Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g83GtjV14738 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 09:55:46 -0700 Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-4n) id JAA36368 for [[email protected]]; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 09:55:40 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 09:55:40 -0700 (PDT) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Bank Swallow age? Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: All, The age of the Alviso Bank Swallows has been reported differently. In order to help determine how many individuals may be present, I thought we should try to straighten this out. The (single) birds I saw on 8/31/02 and 9/2/02 both had buff edges on the tertials and some of the inner primary tips, but the wing coverts lacked any evidence of pale edgings, despite not looking particularly worn. Bob Reiling reports that his two birds were similar. The bird I saw at Crittenden Marsh on 7/24/99 had extensive pale edgings to the wing coverts, scapulars and uppertail coverts, as well as the tertials; thus appearing quite different from the Alviso birds. The issue of aging the Alviso birds thus means choosing between 1) Because of the pale edgings to the tertials the birds are juveniles. The lack of pale edgings on the coverts is a result of molt or wear (it is much later in the year than 7/24).. 2) The birds are adults, but have already molted in new tertials and inner primaries. These feathers are so fresh that they have pale edges, unlike on the adult birds we see in spring. When in doubt, go to the molt bible - Pyle's "Identification Guide to North American Birds". According to Pyle, hatching-year birds have a complete molt between August and April. It can commence with the body feathers on the breeding grounds, but most molting (including all flight feathers) occurs on the winter grounds. Thus the wing coverts of a juvenile are not likely to have been replaced yet. If our birds are juveniles they likely lost their covert edgings through wear, even though these feathers did not appear particularly worn. Adults also undergo a complete prebasic molt from July through March. This occurs "primarily on the winter grounds, but can be suspended over fall migration, with the innermost 2-4 primaries (occasionally to 6) sometimes replaced on the summer grounds". Thus if our late migrants had begun their molt, then the inner primaries could indeed be fresh. However, Pyle also states that for adults the "feathers of the upperparts, wing coverts, and tertials [are] without buff or whitish edging". If this is the case even for freshly molted adult feathers, then our birds are clearly juveniles, as there is no other way to explain the pale tertials and inner primaries edgings. On the other hand, other adult swallows (e.g. Barn, Cliff, and Cave) do have pale tertial edgings when in fresh plumage. Certainly young birds seem the more likely explanation given that late-migrating swallows are usually juveniles. Virtually all of the non-Barn Swallow birds in the flock yesterday were juveniles. Curiously, Pyle also states that for Barn Swallows "molt occurs primarily on the winter grounds, although it can commence in some AHYs on the summer grounds". The wires in Alviso are full of hundreds of adult Barn Swallows in pretty heavy body molt. I guess these late breeders (I had feeding young out on the salt ponds on Saturday) and lingering birds are the "some AHYs" that Pyle refers to. In any event, the hundreds of swallows in this Alviso flock allow scope-filling views and provide a great opportunity to make careful plumage studies of these birds. Take advantage of it! Mike Rogers Received: from amdext.amd.com (amdext.amd.com [139.95.251.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g83HcGV15391 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:38:16 -0700 Received: from ssvlgs01.amd.com (ssvlgs01.amd.com [139.95.250.16]) by amdext.amd.com (8.9.3/8.9.3/AMD) with SMTP id KAA20748 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:38:11 -0700 (PDT) From: [[email protected]] Received: from 139.95.250.1 by ssvlgs01.amd.com with ESMTP (Tumbleweed MMS SMTP Relay (MMS v4.7);); Tue, 03 Sep 2002 10:38:11 -0700 X-Server-Uuid: 02753650-11b0-11d5-bbc5-00508bf987eb Received: from caexmta8.amd.com (caexmta8.amd.com [139.95.53.25]) by amdint.amd.com (8.9.3/8.9.3/AMD) with ESMTP id KAA11325 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:38:09 -0700 (PDT) Received: by caexmta8.amd.com with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) id ; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:38:08 -0700 Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:38:06 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) X-WSS-ID: 116A2C09469301-01-01 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [SBB] A few Almaden birds Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hello All, Here are a few birds from the Almaden area that may be of some interest. SCWD Ponds (Almaden Expwy at Coleman Ave), Aug 31: Two selasphorus Allen's/Rufous Hummingbirds were seen feeding at California fuchsia flowers along with several Anna's Hummingbirds Almaden Reservoir (evening of Aug 31): Twelve WOOD DUCKS were seen at the upper end in the early evening. Only two were seen during the daytime. From past experience I've noticed that more can be seen during the early twilight hours at this time of year. Calero Reservoir (Sept 1): The water is beginning to recede exposing more marshy mudflats at the upper end. This weekend over 20 BLACK-NECKED STILTS were seen as well as a SPOTTED SANDPIPER and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Fall and wintering ducks and coots are beginning to arrive, and good numbers of GADWALL and N. SHOVELERS were seen as well as several GREEN-WINGED TEAL and one AMERICAN WIGEON pair. Also over 300 CANADA GEESE were roosting on the mudflats - where do they come from?? Ann Received: from concord.eddata.com (concord.eddata.com [216.2.25.194]) by plaidworks.