasted Merganser 18
Ruddy Duck 14834
Duck Spp. 4845
Turkey Vulture 63
Osprey 2
White-tailed Kite 22
Northern Harrier 26
Sharp-shinned Hawk 17
Cooper's Hawk 12
Accipiter Spp. 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 23
Red-tailed Hawk 105
Rough-legged Hawk CW
Golden Eagle (adult) 2
American Kestrel 50
Merlin 6
Peregrine Falcon 4
Ring-necked Pheasant 3
California Quail 115
Clapper Rail 4
Virginia Rail 1
Sora 6
Common Moorhen 4
American Coot 8074
Black-bellied Plover 1034
Semipalmated Plover 68
Killdeer 172
Black-necked Stilt 1784
American Avocet 6973
Greater Yellowlegs 52
Lesser Yellowlegs CW
Willet 3471
Whimbrel 5
Long-billed Curlew 239
Marbled Godwit 4853
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Red Knot 3
Sanderling 8
Western Sandpiper 10874
Least Sandpiper 467
Dunlin 3352
Calidrid spp 2260
Short-billed Dowitcher 25
Long-billed Dowitcher 284
Dowitcher Spp. 1356
Red Phalarope 1
Common Snipe 3
Bonaparte's Gull 1224
Mew Gull 17
Ring-billed Gull 676
California Gull 1115
Herring Gull 1401
Thayer's Gull 34
Western Gull 696
Glaucous-winged Gull 397
Gull Spp. 2859
Forster's Tern 70
Black Skimmer 15
Rock Dove 688
Band-tailed Pigeon 199
Mourning Dove 607
Barn Owl 1
Western Screech-owl 10
Great Horned Owl 8
Northern Pygmy-owl 2
Burrowing Owl 10
Northern Saw-whet Owl 3
White-throated Swift 12
Anna's Hummingbird 407
Belted Kingfisher 3
Acorn Woodpecker 135
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2
Nuttall's Woodpecker 65
Downy Woodpecker 13
Hairy Woodpecker 15
Northern Flicker (Red-sh) 113
Pileated Woodpecker 1(h)
Black Phoebe 179
Say's Phoebe 16
Horned Lark 5
Swallow spp 5
Steller's Jay 118
Western Scrub-Jay 581
American Crow 79
Common Raven 151
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 493
Oak Titmouse 249
Bushtit 933
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 26
Pygmy Nuthatch 4
Brown Creeper 11
Bewick's Wren 83
Winter Wren 3
Marsh Wren 17
Golden-crowned Kinglet 9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 233
Western Bluebird 64
Hermit Thrush 56
American Robin 734
Varied Thrush 22
Wrentit 84
Northern Mockingbird 47
California Thrasher 19
American Pipit 118
Cedar Waxwing 467
Loggerhead Shrike 15
European Starling 1360
Hutton's Vireo 22
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 108
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Aud) 164
Yellow-rumped Warbler (form?) 750
Townsend's Warbler 85
Common Yellowthroat 12
Western Tanager 1
Spotted Towhee 105
California Towhee 254
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 2
Lark Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 169
Fox Sparrow 37
Song Sparrow 55
Lincoln's Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 961
White-crowned Sparrow 746
Dark-eyed Junco(Oregon) 495
Red-winged Blackbird 680
Tricolored Blackbird 650
Western Meadowlark 605
Rusty Blackbird 1
Brewer's Blackbird 686
Brown-headed Cowbird 25
Blackbird spp. 301
Oriole spp. 1
Purple Finch 16
House Finch 503
Pine Siskin 9
Lesser Goldfinch 199
American Goldfinch 48
House Sparrow 46
Total Birds 155569
Total Species 172
3 CW
Total Participants 83
Feeder Watchers 2
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 11 20:30:49 1998
Subject: Baylands on Sunday
There were at least 4 Black Rails today although the tide was not so high. I
had a Swamp Sparrow at the "Sharp-tailed Sparrow bend".
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 09:42:56 1998
Subject: Sunday morning birds
I visited several Santa Clara Co. locations on Sunday, Jan. 11. First stop
was Shady Oaks Park [take Coyote Rd. north from Blossom Hill Rd., immediately
east of highway 101], where the EASTERN PHOEBE was readily found in the aban-
doned orchard. The bird was moving about, usually on low perches, about 60
or so yards south of the park's jungle gym. Although it was initially silent,
I later heard it call. If you go into this orchard, wear footwear which can
tolerate getting wet from the long grass.
I next spent some time at Lake Cunningham, hoping that one of the Lesser
Black-Backed Gulls would come in, or that a likely RED-NECKED GREBE would at
some point untuck its head. Yes on the latter, but no luck on the former.
(I only saw one Red-Necked Grebe.) There were also 4 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs
and at least 4 HORNED GREBEs on the lake.
Finally, in a post high-tide visit to the Palo Alto Baylands to look for
sparrows, I failed to find either Swamp (I met Nick Lethaby, who had seen
one, on his way out just after I arrived) or Nelson's Sharp-Tailed.
Al Eisner
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 10:20:00 1998
Subject: Tundra Swan, RNGR, high tide, etc.
Hi South-Bay Birders,
I spent some time at Palo Alto over the weekend, enjoying the high tides.
The Black Rails (up to 4 both Saturday and Sunday) were fairly cooperative
and allowed close views given some patience. We even had one or two wandering
around feeding just below us. Occasionally, one would pause, cock its head
and look up at us. I guess they figured as we weren't Egrets, we were pretty
safe. Quick movements would scare them off, but otherwise they seemed fairly
unconcerned.
I also scanned the Scaup/Scoter flocks offshore from the boat launch and
had at least two White-winged Scoters close by on Sunday.
The Tundra Swan at Ed Levin Park was still there on Sunday morning. This
bird has less yellow than some Bewick's I've seen before, but it seems to be
at the upper end for Whistling. I did look for yellow on the underneath of the
bird's bill and couldn't see any. This is mentioned in the Birding article
Mike Roger referenced previously. At that time it was mentioned as needing
further investigation, but Bewick's seems to show yellow while Whistling do
not.
Lake Cunningham still had 2 Red-necked Grebes (at least) on Sunday
afternoon. I didn't see any sign of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Cheers,
Richard
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 11:37:37 1998
Subject: Sunnyvale WPCP
Hello:
Dave Nelson and I saw one male TUFTED DUCK there Sunday around 4:00 pm
on the north pond near the pumphouse. The tuft was very short.
Steve Miller
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 16:11:52 1998
Subject: CBRC report: adult LBBG, Lake Cunningham, SCL
Lesser Black-backed Gull _Larus fuscus_ in definitive basic plumage
Lake Cunningham in San Jose, Santa Clara County, CA
8 January 1998, 0810 hours
On 8 January I went to Lake Cunningham to look for the second-year
Lesser Black-backed-type gull. I arrived at the lake at about 0745 hrs.
and began checking through all the gulls. My quarry was nowhere to be
seen, but there were plenty of birds flying in and out of the large
flock of California Gulls (CAGU) in the middle of the lake. At about
0810 hrs., I found a distinctly darker-mantled gull in the middle of the
flock. My immediate reaction was "adult Lesser Black-backed Gull!?", but
the bird was far enough away that I didn't want to jump to any
conclusions. I watched the bird for the next six or seven minutes, and
everything about it suggested Lesser Black-backed Gull (LBBG).
My only concern was that due to the distance, the low magnification of
my spotting scope, and the heavily overcast conditions, I was unable to
judge eye color. However, eye color is not all that helpful in
eliminating other dark-mantled gulls (many of which are variable in eye
color), and I feel that the other features this bird showed were
sufficient to identify it as a LBBG.
The following description is based on field notes; it was typed the day
after the sighting. I viewed the bird through a Kowa 20x77 spotting
scope at a distance of about 150 meters. The bird eventually took flight
and headed northeast with several CAGU; I did not see it again.
DESCRIPTION
The bird was slightly larger than the CAGU; it also floated higher in
the water. It did not seem as large as a Herring Gull, one of which was
not far away. The head and bill shape were perfect for LBBG. The bill
was shorter and straighter than a CAGU, and there was not a pronounced
gonydeal angle. The bill color was also typical of LBBG: bright yellow
with a very large, elongated red spot on the lower mandible at the
gonys. This red spot was notably larger than is usual of any of our
regular gulls.
The background color of the head and underparts was, of course, white.
The head had rather fine, and fairly dense, crisp brownish streaking.
This streaking appeared to be slightly concentrated around the eye. I
seem to recall that there was less streaking around the base of the
bill, but this is not recorded in my field notes. The appearance of the
head streaking was quite different from CAGU, most of which have the
streaking as heavy or heavier on the hindneck and sides of neck and an
overall dirtier, less crisp appearance.
The bird's back and wings were a noticeably darker shade of gray than
any of the CAGU. This was obvious both in the water and in flight. I
could pick out the darker mantle even in the distance as the bird flew
away. To me, the mantle seemed perfect for a LBBG of the race
_graellsii_. In flight, the black wingtips were clearly darker than the
mantle, but this contrast was far less pronounced than on a CAGU. There
was a prominent but not particularly broad white trailing edge to the
secondaries. On the water, the white tertial and scapular crescents were
also noticeable.
The bird had a rather long primary projection. There appeared to be four
or five white primary tips visible beyond the tertials, but the bird was
preening most of the time and I was concentrating on other features, so
I did not obtain a solid count. There was a moderately sized white
mirror on p. 10, which appeared to be separated from the white tip. I
could not see a mirror on p. 9, although I can not be absolutely certain
that there wasn't one. If there was, however, it must have been much
smaller than on a California or Herring Gull. From below, the underwing
coverts were white, contrasting with the darker remeges. The only true
black was on the distal portions of the primaries; the rest looked dark
gray. There were no signs of flight-feather molt. The tail was white.
I clearly saw the legs and feet on three occasions: twice when the bird
lifted out of the water to flap its wings, and finally when it took
flight. They were bright yellow, much brighter than the majority of CAGU
(the latter species, however, has incredibly variable leg color as an
adult).
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
The Alviso Lesser Black-backed Gull, which I saw in 1995 and 1997, is
the only "other" Lesser Black-backed I've seen. Most of my field time
lately has been devoted to gulls, so I have spent many hours studying
each of our regular species.
ELIMINATION OF OTHER SPECIES
California Gull has a paler mantle which contrasts much more noticeably
with the wingtips, is smaller and shaped differently, has a very
different bill shape and bill color (although the bill can occasionally
lack any black), shows a conspicuous white mirror on p. 9, and has a
different look to the head streaking.
Western Gull is larger and stockier with proportionately shorter wings,
has a different head shape and a much larger bill with a conspicuous
gonydeal angle, and has pink legs. I have spent a lot of time studying
Western Gulls, and even the birds with well-marked heads (presumably a
result of introgression with Glaucous-winged) never look anything like a
Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Yellow-footed Gull is larger and stockier, has a much larger bill with a
very pronounced angle at the gonys, has proportionately shorter wings,
and lacks the extensive head streaking.
Great Black-backed Gull is much larger with a larger bill, lacks the
extensive head streaking, has a darker mantle that hardly contrasts with
the wingtips, shows pink legs, and has more white in the outer
primaries.
Great Black-backed x Herring hybrids should be larger and stockier, and
should have proportionately shorter, broader wings, a larger bill, pink
legs, and more white in the outer primaries.
Slaty-backed Gull should be larger and more powerful-looking, with a
thicker bill, pink legs, a broader white trailing edge to the
secondaries, and a different primary pattern.
Kelp Gull should be larger and stockier, with proportionately shorter
wings and a shorter primary projection, a thicker bill, a much blacker
mantle, and duller legs; most importantly, it should lack extensive head
streaking.
Of course, I cannot eliminate a Herring Gull of the race _heuglini_ from
consideration at this point. This form should supposedly be larger with
a larger bill and less head streaking than LBBG. However, I see too much
variation in size and bill shape in large gulls to base any
identification on them, and I understand that even the head streaking
may not be reliable.
