Parent
From email@hidden Wed Jul 01 07:17:44 1998
South Bay Birders,
I have added the June 1998 South-Bay-Birds messages to the archives on
my web site. Go to http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan and follow the
"California Birding" links. Note that the url pointing to the
archives has changed slightly, but the old one still works.
While there, you may also want to check out the new Santa Clara County
Birding page off the "California County Birding Pages" link. Please
let me know of any errors or omissions.
Other changes this month include the addition of photos and
descriptions of Brown Booby and Eastern Wood-Pewee at Point Reyes and
details on the Masked Booby at Ano Nuevo. I've also added a new photo
quiz for July (please help me out with the oriole if you can), answers
and discussion of the June photo quiz; and I've updated the links
page.
Suggestions and corrections are always welcome.
Enjoy!
--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94144 email@hidden
SF Birding Classes begin Sept 9th http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 01 09:46:35 1998
Hi Everyone--
Late is also good for Masked Booby. I was out there from 6:30 to 7:45 PM on
6/30, and once Doug Shaw, Ron Thorn, and Jim Danzenbaker showed me where to
look, I got good views (thanks again). With a 60x Swarovski, I was able to
pick it out from the visitor center and from vantage points along the pond
trail (it was sitting in a patch of bare ground just north of the
northernmost blind on the main island). No Black Swifts, but Bank Swallows
are plentiful.
Mark Miller
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 01 13:38:41 1998
Regarding Nuttall's becomming a local "trash" bird-
For the past 10 years we have had Nuttall's Woodpeckers nesting in the
San Jose-Cupertino area. There are currently 2 pairs in the vicinity of
Lynbrook High School and Carol Murdock park. Eight years ago I watched a
nest in a cottonwood limb overhanging Saratoga Creek next to Lawrence
Expressway. Unfortunately, some kids used the limb to tie a rope so they
could swing out over the creek, and the birds moved. A year later the
hole was taken over by Plain Titmouse and the Nuttall's were trying to
nest in a decrepit oak nearby. They were apparently driven out by
Starlings. At about the same time (I have to check my video records for
the date) I videoed a Downy nest and a Nuttall's nest on opposite sides
of Johnson Avenue just north of Lynbrook High School.
The Lynbrook Nuttall's spend a lot of time hammering on the telephone
pole at the rear of our neighbor's house, especially in the early spring
to announce their territory, I guess.
I also got some video 3 or 4 springs ago of two males jockeying around a
tree on the corner of our street - apparently a territorial dispute.
They kept it up for 30 minutes - they would move to another tree and
resume spiralling around the tree. Once in a while they would squawk at
each other.
The Starlings drove the California (Acorn) Woodpeckers from the Saratoga
Creek area years ago.
Lou Young
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 01 17:07:01 1998
Hello South Bay Birders,
This past Saturday, 6/27/98, Mary and I went to the Yerba Buena Nursery
to peruse the Calif. native plant selection. This is in San Mateo County 2
miles west of Skyline Blvd. The access road is opposite the Thomas Fogarty
Winery on Skyline Blvd. about 2.5 miles north of Page Mill Rd. At about
12:30p the fog had not yet lifted from the area. SWAINSON'S THRUSHES were
singing their haunting phrases along the road as well as at the Nursery.
One male WESTERN TANAGER was seen at the parking area, and one CHIPPING
SPARROW was in the demo garden.
Of breeding bird interest, "our" nesting Black Phoebes were actively
feeding their softly vocal nestlings from dawn to dusk on both Saturday and
Sunday. Those were hard working parents! On Sunday, 6/26/98, I saw a male
Hairy Woodpecker feeding a fledgling who was foraging on its own.
Les
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Les Chibana, Mountain View email@hidden
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 01 21:03:09 1998
I briefly checked the lagoons by the CCRS trailers today (but not the
shorebird pond). There were still lots of Wlison's Phalaropes around and
didn't have time to check them throughly for things like Stilt Sandpiper.
I also saw a Semi-palmated Plover, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 16 Western and 3
Least Sandpipers, so variety is picking up a little.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 02 17:44:15 1998
On 1 July, Les Chibana (& Mary H.) reported on the birds they'd seen and
heard at this locally well-known native plant nursery up on Skyline Blvd.
"SWAINSON'S THRUSHES were singing their haunting phrases along the road
as
well as at the Nursery. One male WESTERN TANAGER was seen at the
parking
area, and one CHIPPING SPARROW was in the demo garden."
I'd like to pass on the fact that YBN has an interesting website at
www.yerbabuenanursery.com
that includes, among other things, a bird list of some of the birds that
have been seen there. It's found under "buttons" called aprx.
Features/Bird Watching. Best I can tell, none of the birds Les ID'd are
presently contained on the YBN list!!
Note that the YBN website provides full particulars of who they are,
where they are, what their hours are, etc. Maps are included. Note also
that on weekends, they operate a "tea shop" on the premises. I do not,
however, recall seeing an espresso machine. Bummer!
Our only connection to YBN is that of "satisfied customers" for their
plants. We visited them recently and found them quite receptive to
"well-behaved birders."
Scott & Gayle Spencer Menlo Park, CA aka email@hidden
Scott Spencer, Menlo Park, CA
email: email@hidden (spouse: email@hidden)
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 02 17:45:01 1998
There was a marked increase in Western Sandpipers today with about 185
present. Other shorebirds were similar to yesterday.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 03 21:15:20 1998
Today there was a Lesser Yellowlegs at CCRS. There now 5 Greater
Yellowlegs, 4-500 Western & 10 Least Sandpipers. The Semi-palmated Plover
is still there. Up to 15 Bonaparte's Gulls are hanging around.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 03 21:17:11 1998
The booby was still present at Ano Nuevo Island Friday evening.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Sat Jul 04 08:42:08 1998
I read the letters and queries on the Acorn Woodpecker. There has for many
years been a fairly large colony in the Golden Oak Park in San Jose. It is
in an area near Coleman Road and Meridian, located near transmission
towers. There are many dead oak trees in the park. One large storage tree
was cut down last year, but the last time I was there this spring, there
were still many woodpeckers to be seen.
I have been enjoying my backyard birds--QUAIL pair with the male exhibiting
various calls, HOODED ORIOLE FAMILY,BLACKHEADED GROSBEAK PAIR, BEWICKS
WREN, CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEE, OAK TITMOUSE, SPOTTED TOWHEE (when did
they change the name from Rufous etc),LESSER GOLDFINCH and yesterday a
young ROBIN. For some reason, I don't see many Robins except in the winter
when they feed on the Pyrancantha and Juniper berries.
The Orioles were very late arriving at my feeder this year, May 16. I
thought they had forgotten when I live. They usually arrive the first week
in April. The last Cedar Waxwing flock I saw was May 7. Old news, but,
my flock of WHITE CROWNS AND GOLDS CROWN started arriving right on schedule
during the fourth week of Sept. last fall. They were here for six months.
Sure hope the GREEN TAILED TOWHEE finds its way here again this coming
fall.
Barbara Harkleroad
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From email@hidden Sat Jul 04 11:45:46 1998
Today, Steve Rottenborn and I birded CCRS. Shorebird numbers continue to
increase. There were 700 Westerns and Steve found 2 Semi-palmated
Sandpipers, one of which I saw. There were also 15 Greater and 3 Lesser
Yellowlegs, the Semi-palmated Plover, and 2 (probable) Short-billed Dowitchers.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 05 14:35:25 1998
All:
Could the current "list bureaucrat" please subscribe Kent Van Vuren
to this list or send him information on how to subscribe? His email
address is
email@hidden
Thank you,
Steve Rottenborn
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 05 17:43:17 1998
I tried to seek out the ACORN WOODPECKER "house" and "storage" area today
at La Rinconada Park for Bill Bousman. I saw one flying over and beyond a
house immediately across the street from the park. I walked up the cul de
sac (off Granada Way). A man was in the garage of the house I'd seen it
fly beyond. I asked him if he knew where the ACORN WOODPECKERS lived. He
said he'd lived in his house for 17 years. About 10 years ago, the ACORN
WOODPECKER's decided to call his home, their home. He said he tried
everything he could think of to discourage them. He said he had a
multitude of holes in his roof the size of his fist that held lots and lots
of acorns. His neighbor was having the same problem. These are $950K
homes. Both he and his neighbor decided to re-roof earlier then wear and
tear dictated. Both homes were reroofed with metal shingles last year and
the woodpeckers have moved elsewhere. He said he hears them every morning
at 7:30 am and he sees them with their white wing patches, but he's not
sure where their home is now, probably his neighbor up the hill behind him.
He said they're pretty birds, but VERY EXPENSIVE ones for him! Gloria
LeBlanc
http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 06 09:11:26 1998
On 3 Jul 98 I made a stop at Charleston Slough, where I found 1 LEAST
TERN still foraging over the outer slough with FORSTER’S TERNS. Three
eclipse male AMERICAN WIGEONS were on Adobe Creek and one eclipse male
GREATER SCAUP was on Shoreline Lake.
On 5 Jul 98 I went to the Sunnyvale Sewage Ponds and walked around the
smaller of the two ponds. I had 11 adult LESSER SCAUP, with 2 of the
females having broods (one with 8 young, the other with 5). Also present
was an unsexed AMERICAN WIGEON and a female NORTHERN PINTAIL (plus lots
of GADWALLS and MALLARDS, of course).
A stop at Crittenden Marsh produced 4 broods of RUDDY DUCKS (three with
7 young and one with 2 young). There were 4 EARED GREBES here as well,
but none was giving any indications of breeding.
Mike Mammoser
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 06 14:16:13 1998
Hello all
I don't know if I have the abreviation correct (RSHA?), but I
discovered an active RED-SHOULDERED HAWK nest in Los Gatos on 7/4.
I found it interesting that the nest is NOT in a riparian area. It is
in a row of Eucalypitas trees, on Hilow Rd. between Marchmont Drive
and Shannon Rd. (not too far from Los Gatos Blvd).
Although this area is very close to the hills, it is in a suburban
area.
There is at least one, (white) downy nestling being fed by the parent
birds. The nest is about 60 or 70 feet up in the 7th main tree from
Marchmont Dr., as you face South.
