From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sun Feb 2 15:08:05 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h12N634w019568 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 2 Feb 2003 15:06:03 -0800 (PST) Received: from mta5.snfc21.pbi.net (mta5.snfc21.pbi.net [206.13.28.241]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h12N5MSE019531 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 2 Feb 2003 15:05:22 -0800 (PST) Received: from epochsoftware.com ([63.193.245.244]) by mta5.snfc21.pbi.net (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 HotFix 1.6 (built Oct 18 2002)) with ESMTP id <[[email protected]]> for [[email protected]]; Sun, 02 Feb 2003 15:04:40 -0800 (PST) Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 15:03:37 -0800 From: Karen DeMello <[[email protected]]> Subject: Re: [SBB] Hooded Mergansers back at Windy Hill In-reply-to: <[[email protected]]> To: "Kirsten R. Holmquist" <[[email protected]]> Message-id: <[[email protected]]> MIME-version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v551) X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.551) Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit cc: South Bay Birds <[[email protected]]> X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1 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]] Since today was the clearest day I've ever hiked at Windy Hill, I have to throw in my observations too. In the Douglas Fir forest towards the top of Hamm's Gulch trail a WINTER WREN sang over and over. From the top of Spring Ridge trail we had spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the entire San Francisco Bay area (SF, Mt. Diablo & Mt. Hamilton all looked stunning) while a hovering male AMERICAN KESTREL and a soaring NORTHERN HARRIER showed off for us. We later saw the Northern Harrier eating in a field, providing great looks at its bright yellow eyes and legs. There were WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS flying to and fro over the vivid green meadow. I was surprised at how many wildflowers are in bloom already. The Dirca's are in bloom on Hamm's Gluch trail along with Milkmaid, Hounds Tongue, and Trillium. Higher up there was a gorgeous Flowering Currant and Forget-me-nots. It really feels like spring! We didn't see any groundhogs, though I hear that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow meaning 6 more weeks of winter. Happy Groundhog Day, Karen DeMello ([[email protected]]) On Sunday, February 2, 2003, at 01:49 PM, Kirsten R. Holmquist wrote: > > I finally got a chance to check out the overwintering birds at Windy > Hill. > The HOODED MERGANSERS (2 F, 1 M) have indeed returned to the little > pond > there. They were in with the PIED-BILLED GREBES, MALLARDS, and > AMERICAN > COOTS. A GREAT EGRET was also in the reeds looking alertly for > breakfast. > YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, BUSHTITS, > GOLDEN-CROWNED > SPARROWS, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, a BLACK PHOEBE, an ANNA'S > HUMMINGBIRD, and > a couple of LESSER GOLDFINCHES were all in the shrubbery by the side > of the > pond. > > On the Betsy Crowder trail, I picked up a BEWICK'S WREN, my first (of > four) > TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, a DOWNY WOODPECKER (M), a couple of HERMIT > THRUSHES, a > WRENTIT, a couple of perched BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, a quickly spooked > covey of > CALIFORNIA QUAIL, a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER (F), a SPOTTED TOWHEE, my > first (of > 7) RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and a pair of HUTTON'S VIREOS. A flock of > 20+ > CEDAR WAXWINGS briefly ate red berries before getting spooked by an > on-coming runner. Dominating the trail though was a flock of 40+ > AMERICAN > ROBINS. They also were interested in eating berries. Many of the > branches > with berries however couldn't bear their weight very well. So, they > were > sniping at the berries in flight creating a constant sound of the rush > of > wings. > > Later on, on the newly opened Meadow Trail, I had a HAIRY WOODPECKER > (M), > ACORN WOODPECKERS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, more YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a > CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, a couple of OAK TITMICE, and a WHITE-BREASTED > NUTHATCH. > I also got a STELLAR'S JAY doing its raggedy, sickly imitation of a > red-shouldered hawk. (Later back at the parking lot, I got to see the > real > thing circling over the hills.) In the air above the Jay, a > WHITE-TAILED > KITE dive-bombed a coasting RED-TAILED HAWK. I also picked up one (of > 5, > 2F, 3M) NORTHERN FLICKERS for the day. This one was a hybrid male > with the > orange mustache, orange crescent on the back of the neck and > yellow-shafts > on the tail feathers. > > Walking back to the parking lot, I kept checking the old, bare oaks > and was > eventually rewarded with a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. Excellent day for > woodpeckers, with all 6 common local species checking in. A CALIFORNIA > THRASHER was also kind enough to sit up for a few minutes and show off > its > splendid bill. Finally, I stopped back at the pond where a GREEN > HERON made > a brief appearance before flying to cover. At the parking lot, a > flock of > WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were flitting around in the meadow. Overhead, > three > RED-TAILED HAWKS soared along with a RED-SHOULDERED and two COMMON > RAVENS. > > Best Regards, > > Kirsten R. Holmquist > [[email protected]] > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ > karen_demello%40epochsoftware.com > > This email sent to [[email protected]] _______________________________________________ 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]]