THE ALVISO BIRD
The areas where the Alviso LBBG has been wintering are about 10 - 15
miles from Lake Cunningham. This bird was seen by Alvaro Jaramillo at
the Coyote Creek Riparian Station on 30 December 1997 and on 12 January
1998. This bird does not seem to show any obvious differences from the
Lake Cunningham LBBG. The last time I saw the Alviso bird (12 Oct. '97),
it had not yet attained full basic plumage and had very little streaking
on the head, but Alvaro's description of the streaking from 12 Jan.
definitely seemed to fit the bird at Lake Cunningham.
Bert McKee
P.O. Box 307
Pescadero, CA 94060
phone: (650) 879-0977
fax: (650) 879-1642
e-mail: email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 17:25:59 1998
Subject: 1998 composite list construction
All,
I am trying to put together the Santa Clara County composite list
of bird species seen so far in 1998. So far I have word of 185
species, but some easy ones like Great Horned Owl and Horned Lark
have still not yet been reported. A Sierra Road trip for the HOLA
would have probably also turned up Rock Wren and perhaps Prairie
Falcon, two other species I have no reports of in 1998. Also no
records of Pine Siskin yet - anyone have some of these birds at
their feeders?
If you have seen any of these species please let me know the date
and observer so I can add them to the list. Also, if you birded
on 1/1/98 and have not yet sent me a list of species seen in Santa
Clara County that day please do so...you may end up with your name
on the list as the first to see a species or two in the county
this year!
Thanks,
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 18:36:01 1998
Subject: RE: 1998 composite list construction
RE: 1998 composite list construction
=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
Les Chiba
na, Mountain View, CA email@hidden
Mike,
I had 4 GREAT HORNED OWLS hooting around our home on the evening of 1/9/98 =
on the Santa Clara County side of Skyline Blvd. about 3 mi. south of Page =
Mill Rd. One called from a tree right above us and 3 more were answering =
downslope toward Monte Bello OSP. =
Also, on 1/11/98 I had a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER foraging just off our deck in =
a Blue(?) Oak. =
Les
mrogers wrote:
>
>All,
>
>I am trying to put together the Santa Clara County composite list
>of bird species seen so far in 1998. So far I have word of 185
>species, but some easy ones like Great Horned Owl and Horned Lark
>have still not yet been reported. A Sierra Road trip for the HOLA
>would have probably also turned up Rock Wren and perhaps Prairie
>Falcon, two other species I have no reports of in 1998. Also no
>records of Pine Siskin yet - anyone have some of these birds at
>their feeders?
>
>If you have seen any of these species please let me know the date
>and observer so I can add them to the list. Also, if you birded
>on 1/1/98 and have not yet sent me a list of species seen in Santa
>Clara County that day please do so...you may end up with your name
>on the list as the first to see a species or two in the county
>this year!
>
>Thanks,
>Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 12 21:54:20 1998
Subject: Lesser Black-back at CCRS again.
Birders,
The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was at CCRS today, perched in the
middle of one of the sewage ponds along the access road. It had a
substantial amount of streaking on the crown and face, less so on the nape
and forehead. I think that it matches up to the description of the adult
bird at Lk. Cunningham that Bert saw.
A lesser rarity were a pair of Canvasback visible from the CCRS trailers,
the first I have seen at the station.
Al.
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 06:22:45 1998
Subject: Unsuccessful search for Red-naped Sapsucker
All:
I finally recovered and now have a new car for birding. Those
interested in the details, please contact me directly.
I was not able to search for the Red-naped Sapsucker at the Arnold Pond
until Saturday. I searcher for a couple of hours and even found Mike
Rogers' note on where to find the bird attached to the fence. I
returned again Sunday again without luck I would be interested in any
additional reports where successful or not.
I did see a Lewis' Woodpecker fly over San Antonio Valley Road between
MP 18 and 19.
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 06:23:29 1998
Subject: Re: Lesser Black-back at CCRS again.
On Mon, 12 Jan 1998 21:54:20 -0800, Alvaro Jaramillo
wrote:
>I think that it matches up to the description of the adult
>bird at Lk. Cunningham that Bert saw.
What about the primary pattern?
In October the bird had a mirror on p10 which included the entire tip
of the feather. Bert's description of the Lake Cunningham bird says:
"There was a moderately sized white mirror on p. 10, which appeared to
be separated from the white tip."
--
Joseph Morlan Spring Birding Classes begin Feb 17 in SF:
380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
Pacifica, CA 94044 email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 12:17:42 1998
Subject: Almaden Reservoir/Almaden Lake Park
Howdy South-bay-birders,
This morning I went by Almaden Reservoir. Counted at least 24 WOOD DUCKS
near the inflow at the upper end. Also had a SPOTTED SANDPIPER there and
a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW right along Alamitos Rd.
At Almaden Lake Park I stopped to look at the gulls. There seemed to be
an unusually large number of HERRING GULLS on the lake, and I also had
at least 2 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS and 3-4 adult THAYER'S GULLS on the
water. This is the first time I've had Thayer's Gulls in the Almaden
Valley, but then I rarely check out the gulls down here. Also saw 1
female COMMON MERGANSER on the lake, and a flock of RING-NECKED DUCKS at
the Coleman Rd. ponds nearby.
John Mariani
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 12:32:39 1998
Subject: Arastradero
Went for a first-of-the-year walk thru Arastradero this morning - it was
very muddy, as a result no people, and lots of birds. I saw 45 species.
6 female and 1 male HOODED MERGANSERS and a GREEN HERON were in the upper
pond, and 7 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS were overhead. A HAIRY WOODPECKER was in
an oak tree up on the Meadowlark Trail. The usual WHITE-TAILED KITES and
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were between the lake and the entrance.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 13:06:22 1998
Subject: Swifts in Cupertino
All,
Today, January 13, 1998, there were at least 6 swifts foraging silently
over McClellan Ranch Park. I viewed them on and off over a 30-minute period
between 11:30AM and noon. I believe that they were Vaux's due to the lack
of any noticeable forking in the tail nor any clear contrast in color on
their bodies despite prolonged observation at relatively low altitude (at
or near the level of the redwood tops by the parking lot much of the time).
However, there was a brightly backlit overcast at the time which could have
obscured some contrast. Sure would love to have a second opinion, as there
apparently is no prior county record for Vaux's in January (they are
frequently seen here in the breeding season).
--Garth Harwood
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 14:14:48 1998
Subject: County rarities
All,
Today Frank Vanslager and I saw the imm. Lesser Black-backed Gull at Lake
Cunningham. The bird was near the Marina parking lot and at 8:35 AM it flew
north-northwest until out of sight. One Red-necked Grebe was still on the
lake. The Eastern Phoebe was in the first tree south of the jungle gym on the
southern edge of Shady Oaks park. The Tundra Swan was still in Sandy Wool
Lake in Ed R. Levin Park but the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker could not be found.
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 2:00 PM, 1/13/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 13 15:55:03 1998
Subject: PAWA still present
All,
After running some errands in Sunnyvale today I pulled over at
Fair Oaks Park to check on the Palm Warbler. Sure enough it was
still foraging along the creek on the east side of the park.
The crown is still quite red, but too many eucalyptus meals
has given the bird a matted forecrown and a black chin.
Mike Rogers
1/13/97
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 14 16:29:41 1998
Subject: yet another WFGO
All,
I drove by the Moffett Golf Course today 1/14/98 to see if
perhaps last year's Ross's Goose had decided to show up again
since the Palo Alto CBC. Still no luck, but an immature
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE is hanging out with the domestic
geese now. Also the usual big blackbird flocks with
hundreds of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS were still present.
Ross's Goose could be a tough bird for the composite list
without our dependable Sunnyvale bird any more.
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 14 18:07:28 1998
Subject: Bay Calendar
Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for January 17-23 for SBBU.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 15 15:20:35 1998
Subject: 1998 composite list
1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST
WELCOME TO 1998!
A huge thank you to all of you who sent in your 1998 Santa Clara
County bird observations - you helped get this list off to a great
start. We had 137 species reported from New Year's Day alone! The
two teams of Don & Jill Crawford and Ann Verdi & Caralisa Hughes were
especially productive on New Year's Day, with 108 species and 84
species found, respectively. After New Year's Day, the composite list
grew by 26 species on 1/2/86, 1 on 1/3/98, 7 on 1/4/98, 10 on 1/6/98,
and then by the 6 species listed below.
Several of our rare stakeouts are still around (Steve Rottenborn even
refound the Prairie Warbler that disappeared for the windy San Jose
count), which bodes well for a good 1998 total! 306 maybe?
After working rather hard on the county list last year, both Mike
Mammoser and I have decided to relax a bit this year. Mike Feighner
is also burned out and has put county year listing on hold for 1998.
Steve Rottenborn, on the other hand, has decided not to watch so many
stakeouts pass him by this year, so there should be at least one very
competitive year list being tracked in 1998. Chris Salander says that
work will cramp his style again in 1998 and has also elected to drop
off the list this year. Anybody else insterested in taking the new
empty spots on the list?
Any White-throated Sparrows at feeders?? John Mariani's Mt Madonna
birds were just over the county line in Santa Cruz County :(.
Mike
P.S. Some advice from Kendric:
[To make the columns line up, please copy this list to a word processor, and
change the font to a monospaced font (Monoco, Courier, etc.), and set the
right hand margin to 7.5 inches.]
________________________________________________________________________
Recent progress of the composite list:
182: 1/ 8/98 WHITE-THROATED SWIFT
183: 1/ 9/98 BARN OWL
184: 1/ 9/98 BLACK RAIL
185: 1/ 9/98 NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW
186: 1/ 9/98 PINE SISKIN
187: 1/13/97 ROCK WREN
Please send any additions, corrections, or comments to Mike
Rogers, email@hidden.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST - 1998
SCR MMR MJM COMP SOURCE
377 162 122 114 187
% OF COMPOSITE FOR 1998
% OF 377
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon 1/ 2 AVe
Pied-billed Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Horned Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red-necked Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Eared Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Western Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Clark's Grebe 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Northern Fulmar
Sooty Shearwater
Ashy Storm-Petrel
Brown Booby
American White Pelican 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Brown Pelican 1/ 6 1/ 4 JMa
Double-crested Cormorant 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Magnificent Frigatebird
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Great Egret 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Snowy Egret 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Green Heron 1/ 6 1/ 1 DJC
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
White-faced Ibis
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Tundra Swan 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Snow Goose 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 2 SCR
Ross' Goose
Brant
Canada Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Wood Duck 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Green-winged Teal 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Mallard 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Northern Pintail 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Garganey
Blue-winged Teal 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Cinnamon Teal 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Northern Shoveler 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Gadwall 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Eurasian Wigeon 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
American Wigeon 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Canvasback 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Redhead 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Ring-necked Duck 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 1 m.ob.
Tufted Duck 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Greater Scaup 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Lesser Scaup 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Oldsquaw
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
White-winged Scoter 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR
Common Goldeneye 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Bufflehead 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Hooded Merganser 1/ 4 1/ 1 AVe,CH,NLe
Common Merganser 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Red-breasted Merganser 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Ruddy Duck 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Turkey Vulture 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
California Condor
Osprey
White-tailed Kite 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Cooper's Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 3 1/ 1 DJC
Broad-winged Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Ferruginous Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Rough-legged Hawk 1/ 3 1/ 3 SCR
Golden Eagle 1/ 6 1/ 7 1/ 1 DJC
American Kestrel 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Merlin 1/ 9 1/ 3 1/ 2 fide CKS
Peregrine Falcon 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Prairie Falcon
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 6 SCR
Wild Turkey 1/ 1 JMa
California Quail 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR,DJC
Mountain Quail
Yellow Rail
Black Rail 1/12 1/12 1/ 9 VTi,RWR,FVs
Clapper Rail 1/12 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Virginia Rail 1/ 2 1/12 1/ 2 SCR
Sora 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Common Moorhen 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
American Coot 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Pacific Golden-Plover
American Golden-Plover
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Killdeer 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/ 1 m.ob.
