From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Wed Jan 21 18:53:54 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i0M2pFXX029661 for <[[email protected]]>; Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:51:16 -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 i0M2nptg029613 for <[[email protected]]>; Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:49:51 -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 i0M2no78185885 for <[[email protected]]>; Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:49:50 -0800 (PST) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/Submit) id i0M2noZR178165 for [[email protected]]; Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:49:50 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:49:50 -0800 (PST) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Ruff and many Tree Swallows 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, Today 1/21/04, I once again headed up to the Palo Alto Baylands during the mid-day high tide. The 9.72 foot tide only made it up to the bottom of the "S" on the post and no Black Rails were seen (although the mouse-eating CLAPPER RAIL, an exposed SORA, a female MERLIN, and an adult PEREGRINE FALCON did provide entertainment). After this, I headed to Alviso, hoping to gain more insight into the age and sex of the Ruffs being reported from New Chicago Marsh lately. West of the tracks (in the State and Spreckles pond), I located a LESSER YELLOWLEGS and, while watching it, a RUFF flew in. In flight the Ruff looked big like a Greater Yellowlegs and when it landed with the dowitchers it was clearly bigger and longer-legged, although perhaps not by as much as the male present in September. When a NORTHERN HARRIER flew overhead, all the birds became alert and when the RUFF stretched its neck up high it towered over the dowitchers. Eventually I was able to observe it next to a GREATER YELLOWLEGS. It was slightly smaller than the GRYE, but not by much. Based on this I believe the bird is a male and based on the grayish legs, an immature. The 64 MEW GULLS on the pond were more than I have noted here lately. The RUFF looked different to me than the RUFF I saw east of the tracks last Friday. That bird seemed warmer above, with broad yellow or golden buff fringes to the scapular and covert feathers, appeared to have some barring in the brightly edged tertials, and had a buff chest with a somewhat abrupt cutoff at the lower edge. Today's bird appeared to have grayish scapular and covert fringes that contrasted less strongly, no barring in the tertials, and a lack of buff in the chest, with a few blackish flecks that extended down the sides. Both birds had greenish gray legs, all dark bills, and seemed large like males (although the only direct size comparison for Friday's bird was to a Northern Shoveler). Given the different lighting and distances involved in these two observations, and the five days between the sightings, I suppose that it is possible that the two birds are the same - but I doubt it. It sure would be nice to have a detailed description from someone who has seen both birds together! While at the Baylands, Dean Manley told me of 3 apparent Tundra Swans that circled Shoreline Lake yesterday evening. This, combined with the observation of up to 7 Tundra Swans on the bay off Hayward over the weekend, led me to stop at the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant on the way back to work. From the top of the old landfill I was able to take advantage of the crystal clear air to scope all of the Alviso, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View salt ponds for swans. Unfortunately, all the big white things out there were AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS or EGRETS. The male EURASIAN WIGEON was still on the west pond, a pair (adult and immature) of PEREGRINE FALCONS was perched on one of the nearby towers, and 28+ RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were still on pond A4 - but with a single adult male COMMON MERGANSER this time! A large group of gulls is following the mergansers around and this could be a good place to look for the reported Lesser Black-backed Gull. Scanning above the Lockheed Ponds I counted 42+ SWALLOWS, apparently all TREE SWALLOWS, as I could find no other swallows species among them. 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]]