Alan
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 06 15:55:27 1998
In response to Alan Walthers Red-shouldered Hawk nest, I had a pair of Red-
shouldered Hawks nest in a group of Eucalyptus trees in Belmont this year. The
pair of fledglings left the nest on June 3. These trees are not near a
riparian area either, although Belmont Creek is a half mile away. This is the
second year in three that the hawks have nested in these trees.
Paul L. Noble----Scchowl
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 06 22:52:31 1998
Hi Folks,
The following really made my day today. Dave and I saw what appeared to
be a family of Western Screech Owls this evening at dusk in a city park
here in Palo Alto (Bol Park near Gunn H.S.). First we saw three small
owls together, viewing them in silhouette, either fighting over or
begging for food. We saw that one was eating something but it was too
small to be a rodent. They were making a noise that I am unfamiliar
with, perhaps a begging noise, but we figured they had to be WSOW. About
30 feet further along the path we heard the regular Screech Owl call,
coming from up in the trees, I thought. Continuing along the path, a
bird flew up off the path right in front of me, surprising the heck out
of me. It flew to a low branch in a small tree nearby and we could see
that it was a small owl. We figured it must have been eating a bug or
some prey item before we interrupted it.
I was surprised to see these birds in the local park, but I see in
National Geographic that suburban areas and parks are listed as habitats
for them. I did hear a WSOW along Barron Creek near the park last summer
but I figured it was moving through. I wonder if these owls really
nested nearby.
Cheers,
Leda Beth Gray
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 06 23:31:03 1998
This morning (7/6) on my daily walk along Saratoga Creek I noted that
the elderberries are ripening. Sure enough, the first Band-tailed Pigeon
I've seen this year flew down the creek and subsequently popped out of
an elderberry bush into a low branch as I came close. Seemed to be by
itself, which is unusual. I normally expect to begin sighting a flock of
12-15 starting in August each year.
Lou Young
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 08:34:55 1998
Ever since we first put out feeders in our back yard, they have been
dominated by House Finches, until recently. These days, we get 3 or 4
at a time, a few times each day. In particular, we've seen no chicks
at all this year. I'm curious whether this reflects a very local
change, or perhaps something on a larger scale has affected them this
year. Any other observations?
It's not that we've lacked birds in the yard, including many
juveniles. The Lesser Goldfinches brought jillions of chicks,
consuming up to 12 oz of thistle a day. We've watched families of Oak
Titmouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, and CA
Towhee. Lately, we've had two adult and two juvenile Hooded Orioles
sharing a feeder with the hummers and chickadees. Our Scrub Jays
abandoned one nest for some reason, but have produced four youmgsters
on the second try.
And, for Lou Young: You're welcome to our Band Tailed Pigeons
anytime. Their arrival in quantity coincided roughly with the
departure of the House Finches, tho I'm reluctant to attribute a
cause and effect relationship.
----------------
George Oetzel
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 09:45:47 1998
Yesterday (July 6) I spotted one SPOTTED
SANDPIPER at the pond in the Coyote Creek
Overflow Channel N. of Montague Expwy in
N. San Jose. It may be the same one that
was here eariler. I call it Spot. It
works its way along the edge of the pond
bobbing its tail up and down. (See Spot run.)
- Chris Salander
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 09:45:52 1998
Dear Birders,
Alan Walther's wrote:
I don't know if I have the abreviation correct (RSHA?), but I
discovered an active RED-SHOULDERED HAWK nest in Los Gatos on 7/4.
I found it interesting that the nest is NOT in a riparian area. It is
in a row of Eucalypitas trees, on Hilow Rd. between Marchmont Drive
and Shannon Rd. (not too far from Los Gatos Blvd).
Although this area is very close to the hills, it is in a suburban
area.
There is at least one, (white) downy nestling being fed by the parent
birds. The nest is about 60 or 70 feet up in the 7th main tree from
Marchmont Dr., as you face South.
Alan
About ten years ago a Red-shouldered Hawk nested in a Eucalypitas tree
by the Forum building at Foothill College. The tree was at the corner
of a major student parking lot and two walkways into campus. There was
a chick but I was informed by the biology instructor that the chick had
been harassed by a Scrub Jay and fell from the nest and died. The hawks
never nested there again, but there is still a Red-shouldered Hawk on
campus. It hangs out on the NW side of campus.
Side note: on Friday June 26 during the graduation ceremony a Golden
Eagle flew over the Foothill College football field. It was dusk and
the bird was heading SE. Two biology instructors confirmed the siting.
Also, one of the instructors had seen a Golden Eagle on campus a few
weeks earlier.
Ginny Becchine
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 14:42:50 1998
All,
Today 7/7/98, while returning from Stanford to work, I stopped by the
Charleston Slough area just after noon. The 3 eclipse male AMERICAN
WIGEONS were still in Adobe Creek along with 1 female. Three adult
LEAST TERNS were on a wooden platform in outer Charleston Slough.
About 120 peeps in the Flood Control Basin were too distant in the
heat haze to do much with, but the two in Adobe Creek were adult LEAST
SANDPIPERS. Three GREATER YELLOWLEGS were also about.
A quick check of Shoreline Lake turned up the male BLACK SCOTER doing
its best dabbling duck impression by foraging with its head underwater
as it swam right next to shore. Eight SURF SCOTERS (5 males and 3
females) were also on the lake. If the Black Scoter remains with our
resident Surf Scoters it would sure make a great dependable Big Day
bird! :)
Mike Rogers
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 15:50:45 1998
Went to a weekend company picnic at Saratoga Springs on hwy 9, hoards of
people, RVs etc. but what a beautiful creek running through it, Saratoga Creek
I guess? With a single American Dipper flying both above and below the bridge
to the parking lot. A nice treat among all those party-goers and Steller's
Jays.
Janet Hanson
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 07 16:03:36 1998
JULY 7, 1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST UPDATE
Well, it looks like we may have missed Black Swifts this year -
although Ann Verdi and Clysta Seney did have an unseasonable bird on
7/5/96 along the Guadalupe River at Taylor two years ago. Also no
Indigo Bunting yet. A good spot to try for this bird would be among
the many Lazuli Buntings along the trails from Ed Levin Park up to
Monument Peak - several have been found on the Alameda county side up
there in the past.
Otherwise July brings the return of the shorebirds! Semipalmated
Sandpipers have already been reported and Baird's and Pectoral
Sandpipers may not be far behind - not to mention the fun rarities
that Santa Clara County is becoming famous for!
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:
262: 6/ 7/98 OVENBIRD
263: 6/ 8/98 COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD
264: 6/16/98 WILSON'S PHALAROPE
265: 6/22/98 LAUGHING GULL
266: 7/ 2/98 LEAST TERN
267: 7/ 4/98 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
Please send any additions, corrections, or comments to Mike
Rogers, email@hidden.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST - 1998
SCR MMR MJM COMP SOURCE
377 236 217 219 267+ICGU
% OF COMPOSITE FOR 1998
% OF 377 (Iceland Gull not counted)
Red-throated Loon 2/16 2/ 8 2/ 8 SBT
Pacific Loon 2/21 SBT
Common Loon 2/ 8 2/11 2/14 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 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Eared Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Western Grebe 1/ 2 2/11 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 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Brown Pelican 7/ 3 1/ 6 2/ 8 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 1/16 2/28 1/15 CWh
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 5/ 7 4/29 PJM
Cattle Egret 1/ 2 4/24 4/26 1/ 2 SCR
Green Heron 1/ 6 2/11 2/13 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 2/ 8 1/19 1/16 1/16 MJM
Brant
Canada Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Wood Duck 4/21 4/11 1/18 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 1/26 2/24 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 1/31 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 3/ 8 3/ 2 3/ 8 3/ 1 JMe
Surf Scoter 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
White-winged Scoter 2/11 1/ 6 2/13 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 2/28 2/28 1/ 1 AVe,CH,NLe
Common Merganser 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Red-breasted Merganser 1/16 2/11 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 3/ 2 1/19 1/18 1/17 JMa,JLa
White-tailed Kite 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM
Bald Eagle 2/ 8 2/16 1/16 SGu
Northern Harrier 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/ 2 1/19 4/26 1/ 2 SCR
Cooper's Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/22 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/ 2 1/16 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 1/19 1/ 2 SCR
Rough-legged Hawk 1/ 3 1/ 3 SCR
Golden Eagle 1/ 6 1/ 7 1/17 1/ 1 DJC
American Kestrel 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Merlin 1/ 9 2/ 9 1/ 3 1/ 2 fide CKS
Peregrine Falcon 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Prairie Falcon 3/ 4 1/25 NLe
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/ 6 1/13 2/22 1/ 6 SCR
Wild Turkey 3/16 4/11 4/ 5 1/ 1 JMa
California Quail 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 1 SCR,DJC
Mountain Quail 6/11 5/13 MLF
Yellow Rail
Black Rail 1/12 1/12 2/ 8 1/ 9 VTi,RWR,FVs
Clapper Rail 1/12 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Virginia Rail 1/ 2 1/12 1/31 1/ 2 SCR
Sora 1/ 2 1/16 2/ 8 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 5/13 6/14 4/19 TRy,SSa
Semipalmated Plover 1/ 6 4/24 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Killdeer 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/18 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 4/24 1/ 6 SCR
Solitary Sandpiper 4/19 PJM
Willet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Wandering Tattler
Spotted Sandpiper 4/27 2/ 8 2/16 1/ 1 AVe,CH
Whimbrel 1/ 6 1/ 6 2/ 8 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 4/28 RWR
Black Turnstone
Red Knot 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR
Sanderling 5/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR
Semipalmated Sandpiper 7/ 4 7/ 4 SCR,NLe
Western Sandpiper 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Least Sandpiper 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/14 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 4/26 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM,AVe
Common Snipe 1/ 5 3/ 8 1/ 1 DJC
Wilson's Phalarope 6/16 6/13 6/12 BMc
Red-necked Phalarope 4/17 4/17 MJM,AVE,FVs
Red Phalarope 2/11 2/ 8 2/ 8 SBT
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Laughing Gull 6/22 DSt
Franklin's Gull 6/ 9 6/10 6/13 5/13 RWR,FVs
Little Gull 4/28 4/29 4/28 4/28 SCR
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Heermann's Gull
Mew Gull 1/ 2 1/19 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 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH
??Iceland Gull 1/16 1/16 SBT,SCR,AJa,MH
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1/18 3/ 4 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 2/24 1/ 6 SCR
Black-legged Kittiwake
Sabine's Gull
Caspian Tern 4/17 4/11 4/11 4/ 2 RWR
Elegant Tern
Common Tern 5/15 SBT
Arctic Tern
Forster's Tern 1/ 6 2/ 8 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Least Tern 7/ 2 7/ 7 7/ 3 7/ 2 SCR
Black Tern 5/ 7 4/29 4/28 TGr,JSt,RWR
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 3/27 3/15 1/ 1 SCR
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner 4/19 SMi
Barn Owl 4/19 1/ 9 4/26 1/ 9 MMR,RJe
Flammulated Owl
Western Screech-Owl 6/ 2 4/26 1/ 1 JMa
Great Horned Owl 1/14 4/25 3/22 1/ 1 DJC
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/ 1 4/12 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Burrowing Owl 1/ 5 1/20 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl 3/ 7 RiC
Northern Saw-whet Owl 4/26 1/ 1 JMa
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
Common Poorwill 4/26 4/26 MJM,GKH,DSt
Black Swift
Chimney Swift
Vaux's Swift 4/13 4/25 4/25 4/12 DPo,SMi
White-throated Swift 1/18 1/21 2/22 1/ 8 RWR,FVs
Black-chinned Hummingbird 5/ 6 5/ 8 4/18 4/16 CCRS
Anna's Hummingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Costa's Hummingbird 6/ 8 6/ 8 SCR
Calliope Hummingbird 4/19 4/19 SCR,HLR,RPR
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird 3/16 4/ 8 4/ 5 3/16 SCR
Allen's Hummingbird 3/ 4 4/11 3/15 1/25 AME
Belted Kingfisher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/17 1/ 1 DJC
Lewis' Woodpecker 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
Acorn Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 6 2/28 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 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob.
