From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Thu Jan 1 16:15:45 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i020DU2s004277 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 1 Jan 2004 16:13:30 -0800 (PST) Received: from imo-r06.mx.aol.com (imo-r06.mx.aol.com [152.163.225.102]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i020CF1l004227 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 1 Jan 2004 16:12:16 -0800 (PST) Received: from [[email protected]] by imo-r06.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v36_r4.8.) id t.125.296ada59 (14374) for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 1 Jan 2004 19:12:06 -0500 (EST) From: [[email protected]] Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 19:12:06 EST To: [[email protected]] MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.2+ Subject: [SBB] Oka Ponds - Vasona 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]] Good afternoon Sbbers.... Happy Healthy (Birding) New Year to you and yours. Today I went to Oka Ponds to start my new year's list and had the greatest time. I entered through the Dell Avenue entrance....and walked the Campbell ponds first. In the largest pond were Gulls (didn't stop to ID), Mallards, Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks and Double-crested Cormorants. On the small island was a Great Egret. As I walked down towards Snipe Island there were lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers. When I got to Snipe Island it was totally under water...only Mallards and Coots swimming around. As I walked further I flushed a Great Blue Heron. In the third pond to my right were Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Gadwalls and Coots. In the trees were two Mockingbirds chasing each other..... I crossed the bridge and spotted Kathy Parker and we chatted about the birds we saw. She told me about the Merlin that had just left and we both watched a hawk that I would later identify as an immature Red-shouldered Hawk. In the largest Oka Pond were two pair of Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, Mallards and Ruddy Ducks....Two Belted Kingfishers were flying about and chasing each other....in the pond directly to my right were Lesser Scaup. I walked around the ponds to find Gold and White Crowned Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush, CA Towhee, House Finch, Scrub Jay, Black Phoebe and an Anna's Hummingbird. When I got back to the bridge I met up again with Kathy and she told me of the Downy Woodpecker and Ruby-crowned Kinglet she saw ...we crossed the bridge together and watched a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and then we both walked around the ponds from different directions. Crossing between the Campbell ponds I had a wonderful male Common Yellow-throat, 4 American White Pelicans flying around the ponds, a Black-crowned Night Heron, and a wonderful male Osprey flying over the ponds and then landing in the tree. I walked up to the Dell Avenue filtering ponds, where I once again met up with Kathy and we watched the Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead and a Snowy Egret. While talking with Kathy a Song Sparrow sang and we watched it along with a Black Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Gold and White-crowned Sparrows. Leaving Kathy for the last time I walked back through between the ponds and flushed my only Green Heron for the day.... On the lines were Rock Pigeons. Just before leaving I checked the Canada Geese for anything different..but nothing. I headed over to Vasona......what a difference a day makes....yesterday there were Bluebirds...today no Bluebirds and today over 100 Robins....The best bird at Vasona was the male Common Merganser with two females swimming along side of him, another was sleeping on a log sticking out of the water...Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as American Golfinch....A flock of Cedar Waxwings over head. I was totally surprised by the number of Coots....must have been at least 200....On my way out I watched an Acorn Woodpecker. Other species seen today (yard and along my walk), American Crow, Bewick's Wren, Lesser Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Oak Titmouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee...... Wishing you all good birding and my best regards, Linda Sullivan _______________________________________________ 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]]