From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Mon Mar 24 16:32:11 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.8/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h2P0UPit008523 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:30:26 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.8/8.12.2) with ESMTP id h2P0TfZQ008486 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:29:41 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-5n) id QAA34586 for [[email protected]]; Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:29:40 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:29:40 -0800 (PST) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Grant Ranch, San Antonio Valley X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1+ 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 3/22/03, Mike Mammoser and I birded from Grant Ranch County Park on over to the San Antone Junction. We started out just before 8:00am at Grant Lake, finding a few shorebirds (1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 1 COMMON SNIPE, and a few KILLDEER) and interesting waterbirds (1 male BUFFLEHEAD, 1 EARED GREBE, 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS) as well as the expected dabbling ducks. TREE SWALLOWS are once again using the nest box on the hill at the southern edge of the lake. We saw several TREE SWALLOWS and 1 or 2 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS here. A GREAT BLUE HERON was at an active nest back over near Quimby Road. Near milepost 11.80 just up the road from the Grant Lake parking lot we had two GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (one singing) and a CALIFORNIA TOWHEE carrying nesting material. A single male SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD zoomed through the eucalyptus here and two PURPLE FINCHES flew over. At the Smith's Creek Fire Station we saw a cooperative pure adult male YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER just northwest of the bridge. A vocal immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was interesting, as we have no breeding evidence for this species from here. A single RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER had a very red head with a concentrated bright white spot over the bill; it matched Sibley's illustration of the race "ruber" quite well, but did not show obvious yellow tones in the back or underparts. Along the creek we found at least 2 VARIED THRUSHES, a BROWN CREEPER building a nest, and a FOX SPARROW. Notable at all our stops was a lack of early spring migrants. We had no Western Kingbirds, no House Wrens, no Bullock's Orioles, no Wilson's Warblers, no Pacific-slope Flycatchers, and no Warbling Vireos all day. An adult GOLDEN EAGLE flew low over the road near the Mt. Hamilton summit. About 1.2 miles east of the summit a male SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD buzzed over the road. Just before getting to the mile 5 marker painted on the road, we pulled over and pished at the chamise for sparrows. A pair of SAGE SPARROWS and 2 FOX SPARROWS popped up. WILD TURKEYS gobbled from up the drainage. At Seeboy Ridge (about mile 6) we had a vocal BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and another FOX SPARROW. At the old white milepost 07.66 an immature GOLDEN EAGLE soared overhead. The pond near old white milepost 10.67 had 3 BUFFLEHEAD, 3 MALLARDS, and 3 WOOD DUCKS (2 males, 1 female). Another female WOOD DUCK and pair of BUFFLEHEADS was a little further up the road. As we entered the San Antonio Valley (about mile 14) we quickly located a LEWIS'S WOODPECKER, the first of 5 for the day. Another immature GOLDEN EAGLE flew low directly overhead to the north, while an adult was heading south much higher up. BARN SWALLOWS at the creek crossing about 1.5 miles further north were likely migrants, as have no records of breeding birds in this area. A male PHAINOPEPLA was just a little further up the road near where they have nested in the past. Just north of the Mallinson Ranch, 15 to 20 TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS were foraging with BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, and EUROPEAN STARLINGS. A little further on, two male PHAINOPEPLAS were involved in a territorial squabble. A pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES at the fire station near the junction was our only definitive sighting of this species for the day. After lunch at The Junction (only ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS noted at the feeders), we checked out the pond a short way down Del Puerto Road, finding 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Mike had to be home by 4:00pm, so we hustled back over the summit after this. 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]]