From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Mon Jan 5 10:46:12 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i05IhG2m002061 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:43:16 -0800 (PST) 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 i05Ifx1l001983 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:41:59 -0800 (PST) Received: from rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/NAS-6n) with ESMTP id i05Ifw78089256 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:41:58 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/Submit) id i05IfwwS088961 for [[email protected]]; Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:41:58 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:41:58 -0800 (PST) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] WTSP, NAWA, and RUFF still present 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, Yesterday 1/4/04, I tried for a number of rarities that had been present in late 2003. I started out at Shoreline Lake, where no big surprises were present. At least 2 HORNED GREBES were on the lake. Somewhat unexpected was a LONG-BILLED CURLEW foraging at the edge of the lake not far from a MARBLED GODWIT. Once it warmed up a bit, I headed over to the Charleston Road Marsh, where I managed to refind the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW behind 1330 Charleston Road, but had no luck with the Northern Waterthrush. Next it was on to the Sunnyvale WPCP. I spent a fair amount of time birding the eucalyptus and pepper trees along Borregas and Caribbean, but ended up mainly with countless YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS for the effort. Climbing the closed landfill west of the parking area, I scoped a group of 28 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in pond A4. The southern shore of the west pond had a male EURASIAN WIGEON and a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL was in the reedy channel adjacent to the Lockheed property. At least 10 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS were foraging low over the western side of the landfill and the adjacent Lockheed ponds. More surprising were a short-tailed BARN SWALLOW and 2 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS also foraging there. A lutescens ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was in the fennel below the hillside. I arrived at the Overfelt Gardens shortly after 12:30pm and spent nearly an hour birding the area around the little stream in the Chinese Cultural Garden before getting good looks at the wintering female NASHVILLE WARBLER. This bird is very hard to find, as it is quiet and forages slowly and deliberately in dense oaks (often with ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS). I did finally hear it chip once yesterday, but this was after I had already found the bird. There were also 3 to 4 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS in the park, including one gray-headed bird that was doing its best Nashville Warbler imitation, complete with a white patch between the legs. The real Nashville Warbler is shorter-tailed, has a complete whitish eyering rather than a hint of eye arcs under a vague pale supercilium, and has more extensive white near the legs that extends nearly up to the wing on either side. I also had 7+ TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS to make a 5-warbler day. Among 8+ DARK-EYED JUNCOS was one of the "SLATE-COLORED" JUNCOS. Also of note was a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. I next headed to Alviso, immediately finding the immature male RUFF in the pond on the right side of the entrance road just after you cross the railroad tracks on the way into the EEC. The BARN OWL was in the EEC nest box and 5 BURROWING OWLS were at Arzino Ranch. The gull roost on the dike south of A16 and on the adjacent islands in the southwest corner of the pond had no Glaucous Gulls, but I did find at least 28 THAYER'S GULLS of various ages and 30+ MEW GULLS were swimming on the pond itself. I had to make a quick drop at the SCVAS office at McClellan Ranch Park. Some quick birding added a male HAIRY WOODPECKER, 1 VARIED THRUSH, an agitated HUTTON'S VIREO, and a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (in the pines by the office). The first three species brought my Santa Clara County year list to 155 species - only 102 to go to beat last year! :) 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]]