From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Fri Dec 24 08:42:49 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id iBOGeSlG002855 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 24 Dec 2004 08:40:29 -0800 (PST) Received: from sccrmhc11.comcast.net (sccrmhc11.comcast.net [204.127.202.55]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id iBOGdAYK002811 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 24 Dec 2004 08:39:11 -0800 (PST) Received: from 204.127.205.147 ([204.127.205.147]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc11) with SMTP id <2004122416391001100b136ge>; Fri, 24 Dec 2004 16:39:10 +0000 Received: from [67.169.121.5] by 204.127.205.147; Fri, 24 Dec 2004 16:39:09 +0000 From: [[email protected]] To: [[email protected]] Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 16:39:09 +0000 Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: AT&T Message Center Version 1 (Nov 22 2004) X-Authenticated-Sender: bS5tLnJvZ2Vyc0Bjb21jYXN0Lm5ldA== MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5b1 Subject: [SBB] Palo Alto CBC - 12/20/04 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]] All, Sorry for the delay in putting this together... On Monday 12/20/04, I covered the Palo Alto Baylands and Moffett Field for the Palo Alto CBC. I started out taping for rails at the Mountain View Forebay before light, getting a response from 3 VIRGINIA RAILS and 3 SORAS. Moving over to the Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh, I heard at least 3 more SORAS and 6 VIRGINIA RAILS. More surprising, however, was a SWAMP SPARROW that began chipping right under the wooden footbridge in response to my playing a taped Sora call. It was only 6:55am, so I couldn't see any plumage details on this Song-Sparrow shaped bird, but the call was very distinctive and repeated. A quick check of the Palo Alto Golf Course pond at the end of Geng Road showed it to be empty at 7:15am, so I headed on to the old yacht harbor at the end of Embarcadero Way. The dense fog greatly hampered my ability to see birds here, but among the many GREEN-WINGED TEAL was an apparent EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL right offshore. The bird was courting females with male AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, lacked any obvious white shoulder bar, and had an extensive, broad white scapular line running the length of the body. Given the fog, however, I could not look carefully for isolated white feathers where the shoulder bar should be, as on the hybrid in Stevens Creek. Still, the white scapular line on the Stevens Creek hybrid is shorter, narrower, and buffier than that of the true Eurasian there, which this bird's was not. After quickly checking the duck pond, I headed out to the interpretive center parking area and hiked out to the channel along the airstrip. The high tide had forced the SWAMP SPARROW there to the edge of the path (right in the middle of the long row of recently placed sand bags on the right side of the path). I got good but brief views of this bird before it flew back to the flooded vegetation, but then had to spend almost 15 more minutes there to get additional good views of the bird. Unlike the bird earlier in the morning, this one chipped only once when flushed. I also heard 7 more VIRGINIA and 5 more SORA RAILS here. Up to now I had mostly been counting SPARROWS, MARSH WRENS, COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and other small passerines in the fog. Shortly after 8:30am, the fog finally lifted a bit and I could begin on the ducks and other birds further out in the marsh. I rechecked the yacht harbor and the duck pond just after 9:00am. A quick stop at the flowering eucalyptus near the water pollution control plant just off Embarcadero Road netted an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. The end of Embarcadero Way was less interesting for passerines, but a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL in the channel behind the Byxbee Park landfill was nice. I got back to the pond along Geng Road just before 10:30am, and this time the 5 GREATER WHIHTE-FRONTED GEESE were there with the CANADA GOOSE flock. The SPOTTED SANDPIPER was still in the creek at the end of the road, and by pishing I got both the YELLOW WARBLER and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER to show themselves. The tide was heading out, so I went back to the yacht harbor to check the exposed mudflats, which now had 38 MEW GULLS roosting there (but no Bonaparte's Gulls!). A few BLACK-BELLIED snd SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were nice, as was a MERLIN perched on a post in the marsh across the way. I jumped on my bike and pedalled out to the San Francisquito Creek delta, making it there by 11:50am as the flats were uncovering. It was a great shorebird day at this location, with many unusual birds. I had 20 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5 WHIMBRELS, and at least 18 SANDERLINGS. Among the 484 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were at least 5 SNOWY PLOVERS, the first I have seen at this location. I had three sightings of at least 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES, heard 2 CLAPPER RAILS, and watched 3 adult PEREGRINE FALCONS on the towers. A few FORSTER'S TERNS roosting at the mud edge were my only ones of the day. This spot normally also harbors dozens of Red Knots, but I saw none this day. Biking along the creek along the edge of the golf course didn't turn up much, so I headed over to check Stevens Creek from highway 101 to Crittenden Lane. There were two more PEREGRINE FALCONS along the creek, presumably the same pair that hangs out at the big wind tunnel on Moffett Field. I found the expected passerines along the creek, including 1 FOX SPARROW, 5 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (found by first hearing its chip note, as with all the OCWAs this day). A clear whistled "peeoo" call had me stumped until I traced the origin to a calling HERMIT THRUSH in the middle of a bush (flight call while sitting?). Just south of the Crittenden Lane bridge was the EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL swimming with a female teal and a pair of AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL (2:50pm to 2:56pm - when did you have your bird further north Bill?). This bird provided outstanding views right below me - but I didn't try to identify his mate. My coverage of Moffett Field didn't begin until 3:15pm. Highlights here included a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL with many CINNAMON TEAL in the Storm Water Pond south of Crittenden Marsh after 3:30pm. These birds were still present here the next day (photos taken), along with 14 TREE SWALLOWS (count week bird). I managed to find 2 pairs of BURROWING OWLS before starting my bike tour around the Moffett Field Golf Course. Highlights at the golf course included a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, 2 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS with the roosting RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD flock (can be tough to find in winter), and apparently the count's only WILSON'S SNIPE. Back at the car at 4:42pm, I heard at least 3 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS high over the big hanger but had no luck picking them out visually. I made another quick check of the Palo Alto yacht harbor on the way to Byxbee Park and caught a fast-flying flock of 270+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS leaving the water pollution control plant and heading out to the bay at 4:55pm - my first of this species for the day! Biking out to the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin behind Byxbee Park failed to produce a Short-eared Owl, but I did hear 2 more CLAPPER RAILS from Hook's Isle and saw a BURROWING OWL along the slough edge as it was getting dark just after 5:15pm. 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]]