From [[email protected]] Mon Oct 14 13:12:18 2002 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.2/8.12.2) with ESMTP id g9EK8a19023233; Mon, 14 Oct 2002 13:08:36 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mtiwmhc11.worldnet.att.net (mtiwmhc11.worldnet.att.net [204.127.131.115]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.2/8.12.2) with ESMTP id g9EK8Ehh023195 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 14 Oct 2002 13:08:14 -0700 (PDT) Received: from acer ([12.81.1.237]) by mtiwmhc11.worldnet.att.net (InterMail vM.5.01.05.12 201-253-122-126-112-20020820) with SMTP id <20021014200811.DBCV20527.mtiwmhc11.worldnet.att.net@acer>; Mon, 14 Oct 2002 20:08:11 +0000 Message-ID: <000b01c273bd$d04fd060$ed01510c@acer> From: "John Mariani" <[[email protected]]> To: "South-bay-birds" <[[email protected]]> Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 13:10:55 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4920.2300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4920.2300 Subject: [SBB] Weekend birding, "Big Sit" at Calero Reservoir X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1b3+ Precedence: list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Id: South Bay Birding List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] Howdy South-bay-birders, Friday (10/11) there was a SAY'S PHOEBE frantically beating its wings against the windows inside my parent's garage--the first one I've seen this fall. I finally was able to coax it out through the wide open garage doors which somehow had escaped its attention. Saturday (10/12) I went up to Point Reyes with Grant and Kathy Webb--we saw a lot more SAY'S PHOEBES there, and had about 80 species in all. Warblers were scarce, probably due to the excellent weather. No landbird vagrants were seen, but we did see lots of the usual goodies--GREAT HORNED OWL at the Fish Docks, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS at the lighthouse, etc. One surprise was a flock of 35 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE accompanied by 2 small form CANADA GEESE at Abbotts Lagoon. On the trail to Abbott's Lagoon we saw 6+ WHITE-TAILED KITES, OSPREY, a VIRGINIA RAIL, and our only YELLOW WARBLER of the day. A PEREGRINE FALCON was flying near the trailhead parking area just as we left. Sunday afternoon (10/13) I spent several hours at the east end of Calero Reservoir taking part in the New Haven Bird Club's annual "Big Sit." All my observations were from the the metal drain cover where the levee overlooks the reservoir, same spot I chose last fall. Managed to get 62 species, barely beating last year's tally of 60 species. Highlights included a carefully counted 123 YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES flying in from the Coyote Valley to roost in the hills behind the reservoir at evening, a mother RACOON and her 3 playful kids chasing each through the branches of a tall oak tree, and a flock of 20 WILD TURKEYS that walked past my observation point. It was a good day for mammals--I had a small herd of BLACK-TAILED DEER and a family of WILD BOAR for company, plus a BRUSH RABBIT on my way out. I saw pretty much the same birds Ann Verdi has already reported, except I didn't see the hybrid wigeon. Other birds seen included 3 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 1-3 MERLIN (3 quick fly-bys, one time right over my head!), an immature COOPER'S HAWK being harassed by AMERICAN CROWS, an immature NORTHERN HARRIER, a distant GOLDEN EAGLE, a SAY'S PHOEBE, and an unusually high number of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS--I figure there were at least 30-40 in the mixed flocks moving around the east edge of the reservoir. Late in the day I tried to get ACORN WOODPECKER by scoping a very distant ridgeline, and with patience I was able to spot 2-3 flying to an oak snag. Here is my list for the day: Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant American White Pelican Ruddy Duck Canada Goose - About 500 American Wigeon Gadwall Green-winged Teal Mallard Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler Bufflehead - 2 Snowy Egret Great Blue Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1 Turkey Vulture White-tailed Kite Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Golden Eagle - 1, very distant American Kestrel Merlin Wild Turkey California Quail American Coot Wilson's Snipe - 9+ Greater Yellowlegs - About 5 Spotted Sandpiper - 1 Long-billed Dowitcher - 20+ Least Sandpiper - 75+ Dunlin - 1 Black-necked Stilt - About 30 Killdeer Ring-billed Gull California Gull Rock Dove Belted Kingfisher Acorn Woodpecker Northern Flicker Say's Phoebe - 1 Black Phoebe Western Scrub-Jay Yellow-billed Magpie - 123!!! American Crow European Starling Bewick's Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Oak Titmouse House Sparrow Lesser Goldfinch House Finch Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Spotted Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Tricolored Blackbird Western Meadowlark Brewer's Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 John Mariani [[email protected]] www.birdswest.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. south-bay-birds mailing list [[email protected]] http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/listinfo/south-bay-birds