From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Tue Jun 1 12:01:08 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i51Iweiv012680 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:58:41 -0700 (PDT) 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 i51IvWcu012626 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:57:32 -0700 (PDT) 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 i51IvRwO067116 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:57:27 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from mrogers@localhost) by rtjones.nas.nasa.gov (SGI-8.12.5/8.12.5/Submit) id i51IvRl6075241 for [[email protected]]; Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:57:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:57:27 -0700 (PDT) From: "Dr. Michael M. Rogers" <[[email protected]]> Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] BBS survey - 5/30/04 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, On Sunday 30 May I surveyed my Breeding Bird Survey route, which runs along Metcalf Road west to Parkway Lakes, south along Monterey Highway to Bailey Road, up to Calero Reservoir, through New Almaden to Almaden Reservoir, and finishes up at Guadalupe Reservoir. The weather was nice and I ended up with a record number of birds (1253; previous ten-year average 1027) for the 11 years I have surveyed this route. The species count of 85 was also higher than average (82), placing third over the same 11 years. The count was bolstered by 128 ROCK PIGEONS, 120 of which were in one large flock along McKean Road. This number is not unprecedented, however, as the Rock Pigeon total has reached 166 in 1996. Blackbird numbers were down, with 40 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (10-yr average of 80), 47 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS (10-yr average of 61), and 48 EUROPEAN STARLINGS (10-yr average of 58), but up were AMERICAN CROWS (with 64 nearly doubling the 10-yr average) and HOUSE FINCHES (with a record 90 birds at 29 stops being well above the 10-yr average of 57). There is still water in Bailey Cove, and this habitat yielded four BLACK-NECKED STILTS, a new species for the route. The birds were involved in territorial behavior, which is of great interest since they are not known to breed here. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were also found near Calero Reservoir, the first in seven years on this route. An adult was feeding two fledged young about halfway between Bailey Cove and the boat launch and another was chasing a HOUSE FINCH (and in turn being chased by CLIFF SWALLOWS) at the boat launch turnoff. The GOLDEN EAGLE nest near Calero Reservoir was empty, resulting in only the third year in which I have missed this species on the route. A WILSON'S WARBLER and a WESTERN TANAGER (both not found every year) were singing near the confluence of Rincon and Guadalupe Creeks; a CASSIN'S VIREO was farther downstream, but none was detected at any of the survey's 50 stops (missed in 2003 and 2001 also!, down from a high of 6 in 1994). A WESTERN TANAGER in oak savannah along Metcalf Road between the motorcycle park and the the United Technologies Plant was likely a migrant. WHITE-TAILED KITES were around in numbers, with a total of 6 tying the high count first obtained in 2000; in 4 of the past 11 years none has been found anywhere along the route. Other more notable birds included 5 WOOD DUCKS (3 at Almaden Reservoir and 2 at Guadalupe Reservoir), a female-plumaged COMMON MERGANSER near the dam at Guadalupe Reservoir (outside the survey area), 2 CASPIAN TERNS at Calero Reservoir, 3 GREAT HORNED OWLS along San Felipe Road east of Metcalf Road, 4 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES (close to the 10-yr average of 5), 2 BROWN CREEPERS (10-yr average of 0.3!), 6 YELLOW WARBLERS (a record high), 2 LAZULI BUNTINGS along Metcalf Road, 41 SPOTTED TOWHEES eclipsing the previous high count of 35 from 2001, 2 RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS in Metcalf Canyon, 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS along Metcalf Road, an adult male TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD feeding with a small group of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS on the dirt pile that will become a new overpass at Bailey Road an Monterey Highway, and 3 HOODED ORIOLES. After the survey, I headed back to Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve and hiked the trail to Black Mountain. No Black-chinned Sparrows in evidence, but I did hear a SWAINSON'S THRUSH calling from a moist shady area along the trail to Black Mountain and had a fly-over LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH just west of the locked gate back at the road. 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]]