Mountain Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
American Avocet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Greater Yellowlegs 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Wandering Tattler
Spotted Sandpiper 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Whimbrel 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 4 CKS,JML
Long-billed Curlew 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Hudsonian Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Marbled Godwit 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone
Red Knot 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR
Sanderling 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Least Sandpiper 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 AVe,CH
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Dunlin 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Curlew Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Ruff
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM,AVe
Common Snipe 1/ 5 1/ 1 DJC
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Laughing Gull
Franklin's Gull
Little Gull
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Heermann's Gull
Mew Gull 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,TGr
Ring-billed Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
California Gull 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Herring Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Thayer's Gull 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Western Gull 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,TGr
Glaucous Gull 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR
Black-legged Kittiwake
Sabine's Gull
Caspian Tern
Elegant Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Forster's Tern 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Least Tern
Black Tern
Black Skimmer 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Common Murre
Ancient Murrelet
Cassin's Auklet
Rock Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner
Barn Owl 1/ 9 1/ 9 MMR,RJe
Flammulated Owl
Western Screech-Owl 1/ 1 JMa
Great Horned Owl 1/ 1 DJC
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Burrowing Owl 1/ 5 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/ 1 JMa
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
Black Swift
Chimney Swift
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift 1/ 8 RWR,FVs
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Costa's Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 DJC
Lewis' Woodpecker 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
Acorn Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/ 2 1/ 1 CKS,JML
Red-naped Sapsucker 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 1 m.ob.
Williamson's Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 2 m.ob.
Downy Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,CKS,JML
Hairy Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Northern Flicker 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Eastern Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Say's Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 SCR
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Steller's Jay 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 m.ob.
Western Scrub-Jay 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
American Crow 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Common Raven 1/ 1 1/ 5 1/ 1 m.ob.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Oak Titmouse 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC
Bushtit 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 1 JMa
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 DJC
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Brown Creeper 1/ 1 1/ 1 m.ob.
Rock Wren 1/13 1/13 MJM
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
House Wren
Winter Wren 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Marsh Wren 1/12 1/12 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Bluebird 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 DJC
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
American Robin 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 m.ob.
Varied Thrush 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Wrentit 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Northern Mockingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Sage Thrasher
Brown Thrasher
California Thrasher 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 1 SCR
Red-throated Pipit
American Pipit 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing 1/ 2 1/14 1/ 1 JMa
Phainopepla 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
Northern Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike 1/ 1 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
European Starling 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Bell's Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton's Vireo 1/ 1 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/ 4 1/ 4 SCR
Nashville Warbler
Virginia's Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler 1/ 4 1/ 4 SCR
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Hermit Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Prairie Warbler 1/ 4 1/ 4 SCR
Palm Warbler 1/ 4 1/13 1/ 4 SCR,HLR
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat 1/ 4 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Western Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
California Towhee 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 m.ob.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow 1/ 4 1/ 4 MJM
Black-throated Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Lark Bunting
Savannah Sparrow 1/ 2 1/12 1/ 4 1/ 1 DJC
Grasshopper Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1/ 9 fide AME
Fox Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Song Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/ 2 1/13 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Swamp Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
White-throated Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
White-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Harris' Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lapland Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Tricolored Blackbird 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Western Meadowlark 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Hooded Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Scott's Oriole
Purple Finch 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR
Cassin's Finch
House Finch 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin 1/ 9 TGr
Lesser Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/13 1/ 4 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
American Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/ 1 m.ob.
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC
Observer codes: m.ob.-many observers,AME-Al Eisner,AVe-Ann Verdi,
CH-Caralisa Hughes,CKS-Chris Salander,DJC-Don & Jill Crawford,
FVs-Frank Vanslager,GLB-Gloria LeBlanc,HLR-Heather Rottenborn,
JMa-John Mariani, JML-Jeanne Leavitt,KLP-Kathy Parker,
MJM-Mike Mammoser,MLF-Mike Feighner,MMR-Mike Rogers,NLe-Nick Lethaby,
RJe-Richard Jeffers,RWR-Bob Reiling,SCR-Steve Rottenborn,TGr-Tom Grey,
VTi-Vivek Tiwari,WGB-Bill Bousman
SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST HISTORY
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 HIGH
COMP 278 295 303 293 296 305 305
SCR 279 291 262 251 268 291
MJM 234 250 265 242 253 276 276
MMR 214 234 254 271 257 258 275 275
MLF 136 183 199 209 215 235 194 165 218 265 265
WGB 216 228 245 170 245
AME 240 220 219 231 240
KLP 232 232
RWR 204 201 203 228 228
TGr 189 211 211
CKS 185 195 186 195
GLB 190 190
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 15 15:57:04 1998
Subject: White-fronted Goose and Tricolored Blackbirds
All:
At noon today I walked out toward the Moffet Golfcourse and looked over
the fence and saw the White-fronted Goose that Mike Rogers came across
yesterday. It was still hanging out around the domestic geese. About
50 or so Tricolored Blackbirds were still around the Moffet Golfcourse.
On the Lockheed side of the fence there was one Burrowing Owl.
Mike Feighner
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 09:46:16 1998
Subject: S.C. Bird List 1998
Mike Rogers' 1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST is on SBBU.
As of 1/13/98 there are 187 species.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 11:19:41 1998
Subject: Gnatcatcher on Stevens Creek
This is a belated report of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in the willows on Stevens
Creek below L'Avenida seen by me on January 5. It should be a first county
record for 1998. cjc
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 13:42:50 1998
Subject: Lake Cunningham
All,
I spent lunch at Lake Cunningham today, hoping to find one of the
two Lesser Black-backed Gulls - but without any luck. The only
gulls besides the many CALIFORNIA and RING-BILLED GULLS were a
single first-winter THAYER'S GULL and an adult HERRING GULL.
There was still one RED-NECKED GREBE present, along with 6
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS. A female BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD was
hanging out with a blackbird flock.
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 14:20:36 1998
Subject: geese
Today, 16 Jan 98, I went to the goose farm at lunch just off hwy 101 =
and Tennant. I had a good talk with the owner, Tony Moribito. He says =
that hundreds of ducks and geese fly in each evening and out again in =
the morning, and that all these free-flying birds are wild. When I =
checked the birds here, their composition looked very much like that =
when Mike Rogers and I were here a couple months ago. With one =
exception. This time there were 8 ROSS' GEESE. None of these birds =
looked to be pinioned, toe-cut, or banded. It looked to me like there =
were 2 adults and 6 immatures (possibly a family group?). =
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 15:00:04 1998
Subject: Tufted Duck
All: There's still at least one male Tufted Duck in the large (west)
Sunnyvale Sewage Pond. This morning, it was in the west-middle of the pond
(scope views only), amid Scaup.
John Meyer
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 15:36:33 1998
Subject: Bald Eagles reported nr Morgan Hill
All,
I am forwarding this report at the request of Stephan Gunn, who observed 3
Bald Eagles this morning, 1/16/1998, at 9:57 AM on two transmission towers
visible from US 101 approximately 4 miles south of the Bernal Rd.
intersection (near Scheller Rd.) They were causing a noticeable traffic
slowdown. While he watched, all 3 took flight and proceeed west toward Mt.
Loma Prieta. At least 2 of the birds were reported as adults, while the
third had mixed white/brown head plumage; Mr. Gunn was not certain about
the age of this individual.
Mr. Gunn can be reached for further details at .
However, his line is not functional at the moment; he expects to be back
online Sun. PM.
--Garth Harwood, SCVAS Chapter Manager
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 16 16:32:31 1998
Subject: Teal
Hello all
Today (1/16/98) there were 7 BLUE-WINGED TEAL at the north pond of
the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin at noon, close to the road. 5-male,
and 2 female.
Alan
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 17 12:18:45 1998
Subject: Ed Levin Tundra Swan
This bird appears to be no longer present.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 17 16:29:47 1998
Subject: Northern Shoveler hybrid
Today during our census of Emily Renzel Marsh, Rosalie Lefkowitz and I saw
an adult male Northern Shoveler hybrid in the narrow slough behind the ITT
property. The body configuation and bill were that of a No. Shoveler, but
the plumage deviated from normal as follows: it had a clear white crescent
behind the bill, and the white breast and white area in front of the rump
were replaced by a rich cinnamon-buff color. The breast color shaded
toward white on the lower neck. I perceived the color of breast area as
"blotchy" or uneven, but Rosalie doesn't necessarily agree with that. I
also thought the eye might by orangish or reddish, but we were observing it
a distance of 60-70 yards with 10X binocs, so I could be wrong. In other
respects, the plumage was typical of the adult male of the species,
including the speculum seen when it flew by in the direction of the P.A.
Flood Control Basin or points beyond. It was accompanied by a female
shoveler.
The Birds of North America account (no. 217) of this species mentions that
it "hybridizes in the wild with Blue-winged Teal and probably Cinnamon
Teal; also with Muscovy Duck...".
If anyone else sees this bird at closer range and can add to the
description, particularly as to eye color, or has any ideas about what type
of hybrid it might be, we'd like to hear from you.
Phyllis and Rosalie
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 17 17:03:12 1998
Subject: Osprey, etc.
Howdy South-bay-birders,
Today (Sat., 17 Jan.) Jolene Lange and I saw an Osprey and 14 Wood Ducks
at Almaden Reservoir. The Osprey was still perched across the water when
we left.
John Mariani
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 17 17:51:00 1998
Subject: Avian Cholera
There is an outbreak of Avian Cholera, Pasteurella multocida, in the
Palo Alto Baylands as well as other locations in the area. We received
the tests results on Thursday, January 15. We have lost about 110
birds so far and about 11 different species. This affects waterfowl
and wetland-dependent birds, there is a low risk to humans. It can be
transmitted through contaminated water, direct contact and aerosols.
The City of Palo Alto would like to request that if you find any dead
birds in our preserve, please do the following:
Contact Open Space Staff at the Baylands so we can collect and dispose
of the birds properly. If you decide to collect any dead birds, please
wear rubber gloves and seal the bird in a plastic bag, label it, Avian
Cholera. Do not throw the birds in the garbage because we are sending
them to Palo Alto Animal Services to be disposed of (this prevents
scavengers at the dump from spreading the disease).
We need to record the species, location found, date and number of birds.
If you need to contact staff, please call me at 650-329-2382.
If you would like more information about this disease check out the
following address on the internet: http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/brd/brd
cholera.html
Thanks,
Deborah Bartens-City Naturalist
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 18 13:51:47 1998
Subject: Swamp Sparrow at CCRS.
Birders:
Today Jay Plater banded a Second Year Swamp Sparrow at CCRS. Second Year is
bander talk for a bird that hatched last summer. I snapped several photos
of it before it was let go. This is the fifth Swamp Sparrow banded at CCRS,
we have one April, two May and one October record. Today's is the first in
mid-winter. Its also the first since 1995. I hope it stays around.
Al
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 18 13:54:46 1998
Subject: Re: Ed Levin Tundra Swan
The Tundra Swan was back on Sandy Wool lake at 1:00PM today.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 18 15:48:17 1998
Subject: South County
I spent about 3 hours around Bloomingdale and Frazier Lake roads and then
the San Felipe Lake area. I failed to find any Rough-legged Hawks. No sign
of the Cassin's Kingbirds or any good blackbirds.
There was a flock of at least 89 Tundra Swans (distant but I'm pretty
certain not barnyard geese!) in San Benito county. I also counted an
incredible 250 Ring-necked Ducks on a small lake (off San Felipe Rd) in San
Benito county.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 19 08:31:29 1998
Subject: Hybrid Goldeneye
All,
On Sunday an ad male Barrow's x Common Goldeneye was on Shoreline Lake. I
assume that this is the same bird that was found by Steve Rottenborn about a
year ago. On Friday Frank Vanslager and I had seen 2-3 ad male Barrows
Goldeneye on the Lake but in the high winds on Sunday we were lucky to find a
single ad female BAGO. Also, on Sunday the Black Skimmers (14) put on quite a
show, flying all over Charleston Slough in a tight group an apparent attempt
to find a suitable spot to roost out of the wind.
