From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sat May 10 17:25:42 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h4B0LdIs010227 for <[[email protected]]>; Sat, 10 May 2003 17:21:40 -0700 (PDT) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (rtjones.nas.nasa.gov [129.99.19.30]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h4B0Jgvn010169 for <[[email protected]]>; Sat, 10 May 2003 17:20:03 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3p2/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-5n) id RAA88787 for [[email protected]]; Sat, 10 May 2003 17:19:35 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sat, 10 May 2003 17:19:35 -0700 (PDT) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Grant Ranch X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2+ 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, Hoping that the nice weather would mean migrants, I headed up to Smith's Creek Fire Station this morning 5/10/03. It was a cold 35 degrees when I arrived just after 7:00am and things were pretty slow until the sun warmed up the oaks about an hour later. I was joined by Richard Jeffers and we spent until just after noon birding here and in various other spots in Grant Ranch County Park. We did end up finding warbler flocks at Smith's Creek, but they were made up almost entirely of TOWNSEND'S and HERMIT WARBLERS. Given this, it was perhaps not surprising that the best bird was a singing adult male HERMIT x TOWNSEND'S WARBLER. This bird had the head of a Hermit Warbler, but lots of yellow below the black bib and black flank streaks like a Townsend's Warbler. The back was somewhat intermediate between those of the parent species. Two non-cooperative Empidonax flycatchers eluded identification. A pair of CANADA GEESE flying southeast was a surprise this far into the Diablo Range. A female COMMON MERGANSER along the creek was also of interest this late in the season. Searching out a weakly singing YELLOW WARBLER at Twin Gates turned up at least 2 more HERMIT WARBLERS and 3 AUDUBON'S YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. A pair of COMMON MERGANSERS was on Grant Lake and a pair of WOOD DUCKS and a GREEN HERON were at the marshy pond along the Canal Trail, along with a few migrants. A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was singing atop its usual hill near the McCreery Lake trailhead. Over at the Ranch House a cooperative white-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was hanging out with a lone GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. More singing warblers were also here despite the mid-day hour. On the way out I was surprised to see a late pair of RING-NECKED DUCKS on the farm pond up near the white barn. Lots of confirmed breeding by resident species, including an ACORN WOODPECKER nest with young at Twin Gates and a HUTTON'S VIREO carrying food at milepost 15.48. Totals for various species this morning: 3 FORSTER'S TERNS at Grant Lake, including a copulating pair 5 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES 6 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS 3 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES 16+CEDAR WAXWINGS 1 CASSIN'S VIREO 6 HUTTON'S VIREOS 19 WARBLING VIREOS 4 YELLOW WARBLERS (3 singing males, 1 female) 5 AUDUBON'S YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS 23 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS (mostly males) 9 HERMIT WARBLERS (mostly females) 18 WILSON'S WARBLERS 3 WESTERN TANAGERS 12 LAZULI BUNTINGS (all males) 5 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS (4 at Smith's Creek) 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]]