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g83HntV15619 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:49:55 -0700 Received: by CONCORD with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) id ; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:51:17 -0700 Message-ID: <731A6F12A87AD2118E8B006097098F9A5ABD9E@CONCORD> From: Mark Paxton <[[email protected]]> To: "'[[email protected]]'" <[[email protected]]>, [[email protected]] Subject: RE: [SBB] A few Almaden birds Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:50:28 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Eggs! :-) Seriously, nearly 200 grazing off Frazier Lake Road at the San Benito County line this morning. They are fecund. Mark Paxton, San Benito County -----Original Message----- From: [[email protected]] [mailto:[[email protected]]] Also over 300 CANADA GEESE were roosting on the mudflats - where do they come from?? Ann _______________________________________________ south-bay-birds mailing list | [[email protected]] Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/listinfo/south-bay-birds Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Received: from ultratech.com ([[email protected]] [204.94.50.2]) by plaidworks.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id g83IQoV16270 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 11:26:50 -0700 Received: by ultratech.com; id LAA10993; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 11:24:46 -0700 Received: from smtpgate(198.62.234.29) by gatekeeper.ultratech.com via smap (4.1) id xma010953; Tue, 3 Sep 02 11:24:12 -0700 Received: from stepper-Message_Server by corp.ultratech.com with Novell_GroupWise; Tue, 03 Sep 2002 11:24:05 -0700 Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.6.1 Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 11:23:42 -0700 From: "Alan Walther" <[[email protected]]> To: <[[email protected]]> Subject: [SBB] Los Gatos Creek-PBGR's Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative by demime 0.98b X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hello all I spent some time along the Los Gatos Creek main channel on Sunday and Monday, Spet 1st and 2nd. I saw a minimum of 6 GREEN HERONS in what must be ideal habitat for them. I also spent some time watching, (and photographing!) two pairs of PIED-BILLED GREBES with small young. Both pairs of PBGR's have their mossy, floating nests in the main creek channel. The first is about 100-200 feet south of the north-east corner of the largest Los gatos creek park pond. This pair has 6 young, all trying their best to get on the parents back! The second pair, with three young, is about 200 feet south of the south-west corner of that same largest pond, behind an alder, again along the main creek channel. Their babies are a bit smaller than the larger family, and prefer to spend most of their time hidden on Mom's(?) back, occasionaly peering out to see if Dad(?) is coming back with food. Time after time, one parent would go off fishing, and a few minutes later, would return to hand a small fish to one of the baby birds, who sometimes didn't leave Mom's(?) back to receive the fish. Sunday this pair had three young, but Monday I only saw two. Alan Received: from imo-d01.mx.aol.com (imo-d01.mx.aol.com [205.188.157.33]) by plaidworks.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g83MKwV19413 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 15:20:58 -0700 Received: from [[email protected]] by imo-d01.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v34.10.) id t.15c.12fabff4 (4426) for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 3 Sep 2002 18:20:52 -0400 (EDT) From: [[email protected]] Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 18:20:52 EDT To: [[email protected]] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Mailer: AOL 7.0 for Windows US sub 10509 X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative by demime 0.98b X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain Subject: [SBB] County birding Sender: [[email protected]] Errors-To: [[email protected]] X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I first went to Coyote Creek Field Station where we saw Jack Cole leaving (he had gotten his Willow Flycatcher and was heading to New Chicago Marsh). We first went to the "Waterbird Pond" (lots of Dowitchers, some peeps, nothing special), then to the tidal mud-flats (west of the pond) and checked out Salt Pond A18 (nothing, literally, in either place) and finally to the "Banding Trailer." Unfortunately, because we were late there was little of interest around the Eucalyptus tree (I had a YELLOW WARBLER high in the tree) so we decided to bird the trail heading south along the re-growth area from the east side of the Euc. We had several WILLOW FLYCATCHER sightings (one sighting of a closely associating pair), several PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER sightings, a closely associating pair of WARBLING VIREOS, a BEWICK'S WREN and an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (near the Euc). We then went to the pond at State and Spreckles in Alviso where we quickly found the REEVE. It took several minutes for us to find the STILT SANDPIPER (also finding a PECTORAL SANDPIPER in the interval). We then parked near the entrance to the EEC where we saw another? Pectoral Sandpiper in the "ditch" near the entrance road and ran into a lady from Berkeley who was looking for Santa Clara County rarities. We then showed her the continuing PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER in New Chicago Marsh (same place) and then took her over to State & Spreckles to show her the Reeve and Stilt Sandpiper (the Reeve was now feeding with Dowitchers about 20-30 feet from us). She was going for the Bank Swallows next but we couldn't stay to play any longer. Take care, Bop Reiling, 2:30 PM, 9/3/02