Williamson's Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 2 m.ob.
Downy Woodpecker 1/ 1 3/ 4 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 6/11 4/12 4/12 MJM
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/26 5/ 6 4/25 4/16 JCo
Western Wood-Pewee 4/26 4/25 4/25 4/19 JDa
Willow Flycatcher 5/28 6/12 5/28 SCR
Least Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher 4/30 4/11 4/11 4/11 MMR,MJM
Dusky Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/28 3/27 3/18 1/ 4 CCRS
Black Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Eastern Phoebe 1/ 2 3/ 4 3/ 1 1/ 2 SCR
Say's Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 2 SCR
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/14 4/25 4/26 4/ 8 RWR
Tropical Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird 5/ 4 4/11 4/11 3/ 1 DRo,RCa
kingbird sp. 2/ 8 AGu
Western Kingbird 3/16 4/ 8 4/11 3/16 SCR
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Horned Lark 3/16 4/26 3/15 1/25 AME
Purple Martin 5/14 RCi
Tree Swallow 1/18 1/19 3/ 1 1/17 LCh
Violet-green Swallow 2/ 5 1/19 2/22 1/18 JDa
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow 2/ 8 2/25 2/28 2/ 8 SCR
Bank Swallow 7/ 2 5/26 NLe
Cliff Swallow 3/ 2 3/ 1 3/ 8 2/26 TRy
Barn Swallow 1/ 2 1/19 3/ 1 1/ 2 SCR
Steller's Jay 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/17 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 2/13 1/ 1 m.ob.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/ 1 1/16 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 4/12 1/ 1 JMa
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 DJC
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/ 1 4/12 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Brown Creeper 1/ 1 4/25 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob.
Rock Wren 3/ 16 1/19 1/13 1/13 MJM
Canyon Wren 1/ 1 JSa,HGe
Bewick's Wren 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
House Wren 3/29 4/ 8 4/ 5 3/21 LAY
Winter Wren 1/ 1 4/ 4 1/ 1 SCR
Marsh Wren 1/12 1/12 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
American Dipper 4/11 3/29 TGr
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4/26 3/27 3/29 1/ 5 CJC
Western Bluebird 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/16 1/ 1 DJC
Mountain Bluebird 1/17 JLu
Townsend's Solitaire 5/ 6 5/ 3 MHa,DHa
Swainson's Thrush 4/30 5/ 6 5/ 9 4/ 2 PMB
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 1/17 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Northern Mockingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Sage Thrasher 4/ 7 BWe
Brown Thrasher
California Thrasher 1/ 1 1/ 6 2/28 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 3/28 1/ 1 JMa
Phainopepla 4/18 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
Northern Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike 1/ 1 1/19 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 4/26 4/11 4/12 4/ 5 LAY
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton's Vireo 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa
Warbling Vireo 3/28 3/27 3/29 3/18 AME
Red-eyed Vireo
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/ 4 1/24 3/ 1 1/ 4 SCR,CCRS
Nashville Warbler 4/14 4/25 4/12 JMM
Virginia's Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler 1/ 4 4/11 4/25 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 4/30 4/25 4/ 5 1/ 9 SBT
Townsend's Warbler 1/ 1 3/27 3/15 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC
Hermit Warbler 4/26 4/ 4 2/ 1 AVe,CH
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Prairie Warbler 1/ 4 1/17 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 6/ 7 SRo,KVV
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler 4/26 4/25 4/19 NLe
Common Yellowthroat 1/ 4 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler 3/28 3/27 3/22 3/22 MJM
Yellow-breasted Chat 5/ 6 5/ 3 CCRS
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Western Tanager 4/24 4/26 4/25 1/23 RWR
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/25 KCo,MWr
Black-headed Grosbeak 4/ 8 4/11 4/11 4/ 5 VTi
Blue Grosbeak 5/ 6 5/11 4/19 4/19 MJM
Lazuli Bunting 4/19 4/26 5/ 3 4/19 SCR
Indigo Bunting
Passerina sp. 4/10 4/10 SCR
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 4/ 8 4/11 1/ 2 SCR
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow 4/27 4/26 3/31 GFi,MPl
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow 5/23 JGa
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow 4/ 8 1/19 1/ 4 1/ 4 MJM
Black-throated Sparrow
Sage Sparrow 4/12 AME,DPo
Lark Bunting
Savannah Sparrow 1/ 2 1/12 1/ 4 1/ 1 DJC
Grasshopper Sparrow 4/10 6/ 2 4/10 SCR
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 3/29 1/15 AJb
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 1/14 4/11 1/ 2 SCR
Western Meadowlark 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC
Yellow-headed Blackbird 5/ 4 4/ 4 NLe
Brewer's Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Great-tailed Grackle 5/25 5/28 5/30 5/25 SCR
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/ 2 1/16 1/18 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC
Hooded Oriole 3/29 4/24 4/26 3/21 AWa
Baltimore Oriole
Bullock's Oriole 3/28 4/ 8 3/22 3/19 GHa
Scott's Oriole
Purple Finch 1/ 1 3/27 2/28 1/ 1 SCR
Cassin's Finch
House Finch 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob.
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin 1/18 1/ 9 TGr
Lesser Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/13 1/ 4 1/ 1 m.ob.
Lawrence's Goldfinch 5/ 5 4/26 4/26 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs
American Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/20 1/ 1 m.ob.
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/22 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC
Observer codes: m.ob.-many observers, AGu-Arnel Guanlao, AJa-Al
Jaramillo, AJb-Alberta Jasberg, AME-Al Eisner, AVe-Ann Verdi, AWa-Alan
Walther, BMc-Bert McKee, BWe-Bruce Webb, CCRS-Coyote Creek Riparian
Station, CH-Caralisa Hughes, CJC-Chuck Coston, CKS-Chris Salander,
CWh-Clark White, DHa-David Haveman, DJC-Don & Jill Crawford, DPo-David
Powell, DRo-Don Roberson, DSt-Dick Stovel, FVs-Frank Vanslager,
GFi-George Finger, GHa-Garth Harwood, GKH-Grant Hoyt, GLB-Gloria
LeBlanc, HGe-Harriet Gerson, HLR-Heather Rottenborn, JCo-Jack Cole,
JDa-Jim Danzenbaker, JGa-Jim Gain, JLa-Jolene Lange, JLu-John Luther,
JMa-John Mariani, JMe-John Meyer, JML-Jeanne Leavitt, JMM-John & Maria
Meyer, JSa-June Santoro, JSt-John Sterling, KCo-Kitty Collins,
KLP-Kathy Parker, KVV-Kent Van Vuren, LAY-Amy Lauterbach & James
Yurchenco, MH-Matt Heindel, MHa-Merry Haveman, MJM-Mike Mammoser,
MLF-Mike Feighner, MMR-Mike Rogers, MPL-Marjorie Plant, MWr-Marti
Wright, NLe-Nick Lethaby, PMB-Phyllis M. Browning, RCa-Rita Caratello,
RCi-Rich Cimino, RCo-Rita Colwell, RiC-Richard Carlson, RJe-Richard
Jeffers, RLe-Rosalie Lefkowitz, RPR-Rebecca Paige Rottenborn, RWR-Bob
Reiling, SBT-Scott Terrill, SCR-Steve Rottenborn, SGu-Stephan Gunn,
SMi-Steve Miller,SRo-Steve Rovell,SSA-Susan Sandstrom, TGr-Tom Grey,
TRy-Tom Ryan, 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
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 08 13:03:22 1998
All,
Today Frank Vanslager and I saw 4 Least Terns over Charleston Slough. We
first saw two LETE on a wooden structure (with a dead cormorant on it) 100
yds. past and east of the bench where the Black Skimmers were seen earlier
this year (about 1/2 mile from the parking area). When the birds flew
however, we suddenly had 4 LETE all of which ultimately flew east and out of
sight shortly after 11 AM. The imm Black Scoter was on the island in
Shoreline Lake.
Good Luck,
Bob Reiling, 12:50 PM, 7/8/98
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 08 14:06:09 1998
George Oetzel wrote about few House Finches at his feeders.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
George, they must all be at my place in South San Jose. My thistle
feeder goes begging, my suet feeder only gets an occasional peck from
the Chestnut-backed Chickadees (although they seem to prefer the seed
feeder or the humming bird feeder), a few Hooded Orioles have stopped
by to take a bath completely ignoring my Oriole feeder, but we get
House Finches in flocks. They line up on our back fence to wait their
turn at the feeder and the birdbath. I believe that they nested in my
neighbors Yucca plants but I haven't actually seen any nest.
