From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sun Dec 29 18:31:01 2002 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id gBU2THPN025123 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:29:17 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id gBU2SJ3Y025087 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:28:20 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-5n) id SAA27110 for [[email protected]]; Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:28:18 -0800 (PST) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:28:18 -0800 (PST) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Calero-Morgan Hill CBC X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1rc1+ Precedence: list List-Id: South Bay Birding List-Unsubscribe: , List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Errors-To: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] All, Yesterday 12/28/02, I birded the Parkway Lakes area and the hills to the east of there for the Calero-Morgan Hill Christmas Bird Count. I started out owling at 5:30am. Got one WESTERN SCREECH-OWL at the top of Metcalf Canyon, another before the junction with San Felipe Road, and three more in the first half mile of Las Animas Road south of the junction with San Felipe Road (very dependable spot). Also had 5 GREAT HORNED OWLS (including two pairs) around this portion of San Felipe Valley. No luck with the Northern Pygmy-Owl I had here a couple of years ago though. In next headed back down to Parkway Lakes, doing a little quick birding along the way. At the Metcalf Road summit just east of the motorcycle park I had 9 HORNED LARKS and 2 AMERICAN PIPITS - couldn't find a longspur though. Practically the first bird I saw at Parkway Lakes was an immature PACIFIC LOON, a new bird for the count. It looked very much like the Almaden Lake bird (very pale nape) and when Mike Mammoser arrived he thought it looked very much like the Calero Reservoir bird - so maybe the same individual is moving around a bit. On the other hand, Mike Mammoser later found a different Pacific Loon on the Coyote Ranch Golf Course and today I found yet another at the Los Gatos Creek Ponds, so perhaps there isn't much merit to the one bird theory. As I watched, 8 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS flew in to join the single bird that was already there. Apparently 4 more were at Calero Reservoir and 2 more were up near Cottonwood Lake as well, for a good showing for this count. The PACIFIC LOON here was present from 8:05am to 9:56am (when I left) and again at 3:17pm (Mike Mammoser also had it at other times as well). A steady stream of gulls was flying south all morning. I tallied the following: 154 HERRING GULLS, 107 CALIFORNIA GULLS, 7 RING-BILLED GULLS, 5 THAYER'S GULLS, and a single GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, as well as 266 GULL SP. that were similar in mix to those listed above. All these birds were probably recounted by observers further south in the count circle. At least 182 ROCK DOVES also winged their way south into other parts of the count circle - not sure where they were foraging. At 9:17am a vocal OSPREY showed up. This bird had a ragged trailing edge to the secondaries, but no obvious primary molt. There was a particularly obvious notch in the inner right secondaries and a medium necklace. At 9:26 pm it headed west over Tulare Hill. At 9:29am a second OSPREY showed up. This one was silent, had a clean trailing wing edge, a more prominent rustier necklace, and rusty flecks in the underwing. At 9:41am it too headed west over Tulare Hill. Hopefully Bob Reiling can shed some insight into whether these two birds were the same as the two birds he reported from his area to the south. Other birds of interest at Parkway Lakes included 118 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 4 WOOD DUCKS, 1 adult GREEN HERON, and 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER (still with many spots). I next walked north to the highway 85/101 overpass over Coyote Creek. Highlights along this section of creek included 3 more WOOD DUCKS, an immature COOPER'S HAWK, an immature SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, a MERLIN, a big flock of 93 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, and an adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (can be tough on this count!). In this good swallow winter I was somewhat surprised that I found none (nor were any reported anywhere on the count). I next worked my way up Metcalf Canyon, adding another SHARP-SHINNED HAWK but not much else of interest. The rest of Metcalf Road also held few surprises. I parked my car along San Felipe Road north of Metcalf Road and walked the three miles all the way to Heartland Way. Birding here was very slow, but I did find yet another SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, a single BAND-TAILED PIGEON, and a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER. Then it started to rain and by the time I hiked back the three miles to the car I was a little soggy :(. Birding was similarly slow along Las Animas Road, but I did manage to boost my VARIED THRUSH total for the day to 17. Given the futility of further landbirding in the rain, I decided to make a quick check of Calero Reservoir on the way to the countdown dinner. Found two more COOPER'S HAWKS along Bailey Road near IBM on the way. Best bird at Calero Reservoir was a male GREATER SCAUP - both the Bald Eagle and the Red-necked Grebe were missed on the count all day :( Mike Rogers _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. south-bay-birds mailing list ([[email protected]]) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/options/south-bay-birds/south-bay-birds-archive%40plaidworks.com This email sent to [[email protected]]