From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sun Feb 16 18:33:27 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h1H2UU4s029208 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 16 Feb 2003 18:30:31 -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 h1H2TeSE029173 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 16 Feb 2003 18:29:40 -0800 (PST) Received: from KrisDesktop ([64.169.18.243]) 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, 16 Feb 2003 18:25:49 -0800 (PST) Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 18:25:47 -0800 From: Kris Olson <[[email protected]]> To: South Bay Birders <[[email protected]]> Message-id: <002601c2d62b$e4c72770$6401a8c0@KrisDesktop> MIME-version: 1.0 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4510 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Importance: Normal X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-priority: Normal Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by plaidworks.com id h1H2TeSE029173 Subject: [SBB] Miscellaneous County Birding 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]] Hello All: I started out late today to find three birds I have not seen in Santa Clara County -- missed one, saw one, got sidetracked by beautiful weather and never tried to see the third. First stop, Alviso Marina (where I had never birded before, just visited SFBBO). The impoundment was full of water and essentially no shorebirds: GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a WILLET or two, a few LEAST SANDPIPERS. They were joined by 4 AMERICAN AVOCETS, one already in gorgeous alternate plumage, and 4 BLACK-NECKED STILTS. One female COMMON GOLDENEYE, 2 GADWALLS, and a few LESSER SCAUP were there. I ran into Chuck and Joan (help! Now I forgot their last name) walking back in and together we studied gulls -- CALIFORNIA, RING-BILLED, HERRING and 4 MEW. I saw a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT on the way in. Maybe 100 EARRED GREBES in the first pond on the left (14?). NORTHERN HARRIERS and a TV. On our way out, in few several CANADA GEESE with one small white goose, which we presume is the ROSS'S GOOSE that Chuck says has been at Arzino Ranch. Driving past the San Jose-Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant, I spotted 19 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS on the grassy lawn. (I actually pulled over to count them!) The bird I had wanted to see at Alviso, Sanderlings, were not there. Next bird was the GREATER ROADRUNNER, which I did find on Crothers Road, across the road from #11041. He/she was working the back fence quite successfully. When it ran forward to hunt, its crest was down. When it saw something, that black crest popped right up. When its tail came up, you could see the cuckoo-like tail pattern underneath. The red by its eye was plainly visible. Nice guy. Lucky neighbors! Instead of heading back to see if I could find a Redhead in Sunnyvale, I got seduced by the beautiful weather and that very tempting Mt. Hamilton Rd. So off I went! I stopped by #102 (small silver mailbox) and found some ducks in the farm pond: RING-NECKS, CANVASBACK, WIGEON, GADWALL, COOTS, MALLARDS, LESSER SCAUP, along with one KILLDEER AND GREATER YELLOWLEGS and two CANADA GEESE. On the other side of the road were three YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES, ACORN WOODPECKERS, ROBINS, and the ever-present WESTERN SCRUB JAYS. Heard a single OAT TITMOUSE. A stop at Grant Lake produced most of the same ducks (no Wigeon or Ring-necks) with BUFFLEHEADS, PIED-BILLED GREBES, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and 18 COMMON MERGANSERS (4 males). There were bluebird nest boxes but no bluebirds. There were some LESSER GOLDFINCHES, one BLACK and one SAYS PHOEBES. Next stop was Smith Creek, another place I have never birded (except maybe with my mom so many years ago I can't remember.) NORTHER FLICKERS, ACORN WOODPECKERS, one NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER. There were 50+ LESSER GOLDFINCHES and 10 CEDAR WAXWINGS feeding by the bridge. One WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, 2 STELLER's JAYS. Here I heard WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and finally found 1 female. Heard CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES. Twin Gates: more of the same birds with one YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Several Turkey Vultures circling over head. QUAIL heard calling. A very territorial ACORN WOODPECKER chase the WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH out of its tree. Driving back, passed some BUSHTITS and one more Magpie silhouetted against the sky. Throughout the day, many RED-TAILED HAWKS, some in pairs. A few oak trees are getting their leaves along with the buckeyes; I even saw some poison oak getting leaves! It feels like spring. It will be fun to compare this list of birds to those found in the same places in April. Good birding! Kris Olson _______________________________________________ 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]]