Our resident CA Towhees have produced one young which is now about the
same size as the adults. Our collection of juveniles include a few
Morning Doves, many English Sparrows and a bumper crop of House
Finches.
For the past couple of weeks we have had two Scrub Jays take up
semi-permanent residence.
Grant Webb
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 08 16:02:49 1998
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDAA89.DADB79A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
A warm thank you to Steve Rottenborn & Mike Feighner for helping me get =
onto=20
south-bay-birds. =20
Today I made the big 8 mile trip out & back to see the Little Blue =
Herons at Alviso Slough. I saw one adult. Also on the way I had 11 =
Least Terns, 8 of them in one flock. =20
At the CCRS I had a very distinct adult basic plumage Semipalmated =
Sandpiper. =20
I also had a Lesser Yellowlegs.=20
I spent and hour with Jack Cole looking for the Saratoga Springs Dipper =
with no luck.=20
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDAA89.DADB79A0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
A warm thank you to Steve Rottenborn =
& Mike=20
Feighner for helping me get onto
south-bay-birds.
Today I made the big 8 mile trip out =
& back=20
to see the Little Blue Herons at Alviso Slough. I saw one =
adult. =20
Also on the way I had 11 Least Terns, 8 of them in one flock. =20
At the CCRS I had a very distinct =
adult basic=20
plumage Semipalmated Sandpiper.
I also had a Lesser Yellowlegs. =
I spent and hour with Jack Cole =
looking for the=20
Saratoga Springs Dipper with no luck.
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDAA89.DADB79A0--
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 08 18:00:20 1998
NEW BIRDING WEB SITES and SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST UPDATE
NEW BIRDING WEB SITES
Phonetic and Mnemonic Representations of Bird Songs:
www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2965/mnemonic.htm
Print this out and carry it on your next birding trip!
Guide to Birding
birding.miningco.com
Losts of Good Stuff
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
birds.cornell.edu
Warbler Watch (Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society)
birdsource.cornell.edu
Thanks to Kathleen Lee for sending this in.
Do you know of a great birding web page that should be added to SBBU?
Please send it in. Thanks
1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST.
Mike Rogers has updated the list as of July 7.
Kendric
South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU)
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 08 21:54:45 1998
Wednesday morning I quickly checked the sewage lagoons at CCRS. There are
now 3 ponds with large numbers of birds. I was able to check one well and
another fairly well. There are now over 100 dowitchers (only calls were
Short-billed, which is typically common during early July). Probably 2-3000
Western Sandpipers and both yellowlegs. However I could have easily missed
several good birds due to lack of time.
Nick
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 01:44:50 1998
All:
A few local records from the past few weeks.
First, the ad. FRANKLIN'S GULL that Scott Terrill and I saw fly
by our office was on 25 June, not 15 June as I mistakenly reported.
Scott saw this bird or another adult fly over the office on 29
June.
On 26 June, I saw the first-year GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE still
at the Palo Alto Baylands duck pond with the ad. MUTE SWAN and worn
male WOOD DUCK (no primaries; molting or injured?).
On 29 June, while driving into the office, I spotted a male GREAT-
TAILED GRACKLE in the narrow pond on the north side of Hwy. 237
between Great America Parkway and Lafayette Road. I watched it
for a while as it foraged along the edge of the pond, gleaning large
numbers of dragonflies from vegetation. This bird had fairly glossy
black plumage overall, although it was not quite as glossy as I'd
expect on a full adult male. Its greater upper-secondary coverts
and tail were fairly worn, and its primaries were somewhat brownish-
tinged (although not conspicuously brown as I'd expect if the bird
was retaining juvenal remiges). Surprisingly, its eye was quite
brown. In my first, early-morning observation of the bird, I thought
that the eye contained no yellow at all, but later in the afternoon
I could see that the eye was yellowish but heavily flecked with brown,
particularly around the pupil. This bird is unusual for having brown
in the eye when in definitive plumage. If it were a first-year bird
(i.e., hatched this year), then I would not expect it to already have
acquired definitive body feathering. On the other hand, if it were a
second-year bird or older, it should not have brown in the eye. This
bird was quite small for a GTGR, noticeably smaller than those at
San Felipe Lake but perhaps similar in size to a male GTGR that was
in Mendocino County a few years ago. Combined with its brownish eyes,
this bird's size made it very similar to a Boat-tailed Grackle (very
unlikely to occur in CA), although the bird's flat crown and purplish
tinge to the plumage indicate Great-tailed. Scott Terrill and Penelope
Delevoryas saw the bird later in the morning, and I saw it again at
14:00 or so, but it could not be relocated subsequently.
Later on 29 June, I had 3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS at Cerro Plata, 21 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS in the PAFCB, and 4 AMERICAN WIGEON (2 eclipse males, 2 females)
and a LEAST SANDPIPER in Adobe Creek.
On 30 June at CCRS, I saw 3 WESTERN and 4 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 365 WILSON'S
PHALAROPES, and 5 first-summer BONAPARTE'S GULLS. At the Ogier Ponds,
I had a LEAST SANDPIPER.
On 1 July, there was a female LESSER SCAUP with six small young in New
Chicago Marsh at the intersection of Gold and Elizabeth Streets in Alviso.
The evening of 2 July, after seeing the MASKED BOOBY at Ano Nuevo, I
birded Shoreline Park. Three eclipse male and one female AMERICAN WIGEON
were in Adobe Creek and three female/eclipse male CANVASBACKS (all injured)
were in the outer part of the PAFCB. At least 15 FORSTER'S TERNS were on
nests in outer PAFCB as well (I've not seen them nesting here before).
Around outer Charleston Slough, I saw at least 7 adult and 1 first-summer
LEAST TERNS. A total of 11 LESSER SCAUP were scattered around the area.
On the way back to the car, I heard the call of a BANK SWALLOW overhead
and then watched the bird for several minutes as it foraged low over the
Forebay with Barn and Cliff Swallows.
On 3 July, I spent four hours walking around the Alviso salt ponds north
and northwest of the marina. There were large numbers of the common species
in many of the ponds, but no real rarities. Four ad. LITTLE BLUE HERONS
in pond A-9 provided the highlight. Ten DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT nests
(with adults apparently incubating) were on the levee between ponds A9 and
A10, where several hundred pairs of CALIFORNIA GULLS also had nests or
small young. It would seem unusual for the cormorants to nest on the
ground on levees attached to the "mainland" (and therefore vulnerable to
predation), but as Mike Rogers suggested, it is possible that some
combination of red fox control and the protection offered by the aggressive
gulls make nesting there possible. I was hoping to be able to study some
peeps on these ponds or on the mudflats at the confluence of Coyote and
Alviso Sloughs, but most of the peeps I saw were across Alviso Slough in
the ponds near the Knapp Tract. Total numbers of individuals of some species
here were 4 WESTERN GREBES, 1050 FORSTER'S TERNS, 49 BROWN PELICANS, 120
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 135 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, 8 LESSER SCAUP, 9
EARED GREBES (including one partial albino).
On 4 July, I birded CCRS early in the morning. Nick Lethaby has already
reported the birds we saw there. One of the adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS
was a classic small, short-billed individual in full alternate plumage.
The other, which Nick and I both saw very well, was quite a bit larger and
had a somewhat longer bill, and was already mostly in basic plumage. Most
of the breast and head had the basic pattern, and most of the scapulars in
three rows were fresh basic feathers. However, one full row of scapulars on
each side and a few anterior scapulars on the other rows were still alternate,
having extensive black interiors and narrow pale fringes. The black on these
scapulars was much more extensive than on any of the Western Sandpipers present,
extending all the way to the bases of the feathers (whereas the bases of the
larger scapulars are rufous, brownish, or gray on WESA). It seems very early
for the bird to have so much basic feathering, yet the fresh appearance of the
basic scapulars makes me doubt that the bird is simply a first-summer individual
that did not acquire full alternate plumage this year. Of all the Western
Sandpipers that I studied, only three had fresh basic scapulars, and these
had no more than 2-3 basic scapulars.
One species that Nick did not report was MUTE SWAN. We saw seven first-summer
MUTE SWANS (seen well enough that I could see that none were banded) flying
slowly over the WPCP heading southwest.
On 5 July, Scott and I birded the coast from Half Moon Bay south to Pacific
Grove, hoping for boobies, frigatebirds, or some other rarity. Highlights
included two first-summer ARCTIC TERNS, a POMARINE JAEGER, and courting
ELEGANT TERNS at the Salinas River mouth, a pair of BLACK SCOTERS at Moss
Landing, a pod of 20-25 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS near Pigeon Point (5 PINK-FOOTED
SHEARWATERS here also), HARBOR PORPOISE at several locations, and unusually
high numbers of BRANT and SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS.
On 6 July, Scott and I briefly checked CCRS after work. The light was too bad
to study any of the 1500 peeps present, but there were 2 male BLUE-WINGED TEAL
in the waterbird pond.
Steve Rottenborn
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 13:56:57 1998
STeve Wrote:
>
>On 29 June, while driving into the office, I spotted a male GREAT-
>TAILED GRACKLE in the narrow pond on the north side of Hwy. 237
>between Great America Parkway and Lafayette Road. I watched it
>for a while as it foraged along the edge of the pond, gleaning large
>numbers of dragonflies from vegetation. This bird had fairly glossy
>black plumage overall, although it was not quite as glossy as I'd
>expect on a full adult male. Its greater upper-secondary coverts
>and tail were fairly worn, and its primaries were somewhat brownish-
>tinged (although not conspicuously brown as I'd expect if the bird
>was retaining juvenal remiges). Surprisingly, its eye was quite
>brown. In my first, early-morning observation of the bird, I thought
>that the eye contained no yellow at all, but later in the afternoon
>I could see that the eye was yellowish but heavily flecked with brown,
>particularly around the pupil. This bird is unusual for having brown
>in the eye when in definitive plumage. If it were a first-year bird
>(i.e., hatched this year), then I would not expect it to already have
>acquired definitive body feathering. On the other hand, if it were a
>second-year bird or older, it should not have brown in the eye. This
>bird was quite small for a GTGR, noticeably smaller than those at
>San Felipe Lake but perhaps similar in size to a male GTGR that was
>in Mendocino County a few years ago. Combined with its brownish eyes,
>this bird's size made it very similar to a Boat-tailed Grackle (very
>unlikely to occur in CA), although the bird's flat crown and purplish
>tinge to the plumage indicate Great-tailed. Scott Terrill and Penelope
>Delevoryas saw the bird later in the morning, and I saw it again at
>14:00 or so, but it could not be relocated subsequently.