There were three dead gulls in Charleston Slough along the dike between the
pump-house and the area in which the BLSKs normally roost (1/3 to 1/2 mile?).
I don't know if this is normal attrition or the result of the recent Avian
Cholera outbreak?
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 8:11 AM, 1/19/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 19 11:04:09 1998
Subject: birds
On Saturday, 17 Jan 98, I went to the Guadalupe River near the airport =
and refound the PRAIRIE WARBLER. It was just downstream from the =
hwy 880 crossing. I then went to Trimble Ave, where it crosses the =
Guadalupe River, and got a good look at the HARLAN'S HAWK. It =
sure seems to be the same bird as last year. There was also some =
evident courtship taking place between two BLACK PHOEBES, with =
one of them flying out of an open semi trailer in the Viking truck yard. I =
have seen this species nest in semi trailers before, so I assume that it =
was prospecting for nest sites.
I then went on to Alum Rock Park, where I had no luck finding Canyon =
Wren, Amer Dipper, or the Northern Pygmy-owl. =
So I went to Ed Levin Park, where I looked for the Yellow-bellied =
Sapsucker, without success. Two adult GOLDEN EAGLES were =
soaring overhead, however. A check of Sandy Wool Lake showed no =
Tundra Swan, but I found an interesting sapsucker; an apparent hybrid =
RED-NAPED x RED-BREASTED. In general, the bird looked like a =
Red-naped; having a red crown, full red throat, red nape patch, thin =
white supercilium behind the eye, and two white stripes down the back. =
The red of the throat bled into the black border along the side of the =
throat, which in itself is not a problem for a male Red-naped. However, =
the red also bled extensively into the black bib below the throat, which =
is a problem. Additionally, there was a reddish band outside the black =
throat border that extended from the shoulder of each folded wing down =
along the edge of the black, not quite connecting across the center of =
the breast. This extraneous red on the breast is an indication of =
hybridity, though it's surprising that there was no other extraneous red =
anywhere else in the face or head. =
On Sunday, 18 Jan 98, I drove up Canada Road in the south county. I =
was hoping to find the male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that Mike Rogers =
and I had here some time ago. I unable to find it in spite of extensive =
searching, some with Jim Danzenbaker who had showed up while I was =
looking. =
On the way back I stopped at Ogier Ponds, where I found the OSPREY =
that has been here most of the winter. =
A stop at Calero Reservoir did not produce any loons, but a large =
blackbird flock in the parking lot contained about 60 BROWN-
HEADED COWBIRDS. =
Almaden Reservoir had 37 WOOD DUCKS.
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 19 14:01:07 1998
Subject: Observations
Two trips to the Sunnyvale Water Treatment Plant have failed to turn up a
tufted duck, but on 1-12 there was a EURASIAN WIGEON in the scaup raft,
and today there were four REDHEAD. On 1-17 there was a LESSER YELLOWLEGS
see from the path behind the Duck Pond (where the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE still resides). I saw the PALM WARBLER in Fair Oaks Park on 1-14,
and it was there on 1-16 for Ann and Phil Dean.
Jack Cole
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 19 18:09:09 1998
Subject: Re: Hybrid Goldeneye
Hi Birders -
Regarding the hybird Goldeneye, could someone send a description of the
Shoreline bird? We had a female goldeneye on the Monterey Peninsula CBC
which some say is a Barrow's and some say is a Common. Our bird has a
nearly completely yellow bill, but the bill size and forehead don't fit
Barrow's.
Steve Rovell
email@hidden
Marina, CA
Monterey Co.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 19 18:34:42 1998
Subject: Re: birds
At 11:04 AM 1/19/98, MMAMMOSER wrote:
>There was also some evident courtship taking place between two BLACK
>PHOEBES, with one of
>them flying out of an open semi trailer in the Viking truck yard. I have
>seen this species nest in semi trailers before, so I assume that it was
>prospecting for nest sites.
I was describing the vagrants that have been seen along the Guadalupe from
Trimble to Hedding to a non-birder and they asked me if it was possible
that these birds (I had mentioned Hooded and Prairie Warblers) could be
accidental stowaways on container cargo shipped via trucking or air since
the airport is close-by along with numerous storage facilities, such as
Viking. Has this been considered? Or is there research in this area?
Thanks, Clysta
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 20 08:07:26 1998
Subject: Avian Cholera
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 17:51:00 -0800
>Subject: Avian Cholera
>From: email@hidden (Deborah BARTENS)
>To: email@hidden (INTERNET)
>X-HPDESK-SUBJECT: Avian Cholera
>Sender: email@hidden
>Precedence: bulk
>
>There is an outbreak of Avian Cholera, Pasteurella multocida, in the
>Palo Alto Baylands as well as other locations in the area. We received
>the tests results on Thursday, January 15. We have lost about 110
>birds so far and about 11 different species. This affects waterfowl
>and wetland-dependent birds, there is a low risk to humans. It can be
>transmitted through contaminated water, direct contact and aerosols.
>The City of Palo Alto would like to request that if you find any dead
>birds in our preserve, please do the following:
>Contact Open Space Staff at the Baylands so we can collect and dispose
>of the birds properly. If you decide to collect any dead birds, please
>wear rubber gloves and seal the bird in a plastic bag, label it, Avian
>Cholera. Do not throw the birds in the garbage because we are sending
>them to Palo Alto Animal Services to be disposed of (this prevents
>scavengers at the dump from spreading the disease).
>We need to record the species, location found, date and number of birds.
>
>If you need to contact staff, please call me at 650-329-2382.
>
>If you would like more information about this disease check out the
>following address on the internet: http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/brd/brd
>cholera.html
>
>Thanks,
>Deborah Bartens-City Naturalist
>==========================================================================
>This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
>server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
>message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
>
Linda Lloyd
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 20 09:51:37 1998
Subject: Fwd:Re[2]: birds
---------------------------- Forwarded with Changes ------------------------=
---
From: MMAMMOSER at =7EAMPRO
Date: 1/20/98 9:43AM
To: Clysta Seney at INTERNET
Subject: Re=5B2=5D: birds
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
I don't know how much research, if any, has been done on this, but I wouldn=
't
think it very likely. I don't think the Viking truck yard is a facility tha=
t has
cargo going through it; I believe it to be just a parking lot for the truck=
s
when they're not hauling. In any event, I can't imagine a decent scenario w=
here
these birds would get trapped in cargo containers (even the Black Phoebes w=
ould
flush at the approach of a human). If birds at airports were getting trappe=
d, I
would imagine that there would be a lot of House Sparrows traveling around =
the
country, not neotropical migrants, as these are the birds you find at airpo=
rts.
Riparian corridors through the urban valley serve as oases in the middle of=
a
virtual habitat desert, that attract migrant or vagrant birds. I would assu=
me
that their presense near the airport is just a coincidence (CCRS seems to
attract many vagrants without any similar facilities adjacent to it). These=
birds are long-distance migrants that have wings, and to me the most plausi=
ble
explanation is that they simply flew here.
Mike Mammoser
____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject: Re: birds
Author: Clysta Seney
Date: 1/19/98 6:34 PM
I was describing the vagrants that have been seen along the Guadalupe from=
Trimble to Hedding to a non-birder and they asked me if it was possible
that these birds (I had mentioned Hooded and Prairie Warblers) could be
accidental stowaways on container cargo shipped via trucking or air since
the airport is close-by along with numerous storage facilities, such as
Viking. Has this been considered? Or is there research in this area?
Thanks, Clysta
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 20 13:24:12 1998
Subject: FEHA,swallows
All,
I puttered around the south county for a bit on the Martin Luther King
holiday yesterday 1/19/98.
First stop was at Parkway Lakes along Metcalf Rd, where I had a male
OSPREY hovering over the ponds. The bird appeared to be in molt with
a primary and secondary missing from the right wing. Quite possibly
it is the same male that has been hanging around the Ogier Ponds.
Also here were a single AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and a very unseasonal
BARN SWALLOW.
The goose farm on E. Middle Ave consumed a fair amount of time as the
owner came out to chat and voiced his disapproval of a number of
things, varying from a newspaper article claiming that each golf
course goose poops 1 to 2 pounds a day to low overflying aircraft.
Listening to this did buy me entrance to the place, however. The 8
ROSS'S GEESE are still present and quite flighty. These are
apparently wild birds, as the owner has never kept ROGO and has his
birds pinioned. Five were clearly immatures, with dusky crowns and
napes and/or black centers to many flight feathers, one was an adult
(very clean plumage and highly pigmented bill with adult pattern), and
the other two appeared adult-like but were perhaps more likely
advanced immature birds since young ROGO can often appear adult-like
by now. Other free-flying geese included several CANADA GEESE among
the 11 races of CANADA GOOSE being kept there. This includes 4
"Giant" Canada Geese that someone sold him eggs for for $700 - these
birds are hybrids with some domestic goose (white chests and
foreheads, bulgy bodies) so I don't think he got his money's worth but
he was quite proud of them, even though one is apparently blind in one
eye after hitting the fence when an airplane went over. Also, there
were 18 SNOW GEESE present, which is 4 more than have been resident
there. A few SNGO may have flown with the ROGO right when I arrived,
but at that point I was watching the ROGO and couldn't be sure that
the SNGO hadn't run to the next pen instead of flying. Also, one of
the ROSS'S GEESE is a very heavy-set, thick-necked bird that appears
quite a bit larger in flight...so care is needed, especially since one
pair of SNGO apparently nested this past summer! (If I understand no
young were successfully raised, however - although the owner does
raise Chukars, pheasants, and quail for hunting clubs.) The owner
also mentioned that he often has overwintering goose flocks that
arrive in Fall and get restless and leave in May, so Mike Feighner's
10 free-flying SNOW GEESE last year on 1/19/97 and 2/23/97 are likely
also "countable".
The blackbird flock at the goose farm had at least 8 BROWN-HEADED
COWBIRDS, but no Rusty Blackbird.
I took back roads to Leavesley Road, finding an adult SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK and then a dark morph buteo perched atop a small orchard tree
near the intersection of Buena Vista Ave and New Ave. I pulled over
to check what I thought would be a "rufous" morph Red-tailed Hawk and
was surprised to have a dark morph adult FERRUGINOUS HAWK! This bird
subsequently flew around for a bit and then landed atop a large
eucalyptus along New Ave. It was not the same bird that Mike Mammoser
and I had in Isabel Valley last month, having brighter and more
extensive orange in the shoulders and chest.
I next spent some time wandering around Bloomfield and Frazier Lake
Roads. One adult GOLDEN EAGLE and a male NORTHERN HARRIER were the
most interesting raptors I could muster, but the flooded fields along
Frazier Lake Road were quite birdy, with 37 GREAT EGRETS, 4 SNOWY
EGRETS, hundreds of MEW GULLS, several CALIFORNIA GULLS, and a single
adult HERRING GULL.
At nearby San Felipe Lake there were 8 RED-TAILED HAWKS and another
adult GOLDEN EAGLE (both in both counties). Rain was coming, and on
the edge of the front suddenly a large flock (over a hundred) of TREE
SWALLOWS appeared and began foraging over the hills north of the road
(Santa Clara County) and over the lake (San Benito County). Careful
scoping revealed at least two VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS also in the flock
(both counties). A three-swallow day in January! The rain also
roused a kettle of 38 TURKEY VULTURES (from the nearby landfill?);
these birds ended up perched in the trees north of the road.
