From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Tue Dec 31 14:30:33 2002 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id gBVMRhPL023823 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:27:43 -0800 (PST) Received: from mms1.broadcom.com (mms1.broadcom.com [63.70.210.58]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id gBVMR33Y023779 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:27:03 -0800 (PST) Received: from 63.70.210.1 by mms1.broadcom.com with ESMTP (Broadcom MMS1 SMTP Relay (MMS v5.5.0)); Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:26:32 -0700 Received: from mail-sjcw-1.sw.broadcom.com (mail-sjcw-1.sw.broadcom.com [10.20.128.21]) by mon-irva-11.broadcom.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id OAA03767 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:26: 50 -0800 (PST) Received: from pc2kmikem (dhcpe1-sjcw-254 [10.20.64.254]) by mail-sjcw-1.sw.broadcom.com (8.12.4/8.12.4/SSM) with SMTP id gBVMQqVE022158 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:26:53 -0800 (PST) From: "Mike Mammoser" <[[email protected]]> To: SBB <[[email protected]]> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:25:02 -0800 Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4910.0300 Importance: Normal X-WSS-ID: 120CC612253219-01-01 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [SBB] : 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]] On Saturday, 28 Dec 02, I worked the Calero-Morgan Hill CBC in the Ogier Ponds area. I started at the Field Sports Park on the east side of 101, just south of Metcalf. On the way there I ran into Mike Rogers at Parkway Lakes, where he pointed out an immature PACIFIC LOON on the water. This bird looked similar to the one I had seen on Calero Reservoir on the 17th, in that it had a paler head than I was used to seeing for this species. The Sports Park was not especially birdy, though I managed to pick out the only LINCOLN'S SPARROW of my day between bursts of gunfire from the shooting range. A stop at the Coyote Ranch Marsh with a tape player produced 2 VIRGINIA RAILS. I then headed for the Coyote Creek Golf Course (formerly the Riverside Golf Course) to check the ponds and parking lot area around the club house. This has been a pretty ho-hum spot on past counts, but it's in my count area so I always check it. This year, however, I hit the jackpot here. First off, I saw an immature PACIFIC LOON on the pond, and saw that it looked different from the earlier one on Parkway Lakes (I also went back to Parkway afterwards to make sure the other one was still there). While maneuvering for a better scope position on this bird, I saw 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE along the edge of one of the ponds (an adult and 3 immatures). After taking in the field marks on these birds I started counting the RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS in the parking lot, when I noticed a male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE flying low over the lot. It then landed in a small ornamental tree which contained another male and 2 female grackles. I then spent the next hour or so sketching and writing up these birds before I could get back to the business of bird counting. The next stop was Ogier Ponds, where I was to relieve the local counter of the burden of counting gulls. The large flock here included 1100 CALIFORNIA, 900 HERRING, 2 GLAUCOUS-WINGED, 1 THAYER'S, and 3 MEW GULLS. At the pond north of the model airplane park my tape player netted 2 more VIRGINIA RAILS and a SORA. I attempted to count passerines along the entrance road, but the rising winds made that extremely difficult (I did get my only CALIFORNIA QUAIL of the day, a single bird). I met Rick Herder and his party (Roland Kenner, Pat Kenny, and Peggy Don) who had come down from Coyote Ridge to give me a hand at the ponds. Unfortunately, the rain had just started and it poured pretty hard on us for the next hour, as we walked around the ponds north of the model airplane park. However, we got some good birds, as a second SORA and an AMERICAN BITTERN flushed from the pond edge. One of the back ponds had a flock of 70 RING-NECKED DUCKS, which included a pair of REDHEADS. We also picked up 4 COMMON MERGANSERS. After this, I took them all to the golf course to show them the goodies I had there, before we called it a day. On Sunday, 29 Dec 02, I followed the crowd to Los Gatos Creek Park to see the immature BRANDT'S CORMORANT. Although it may have looked healthy, it allowed people to approach within a couple feet of it. I can't imagine a healthy wild bird doing this. I also saw the immature PACIFIC LOON on the next pond. Imagine, 3 of these birds in the county at one time and not a Red-throated to be found anywhere. What's this world coming to? The adult BALD EAGLE was back at Calero Reservoir, after taking a break from the CBC. Mike Mammoser _______________________________________________ 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]]