The description is right on for a First Alternate (Immature = Second year)
male Great-tailed Grackle. The small size, reduced iridescence, brown eye,
brownish primaries etc clinch it. From what I have been able to gather the
retention of brown eyes in Great-tailed Grackles is much longer than has
generally been believed, at least on some individuals. Females with brown
eyes are also not unusual in southern California.
>One species that Nick did not report was MUTE SWAN. We saw seven
first-summer
>MUTE SWANS (seen well enough that I could see that none were banded) flying
>slowly over the WPCP heading southwest.
>
Ok, got any explanations for that? Seven birds of the same age are very
intriguing, are there established breeding populations of Mute Swans in
California?? Could they be from established populations well to the north
of us? The fact that they were all immatures is odd, one brood of Swans
that happened to clear out before they were clipped?? Now what do I do
regarding the CCRS checklist, do I include them? Help.
Al
Alvaro Jaramillo "It was almost a pity, to see the sun
Half Moon Bay, shining constantly over so useless a country"
California Darwin, regarding the Atacama desert.
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 15:39:34 1998
South Bay Birders,
Greetings from the underbirded county 2 to the north. The Mute Swan question
is interesting for us up here in Contra Costa County. On this years CBC John
Robinson and I were birding the marshes on the Concord Naval Weapons Station
when we spotted a group of white swans landing in a distant marsh. Naturally
we assumed them to be Tundras. Fortunately we birded the same area later in
the afternoon and the swans were in closer. I looked through my scope and the
first one I saw was a young Mute Swan. I can't remember how many birds there
were, 7 or 8 I think, and it turned out all were Mutes. Not surprisingly, the
group whose territory is adjacent to ours reproted them as Tundras. I've
birded that area a lot including the past 10 or so CBCs and never seen Mute
Swans. Steve Rottenborn was censusing the area recently and had 9 adults and
four young so they are breeding there now as well. If memory serves they have
appeared at Abbott's Lagoon, Marin Co., in recent years. Definitely something
to follow and document if they continue to spread.
Steve Glover
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 16:01:35 1998
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BDAB52.D96FE960
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Correction: The Semipalmated Sandpiper I saw at the CCRS on 7-8-98 was =
not in basic plumage but instead in alternate plumage.=20
------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BDAB52.D96FE960
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Correction: The Semipalmated =
Sandpiper I=20
saw at the CCRS on 7-8-98 was not in basic plumage but instead in =
alternate=20
plumage.
------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BDAB52.D96FE960--
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 18:35:00 1998
To everyone,
A very avid, enthusiastic birder, visiting from Britain,
stopped by the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Center today.
This is his first visit to California and he doesn't know
any birders in the area, he's very interested in linking up
with some local birders. He'll be here for three weeks,
he's staying in San Jose and he has his own transportation.
If any of you are interested in showing him some of the best
birding sites in Northern California, please contact me by
e-mail and I'll put you in touch with him.
Thanks,
Deborah Bartens
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 09 23:46:21 1998
Hello all---
Tonight I was playing softball at Kelly Park near Hwy 101 in
East Menlo Park (San Mateo Co.) when I heard an unmistakable
squawk that took me immediately back to the neotropics. I looked up
and sure enough, single Amazona-type parrot was flying over in loose
association with a few doves or pigeons and a smallish passerine,
perhaps a blackbird. No other parrots were visible. The
medium-green bird was largish, with a blunt head and short tail, and
flew with shallow rapid wingbeats. It flew west towards, and then
probably over, the freeway.
I've seen a number of small flocks of parakeets, conures, etc.
over the years in suburban portions of the Bay Area and other
populated regions of the southwest, but don't recall seeing just one
bird. Maybe his flock was nearby, but I suppose it's more likely
the bird was a recent escapee.
Last Monday, July 6 I was walking past Nordstrom's at Stanford
Shopping Center when two WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS swooped very low and
near to me. I briefly lost sight of them but then looked up to the
building's roof where I had suspected this species of nesting and
saw one bird fluttering next to a curved tile on the roof and then
disappearing inside. The second bird then landed and perched,
woodpecker style, facing the edge of the half-circle tile and
leaning forward as if to feed nestlings. There was much
swifty twittering and what sounded like baby birds within, though I
didn't see any heads pop out.
I guess I'd call this a confirmed breeding observation,
either ON (Occupied Nest) or FY(Feeding Young) if I were bird
atlassing. I have observed WTSW flying into this tile roost before
and am glad to have noted the nesting activity. This site is easier
to reach than the Green Library on Stanford campus---you can drive
right up. It's on the back (southwest) side of Nordstorm's, facing
the old Stanford Barn. Look to the far right of the first row of
roof tiles, as you face the store's rear entrance. A couple of
white streaks at the end of the row mark the WTSW nest site.
---Grant Hoyt
To: email@hidden
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 10 11:54:18 1998
South and East-Bay-Birders:
Yesterday morning, 9 July 1998, before leaving home I heard at least one
MASKED LOVEBIRD, and this morning I saw one MASKED LOVEBIRD calling from the
top of the roof across the street where I live in Livermore in Alameda
County.
This is odd. I haven't seen or heard any around since December 1997. I
first discovered these critters in my neighborhood on 9 July 1997....and
what was yesterday?!? At one time last year I had counted as many as 10.
I wonder if someone is releasing these or what? And just a reminder last
Christmas there was a report on the bird box of a Northern Cardinal in
Livermore. Another release?
Mike Feighner, Sunnyvale, CA, email@hidden (work)
Livermore, CA, email@hidden (home)
Please reply to both addresses above for a quicker response.
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 12 21:55:26 1998
Saturday morning, I checked out the sewage ponds at CCRS. Fortunately the
birds dispersed from a barely visible pond and came closer to the road.
However, we still couldn't really check many of the peeps.
There were 4 Lesser Yellowlegs, 10 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Semi-palmated
Plovers, and 700 dowitchers. These seemed to be mostly Short-billed making
it easily the highest number ever seen at CCRS. An adult Peregrine hunted
the area for a while.
In the afternoon I checked out Princeton Harbor and Coyote Point briefly on
walks with my family. I saw 2 Least Terns at Coyote Point, but no Sabine's
Gull.
On Sunday, I birded the Alviso Slough trail. I saw 2 Little Blue Herons, 3
Caspian Terns, and lots of roosting shorebirds. However, I couldn't find
anything of interest in them.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 13 07:34:30 1998
Hello Everyone,
On Saturday, July 11, I made my once-a-year trek out to the far reaches
of the Alviso Slough Trail. Three adult LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen
on Salt Pond A-9. The partially-albino EARED GREBE was seen on Salt Pond
A-10, which has previously been reported. Also flying into the levee
at Salt Pond A-12 to roost was a juvenile BROWN PELICAN. With the recent
speculations of possible breeding failures of Brown Pelicans in Mexico,
I thought I'd pass that sighting on as well.
That's it for now - Ann Verdi
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 14 12:17:44 1998
Dear South Bay Birders,
SFBBO has just started a program to begin reading color bands from California
Gulls. SFBBO banded nearly 14,000 CAGUs between 1982 and 1989, most of those
were color banded. Recent surveys at the breeding colonies indicate that as
many as 20% have USFWS bands and 5-10% still retain their color bands.
We are looking for additional areas to send volunteers. Any suggestions of
sites where California Gulls congregate during the fall and winter would be
greatly appreciated.
Additionally, if you would like to participate, please contact me.
Thank you,
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
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 14 23:39:12 1998
Hi Santa Clara birders,
On Sunday morning (12 July), I had 8 RED CROSSBILLS following the ridge
south at Skyline Ridge Open Space, near the Horseshoe Pond. A few
scattered crossbills have been showing up down here on the coast since
mid-June; in the past, birds beginning to appear this early have
sometimes presaged big crossbill winters.
Also, Debi Shearwater told me that she did not see the San Felipe
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES yesterday, and I haven't seen any reports for a
while, so I thought I should mention a possible "last date" for these
birds. Debi, Jason Starfire, and I saw the male and female feeding
fledglings (2?) in the tule clump on 1 July 1998. The male was also seen
in Santa Clara County.
Bert McKee
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 15 09:31:51 1998
There are still a very few.
I was startled to hear the unmistakable chatter of an Acorn
Woodpecker as I was getting ready to leave work at SRI yesterday. I
was between buildings and not close to an oak, so I didn't know where
to look for the bird, but I've no doubt about the call ID. In the
past, they've been plentiful around SRI, but scarce for the past
year.
This prompted me to survey Sharon Hills Park (Valparaiso Ave, between
Altschul and Hallmark in MP) after I got home. I found at least a
pair in one of their favorite oaks. It's a huge tree; I couldn't be
sure if there were more than 2. I did see at least one of each sex.
----------------
George Oetzel
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 15 10:01:03 1998
All,
Yesterday and this morning, 7/14 and 7/15, I saw a single dark-bodied
swift fly over my house at Skyline Blvd. It had a noticeable notched tail. My
views were short, unaided yesterday and with binoculars today. I'll keep
watching for it to make sure if it's a BLSW.
Also, both mornings, in morning twilight, we had a bat hunting around our
front door. Yesterday a bobcat strolled under our deck while we had
breakfast above it; the Steller's Jays started mobbing, alerting us to its
presence. And the local Band-tailed Pigeon flock has grown to near 40 birds.