Continuing around the very full San Felipe Lake to the call box
152-184 on the east side of the lake I bumped into John Hunter from
Arcata. He pointed out an immature male COMMON GOLDENEYE and many
CANVASBACK and RING-NECKED DUCKS (the same birds Nick Lethaby had
probably). There were also 3 COMMON SNIPE and a single BLACK-NECKED
STILT here. The county line, which mostly runs close to highway 152,
actually is well to the southwest of the road around the nearby
farmhouse. Given the very high water levels, the lake probably comes
pretty close to Santa Clara County here. Nonetheless, all these birds
were in San Benito County according to my reading of the map (although
the shorebirds were probably close to the county line).
I gave up on trying to refind any Cassin's Kingbirds in the pouring
rain and headed up Canada Road. Not knowing that Mike Mammoser had
failed the day before at refinding the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at
Canada Ranch, I proceeded to spend an unsuccessful half hour there as
well. Interesting birds along Canada Road included 1 adult
FERRUGINOUS HAWK, 50 LARK SPARROWS (including singing birds), and a
HUTTON'S VIREO. After this it began to hail and I simply enjoyed
checking out the high water levels along Coyote Creek and at Coyote
Lake from the car before heading home.
Mike Rogers
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 20 16:50:01 1998
Subject: Weekend birding
All,
A late report for some Saturday birding. I checked out the Guadalupe
River areas for Prairie Warbler and Harlan's Hawk and missed both. I did see 1
male and 5 female COMMON MERGANSERS in the river near Hwy 880. I checked
the airport runway area from the De la Cruz Blvd. side for Ferrugies or
Rough-legs but could not locate any.
I went over to CCRS to try my luck at the Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, but
had to be satisfied with many THAYER'S, CALIFORNIA, MEW, RING-BILLED, and
HERRING GULLS in the sewage ponds to the west of the levee near the
trailers. One BONAPARTE'S GULL was flying toward the Newby Is. dump. At least
two TREE SWALLOWS were flying over the cottonwoods along Coyote Creek north
of the trailers.
I stopped at the entrance to the Alviso EEC and found a GOLDEN EAGLE
perched on a pole in the grassland next to the railroad spur by the Arzino
Ranch. About 100 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS were flying about this area.
Over at the Palo Alto Duck Pond, the WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE mingled with the
domestic geese at the back side of the pond. A large number of
BONAPARTE'S GULLS were on the small bars in the old yacht harbor.
Les
==============================================
Les Chibana, Mountain View, CA email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 20 22:10:59 1998
Subject: San Benito County
Hi Birders -
Yesterday, 1/19/98, John Hunter birded northern San Benito County, and
while at Paicines Reservoir, had a single RED-THROATED LOON (~ 3rd county
record?) and a single female HOODED MERGANSER. After telling me about
these birds, I had to go to atleast try to see this loon! So, both of us
set out today to bird San Benito. Our original plan had been to bird
North Monterey County, but plans change.
We started off by looking for the loon at Paicines Reservoir. We had no
luck with finding it or the merganser. Birds present were: NORTHERN
PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON, 11 TUNDRA SWANS, CANVASBACK, MALLARDS, WESTERN
GREBE, and the usual COOTS.
Next we birded our way south towards Panoche Valley on Panoche Road.
Along the way we had several LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES and 1 PHAINOPEPLA. We
kept an eye out for LEWIS' WOODPECKERS, but saw none.
Once in Panoche Valley, we saw a MERLIN and several FERRUGINOUS HAWKS
including one dark morph individual on Little Panoche Road. There were
several large sparrow flocks, composed maily of either SAVANNAH SPARROWS
or LARK SPARROWS and several large blackbird flocks.
We then took New Idria Road south approximately 3 miles to where the
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW had been seen as recently as Saturday (to my
knowledge), and couldn't find it. As originally reported, it was seen
with approximatley 1000 LARK SPARROWS. We only saw 200-300, so we knew
we weren't looking at all of them. We would try again later. We drove
farther on up New Idria Road, had one high-flying WHITE-THROATED SWIFT,
and headed back. When we returned, someone had taken our place looking
for the sparrow. We stayed in our car to keep from startling the birds
which numbered far greater than the 200-300 we saw earlier, and this time
it paid off. The BLACK-THROATED SPARROW flitted across the road, landed
on the barbed-wire fence, and flew into the field. We had approximately
a 3-second look at the bird. We talked to the other birded who told us
he saw at least 3 MOUNTAIN PLOVERS near the Silver Creek Ranch, so we
headed that way. Upon arriving, we saw the three and about 15 more.
Thanks to the un-named birder who helped us out. We could not find any
LARK BUNTINGS or VESPER SPARROWS here.
Next stop was the 4.0 mile mark of Little Panoche Road. No LARK BUNTINGS
or VESPER SPARROWS here either, but we did hear a ROCK WREN. We headed
back out of the valley and back north toward Hollister. Along the way,
we stopped and got "killer" looks at 3 RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS. North of
Hollister, on Lover's Lane, we looked for the RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, but
could not relocate it. I forget the address, but there is a large
weeping willow in the front where the bird has been seen.
Next stop was Anzar Pond on Anzar Road which is in the far northern
portion of the county north and west of Highway 101. I had never heard
of this pond before today, so it was a "lifer" birding spot. There we
saw atleast a dozen HOODED MERGANSERS, several RING-NECKED DUCKS,
MALLARDS, COOTS and a PIED-BILLED GREBE. All in all a great birding day.
John tells me that we had 83 species today.
Steve Rovell
email@hidden
Marina, CA
Monterey Co.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 06:08:48 1998
Subject: East-Bay-Birds E-mail circle and Contra Costa Atlas
Greetings Birders:
I would like to formally invite all birders online who live, work and
bird in either Alameda County or Contra Costa County, or just bird in
either of the two counties to join our
East-Bay e-mail circle which has been in existence for the past six
months. It is currently small-scale, but eventually it may grow
significantly so that it may need to move to a listserver. If you are
interested in joining, please e-mail me directly with your request.
Rules that currently apply for either Calbird or South-Bay-Birds apply
for East-Bay-Birds as well.
Also, Steve Glover, is in need of additional birders to help out with
the Contra Costa County Breeding Bird Atlas. If you are interested in
helping with the atlas, contact Steve at
email@hidden
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 12:31:46 1998
Subject: Iceland, Lesser Black-backed Gulls
All:
On Friday (16 Jan.), I met Scott and Ryan Terrill and Matt Heindel
at Lake Cunningham. Two RED-NECKED GREBES were here, but we were
not able to find the LBBG. We then went to Hidden Lake Park in
Milpitas, where we found an amazing concentration of THAYER'S GULLS.
Of the 175-200 gulls here, there were 41 first-winter, 35 second-
winter, 6 third-winter, and 6 adult THAYER'S. We then went to CCRS,
where Matt quickly picked out a first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL with
other gulls in the southernmost WPCP pond along the CCRS entrance
road. While looking at gulls in the WPCP pond directly adjacent
to the trailers, Scott picked out a very pale gull and called my
attention to it. Al Jaramillo, who had joined us, was talking to
Matt while Scott and I looked at this pale bird, and Al independently
picked out this unusual gull. After looking at this bird for 10
minutes or so and comparing its characters to those of Thayer's and
"Kumlien's" Iceland Gulls in Grant's book (and our own recollections
of Iceland Gulls), we all decided that it was a good match for a
"KUMLIEN'S" ICELAND GULL, and we all began to take notes on the bird.
This gull was approximately the size of a medium or medium-small
Thayer's Gull, as seen in direct comparison with several Thayer's.
The bill was small, short, and moderately thin, the distal portion
of the culmen being fairly steeply curved (more rounded rather than
gradually sloping); the bill had a moderate gonydeal angle. The bill
was solid black, with no pale color at all. The feet were pinkish.
The head was small and the crown was more or less rounded. The wings
appeared long, and at least three primary tips were visible beyond the
tip of the tail; overall the bird's structure did not appear noticeably
different from many of the Thayer's Gulls present, although some of the
Thayer's were noticeably bulkier, more blocky-headed, shorter-winged, and
larger-billed. The Iceland Gull appeared to be in fairly fresh plumage,
not appearing noticeably worn or faded.
The head, neck, upper back, and underparts were mostly a dingy brown
with some paler markings; fairly broad pale streaks were present on
the foreneck, with narrower pale streaks all over the head. Overall,
there was more brownish color than whitish on these parts, and the
bird was not noticeably different from (either darker or paler than)
the adjacent Thayer's Gulls in the coloration of the head, neck,
and underparts. The vent and undertail coverts were whitish, the
undertail coverts having fairly neat rows of medium-dark brown bars.
The upperparts (scapulars and upperwing coverts) were very pale
overall because the majority of each of the feathers in these areas
was white, with only limited dark markings. The scapulars were
predominantly white, with each scapular appearing to have only a
single, moderately narrow brown subterminal bar. This brown bar was
approximately the same color as the darker markings on most of the
first-winter Thayer's Gulls present but was MUCH less extensive than
on those Thayer's. In fact, we looked for the palest of the 50 or
so first-winter Thayer's Gulls that were visible during or after the
observation of the Iceland Gull. On even the palest Thayer's
Gulls, the amount of white on the scapulars barely exceeded the
amount of brown on the scapulars of the Iceland Gull, so that the
amount of white and brown on these feathers was almost reversed on
these two taxa.
The lesser, median, and greater upper-secondary coverts of the Iceland
Gull had a virtually pure white ground color and were neatly spotted
or checkered with medium brown. This brown spotting was fairly well
defined but was very limited in extent, both because there were
relatively few of these spots on the otherwise white feathers and
because the dark spots were small. In other words, there was much
more white than brown on these feathers. Overall, the tertials were
quite pale; most of the interiors of the tertials were covered by a
very pale brown or grayish-brown wash, but there were a few small,
darker brown bars toward the edges of the tertials (though not what
I would call notches). Each tertial had a very broad pure white tip
without dark barring or notches, this tip being separated from the
pale brown-washed base by a narrow brownish anchor- or crescent-
shaped bar.
On the folded wing, the primaries appeared mostly pure white due to
broad white fringes (edges and tips). The interiors of the primaries
were a pale buff-brown that occupied the medial 1/3 of the primaries
(that is, the wedge of pale brown along the shaft was approximately
equal to the width of the white edging on each side). The dark center
on each primary was entirely framed in white, both by the white fringes
and tip of that primary and by the broad white tip of the adjacent,
more proximal primary. As a result, these dark portions of the
primaries showed on the folded wing as a row of short, narrow "tongues"
of buff-brown on the otherwise pure white primaries. These darker
areas did not contrast sharply with the white, however. As seen on
the spread wing from below (when the bird stretched once), the
outer primaries looked almost pure white.
Overall, the very pale, mostly whitish wings and mantle contrasted
noticeably with the darker head, neck, and underparts.
The spread tail was seen very well on at least two occasions as the
bird stretched and preened. The interiors of the rectrices had a pale
brown wash, slightly paler than the tertials (which were themselves
quite pale). There appeared to be a bit of white barring at the bases
of the outer two pairs of rectrices, and there was a broad white
terminal band and a bit of subterminal white notching or spotting on
each tail feather. The brown wash on the interior of the tail appeared
paler distally than proximally, and as a result (in combination with
the white terminal band and subterminal notching), the tail appeared
somewhat darker toward the base than toward the tip.
In flight, the whitish secondaries appeared the same shade and
color as, or perhaps even slightly paler than, the greater coverts,
so there was not even a hint of a dark secondary bar. The primaries
seemed virtually uniformly whitish, perhaps being slightly paler on
the outermost primaries than on the inner ones. Overall, the
primaries and secondaries were virtually uniformly colored (whitish),
being slightly paler than the upperwing coverts.
