From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Mon Dec 29 17:56:36 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id hBU1sEPO021764 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:54:15 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id hBU1r6UP021721 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:53:06 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/NAS-6n) with ESMTP id hBU1r578049704 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:53:05 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/Submit) id hBU1r5Ve048750 for [[email protected]]; Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:53:05 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 17:53:05 -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: 2.1.2+ 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]] All, I birded the Parkway Lakes area and Metcalf Road for the Calero-Morgan Hill Christmas Count yesterday 12/28/03. The day began early, with my owling effort starting along Metcalf Road at 5:30am. I heard a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL call the moment I stepped out of the car at my first stop and heard many other owls making unsolicited calls at other stops - the 25 degree temperature appeared to not dampen their activity! At several stops along both Metcalf and Las Animas Roads I tallied 6+ WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS, 9 GREAT HORNED OWLS, and 1 BARN OWL (at the UTC plant). I also twice heard what sounded like single toots from a Northern Pygmy-Owl, but it never called repeatedly for confirmation. I returned to Parkway Lakes to distribute some count materials and begin my day-birding. This started by simply scoping the main lake from Metcalf Road and counting the large numbers of GULLS streaming south here. Most gulls had moved through in the first hour and a half, but I continued tallying more while I was walking around by the lake later. Before the morning flight ended at about 10:00am I had tallied 3129 gulls. Most of these were HERRING GULLS (819) and CALIFORNIA GULLS (759), with most of the 1457 GULL SP also being of these two species. (It seemed that HERRING GULLS had their biggest push slightly earlier in the morning than the CALIFORNIA GULLS, which dominated the late morning movement.) More interesting gulls seen along with these birds included 2 MEW GULLS, 4 RING-BILLED GULLS, 14 THAYER'S GULLS, and 74 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. It seems likely that many of these birds may have been double-counted as they made their way into the neighboring count region to forage, presumably at the Kirby Canyon Landfill. An OSPREY showed up from the south at 7:28am and foraged in the area for about 20 minutes. The same bird (identifiable by a strong necklace and a translucent patch in the inner primaries of the left wing) was back at the same location at 1:55pm. Besides the gulls, many blackbirds were also heading south from their evening roosts (248 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, 2 male TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS, and 190 BLACKBIRD SP). In the middle of this exodus I saw 5 GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES (4 females and 1 short-tailed adult male) head south at 8:04am. The lake itself was surprisingly devoid of everything except for AMERICAN COOTS and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS. My total duck tally for the entire day included only 19 MALLARDS and 1 female COMMON GOLDENEYE that flew south over the lake without ever landing. Highlights seen while wandering around down at the lake included 4 WILSON'S SNIPE, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, an immature COOPER'S HAWK, and a flock of 70 HORNED LARKS, the latter spotted while scanning the hillsides across highway 101 for roadrunners (no luck). I next headed up the west side of the lake on the Coyote Creek bike path north to the highway 101/85 interchange. This netted good tallies of the expected species, but the walk back was more fruitful. At one point I thought I heard Violet-green Swallows overhead and looked up to see a pair of adult GOLDEN EAGLE cruising to the west high overhead - never could locate any swallows though. Also surprising were 4 BLACK-NECKED STILTS (2 flying in from the north to a small gravel bar and later two heading in from the south, apparently to the same spot). I also found 2 EARED GREBES that I had not noted on the walk in. At 11:30am I began my coverage of Metcalf Road, which consisted of stopping, listening, and pishing at numerous spots along the entire road. Best birds included a ROCK WREN about halfway up to the Metcalf Road summit, 2 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES, 3 SAY'S PHOEBES, and a soaring adult FERRUGINOUS HAWK over the hillside to the north of Metcalf Road just after the road completes its descent to the east of the summit. Further up towards the junction with San Felipe Road I had 11 VARIED THRUSHES, 2 RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and 2 BROWN CREEPERS (can be tough to get on this count, especially on the east side of the count circle!). The return to Parkway Lakes added an immature GOLDEN EAGLE soaring east of the Metcalf Road summit and two WHITE-TAILED KITES just before highway 101. I had to head home at 2:00pm, but on the way I stopped at the Walmart along the old Monterey Highway at Blossom Hill/Cottle Road and found 19 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, a species that can easily be missed on this count. 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]]