Les
==========================================
Les Chibana, Mountain View email@hidden
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 15 16:00:18 1998
Last Saturday morning, July 11, we went with several friends to Sunnyvale
Baylands Park to bird. After entering the Park from Caribbean Drive just
north of Hiway 237, we turned right to drive along the south edge of the park
immediately to the north of 237. A gate stops you after about .6 mile (+ or
-) from the entrance. The pavement ends and there is a building with
restrooms therein. Due east is a short fence between you and the neighboring
field which contains two mounds which are not particularly noticeable. Les
Chabana tells me that he thinks Lynne Trulio built these as potential homes
for burrowing owls. Each mound has an obvious entrance hole; on the second
one the ceramic pipe that surrounds the entrance is visible. A pink piece of
plastic like a flag is also present on this mound. Both mounds are
equidistant north of the now unpaved road. We saw no signs of occupancy at
the first mound. But at the second an adult burrowing owl was standing guard
at the entrance. Over the next 15 minutes another adult and three youngsters
appeared. Paul Armer
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 16 14:25:06 1998
On Wednesday, I checked out the sewage lagoons at CCRS. Only 'new' bird was
an adult Spotted Sandpiper. Also 2 Lesser and 17 Greater Yellowlegs.
Dowitcher numbers looked to be down, probably the peak for Short-billed is
past and the Long-billeds are not yet present in large numbers. I estimated
about 700 Wilson's Phalaropes and at least 2000 Westerns. I was able to
check about half of these for Red-necked Stint and about a quarter for
Semi-palmated Sandpipers without success.
One pond that is barely visible is still attracting a lot of birds.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Thu Jul 16 19:57:49 1998
Nick Lethaby writes:
<< On Wednesday, I checked out the sewage lagoons at CCRS. Only 'new' bird was
an adult Spotted Sandpiper. Also 2 Lesser and 17 Greater Yellowlegs.
Dowitcher numbers looked to be down, probably the peak for Short-billed is
past and the Long-billeds are not yet present in large numbers. I estimated
about 700 Wilson's Phalaropes and at least 2000 Westerns. I was able to
check about half of these for Red-necked Stint and about a quarter for
Semi-palmated Sandpipers without success.
>>
Are we expecting a Red-necked Stint soon?
Paul L. Noble----Scchowl
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 17 10:48:12 1998
Since there has been almost no traffic lately, thought I would go
ahead and post this.
On Wed 7/14, I saw a strange duck in the channel to the west of Charleston
Slough. (If you stand near the pumphouse with Charleston Slough in front
and Mt. View Forebay at your back, the channel's on the left.)
I don't know what that channel's called. This was some ways
past Mtn. View Forebay, near the bench that's on the left side (west) of the
path that runs along the west side of Charleston Slough.
It has a white throat that started from under the bill to about the top of
its breast (like in the illustration of a Whitecheeked Pintail in Nat Geo).
Couldn't determine if the white extended to the breast. The
cheeks were also whitish. The crown, rest of the head and the back of the
neck was brownish like in an eclipse Mallard. The back, rest of the body
was also like in an eclipse Mallard. Reddish legs. Feathers near the tail
curved up as shown in Nat Geo's breeding male Mallard.
Besides the white throat the other points of difference from an eclipse
Mallard were the grey bill, black on the upperside of the tail,
and most importantly - a distinct white line above the eye.
Before anyone thinks Garganey, this line started from near the bill, past the
eye to near the end of the crown. It might have had another white mark at the
base of the bill in front of the eye but I couldn't be sure.
But the line was as distinct and as broad as in a Garganey.
It was the biggest bird is a group of 6 ducks. The rest were like female/
eclipsed plumaged Mallards, except for one that looked like a female
Blue-winged Teal (sorry - female ducks are a problem for me).
Any thoughts?
There was a white duck in the Mtn. View Forebay, that could have been an
albino Mallard. Had brownish edges to the back feathers and wasn't pure
white like domestic ducks.
Vivek Tiwari
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 17 11:20:53 1998
Sounds like a classical domestic duck / mallard hybrid -- 2nd generation
--
Richard C. Carlson
Palo Alto, California
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 17 15:15:35 1998
Your Oddball duck sounds like a hybrid MallardXPet Duck, commonly refered to
as a "Domestic Quacker".
Paul L. Noble
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 17 18:00:12 1998
All,
I received a call from the Los Altos Hills/Prospect Drive area today
regarding birds nesting inside a chimney. The caller was concerned
primarily for the birds' safety and had not identified the birds, but from
the few details she was able to provide it sounds like swift spp. Sounds
like the young, described as noisy "especially at mid-day", are about ready
to fledge. Questions: which species is likeliest in chimneys locally, and
are there viable non-swift candidates (they are well inside the shaft of
the chimney)? Is this nesting record of enough importance that I should
follow up with further questions, and if so, what questions? Thanks in
advance for any advice.
At McClellan Park the songbird activity has fallen off damatically in the
past 2 weeks. During a brief walk today, the only breeding activity in
evidence was a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER carrying food to a sycamore limb
over the trail a little past Post #4, and a pair of HOODED ORIOLES tending
young in a previously undetected nest in a fan palm across the creek from
the sign along the trail that reads "High School Volunteers".
It also appears that there is an active nest of RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS just
across the road into the golf course, visible near the top of the bushier
of two redwood trees in the green nearest the park entrance.
BAND-TAILED PIGEONS have arrived at the park to feed in the elderberries,
and for the second time in recent weeks, a CASPIAN TERN was observed
soaring over the park, lazily circling and moving upstream towards Stevens
Reservoir.
--Garth Harwood
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 17 20:48:51 1998
In a message dated 98-07-17 21:05:17 EDT, you write:
<< I received a call from the Los Altos Hills/Prospect Drive area today
regarding birds nesting inside a chimney. The caller was concerned
primarily for the birds' safety and had not identified the birds, but from
the few details she was able to provide it sounds like swift spp. Sounds
like the young, described as noisy "especially at mid-day", are about ready
to fledge. Questions: which species is likeliest in chimneys locally, and
are there viable non-swift candidates (they are well inside the shaft of
the chimney)? Is this nesting record of enough importance that I should
follow up with further questions, and if so, what questions? Thanks in
advance for any advice.
>>
I believe Vaux's Swifts may nest in man-made structures ( Los Gatos records
have had them roosting in such strructures). Only other species I can think
of might be House Finches or House Sparrows.
Paul L. Noble----Scchowl
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From email@hidden Sat Jul 18 20:17:00 1998
Birders,
This morning I saw an immature male Indigo Bunting at CCRS. Along the
overflow channel south of the trailers, keeping to the weeds in the channel
or the cottonwoods immediately adjoining the channel. The bird was singing.
It is largely brown but has a blue head and breast as well as a blue rump.
The belly is paler, off white. It lacks obvious wingbars, at the most they
are paler brown than the rest of the wing, but not noticeable from a
distance. The flanks are brown. I don't think this is a hybrid bird, but
due to its age this may be more difficult to assess. It gave several
'chuup' calls while vigorously flicking the tail. Now this is where it gets
interesting, the song that this bird was giving was exceedingly close to
that of the odd Common Yellowthroat that has been around at CCRS. In fact,
I initially thought I was hearing the warbler until I saw this bird. The
song of the bunting can be described as:
"whi-twi-twi..tchew-tchew", emphasis on the last two notes. The song
sounded quite typical of Indigo Bunting with the paired notes and slow
delivery, but perhaps its a little shorter than usual.
Al
Alvaro Jaramillo "It was almost a pity, to see the sun
Half Moon Bay, shining constantly over so useless a country"
California Darwin, regarding the Atacama desert.
email@hidden
Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at:
http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 19 14:19:31 1998
I checked CCRS Saturday and Sunday. Numbers of some species seem to be
increasing so we may be about to get another wave of shorebirds. Sunday was
better numbers-wise with 20 Greater and 12 Lesser (including a juvenile)
Yellowlegs, 8 Semi-palmated Plovers, 800+ Wilson's Phalaropes, both
dowitchers (Long-billeds are clearly now arriving in numbers), and several
thousand Western Sandpipers.
As far as I know, no-one saw the Indigo Bunting on Sunday morning, although
several of us looked.
Nick
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 19 17:05:01 1998
Today I heard a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at the Russian Ridge OSP.
This was just north of the intersection of the Ridge Trail and Hawk Trail.
This is outside the county, but thought I should mention this since this
was a target bird for the Palo Alto Summer Bird Count. I covered
Russian Ridge but did not see or hear any that day.
This sighting occured right after a healthy looking Coyote with rusty
flanks, bounded powerfully across the trail and down the hillside just
20 feet from me. Quite a sight. Its one thing to see these animals moving
furtively at a distance or shying away from you, but a closeby animal in
full stride is another proposition altogether!
Vivek Tiwari
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 20 11:00:20 1998
Late Saturday morning at CCRS there was a Dunlin feeding with Western
Sandpipers on the waterbird pond. It was in a dull alternate plumage, per-
haps moulting on the upperparts, and was lame: one foot was either crushed
or missing, forcing it to hop as it fed. I suspect some correlation between
its disability and this early appearance. Also on the pond (slightly unusual)
was a single Long-Billed Curlew.
[I hadn't heard about the Indigo Bunting at this time, so I didn't look
for it.]
Al Eisner
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 20 16:09:06 1998
Howdy South-bay-birders,
Earlier today I watched a trio of adult Wild Turkey, trailed by 4 young,
walk through my parent's yard in south San Jose (Almaden Valley).
Good birding--
John Mariani
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 21 08:35:29 1998
Birders,
Today, Tuesday 7/21 you may be able to hear a short bird watching
piece I did for NPR on their "Beyond Computers" radio show at 1pm on
KALW 91.7FM. My segment will probably be about 25 minutes into the
hour.
I haven't heard it yet, so I don't know how good it will be.
--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044 email@hidden
SF Birding Classes begin Sept 9th http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan
California Bird Records Committee http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 21 15:19:40 1998
I am opening a new birding store on the border of Campbell and Los Gatos. I
am looking for an experienced local birder who might be interested in leading
a bird walk one Saturday each month. Of course, I would be willing to pay a
reasonable fee. If you are interested, please contact me. My name is Pat
Curtis. I can be reached via email at email@hidden. You can
also call me at (408) 379-9967 or (408) 378-0886.
Thank you,
Pat Curtis
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 21 18:49:14 1998
Hi all,
Well, that wasn't the last date. Debi Shearwater had the male
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE being pursued by three fledglings in both counties
today at San Felipe Lake.
I got a USGS map, and it turns out that those crossbills last week were
not quite in Santa Clara County. I'm sure there are plenty more up
there, in all three counties, so if anyone wants to get it for the
composite list, it shouldn't be too much trouble. Or, you could just be
patient and wait for the winter.