We watched this first bird through our scopes from a distance of
150 m from 12:15 to 12:45, with the sun to our left and slightly
at our backs. The sky was mostly cloudy, providing good conditions
for viewing; when the sun appeared briefly on one occasion, all
the birds appeared washed out and it was more difficult to see the
true feather colors and patterns than it was during most of the
observation. Scott took a few distant photos. At 12:45, the bird
flew slowly to the north, providing good views through the scope
for nearly 90 seconds before it eventually landed in one of the
ponds to the north along the road. We drove up the road and I
was able to relocate the Iceland Gull and watch it for about 10
more seconds before all the gulls in this pond flew. We all tried
to locate the gull in flight, and eventually I got on what I thought
was this Iceland Gull. The bird had the same wing pattern, with
whitish, nearly uniformly colored primaries and secondaries
contrasting slightly with slightly darker upperwing coverts; as on
the first bird, the outer primaries were perhaps slightly paler
than the inner primaries and secondaries, and with no dark secondary
bar. This bird's tail pattern was also similar to that of the first
bird, the tail being washed with pale brown but with a very broad pale
terminal band; again, the brown-washed portion of the tail was slightly
darker at the base than at the tip. Although this bird appeared very
similar to the first one in flight, I noticed that the bird appeared
very slightly darker and less pure white overall, though because it
was still so whitish, I thought it must be the same bird until it
landed back in the pond. Then I could see that it differed slightly
from the first bird, having a slightly flatter crown, slightly
heavier bill and heavier build, and a bit of pink at the base of
both mandibles. Although this second bird looked like an Iceland
Gull, I continued searching for the first individual (which we never
saw again). Scott and Matt called my attention to a gull which they
thought might be the first Iceland, but I recognized it as the
second bird. We all scrutinized and discussed this bird at length,
and despite the minor differences between this bird and the first
Iceland Gull, we concluded that it was indeed a second "Kumlien's"
Iceland Gull!
This second Iceland Gull was very similar to the first, appearing the
size of a medium Thayer's Gull and having the overall shape and structure
of a Thayer's. Although its head appeared a bit less rounded, the bill
a bit heavier, and the overall build of the bird a bit heavier than the
first bird, it was still not nearly as "extreme" in these characters as
some of the larger Thayer's Gulls present for direct comparison. On the
second bird, I noted primarily the differences between it and the first
bird, so characters not noted below can be assumed to be the same as on
the first Iceland Gull.
Overall, the second bird was slightly darker than the first. The head,
neck, underparts, and undertail coverts were virtually identical to those
of the first bird and still contrasted with the "frosty", whitish mantle
and wings, although not as much as on the first bird. The dark bars on
the scapulars and dark spots on the upper-secondary coverts were the
same shade of brown as on the first bird, but everywhere they were slightly
larger or broader than the dark markings on the first bird. Also, the
ground color (pale areas) of these feathers, especially on the greater
coverts, was not as pure white as on the first bird. Still, I would
call these pale areas "whitish", and the pale portions of these feathers
were still much more extensive than the dark portions. These differences
between the two birds were very slight, and despite the "darker" impression
conveyed by the second bird, it was still noticeably paler than any bird
that I have called a Thayer's Gull.
The tertials of the second bird had slightly darker interiors than the
first bird, with somewhat less extensive and less pure white terminal
regions. The primaries were also not quite as whitish as on the first
bird. Not only were the pale fringes less pure white (being "off-white"),
but the dark central portion of each primary occupied almost as much
area as both edges combined; in other words, the dark interior portion
of each primary on the second bird occupied about 1/2 the width of
the primary rather than 1/3 the width as on the first bird. Nevertheless,
the "dark" central portions of these primaries were the same pale buff-
brown as on the first bird, and the fringes were still broader and more
white than on any of the Thayer's Gulls present. Overall, this bird
still stood out as being very pale among the Thayer's Gulls, and it was
similar enough to the first bird that Scott, Matt, and I had at times
thought it to be the first bird.
Like the first, the second bird had pinkish feet, and it appeared as
though three primary tips fell beyond the tip of the tail (the bird had
the same long-winged appearance as the first). We watched this second
bird from approximately 130 m through our scopes, under the same viewing
conditions. I did not note how long we looked at this second bird, but
I would guess that we watched it for at least 20 minutes.
After our observation of the second Iceland Gull, we sought out the
palest first-winter Thayer's Gull we could find, and on Sunday (18 Jan.)
we saw three extremely pale Thayer's (two at Hidden Lake Park, one at
Lake Cunningham), allowing us to compare our impressions of the two
Iceland Gulls with these pale Thayer's Gulls. Compared to the palest
of these Thayer's, the two Iceland Gulls:
--had much purer white on the pale portions of the mantle and wings than
the Thayer's;
--had much more extensive white (and less extensive brown) on the
individual feathers of the mantle and wings, with much smaller
brown spots on the coverts and much narrower brown bars on the
scapulars, which were mostly brown on the Thayer's;
--had paler primaries, especially the outer primaries, as seen in
flight; on the palest Thayer's, the outer primaries were still
slightly darker than the inner primaries;
--had paler primaries as seen on the folded wing, with less extensive
brownish interiors than on the Thayer's; I would say that the
second Iceland Gull was almost intermediate between the palest
Thayer's and the first Iceland Gull with respect to the pattern
of the primaries but it tended slightly toward the first Iceland;
--had paler secondaries; on the palest Thayer's, the secondaries did
not form a contrasting dark bar as on most Thayer's but were still
darker than the inner primaries and not noticeably paler than the
upperwing coverts as they were on the Iceland Gulls;
--had more uniformly whitish flight feathers overall; as described
above, the outer primaries and secondaries of the palest Thayer's
were still slightly darker than the inner primaries;
--had much broader, more pure white tips to the rectrices and a paler
brownish wash distally than proximally on the brown-washed interiors
of the tail, so that the darkest part of the tail was near the base;
on the Thayer's, the tail was more uniformly washed with brown, with
only a narrow pale terminal band;
--had (at least on the first Iceland) white notches at the edges of the
distal portion of the brown-washed region of each tail feather,
creating some white "patterning" toward the tail tip that was not
present on any of the Thayer's; I did not see the tail of the second
Iceland well enough to discern any such markings;
--had a slightly paler shade on the brownish-washed portions of the tail
and tertials.
What made these three Thayer's Gulls so pale, and therefore so superficially
similar to the Iceland Gulls, seemed obvious. The dark portions of the mantle
and wing feathers of these THGU were very pale, so that there was no
really dark feathering at all on these birds. Even though their tails
and tertials did appear slightly darker than on the Iceland Gulls, and
the brownish interiors of the primaries were no paler (and seemed to be
slightly darker) than those of the Iceland Gulls, the brownish portions
of the scapulars and brown spotting/barring on the coverts and tertials
of these Thayer's Gulls were quite pale, probably even paler than the
brown areas on these feathers on the Iceland Gulls. Therefore, even though
the extent of dark-pigmented area was greater on the Thayer's than on the
Icelands and the pale areas were purer white on the Icelands than on the
Thayer's Gulls, the Thayer's still appeared almost as pale overall.
However, because of the lack of contrast between dark and light regions
on these feathers on the Thayer's Gulls, all of these pale Thayer's appeared
more "washed out" than the Iceland Gulls, which appeared very neat because
of the contrast between the extensive white and the darker small spots on
the upperparts.
Later on 16 Jan., we went to the Sunnyvale WPCP, where we scoped the ponds
from the dump. We were unable to find a Tufted Duck, but we did see
an adult male MERLIN, 3 male REDHEADS, and a number of RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERS. At the Alviso EEC, we had a pair of adult PEREGRINE FALCONS
perched together on a transmission tower (we had seen another adult earlier
at CCRS), and the YELLOW WARBLER was still chipping away along Artesian
Slough.
On 18 Jan., a number of people (Scott, Matt, Steve Howell, Kimball Garrett,
Guy McCaskie, Mike San Miguel, Peter Pyle, Dick Erickson, and myself) went
to CCRS to look for the Iceland Gulls, without success. Before the others
arrived, I got distant views of a bird in flight that showed the wing
pattern of an Iceland Gull, but the bird flew away from me and I could not
conclusively call it an Iceland. A partial-albino NORTHERN SHOVELER was
in one of the WPCP ponds on both 16 and 18 January.
At Lake Cunningham, we all saw the second-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
on the north side of the lake near the flooded volleyball courts. This
bird's plumage had changed quite a bit since I last saw it in November
(was it really that long ago?). Since then, it had replaced many of its
older scapulars (which were more brownish or grayish-brown, some with dark
bars) with more plain grayish or slightly brownish-gray ones; it had
replaced a few of the old pale-edged dark brown median coverts on the left
wing with new, plain gray or slightly brownish-gray feathers; it had
dropped its last four old tertials (the very worn upper two tertials on
each side); it had completed its wing molt (p10 was not fully regrown and
one old secondary had yet to be replaced when I last saw it); the bird
had the typical long-winged look of a Lesser Black-backed Gull now that
its primary molt was complete; the head, neck, and underparts were a bit
whiter, with a bit less dark streaking than was present earlier; and the
tibiae and "knee" joints may have had a bit more of a yellowish tinge
than was visible earlier.
According to Steve Howell, the worn "old" scapulars and secondary coverts
of this bird are probably second-winter feathers rather than second-
summer feathers. Howell suspects that this bird acquired its second-
winter plumage last summer, explaining the wear in these feathers
when the bird was discovered 30 October. However, the old, very worn
tertials and old secondary that the bird retained last fall were clearly
first-year feathers that had not yet been replaced. Howell thinks that
the new gray feathers that have been acquired in the last month or so
have been acquired as part of the pre-alternate II molt.
Strangely, we were unable to find any Red-necked Grebes at Lake
Cunningham on 18 Jan. despite quite a bit of searching.
On 20 Jan., I briefly birded along the Guadalupe River above
Montague Expwy., finding a "morphna"-type SONG SPARROW (beautiful
bird!), a pure male YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER with 5 RED-SHAFTEDS,
3 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 1 RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and 10 DARK-
EYED JUNCOS. While conducting Burrowing Owl surveys elsewhere
in the area, I saw a pure female YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER and a
hybrid flicker with 9 RED-SHAFTEDS.
Good birding!
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 13:23:51 1998
Subject: PRWA & PAWA
All,
Just before 11 AM today John and Colleen Arnold, Frank Vanslager and I saw the
Prairie Warbler just downstream from the I-880 overpass between the first two
bushes on the airport side of the creek. The bird had apparently just bathed
at the drain located below the second bush. Frank and I had earlier seen the
Palm Warbler at Fair Oaks Park. If the bird is not in the cement culvert be
sure and check the Eucalyptus trees at the street end of the culvert and the
evergreen trees
alongside the culvert.
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 1:00 PM, 1/21/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 16:55:59 1998
Subject: Observations
Wednesday afternoon I saw the EASTERN PHOEBE at Great Oaks Park. Other
birds there of interest were four woodpecker species, and the sights and
sounds a female RED-SHOULDERED HAWK makes when a male brings her nesting
material and they copulate. At Ogier Ponds, I got to compare the aerial
maneuvers and the six foot wingspan of an OSPREY with the five foot
wingspan of a remote control airplane. Also of interest here was the
sight of a double-crested cormorant falling straight down out of the sky
30 feet beside me along the entrance road. The bird appeared to die right
before my eyes. Twenty minutes later, on the way out, an immature
red-tailed hawk was guarding its quarry, and refused to leave despite my
presence. At Calero Reservoir there were about 800 blackbirds clustered
around a few vehicles and boat trailers in the parking lot. Seventy five
per cent appeared to be red-winged, the rest Brewers with a few
TRI-COLERED BLACKBIRDS and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS mixed in. Finally, at
Almaden Reservoir there were 40 WOOD DUCKS.
Jack Cole
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 19:17:54 1998
Subject: Re: PRWA & PAWA
RREILING2 wrote:
>
> All,
>
> Just before 11 AM today John and Colleen Arnold, Frank Vanslager and I saw the
> Prairie Warbler just downstream from the I-880 overpass between the first two
> bushes on the airport side of the creek. The bird had apparently just bathed
> at the drain located below the second bush. Frank and I had earlier seen the
> Palm Warbler at Fair Oaks Park. If the bird is not in the cement culvert be
> sure and check the Eucalyptus trees at the street end of the culvert and the
> evergreen trees
> alongside the culvert.
