From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Thu Dec 9 09:24:45 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id iB9HLClI004537 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 9 Dec 2004 09:21:12 -0800 (PST) Received: from mail07b.vwh1.net (mail07b.vwh1.net [131.103.218.112]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with SMTP id iB9HJaYK004487 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 9 Dec 2004 09:19:37 -0800 (PST) Received: from www.hiddenvilla.org (209.238.180.140) by mail07b.vwh1.net (RS ver 1.0.95vs) with SMTP id 2-0334992012 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 9 Dec 2004 12:06:53 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <0c2b01c4de0f$c7825660$[[email protected]]> From: "Garth Harwood" <[[email protected]]> To: "SBB" <[[email protected]]> References: <000c01c4dce7$83dfb9d0$0e2ba143@DON011304> <[[email protected]]> Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 08:54:41 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 X-Loop-Detect: 1 Subject: [SBB] White-throated Sparrows; Hidden Villa birds X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5b1 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]] Hello all, Responding to some of Matthew Dodder's questions...when I think back on it, all of the White-throated Sparrows I've encountered in the area have been strongly associated with Golden-crowned Sparrows (strongly, because most of the individuals have remained in constant company with a particular flock at a particular site throughout the winter months). I have never seen one among White-crowneds or Juncos, but in the former case it may be because there aren't many WCSPs in my daily localities. The number of local individuals reported this year seems at the higher end of the normal range to me, but still normal. In general though, I get the sense that there are a lot of special passerines out there this winter, and it's a good time to brave the chancy weather and take a look. Hidden Villa's WTSP is still hanging around at our pig barn. Yesterday 12/8/2004 it was foraging (with GCSPs of course) in and around the mud in the pig yard after the kids left, at about 3PM. This bird is unambiguously tan-striped and its yellowish loral patch is hard to see well. Its throat patch is also rather dull. It has vague, diffuse streaking across breast and flanks as referred to in the NGS guide. Other HV birds lately have included a Winter Wren at the first bridges encountered along the Creek Trail (12/7); many Varied Thrushes working the Madrone berries, and last night a Great Horned Owl (only occasional here) and a Western Screech-Owl right behind the Education Bldg. --Garth Harwood ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matthew Dodder" <[[email protected]]> To: "Peggy Don" <[[email protected]]> Cc: "SBB" <[[email protected]]> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 10:24 PM Subject: Re: [SBB] White-throated Sparrow (Bubb Rd Percolation Pond) > Is this an unusually good year for WTSP? Maybe we're just getting > better at finding them, but it seems like they've been reported more > than in previous years... both in this county and in neighboring > counties. The Central Valley also seems to be experiencing good numbers > this season. My wife and I located two at Lodi Lake and our Palo Alto > group found another at San Luis NWR. It's also interesting to note the > number of "white-striped" individuals that are being located. All the > ones we have observed have been tan-striped but one had enough contrast > to almost qualify as "white-striped". Is there some data on the status > of these two varieties in our area? > > Is there any possibility that the same conditions that have caused the > increase of Red Crossbills in our county have also caused an increase > in WTSPs? Perhaps this is a stretch, but who knows? I'd love to hear > from anyone who might have thoughts. (For that matter, the number of > Eurasian Wigeons at SWPCP seems elevated. I think six in one day is our > high count and I can't remember seeing that many before.) > > It might also be interesting for people to make note of which sparrows > the WTs are foraging with. Most often it seems they prefer the company > of their shade-loving cousins, the Golden-crowneds, but I've heard at > least one report of them associating with White-crowneds in more > exposed areas. I've also noticed that of the individuals Cricket and I > have seen this season, they tend to be the last to emerge from cover, > allowing the Golden-crowneds to go first, I guess to make sure the > coast is clear... Is this what others have noticed? > > Matthew Dodder > http://www.birdguy.net > > > On Dec 7, 2004, at 9:33 PM, Peggy Don wrote: > > > SBBers: > > > > Late this afternoon (12/07/04) I stopped by the percolation pond off > > Bubb Rd in Cupertino. Looking over the sparrows on the side of the > > pond near the RR tracks, I found an adult white-striped WHITE-THROATED > > SPARROW. Initially it was foraging on the ground but soon flew up > > into a tree. I refound it a short distance away on the ground. It > > seemed quite skittish. Some walkers came by and scattered the group > > so I continued on my way. > > > > Peggy Don > > _______________________________________________ > > 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/ > > mdodder%40earthlink.net > > > > This email sent to [[email protected]] > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/gharwood%40hiddenvilla.org > > This email sent to [[email protected]] _______________________________________________ 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]]