Bert McKee
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 24 08:04:39 1998
Hi All,
Stuck in Highway 17 traffic last night at 6:05pm I had an OSPREY soaring
over the Campbell percolation ponds.
Cheers
Nick Yatsko
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 24 14:36:46 1998
Friday at 1:20 pm Nick Yatsko's osprey or one just like it flew over the
north end of Lexington Reservoir.
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
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 24 14:38:53 1998
This worked for Steve Rottenborn so I'll try it. Will the List Guru
please enroll the following new member:
Earl Lebow
email@hidden
Thanks!
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]
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 24 15:53:00 1998
Some of the folks on this list may have met Greg Miller, a birding friend
from Maryland, who I know has birded around here with Todd Newberry and
Bert McKee. Greg is in the middle of an ABA area Big Year, which has
gotten very big indeed, having reached 658 species for '98. He is shooting
for 700 and has an outside chance.
Anyone curious about this epic adventure can check out Greg's progress and
plans for the rest of the year at http://www.erols.com/gregorym.
On a much less impressive note, my wife and I went to the island of Hawaii
to celebrate her birthday on July 1-7. I managed to see 40 species of
birds in some part-time birding while there, and would be happy to send a
report (posted earlier to Birdchat) to anyone who is collecting Big Island
birding info or is otherwise curious.
Tom
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
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From email@hidden Fri Jul 24 16:21:17 1998
Hi all,
Wish me luck in Canada. Goin' to the Rockies (Banff and Jasper) and hoping for
at least one new bird. One lousy Ptarmigan is all I'm asking. Is that too
much!? Got my ancient Pentax a new battery and I'm hoping to add to my list of
well-photographed sparrows. If nothing else a new race of Song Sparrow. I'll be
back on the 14th of August. Yes, the two kids, the 4-runner, Carol, and the
tent trailer. I'm ready!
By the way, who is the boss of this list so I can put a hold on my mail until
the above date?
Don
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From email@hidden Sat Jul 25 10:24:31 1998
On Saturday I checked CCRS. 6 Whimbrel flew over - very unusual here - and
the one-legged Dunlin found by Al Eisner is still around - a very good bird
for this time of year, but I'd prefer a Red-necked Stint.
No Lesser Yellowlegs and only 4 Semi-palmated Plovers. Most dowitchers are
now Long-billed. Still about 800+ Wilson's Phalaropes.
Nick Lethaby
Director of Business Development
Elanix, Inc.
Tel: 408 941 0223
Fax: 408 941 0984
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From email@hidden Sat Jul 25 16:47:09 1998
I checked out Loma Prieta this morning, including 26500 Loma Prieta Rd
(the swallow pond where Martins have been seen in past years). No Martins
or other rarities, but report-worthy birds (most of them at the seep on
the dirt road near the top of LP) included: BAND-TAILED PIGEONS,
OLIVE-SIDED, ASH-THROATED & PAC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS & WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES,
HOUSE WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED & WILSON'S WARBLERS, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, PURPLE
FINCH.
Driving back, I heard the twitter of PYGMY NUTHATCHES in some Doug
Fir/Redwoods along the road, but unfortunately it turned out to be on a
stretch of Summit Rd that is in Santa Cruz county. This bird continues to
elude me in the county.
I drove home via Summit Rd and Skyline (wildflowers still going strong up
there!) to check out Castle Rock park, where I heard RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, and had good closeup views of two adult male WESTERN TANAGERs.
To see them, walk north 100 yards or so to the Paul Pollack Grove along
the trail behind the restrooms, and look down into the Xmas tree farm just
north of the park - they were working the edge, a quite birdy spot.
Presumably they are early fall migrants.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 26 15:43:59 1998
South Bay folks:
Late Saturday afternoon, I found two Pacific Golden Plovers at the Palo
Alto Flood Control Basin. Access was from the dirt parking area along East
Bayshore Rd. If one walks straight out, one eventually comes to a channel
which does not look very crossable (although it might be with high enough
boots). The birds were up ahead to the right in the next small pond. However,
after a period of distant observation there, they flew to the northwest pond
(the large roadside pond northeast of the parking area); views there were still
generally distant, but considerably better. They were still there when I left
about 6:30 PM. Shorebirds in good numbers here included Dowitchers (both) and
Western Sandpipers (still all adults).
Both birds were adults. One was approximately in the right plumage for an
alternate-plumaged male, including the narrow white stripe continuing on the
flank just under the wing. I mainly relied on this plumage for its ID as a
Pacific, although I don't know enough to be certain that an American could not
start moulting in such a way as to produce just this pattern. In addition,
this bird seemed the same shape and size and had the same projection of wing-
tips beyond the tail as the second bird. The second bird was a moulting
adult - in the distance it was overall paler and quite brown looking (so
much so that when I first glimpsed the two in binoculars, I thought I had
a Golden with a Black-Bellied, although a scope look quickly cleared that up).
For its ID I relied primarily on the yellowish tint to the supercilium (and
other pale facial areas), and the quite long tertials/short primary projection.
(It proved impossible to actually count primary tips.) Supporting and other
details will be sent to the appropriate quarter.
By the way, when they flew past me (en route to the northwest pond), one
of them said "chu-lee".
Cheers (or chu-lee), Al Eisner
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From email@hidden Sun Jul 26 20:25:51 1998
I just got back from the Palo Alto Baylands FCB where I saw an adult
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS in mid-moult, apparently one of the two that Al
Eisner reported yesterday. The bird was along the edge of the north pond
that borders the frontage road bike path, between the parking area and the
animal center. I got a pretty good look for about a minute before the bird
disappeared behind the large patch of reeds in that area.
There were still a good number of black feathers in the throat, breast,
and belly, though the dominant color was brown. The neck stripe wasstill
completely visible and clearly demarcated, continuous with the
superciiium, and solid yellowish throughout. It was relatively narrow and
still visibly extended "around the corner" of the front of the wing,
rather than ending at the wing and broadening, as in American.
Unfortunately, I'm reading Paulson now rather than having read it before
I went to look for the bird; I would have had a better sense of what
features to focus on in my relatively brief view if I'd done my homework.
-- Tom Grey Stanford CA email@hidden
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 27 08:55:32 1998
Hello Everyone,
On the SCVAS Field Trip to Charleston Slough on Sunday, July 26, we saw
eight LEAST TERNS in the far reaches of the slough where the trail bends
to the west. Also seen in the same area were two male CANVASBACKS
(presumably over-summering). Other birds of interest on this field trip
included one BLACK SKIMMER on the tern-roosting island on Salt Pond A-1
north of Shoreline Lake, and a N. RED BISHOP in the tules along Adobe
Creek Slough.
That's it for now - Ann Verdi
Ann Verdi
AMD/CA Central Svc Scheduling
408-749-2199 or x42199
email@hidden
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 27 09:57:39 1998
All,
This morning the two molting adult PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS were
still present in the north pond of the PAFCB, visible from the
bike path near the northwest corner of the pond (and not from
the trail heading out into the FCB). Lots of good shorebird
habitat out there!
Mike
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 27 10:26:31 1998
Folks:
I cycled around the Alviso Salt Ponds on Saturday, 7/24/98, in the
morning. I saw two adult LITTLE BLUE HERONS along the A9/A10 dike. Lots of
picivivorus birds on the outer ponds, but no particularly large numbers of any
species. It appears that there are still incubating DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS
and CALIFORNIA GULLS on the A9/A10 dike. The tide was well out so most
shorebirds were out on the flats or further. A9 did not appear to be as
attractive for roosting shorebirds as in some years as the water is slightly
higer.
Although bird song has decreased in my urban woodland, out on the marsh
it seemed things were still going strong with 42 singing MARSH WRENS, 15
singing COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and 49 singing SALT MARSH SONG SPARROWS. About
two-thirds of the yellowthroats were in Triangle Marsh. Brazilian peppergrass
(_Lepidium_) has really invaded Triangle Marsh, but not so much along Alviso
Slough.
A brief stop at Crittenden Marsh, with bad light, showed lots of water
and little shorebird habitat on the west end. I counted five alt. EARED
GREBES, and although there is a lot of emergent vegetation, I saw no sign of
nesting. The AM. COOTS, however, are nesting in great numbers.
Bill
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 27 12:08:13 1998
All,
On Thursday, 7/23/98, I heard a WESTERN TANAGER calling in our live oaks
on Skyline Blvd. From one glimpse, the bird appeared to be a female/imm.
On Saturday, 7/25/98, I saw 3 WETA (1 male and 2 female/imm.) on a snag
above our house. They flew south across Devil's Canyon to Long Ridge. I
haven't noticed this species around here since one went through in late spring.
I understand that there are breeding records further south in these
mountains. Are there breeding records further north in the Santa Cruz
Mountains, San Mateo County?
Les
==========================================
Les Chibana, Mountain View email@hidden
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From email@hidden Mon Jul 27 12:17:59 1998
On Saturday, 25 Jul 98, I stopped by CCRS to get some references from
the library and had a chance to check out the birds. Hundreds of
WILSON’S PHALAROPES were still on the sludge ponds across the fence.
Most were well into basic plumage, and some number of juveniles were
present. Also at the sludge ponds was an alternate-plumaged SPOTTED
SANDPIPER and a GREEN HERON. In the marsh adjoining the methane plant at
the dump, I found a WHIMBREL and an eclipse-plumaged male GREEN-WINGED
TEAL.
On Sunday, 26 Jul 98, I again went to CCRS. This time one of the sludge
ponds had an adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER in with the phalaropes and
dowitchers. The male GREEN-WINGED TEAL was still in the marsh adjacent
to the methane plant, as was a female GADWALL with a brood of 4 young. A
WHIMBREL again flushed from the slough entering this marsh.
At Calabazas Marsh I had 20 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 1 immature BROWN
PELICAN, and 7 CASPIAN TERNS.
The Palo Alto Duck Pond still had the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and
the MUTE SWAN.
