From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Tue May 27 10:26:37 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h4RHO5a1002391 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 27 May 2003 10:24:05 -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 h4RHNMfF002352 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 27 May 2003 10:23:22 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.9.3p2/8.9.3/NAS 8.9.3-5n) id KAA31822 for [[email protected]]; Tue, 27 May 2003 10:23:21 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 10:23:21 -0700 (PDT) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Henry Coe Park to Los Cruzeros 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, Having had little luck with target birds in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Saturday, I opted for a day-long hike in Henry Coe SP on Sunday 5/25/03, hoping for Canyon Wren, Black-chinned Sparrow, and unusual late migrants. Unfortunately my success at locating the target species was no better than on Saturday :( I had anticipated making the trip from Coe headquarters down to China Hole, north to Poverty Flat along Coyote Creek, and then back up the Poverty Flat Road, but when I failed to find Canyon Wrens at China Hole I started checking other portions of Coyote Creek, heading up through The Narrows to Los Cruzeros, south down Kelly Cabin Canyon for 3/4 mile, then bushwhacking upslope back north until dropping back into Coyote Creek, working the creek almost to the Arnold Horse Camp (including bushwhacking straight up the east side of the canyon to Willow Ridge to check out a cliff), then returning south to Los Cruzeros, back through The Narrows to China Hole, north to Poverty Flat, and out along the road as planned. I ended up covering just over 16 miles with about 2750 feet of elevation and took almost 11 hours to do it (offtrail work and creek hopping is slow going...). I ended up spending time in five different breeding bird atlas blocks and did manage to get several new breeding confirmations in some of them. Driving to Coe in the morning I saw 3 WILD TURKEYS in the hills just above Morgan Hill and a CASPIAN TERN at the south end of Anderson Reservoir. Coe was packed with people for the Memorial Day weekend. The campgrounds were all full and even the overflow parking lot was full with cars. I was early enough (7am) that I just managed to find a vacated space near the headquarters before new Sunday arrivals pulled in. The area was still shrouded in heavy fog, but this burned off completely in a couple of hours. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER sang from the hilltop to the north as I paid my parking fee. Starting down the Corral Trail, I had a singing male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER in a small fog-free patch with a flock containing family groups of chickadees, titmice, an bushtits - the tail end of migration for this species. I flushed a family of CALIFORNIA QUAIL (very small young) just before turning off onto the Springs Trail. Two GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were singing near the Arnold Spring and the only WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE I had all day was singing near hear. At Manzanita Point I had 4 singing male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS and the only two CASSIN'S VIREOS of the day. Also several BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS and the first of many PURPLE FINCHES for the day. A pair of COMMON RAVENS roamed the area - they were not noted here during the atlas years and may be expanding in the Diablo Range as well :( As I started down the China Hole Trail, I surprised 6 strutting male WILD TURKEYS, all vying for the attention of two females. Although the chaparral along this trail failed to yield any Black-chinned Sparrows, I did have 7 singing male SAGE SPARROWS and an agitated female carrying food for young (new breeding confirmation for block 3015!). The only other late migrants were seen here as well, a flock of 45 CEDAR WAXWINGS heading northeast and a dull immature female YELLOW WARBLER foraging in the chaparral. A calling WESTERN TANAGER a bit further down the trail was likely a local breeder, as it was exactly where I found a nest with young last year. At China Hole a pair of WOOD DUCKS flew over and the first of many creekside BLACK PHOEBES was in evidence (I had many breeding confirmations along the creeks down here, including used nests and families feeding young). A mangy COOPER'S HAWK flying south over The Narrows was missing many of its inner primaries and did not have obvious distended white crissal feathers - perhaps a first-summer non-breeding bird. In the wide open flats near Los Cruzeros I had KILLDEERS doing distraction displays among the many hikers and campers that filled the valley. BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were gathering food and feeding young along Coyote Creek here as well. Heading southeast into block 3510, I found 2 more singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, several PURPLE FINCHES, and a pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES. Bushwhacking over the ridge back north into block 3515 turned up the only CALIFORNIA THRASHER of the day and a HOUSE WREN nest with young. Back down at Coyote Creek the highlight was a pair of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS among at least 3 more pairs of KILLDEER. This species was previously unrecorded in this block. Looking up to Willow Ridge to the east I noted a promising looking cliff with lots of "white wash" and "pink wash", usually a sign that Prairie Falcons are present (indeed I found out later that this cliff has been used by PRAIRIE FALCONS for nesting in the past). Despite requiring a climb of 550 feet elevation straight up the canyon wall through somewhat open chaparral, I optimistically headed up there. During my ascent I noted two flyovers of an adult GOLDEN EAGLE (possibly the same bird). But when I reached the cliff there were no raptors - it appears the falcons may have already fledged :( On my trip back down I did find a singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, the only one of the day. The trip out was hot and dry as I hadn't packed enough water (or any food) for the expanded itinerary :(. I did find a BROWN CREEPER feeding young in the cool shaded portion of Coyote Creek between China Hole and Poverty Flat and heard a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (rare in the Diablo Range) near the start of the Frog Lake Trail where Poverty Flat Road rises up from Coyote Creek. Other highlights for the day included 15 HUTTON'S VIREOS (seems like a good number for the Diablo Range - because of the wet spring?), many WARBLING VIREOS (including at least 16 in block 3015 alone!), 15 LAZULI BUNTINGS, and a grand total of only 1 (?!) LARK SPARROW. Significant breeding bird post-atlas records: Block 2515 (1.2 hours): none Block 3015 (4.2 hours): new breeding confirmations for BROWN CREEPER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and SAGE SPARROW. Upgrade status of YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE to probable/pair, and, like last year, a pair of COMMON RAVENS. Block 3010 (1.0 hours): new breeding confirmation for BUSHTIT. Previously unrecorded species: COOPER'S HAWK (non-breeder?), YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE, LAZULI BUNTING. Block 3510 (1.7 hours): none Block 3515 (2.6 hours): Previously unrecorded species: courting pair of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, HUTTON'S VIREO. Pairs of WRENTIT and PURPLE FINCH upgrade status to probable. Mike Rogers _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. 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