From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sun Feb 23 16:58:09 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h1O0uUOF016571 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:56:30 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtp809.mail.sc5.yahoo.com (smtp809.mail.sc5.yahoo.com [66.163.168.188]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with SMTP id h1O0ts3w016535 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:55:54 -0800 (PST) Received: from adsl-67-123-172-193.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net (HELO pacbell.net) (t?[[email protected]]@67.123.172.193 with plain) by smtp-sbc-v1.mail.vip.sc5.yahoo.com with SMTP; 24 Feb 2003 00:50:06 -0000 Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:50:36 -0800 From: Debbie Wong and Tadd Ottman <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.76 [en] (Win95; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: South Bay Birders <[[email protected]]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [SBB] 3 treats at Ed Levin Park 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]] treat 1: Debbie and I birded Ed Levin Park this morning, arriving a little before 10:00. Other birders were present at the Elm Picnic area, but they had not yet located the reported owl. We saw white marks on the ground near some tables and owl pellets nearby, so we searched the pines carefully. In 15 minutes, Debbie found the LONG-EARED OWL perched two trees to the south of the evidence. We put the bird in our scope and shared it with others. treat 2: We drove around to the landing area for hang gliders and began hiking up the dirt road towards the launch points. Along the way, we saw LESSER GOLDFINCHES in the trees in the first gully on the right. These same trees often host birding favorites in spring. When we reached the water tank adjacent to the first hang glider launching area, we began scanning for reported eagles. While I was focussing in the distance at TURKEY VULTURES and RED-TAILED HAWKS, Debbie yelled "Look!". I lowered my bins and watched two GOLDEN EAGLES soar past our heads, only 40 feet away! We climbed part way up the ridge, immediately above the water tank, and met with another dramatically close pass of the eagles, this time in the other direction! treat 3: Before heading down from the ridge, about 200 feet above the water tank, we paused. Debbie noticed a different sparrow atop a sage-like shrub. She followed it as it flew down slope a few yards and joined two others sculking in the grass. I handed her the scope, and she found the birds moving like mice in tall grass. For several minutes we watched 3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS feed, hide, run, and pause in the open ... long enough to verify the Ammodramus head shape, short tails, fleshy legs, plain bellies, and large flesh-colored bills with dark culmens. These sparrows were on a slope you would see if you walked up the dirt road from the water tank and looked uphill to the left. A little farther to the left, you would see a rock outcrop, shrubs, and poppies. Tadd Ottman Debbie Wong Hayward, CA _______________________________________________ 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]]