The Palo Alto flood control basin still had the 2 PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVERS. I was able to get scope-filling views of these birds
from as little as 20 yards. One bird was still in mostly alternate
plumage, with uniformly black belly, vent, neck, and face. Some molt had
evidently started because the face right at the base of the bill was
whitening. The white line starting at the supercilium and curving down
the side of the neck also extended down the flanks and was visible along
the edge of the folded wings. Also, the black extending back behind the
legs stopped short of the undertail coverts, which remained white. The
second bird was well advanced into molt, having only scattered black
spots mottled in with white or gray on the belly and foreneck. This bird
had upperpart feathering that was heavily edged in golden-buff; much
more so than the first bird. Both birds had only 3 primaries extending
beyond the long tertials, and a short wing tip extension beyond the
tail.
Mike Mammoser
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 10:01:29 1998
All,
The adult PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER with more black below was still
present on the mud in the northwest corner of the Palo Alto Flood
Control Basin this morning.
Mike Rogers
7/28/98
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 12:44:15 1998
All,
Frank Vanslager and I saw the breeding plumaged PGPL this morning (11:00 AM)
on the southern edge of the "north pond" of the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin.
The bird essentially looked like Peterson's illustration in the 3rd edition of
his Western Birds (page 123). The molting PGPL was not found.
Take care,
Bob Reiling, 12:28 PM, 7/28/98
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 14:27:16 1998
Please also forward to CALBIRD (I am temporarily off the list) if it
hasn't appeared there yet.
Thanks,
Vivek Tiwari
email@hidden
Santa Clara, CA
---------------------
Volunteers Needed for the Mono Lake FALL SHOREBIRD COUNT, Saturday, August
22, 1998. This is a chance to explore remote parts of Mono Lake and count
shorebirds, ducks, and other birds. Since 1994, Mono Lake has risen over 9
feet!! Help us monitor birds as changes to lakeshore habitat occur. THE
LOWDOWN: Plan on a half to full day hiking beginning early in the morning.
Weather can be toasty in August, so be prepared with layered clothing and sun
protection. Bring plenty of water and food for up to a full day in the field.
There's a high probability of hiking through some mud or soggy areas, so
expect to get your feet wet. Participants need to have a working knowledge of
the common shorebirds. Working knowledge of waterfowl is also a plus. A
spotting scope and 4WD vehicle would be useful, but not necessary. A pot
luck at Dave Marquart's place will follow that evening. CONTACT: Bartshe
(Bar-shay) at 760.647.6595 or e-mail email@hidden at the Mono Lake
Committee for more information/to volunteer.
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 16:45:35 1998
Hi gang,
I've had another curious bird reported by phone - doesn't ring any bells
for me, so I'm guessing we're dealing with an escaped exotic here:
A large, raptor-like bird of dove-gray plumage everywhere except for a
narrow white neck ring (1/2-1"), with large, bright-yellow beak, yellow
legs & feet has been seen regularly for the past several mornings and
evenings on the telephone wires overlooking Rodeo Creek near the
intersection of Prospect and Plumas in Saratoga (just East of Hwy 85). Its
vocalization is described as a loud, but not unpleasant trilling.
If anyone recognizes this bird by description or goes out there to check it
out, the caller is willing to help with more details and/or an alert when
the bird next shows up. You can contact her by e-mail at
. If an ID is made I'd appreciate a note. Thanks,
--Garth Harwood, SCVAS
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 16:56:48 1998
REPLY RE: Strange bird report from office
Garth, this is a Band-tailed Pigeon down from the more mountainous regions. I have them in my yard up on Skyline daily. They have a low cooing, almost hooting sound; also some aggressive grunts. Strange that there isn't a flock of them. The immature (juvenile?) birds lack the white collar band.
Les
Sa Clara Valley Audubon Society wrote:
>Hi gang,
>
>I've had another curious bird reported by phone - doesn't ring any bells
>for me, so I'm guessing we're dealing with an escaped exotic here:
>
>A large, raptor-like bird of dove-gray plumage everywhere except for a
>narrow white neck ring (1/2-1"), with large, bright-yellow beak, yellow
>legs & feet has been seen regularly for the past several mornings and
>evenings on the telephone wires overlooking Rodeo Creek near the
>intersection of Prospect and Plumas in Saratoga (just East of Hwy 85). Its
>vocalization is described as a loud, but not unpleasant trilling.
>
>If anyone recognizes this bird by description or goes out there to check it
>out, the caller is willing to help with more details and/or an alert when
>the bird next shows up. You can contact her by e-mail at
>. If an ID is made I'd appreciate a note. Thanks,
>
>--Garth Harwood, SCVAS
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 17:18:43 1998
Dear South Bay Birders,
Yesterday (7/27/98), I and Danielle Lefer observed an adult Little Blue Heron
flying between Guadelupe Slough and HWY 237, east of the softball fields. We
first observed it flying eastbound, then roughly 30 minutes later observed it
returning, flying westbound.
Good birding,
Tom
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 17:35:40 1998
Garth,
I agree with Les that it's a good description of a Band Tailed
Pigeon. However, they seem to be adapting more to cities. Until this
spring, we'd never seen one at our feeder, but now we often get
flocks of 10-12. The Armer's, down the street, get even bigger
flocks, maybe 25-30. They have more and bigger feeders than we do.
I've also seen one or two other posts to SBB mentioning them at
feeders.
If this continues, we will surely see an explosion of "bandies" in
the towns on the Peninsula. We've seen several youngsters this year,
for awhile 4 or 5 at a time. I wonder if there's any evidence in the
CBC or SBC of growing populations?
Mostly, they're quite shy and easily spooked. However, I've had one
or two sit placidly on the feeder while I was trimming or weeding
just a few yards away. They could become a big nuisance if they lose
their fear of people!
----------------
George Oetzel
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 21:15:44 1998
I had Band-tails in my yard and at my feeder in College Terrace in Palo Alto
in the 80s (about 81 to 86 ). They nested there also. I lived there '63 to
'86. They just arrived one day. I have a feeling they have years or times
when they are just invasive. As I recall, they were not always present. I
didn't keep good records then. But they appear as yard birds during that
time.
Jan Steck in Vina, California
email@hidden
I'm grouchy 'cuz I'm good at it
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 21:43:23 1998
All,
I have noticed quite a few Band-tailed Pigeon flocks flying about in the Los
Altos Hills area in the past two weeks. In years past I recall that about this
time of year flocks of these birds start appearing in the more developed areas
of the South Bay.
I have only seen a few here in the Belmont-San Carlos area this year.
Paul L. Noble
Scchowl.
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From email@hidden Tue Jul 28 22:32:16 1998
South-Bay-Birders:
I thought I'd add the following note on my experience with Band-taileds
in Santa Clara County:
My high count of Band-tails in my yard when I used to live in Los Gatos
was over 80! (Pine Siskin high count was 200!) I had to put wire around
my Droll Yankee feeders, because they would empty them out as soon I put
out more seed. Then they woould hang themselves upside-down under the
tray tring to get to the feed. When I put out a 2 x 2 foot plattform
feeder, all 80 would stack themselves three-high like the "Bremer-Town
Musicians" while trying to get to the feed. I've read somewhere that
they devour acorns whole.
I don't have the Band-taileds here in Livermore. I do miss them even if
they can eat a birder out of house and home!
--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, email@hidden (home)
Sunnyvale, CA, email@hidden (work)
Please reply to both addresses above for a quicker response. Thanks.
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 29 08:07:24 1998
What Mike Feighner said is soooo true. I started feeding birds in my
backyard 4 years ago. Maybe 3 years ago I went to my first (and maybe
only) Audubon meeting and I met a couple (names unknown) from Saratoga who
fed birds too. We discussed what birds we were feeding and I was surprised
to learn they had a flock of BAND-TAILED'S. I had never seen one (new
birder that I was). The VERY NEXT day, it was like fate, here came one
BAND-TAILED. Didn't see another one for perhaps a year (my records are not
as good as Mike Feighner's!). But for over a year I have had between 20
and 35 BAND-TAILED's most days. In fact if you've seen the cormorant's on
the wire at Oka Ponds, you know what the utility lines at the top of the
hill in my backyard look like. Very frequently the wires are holding 20 or
so BAND-TAILED. Mike is right about the ground feeder. I have 3 different
seeds in ground feeders. BO Sunflower, Safflower, and Dr. Geiss (from Wild
Birds) have tried the Dove & Quail too but quit that one. The
BAND-TAILED's seem to prefer the safflower, if there's just a few here -
and they do stack 3 high as Mike describes. When the whole flock arrives
they go to all 3 feeders, and stack 3 high. Interesting they don't eat
directly from the ground as the doves, quail, junco's etc do. I mean these
later birds eat in the feeders too, but are not opposed to the ground. The
BAND-TAILED's seem to ignor the ground and do just the ground feeders.
And, if the feeders run out of food, they do the gymnastics act on the
hanging feeders as Mike describes. I have one small feeder that is suction
cupped to my dining room window, and I will find a BAND-TAILED in it
pretending it is a CHICKADEE! or some other small feathered friend. How it
manages to squeeze itself into that small space is interesting. It will
also "miss" and hit the window a few times before it figures out how to get
inside it.
Gloria LeBlanc
Los Gatos (off Quito)
>South-Bay-Birders:
>
>I thought I'd add the following note on my experience with Band-taileds
>in Santa Clara County:
>
>My high count of Band-tails in my yard when I used to live in Los Gatos
>was over 80! (Pine Siskin high count was 200!) I had to put wire around
>my Droll Yankee feeders, because they would empty them out as soon I put
>out more seed. Then they woould hang themselves upside-down under the
>tray tring to get to the feed. When I put out a 2 x 2 foot plattform
>feeder, all 80 would stack themselves three-high like the "Bremer-Town
>Musicians" while trying to get to the feed. I've read somewhere that
>they devour acorns whole.
>
>I don't have the Band-taileds here in Livermore. I do miss them even if
>they can eat a birder out of house and home!
>--
>Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, email@hidden (home)
> Sunnyvale, CA, email@hidden (work)
>Please reply to both addresses above for a quicker response. Thanks.
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>server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
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>
>
http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com
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From email@hidden Wed Jul 29 09:59:03 1998
I think Barbara meant to distribute this to the list instead of just to
the list owner.
Les
--------------------------------------
Date: 7/29/98 9:52 AM
From: Sunbyrd5
When I lived in Los Altos Hills, I once counted 117 BTPI between my
feeders
and the clothesline. We had a hopper style feeder which the grosbeaks
loved,
but the band tails took it over. I sawed off the flat si