From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Thu Jun 3 14:37:42 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i53LZCim006780 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 3 Jun 2004 14:35:12 -0700 (PDT) Received: from imo-m26.mx.aol.com (imo-m26.mx.aol.com [64.12.137.7]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i53LXqcu006732 for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 3 Jun 2004 14:33:52 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [[email protected]] by imo-m26.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v37_r2.6.) id t.b8.59d94349 (18707) for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 3 Jun 2004 17:33:45 -0400 (EDT) From: [[email protected]] Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 17:33:45 EDT To: [[email protected]] MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5111 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5b1 Subject: [SBB] Alum Rock Phainopepla(s) 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, At around 11:30 this morning Frank Vanslager and I saw a male PHAINOPEPLA fly from the tallest Pepper tree located below and to the right of Eagle Rock (when viewed from the North Rim Trail). Shortly thereafter Frank located a female Phainopepla perched on a bare tree down and to the left of the first tree. The female then flew up toward the top and behind the first tree appearing to the right of this tree at the top of another bare tree. Meanwhile the male was making repeated forays from the top outer area (11 o'clock in about 3-4 feet) of the first tree to other trees in the area and we lost sight of the female (she was not seen again in the next 45 minutes or so). During at least two trips to an Oak tree near the trail the male returned with food in it's beak (something small and bight yellow the first time and a green caterpiller/grub the second time). The male was extremely aggressive toward any other bird near the first tree, chasing off LESSER GOLDFINCHES, OAK TITMICE and an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. After 20 minutes or so we became aware of a second male Phainopepla! The two males made fairly long flights to some of the trees and bushes in the area (even across the trail). One of the males then started chasing the other around the base of the bare tree to the right of the first Pepper tree. Eventually one of the males flew left over the crest of the hill and out of sight. After a couple more forays the male was not seen for several minutes and we left. Later as we prepared to leave from the Rustic Lands Parking lot we were easily able to re-find the male flying near the first Pepper tree (binos only as the scopes were already in the car). Earlier we had tried for but failed to find the White-faced Ibis in Adobe Creek (and a lot of other nearby places) and the Blue Grosbeak in Ed Levins Sycamore Gulch. "Notables" today include a pair (male & female) of REDHEAD in the North Pond and a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL in another pond of the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin and a partially leucistic male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (huge areas of white) below and just before the Sycamore Gulch. We also had perhaps two dozen BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and at least two GREAT BLUE HERONS in the Palo Alto dump. This seemed unusual but there must be something "finger licking" good there for them to be up during the day. Take care, Bob Reiling _______________________________________________ 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]]