From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Tue Dec 16 09:11:55 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id hBGH4ePM010310 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:04:41 -0800 (PST) Received: from conure.mail.pas.earthlink.net (conure.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.54]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id hBGH3QUP010245 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:03:27 -0800 (PST) Received: from user-vcaul6f.dsl.mindspring.com ([216.175.84.207] helo=pavilion.earthlink.net) by conure.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1AWIbT-00004t-00 for [[email protected]]; Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:03:24 -0800 Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.2.1 Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:06:31 -0800 To: [[email protected]] From: Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Subject: [SBB] San Jose/Palo Alto CBCs X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2+ 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]] Folks: On 12/14/2003 I birded areas in Alviso for the San Jose CBC, including along Coyote Creek below Hwy 237, the Arzino Ranch, and the sludge ponds. I shared the birding with Paul Pickering and Paul Ayars. The forecast rain was finished by dawn, so we had a mostly clear day, obviously a big disappointment compared to our expectations. In the morning at the Arzino Ranch, we searched the blackbird flocks, but had to settle for seven TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS and no cowbirds. A European Starling with about 10% leucistic feathering was interesting. Coyote Creek was pleasant, but not particularly birdy. A female YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER was along the creek. She had most YSFL characters including yellow shafts, a red nuchal patch, and tan throat and ears. But the way she positioned herself above us we could not see the crown color. Curiously, the tan on the throat and face extended around the nape, which is not typical of either subspecies. We also enjoyed good looks at an adult MERLIN here. We checked the waterbird pond and the nearly slough that extends to Coyote Slough, but nothing unusual. Coming back we found a LESSER YELLOWLEGS in a sludge pond near the levee, foraging with three Greaters. In the afternoon we went into the sludge ponds on our once a year sojourn, but didn't find anything unusual. One of the sludge ponds was being used by the gulls that feed in the sewage plant as a loafing and bathing area. We had about 600 MEW GULLS and 200 BONAPARTE'S GULLS in here. The two Mikes were busy here when we left and had higher totals. We closed the day at the Arzino Ranch, parking in the church. Here we counted three BURROWING OWLS and an adult GOLDEN EAGLE came by to visit with the local ground squirrels. On 12/15/2003 I birded in the Mountain View area on the Palo Alto CBC. Earlier I went into Monte Bello with Mike Rogers, which he will report on. I got a late start and counted the usual around the Mountain View Forebay. I then walked out the levee between Charleston Slough and A1 and then all around A1. The small island in the NW corner of A1 had 19 BLACK SKIMMERS which soon left, I assume to go back to Charleston Slough. I counted 18 AM. WHITE PELICANS here and two immature BROWN PELICANS were out in the Bay, flying southeast. I had about five REDHEAD in A1 and, later, another six in A2W. Coming back towards Shoreline, I found the partially-leucistic Ruddy Duck in A1 that Roland Kenner described so well earlier in the fall. I walked around Shoreline Lake, pursuing foraging goldeneyes, but never found any female or immature Barrow's or the hybrid that was here recently. I spent some time on the golf course, counting Canada Geese and looking for their little friends. I eventually found an adult and 1st-winter ROSS'S GOOSE and these birds were using the small pond that is accessed by taking the recreation trail that goes south from the end of Terminal Way. This trail makes a left-hand bend at the power line crossing and the pond is 200-300 m after this on the right. I finished my afternoon sitting on a bench by A2W, scoping the duck flocks here. Amongst the vast quantities of American Wigeon, Ruddy Ducks, and scaup were three to four EURASIAN WIGEON. So many ducks, so little time. At dusk, I saw a BURROWING OWL along the edge of the golf course near the parking area. Bill P.S.: If you've birded on our local counts, do not expect the overworked compilers to summarize your observations for SBB. Please report your best birds to the group and leave the compilers to the necessary fact checking and data entry. _______________________________________________ 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]]