>
> Take care,
> Bob Reiling, 1:00 PM, 1/21/98
> ==========================================================================
> This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
> server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
> message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
Hello All:
I will once again post this message about bandcodes.
PRWA = nothing
PRAW= Prairie Warbler
PROW= Prothonotary Warbler
The two above bandcodes are an exception to the normal method of
deriving bandcodes since the two species have the first two letters
in both the first and last names.
Thanks,
Doug Shaw
Santa Rosa,CA
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 21 20:31:39 1998
Subject: LBBG - Lake Cunningham
All:
The immature Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Lake Cunningham on
Tuesday 1/20 around 1330hr. The bird was along the shore near the
main parking lot for about one minute. Some people walked by and
scared the gull flock. A few minutes later most of the gulls returned
except for the LBBG.
I missed the PRAW along the Guadalupe River. I see several people were
luckier with that bird today. I will have to try again for that bird.
Doug Shaw
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 22 21:46:50 1998
Subject: Bay Calendar
Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for January 24-30.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 23 09:40:36 1998
Subject: KOWA Scopes
I am thinking of getting a new scope. To KOWA owners out there, does the
flourite lens coating make that big of a difference to warrent the extra
cost. Thanks, Kathy Parker
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 23 12:42:09 1998
Subject: American Bittern,Shoveler Hybrid
Rita Colwell and I were at Emily Renzel Marsh this morning looking for th=
e
Northern Shoveler hybrid reported by Phyllis Browning on Sat. 1/17. I ha=
d
gotten a second look at it on Monday afternoon when it was in a pond east=
of the marsh and just behind Bixbee Park. I was at about the same distan=
ce
then as on Saturday and can't add anything to Phyllis's description. Thi=
s
morning, however, we found no Shovelers in that area, and so continued on=
to the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin hoping for better luck. The water
level is still very high there making some of the levees impassable. We
never did find the hybrid, but had fair looks at an American Bittern in t=
he
wet area just east of the FCB north pond. Perhaps this is the bird
reported by Mike Mammoser in December from the location where he found a
Swamp Sparrow.
Rosalie Lefkowitz
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 23 13:43:00 1998
Subject: Western Tanager
All,
This morning I had a calling male Western Tanager eating the berries of a
Camphor? tree in my front yard (Craig Dr. in western San Jose near Cupertino).
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 1:27 PM,1/23/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 23 15:46:07 1998
Subject: Glaucous Gull
I checked the "Fremont Lagoons" area today by the Newby Island landfill.
After some searching, I found a very pale immature Glaucous Gull. This bird
did not have a completely black bill tip.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 23 16:02:53 1998
Subject: Palm Warbler still at Fair Oaks Park 1/23
Hi Everyone--
I stopped by Fair Oaks Park this morning (1/23, about 9:45AM) to look
for the Palm Warbler. As I was standing on the bike path west of the
culvert, it flew into a non-native tree of some ilk, then dropped to the
ground inside the culvert fence and ran around briefly before a jogger
scared it off. I wish it another year of good health.
Mark Miller
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 24 13:15:22 1998
Subject: Re: PAWA
Gloria wrote:
>
> I have yet to have a PINE SISKIN at my feeders, which is very unusual.
> Have any been spotted in Santa Clara County this year?
Scott Terrill and I had one fly overhead at CCRS on 18 January. Other
than that, I can't remember seeing or hearing one in Santa Clara County
this winter.
Steve Rottenborn
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 24 15:39:02 1998
Subject: PRAW & EAPH
Hi:
I finally saw the PRAW along the Guadalupe River downstream of 880.
The bird was further downstream then previously reported this week. It
was on the west side(airport side) in a bush about 3-4 feet above the
ground in a large clearing. Use Hangar #s 6 & 7 as a guide to the spot.
I saw the bird at 1205 for about 1-2 minutes.
The Eastern Phoebe was in its usual area at Shady Oaks Park. The
usual spot is the orchard that is adjacent to the blue jungle gym.
I looked for the GLGU in Fremont without any luck. There was a very
large concentration of gulls flying over the landfill that were too
far away to identify. There was one extremely large GWGU in first
winter plumage. The bird appeared bigger than the other GWGU and was
very pale, but had an all black bill.
Doug Shaw
Santa Rosa,CA
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 24 16:42:14 1998
Subject: CCRS birds.
Birders,
The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was at the CCRS Waterbird Pond
yesterday between 1030 and 1130 in the morning. Has anyone been seeing this
bird and reporting it to the birdbox? I am wondering if I should give the
birdbox a shout, unless someone else has reported it recently.
I did not have luck with either Glaucous or Iceland gulls. Also of interest
was a leucistic American Avocet on the waterbird pond. It is very pale and
washed out, lacking pure black colours and appearing mainly white with some
dusky on the wings and scapsulars.
I just retrived some slides from the CCRS banders camera from the photo
place. I will have to check the date, but photos in this roll confirm that
a Fox Sparrow banded in November by Diane Kodama was of the eastern or red
(iliaca subspecies group) of sparrows. Unless altivagans (belonging to the
Mountain or Slate-colored, schistacea subspecies group) can be very rusty,
I am quite certain that this is a Red Fox Sparrow, probably of the race
zaboria since the crown is extensively grey.
Cheers,
Al.
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 24 16:59:01 1998
Subject: Raptors
South Bay birders,
Today, I led my class on a field trip targeting raptors locally. We did
fairly well, finding 10 species and one subspecies. We started big at the
Alviso Environmental Ed Ctr and New Chicago Marsh, finding an AMERICAN
KESTREL (F), one MERLIN, two PEREGRINE FALCONS, two NORTHERN HARRIERS (1 adult
F, one imm.), two WHITE-TAILED KITES, one COOPER'S HAWK (adult prob. f)
and four RED-TAILED HAWKS. I couldn't refind a Golden Eagle that I saw in
the area a week ago.
We then checked in briefly at Ed Levin Park. I couldn't locate the near
certain Red-shouldered Hawk. We looked around the Spring Valley Group
picnic area parking lot and saw a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and a Selasphorus
HUMMINGBIRD, most likely an Allen's at this time of year. No Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, but we didn't spend much time here.
Up on Calaveras Rd., overlooking the reservoir, we couldn't find any
avian predators aside from RED-TAILEDS, but we did enjoy long views of a
feline predator in the fields below us, a BOBCAT. A stop along Marsh Rd.
produced nothing special. On Felter Rd. just east of Sweigert Rd., we saw two
trios of RED-TAILEDS associating with each other, legs dangling.
At the summit of Sierra Rd., two adult GOLDEN EAGLES gave us quite a
show, cruising very low over head, stooping over Alum Rock Park, and perching
on a nearby ridge. Descending into the valley, an immature SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK with its heavily barred wings and tail, streaked belly, and
squared-off tail briefly circled over Sierra Rd.
At Ogier Ponds, the seemingly reliable OSPREY was perched on a telephone
pole to the north with a fish in its talons. Eventually, it nibbled on its
catch. A pair of COMMON MERGANSERS and a COMMON GOLDENEYE were on the
pond to the north of the entry road.
Back in San Jose, a short stop on Trimble Rd. at the Guadalupe River
easily produced the HARLAN'S HAWK. Reasonable scopeviews (slightly backlit)
were enjoyed by all.
So, we got 10 out of a possible 15 species of raptors today.
Les
==========================================
Les Chibana, Mountain View email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 24 17:24:33 1998
Subject: PAWA
FINAllY, after 3 attempts, saw the PALM WARBLER at Fair Oaks Park. Thank
you Bob Reiling for definitive place to look. It was in the 3rd
eucalyptus tree toward the street from the cement culvert...about 15 feet
up...had great view. whew!
At Charleston Slough saw the COMMON GOLDENEYE, but no SKIMMERS.
I have yet to have a PINE SISKIN at my feeders, which is very unusual.
Have any been spotted in Santa Clara County this year?
Gloria LeBlanc
Los Gatos
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 25 13:58:21 1998
Subject: Weekend birds
I didn't get much birding done. On Saturday, I briefly checked Hidden Lake,
where there about 15 Thayer's Gulls. Around 5.30 PM, I went up to Wright
Station Rd, off Summit Rd, to do some owling. I had a N. Saw-whet Owl
singing and calling well. I called it in right over my head but couldn't see
it. I also heard a Great Horned and a W. Screech Owl here, but no Pygmy Owl
despite a lot of whistling.
On Sunday, I checked Ed Levin Park. There was no sign of the Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, although I did see 2 Red-breasted Sapsuckers and an intergrade
flicker. Raptors overhead included a Prairie Falcon and an adult Cooper's
Hawk. I had the adult Bald Eagle from the usual spot on Calaveras Rd
overlooking the resevoir. Careful checking of the Canada Goose flock failed
to turn up any Snow Goose.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 25 16:27:06 1998
Subject: Sunday birds
I had a pleasant Sunday morning of birding in Santa Clara Co., despite
missing my two main "target" birds....
Lake Cunningham: few Gulls (no Lesser Black-Backed); fewer Grebes than two
weeks ago (and no Red-Necked seen, although one corner of
the lake wasn't well-checked, due to excessive glare). I
did see 2 COMMON MERGANSERs.
Sierra Road summit:
Parking near the summit at about 9:15 or so, I saw a large raptor perched
high uphill to the north -- scope views showed it to be an adult GOLDEN
EAGLE. Not much other raptor activity at this time, just one perched
AMERICAN KESTREL. There were 3 ROCK WRENs just east of the summit (one
appeared to be a territorial intruder). I found only 7 scattered HORNED
LARKS -- they appear to be paired already (the extra bird was part of
an intense chase) -- but no Pipits. After a while a RED-TAILED HAWK
came in and circled near the Eagle's perch. The Eagle at this point
took off, heading toward the road, and the Hawk made several dives at
it, making evident the Eagle's immense size. After this annoyance, it
kept sailing toward me, finally crossing the road at about eye-level and
only about 15 yards away from where I was standing! (In fact, my car had
an even closer "view".) This was certainly the highlight of the morning.
Ed Levin Park (portion along Calaveras Road):
I saw one RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER chasing another Sapsucker, but I didn't
get a clear look at the latter. Repeated views of Red-Breasted may mean
I was seeing two of them (as Nick did). Anyway, the possible presence of
Yellow-Bellied remained wishful thinking, at least for me. There was an
adult male ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD in essentially the same spot where one
first turned up in early January last year; I also heard at least one
more selasphorus male.
Fair Oaks Park: I saw the PALM WARBLER in the southeast corner of this
park (which is in Sunnyvale near the north end of Wolfe Road).
Interestingly, it was in the same red-flowering Eucalyptus in
which I last saw it a year ago. This bird has been spending
way too much time probing flowers in the Euc's: it has the
same matted facial appearance as we often see on the Yellow-
Rump's.
Al Eisner
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 25 20:13:09 1998
Subject: Hummingbird Sounds
Today along the Guadalupe River, again looking unsuccessfully for the
Prairie Warbler, I had a male hummingbird making double "chirping" calls.
The bird looked like an Anna's but I have never heard one do this. It also
did not make any of the normal "scritching" sounds even though I watched it
for at least a half hour and there was another male Anna's in the immediate
vicinity. Can anyone tell me about this? Thanks, Kathy Parker
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sun Jan 25 22:28:09 1998
Subject: Weekend
On Saturday I was at Shoreline Park and Mtn. View Forebay.
The usual suspects.
14 BLACK SKIMMERS were roosting on a mud bank
north of the forebay, east of the dike.
Couple of interesting feeding behaviours:
- Several DOWITCHERS were feeding on the grassy lawns at the Shoreline
Park along with AM. COOTS. It was interesting to see them up close
and on land.
