From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Mon Jan 27 10:59:02 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h0RIuW50022548 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 27 Jan 2003 10:56:33 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.6/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h0RItnSE022513 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 27 Jan 2003 10:55:49 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-5n) id KAA06242 for [[email protected]]; Mon, 27 Jan 2003 10:55:29 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 10:55:29 -0800 (PST) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] WFGO, FEHA, and an early RUHU 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]] All, On Saturday 1/25/03, I joined Mike Mammoser at mid-day for some birding in the Alviso area. We started out working the west bank of Coyote Creek north of Tasman, hoping that the Green-tailed Towhee from years past might have returned again this winter. An hour and twenty minutes in this area failed to turn it up (or much else for that matter). Next on to the Fremont Lagoons, where we failed to find any Glaucous Gulls. We did, however, relocate the second-winter NELSON'S (GLAUCOUS x HERRING) GULL that we had seen on 1/11/03. The Milpitas USGS map is hopelessly outdated for this area, but after being confused by Bob's post Friday, I think he now has it right. The county line runs in the middle of the creek channel that hugs the edge of the dump, not the one with the wide mud flats that is visible from the Bay Trail. Thus the Nelson's Gull was in Alameda County, as it was two weeks earlier. A large flock of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS (including singing males) was also of interest. On to CCFS to check the gull flocks in the adjacent sewage works. No sign of the Alviso Lesser Black-backed Gull or any rare geese. While we were driving along the dike, Mike noted that the bushy flowering eucalyptus along the road would be good for migrants as they grew taller, especially for hummingbirds. I rolled down the window and hear the wing buzz of a male selasphorus hummingbird! We stopped and I followed the wing buzz south for a couple of trees, expecting an early Allen's Hummingbird, as they have just arrived on the coast. I got on the bird just as it decided to continue its migration, flying up and then straight to Mission Peak (I tracked it for a long time and it showed no signs of stopping). Amazingly, this bird had the all-orange back of a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, confirmed by Mike as well. Our previous early records for this species have been mid-Feb. Maybe global warming is impacting hummingbirds as well as swallows :) Back at the Arzino Ranch an adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the CANADA GOOSE flock, which included the small morph "CACKLING GOOSE". Mike and I then headed to Gilroy, where we immediately found the adult FERRUGINOUS HAWK on the antenna at 10500 New Avenue from 4:06pm to 4:16pm. I stopped at the Morabito goose farm on E. Middle Ave. just east of highway 101 (exit Tennant or San Martin) on the way back. The SNOW GOOSE flock now numbers 10 birds, with two immatures. Mike M. had mentioned 8 birds there last month, which got my hopes up that the immature birds might be wild birds that had joined the captive flock. However, both these birds had their right hind toes cut, indicating that they were kept birds (recent additions I guess). On the other hand, two of the adult birds had both hind toes intact; at least one of these also had wings that were intact (seen while flapping), whereas most of the other kept birds were obviously clipped. It could be that these two adults are wild birds overwintering with the flock - we'll see if they leave when spring rolls around. 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]]