- Also right after sunset, SONG SPARROWS seemed to get active. Some even
attempted weak songs. Saw at least three birds that were "flycatching". Short
sallies from the vegetation at the edge of the water.
Waited well past sunset in the hopes of seeing a Short-eared Owl but
to no avail.
Sunday at about 2:30PM saw the beautiful PALM WARBLER at Fair Oaks Park.
It was in the Eucaplyptus closest to Wolfe Rd., near the culvert.
Very cooperative bird. It was feeding on the blossoms and was actively
defending the tree from hummingbirds. This may indicate that it might
be reliable at the same tree for some more time (?).
An AUDOBON'S WARBLER was also in the area.
Returning home, I saw a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
right outside my apt. on Flora Vista Ave. in Santa Clara.
Vivek Tiwari
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 26 08:26:15 1998
Subject: Breeding activity
A Sunday walk at Henry Coe State Park did not turn up any unexpected
birds. However, two male Ruddy Ducks at Coit Lake were in full breeding
plumage, blue bills and all. They were both displaying to nearby females and
engaged in territorial disputes. Seems a bit early for this kind of stuff.
James Yurchenco
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Mon Jan 26 10:13:22 1998
Subject: Pine Siskins
All: In response to the query: Maria and I saw several Pine Siskins in the
trees by our apartment (off Peter Coutts Circle, Stanford) this morning.
Foraging, along with some Yellow-Rumped Warblers.
John Meyer
********************************************************************
John W. Meyer, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford U., Stanford, Cal. 94305
email@hidden (650) 723 1868
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 27 05:49:45 1998
Subject: Pine Siskins
All,
I had several Pine Siskins outside my workplace this afternoon (Monday) in
Milpitas off Milpitas Boulevard and Gibraltar.
Jim Danzenbaker
San Jose, CA
408-264-7582 (408-ANI-SKUA)
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Tue Jan 27 16:34:22 1998
Subject: Prairie Warbler
All: After a good many tries, Maria and I found the Prairie Warbler this
morning. It was where Doug Shaw reported it: maybe 200 yards downstream from
the 880 bridge. It was opposite airport hangers 5-7, low on the west bank
of the river.
On the Palo Alto levee at high tide, no special sparrows. A Sora was
at the edge of the reeds about 100 yards northwest of the trail at the curve.
John Meyer
********************************************************************
John W. Meyer, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford U., Stanford, Cal. 94305
email@hidden (650) 723 1868
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 07:56:04 1998
Subject: south-bay-birds archive
South Bay Birders,
With the permission of Bill Bousman I have initiated an archive of
past messages from south-bay-birds on my website at the URL below.
Currently I have archived the months from June-December 1997.
I've been very impressed by the high quality of the messages on this
list and I thought an archive might be useful. I welcome suggestions
and comments.
--
Joseph Morlan Spring Birding Classes begin Feb 17 in SF:
380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
Pacifica, CA 94044 email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 13:41:39 1998
Subject: birds
Yesterday I took a walk along Coyote Creek Trail at lunch. A pair of
WHITE-TAILED KITES were perched in an open area just south of our building.=
The
male chased after a RED-TAILED HAWK that entered the territory, and then
returned to copulate with the female. I'll keep a watch to see if they bree=
d
here eventually.
Also, a couple of weeks ago when I was at Calero Reservoir, I checked the G=
olden
Eagle nest on the power tower. It has disintegrated, with the entire middle=
having fallen out. I wonder if these birds will rebuild here?
Mike Mammoser
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 14:06:40 1998
Subject: New Bureaucrat Needed
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Volunteers are sought to become the new Bureaucrat.
Dear Fellow South Bay Birders,
It looks like I'll be moving to Israel sometime in the March/April
time frame, and I look forward to becoming the first Bureaucrat Emeritus
and overseas member of our list.
The Bureaucrat position is hardly rocket science, and only takes a few
minutes per day. It would be good to make the transition sooner rather
than later, while I am still around to help with any problems.
If you are interested, please let me know.
Thanks a lot,
Jeff Finger
South Bay Birds List Bureaucrat
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 15:29:42 1998
Subject: Bay Calendar Updates
Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for January 3 - February 6.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 16:09:51 1998
Subject: Report of a Whooper Swan In Lower Klamath Refuge
Tom Vandenberg (?) of the Klamath Wildlife Refuges just left a message on the
Northern California Bird Box [415-681-7422] about a Whooper Swan and Bewick's
Swan together at the Lower Klamath Refuge just south of the Oregon border.
Calbird appears to be down, so I am copying this alert to the South Bay Birds
list to get the word out to a few people, at least. If Adam's transcripts are
delayed by Calbird for a significant period, some people who would like to see
this bird may not hear about it for awhile, so please pass on the word to your
friends who might be interested but don't call our Bird Box very often.
Thanks,
Jennifer
-------------------------
Jennifer Matkin
San Francisco, CA
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Wed Jan 28 19:52:00 1998
Subject: Iceland Gull.
Birders:
While at the CCRS trailers, looking out the window, I saw one of the
Iceland Gulls fly by and head to the dump at around 2 pm. The bird had just
taken off the evaporation pond and gave me good looks as it flew off. I am
quite sure it was the first, of the two, gulls we saw. The one with very
pale wings and a noticeable white tip to the tail. In flight the wings
looked nearly unicolored, showing no obvious dark secondary bar, no obvious
darkening at the primaries, and no obvious paler patch in the inner
primaries. Again the tail was coloured like the rest of the bird, not
significantly darker, and there was an obvious white terminal band.
Also two Tree Swallows around and a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes looking like
they may be pairing up.
Al.
Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay,
California
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 29 11:42:01 1998
Subject: Herring Gull ID
Dear South Bay Birders,
I was out on Monterey Bay the other day and I was having a very difficult time
with the light-backed gulls. In the south bay, the Herring Gulls are
relatively easy to pick out by head shape, size and leg color if all else
fails. Out at sea, I was finding it hard to see leg color, head shape and
size were also surprisingly difficult depending on the distance and the bird's
position relative to the boat. For my question, I was wondering if people
could share their knowledge of this particular ID problem.
In addition, I was hoping to spur a general discussion of the identification
of these birds that would be helpful to the beginner as well as those of us
who need to re-familiarize ourselves with these birds each winter. I was
wondering if anyone would like to share their advice on the identification of
Herring Gulls vs. Hybrid Western Gulls vs. California Gulls vs. Ring-billed
Gulls.
Thanks in advance!
Tom
********************************************
Tom Ryan
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 247
1290 Hope St.
Alviso, CA 95002
(408) 946-6548
(408) 946-9279 fax
email@hidden
"While in my own estimation my chief profession is ignorance, yet I sign my
passport applications and my jury evasions as Ornithologist."
- William Beebe
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 29 14:04:15 1998
Subject: Pelagic Surveys: Volunteers needed
Dear South bay birders,
Volunteer observers are needed for a boat-based study of the foraging habits
of wintering Loons and other seabirds in Monterey Bay. Observers will
accompany biologist Lucy Vlietstra on a series of random transects, up to 4
miles offshore at various locations throughout Monterey Bay. Observers must
be familiar with the identification of seabirds which are found in Monterey
Bay, and be accepting of the fact that if a rare bird is observed the boat
will not be able to deviate from the study protocols (it will continue moving
at 4 knots). Additionally, she is using a relatively small boat, you will be
working from an elevated platform which can provide a very exciting, rough
ride. Those prone to seasickness may want to think twice before going out for
8-10 hours. Observer duties will include identification and counting of
seabirds, recording data in a data-logger, set-up and removal of equipment,
and assistance as needed in the operation of the vessel. If you are
interested and would like more details or to sign up please e-mail me
(email@hidden) or call be at (408) 946 6548.
Tom
********************************************
Tom Ryan
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 247
1290 Hope St.
Alviso, CA 95002
(408) 946-6548
(408) 946-9279 fax
email@hidden
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Thu Jan 29 14:30:12 1998
Subject: Ogier Ponds
All,
Today at Ogier Ponds Frank Vanslager and I saw a pair of (male and female)
Osprey, one American Bittern (north edge of the large pond north of the model
airplane park), a pair of Common Mergansers, two male Redheads, one male
Common Goldeneye, many Ring-necked Ducks, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal,
one Horned Grebe, two Eared Grebes, one American Goldfinch and one calling
California Thrasher. While we watched a White-tailed Kite did it's
territorial display flight. While flying over the ponds it rapidly fluttered
it's wings while holding them straight in a fixed, steep dihedral, extended
it's legs toward the ground and called.
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 2:24 PM, 1/29/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 30 11:30:39 1998
Subject: Golden Eagle invasion??
We have been receiving reports of Golden Eagles in various places around Santa
Clara and San Mateo counties:
1. The known pair hanging out west of 280 near Page Mill. Immatures have also
been spotted here.
2. A single bird hunting along the SM shoreline. I last saw this bird on
Wednesday around 11 AM on the PGE towers along 101 at inner Bair Island.
3. A single bird hunting in the Sunnyvale Baylands/Calabasas Marsh area. Bev
McIntosh of Caltrans id'd it as a third-year bird because of some white still
showing on the tail. She has seen it twice, once feasting on duck, she thinks,
and a second time with a near hit on an egret. An eagle with a preference for
fowl??
I haven't seen one lately on the Alviso EEC towers but that's another common
perch. Any insights into all these sightings?
Best,
Janet Hanson, SFBBO
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 30 12:58:01 1998
Subject: Eurasion Wigeon plus
All,
Today in Alviso Frank Vanslager and I saw an ad male Eurasion Wigeon in Arzino
Ranch in the small pond near the corner of Los Esteros and Grand. The ad
Golden Eagle was still in one of the power towers nearby. We saw no Cattle
Egrets on the ranch but there were hundreds of Mew Gulls in the flooded field
at the end of Nortech Pkwy. (best viewed from Baytech Dr.). About a hundred
Long-billed Curlew flew in as we checked the gull flock out for rarities. Two
pair of Burrowing Owls were in the field alongside Nortech (1 pair) and Disk
Dr. (1 pair).
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 12:40 PM, 1/30/98
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Fri Jan 30 15:03:28 1998
Subject: PAWA still around
Hello All
The PALM WARBLER was still around today (1/30/98) at 12:30PM just
where Gloria LeBlanc and others have indicated; in the eucalyptis
trees toward the street (Wolf) near the end of the cement culvert in
Fair Oaks Park. It spent most of the time going between the second
and third eucalyptis trees from the end of the culvert. The reddish
crown is quite distinctive.
Alan
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 31 10:45:43 1998
Subject: 340 miles of birding
Yesterday, for the tenth consecutive year, I made the loop around Panoche
Valley and the Los Banos area refuges. Highlights included: 11 tundra
swans and an adult bald eagle at Picenes Reservoir; 500 horned Larks
along Panoche Road; at least 40 mountain plovers in the field past the
second fence past the abandoned house on Panoche Road; mountain bluebirds
only along the BLM Road; an adult rough-legged hawk along rte. 59 north
of rte. 152; a solitary sandpiper in the southeast corner of the Merced
NWR; 25-30 yellow-headed blackbirds in a plowed field on the way in to
the San Luis NWR, and a short-eared owl being harrassed by two northern
harriers just past the blackbirds. No sign of the black-throated sparrow,
lark bunting or vesper sparrows, but as you can imagine I was moving
right along.
Jack Cole
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden
From email@hidden Sat Jan 31 13:01:21 1998
Subject: Glaucous Gull
I had a first-winter Glaucous Gull at the Fremont lagoons this morning. It
was different from the bird last week.
_____________________________________________________________
Nick Lethaby Elanix, Inc
email@hidden 1112 N. Abbott Avenue
Tel: (408) 941 0223 Milpitas, CA 95035
Fax: (408) 941 0984 U.S.A.
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to email@hidden