From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Mon Jun 7 17:09:53 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i5807Tim003600 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:07:29 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mms1.broadcom.com (mms1.broadcom.com [63.70.210.58]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i5806Pcu003556 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:06:25 -0700 (PDT) Received: from 63.70.210.1 by mms1.broadcom.com with ESMTP (Broadcom SMTP Relay (MMS v5.6.0)); Mon, 07 Jun 2004 17:06:10 -0700 X-Server-Uuid: 97B92932-364A-4474-92D6-5CFE9C59AD14 Received: from mail-sjcw-3.sw.broadcom.com (mail-sjcw-3.sw.broadcom.com [10.20.128.23]) by mon-irva-11.broadcom.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id RAA29472 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:05:34 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mail-sjcw-1.broadcom.com (mail-sjcw-1.sw.broadcom.com [10.20.128.21]) by mail-sjcw-3.sw.broadcom.com (8.12.9/8.12.9/SSM3) with ESMTP id i58069kp021857 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:06:09 -0700 (PDT) Received: from PCSJCWMJM (dhcpe1-sjcw-118 [10.20.64.118]) by mail-sjcw-1.broadcom.com (8.12.9/8.12.4/SSM) with SMTP id i58069ku009657 for <[[email protected]]>; Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:06:09 -0700 (PDT) From: "Michael Mammoser" <[[email protected]]> To: SBB <[[email protected]]> Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 17:06:08 -0700 Message-ID: <010f01c44cec$66a21e70$[[email protected]]> MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 Importance: Normal X-WSS-ID: 6CDBDD782QW6073333-01-01 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by plaidworks.com id i5806Pcu003556 Subject: [SBB] Palo Alto SBC 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]] On Saturday, 5 Jun 04, I worked the Palo Alto Summer Bird Count, checking the area northwest of the Sunnyvale sewage ponds around to Stevens Creek, north of Moffett Field. Travelling up the south side of the West sewage pond, there were many CLIFF and BARN SWALLOWS working low over the old landfill and Lockheed ponds. The small wooden bridge at the southeast corner of A3W had about 18 BARN SWALLOWS evidently taking up quarters there, which seems like a large number for such a small structure. Their numbers were evidently reduced later when I heard a commotion behind me and turned to see a male NORTHERN HARRIER making off with a swallow in its talons. I couldn't make out the identity of the victim, but the cloud of mobbing birds around the harrier were all BARNS, so I assume it was one of them. I don't know how this predator was able to snag a swallow - that's quite a feat, it sems. The lagoon at the western corner of the sewage pond (actually an expansion of the parallel channel that bypasses the sewage pond) had a female BUFFLEHEAD. It sat sleeping the entire time I was there, so I couldn't determine an injury, if any. A group of COMMON RAVENS, including recently fledged young, were on a power tower containing a nest at the corner of this pond as well. A flyby CASPIAN TERN was seen here also. Across the channel, in the Lockheed Ponds, I had 4 CINNAMON TEAL in with the greater numbers of MALLARD and GADWALL. Seven male NORTHERN SHOVELERS were in the western corner of the sewage pond, and were the only members of this species I saw this day. Over at the barge dock on Guadalupe Slough, there was work going on for the salt pond restoration, but I was able to access the area for counting. A pair of EUROPEAN STARLINGS is breeding in the broken light on a pole at the dock (CF, FS), as they have for years. A number of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS are also breeding around the wooden pier at the end of the sewage pond channel (CN, CF), right near the barge dock, as they have for years. The blackbirds are interesting, in that they are away from the more typical breeding habitats that these birds use. Whether they are nesting in the bulrush surrounding the pier, or on ledges under the pier itself, is hard to determine. I had a hybrid gull on the slough itself, most likely a GLAUCOUS-WINGED x WESTERN GULL. At the southwest corner of A3W I found 4 CLARK'S GREBES (surprisingly, no Westerns). Salt pond B2 was interesting for all the breeding terns and gulls. The FORSTER'S TERNS were limited to one of the southern-most islands, where 103 birds were mostly sitting on nests and mate feeding (I did see an egg or two). The rest of the islands were being used by CALIFORNIA GULLS. I counted 309 adults and 118 precocial young of various ages, with some adults still in incubating positions. A small grassy island on the west side of the pond had a single pair of WESTERN GULLS sitting on a nest. A power tower at the north end of B2 had 4 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT nests, with one of them having young birds and the rest being sat upon. A power tower at the south end of salt pond A3N had a COMMON RAVEN sitting on a nest in an incubating position. The tide was well out on the open bay and the water line was too far away to see any birds that might have been out there. There were single LONG-BILLED CURLEW and WHIMBREL at the mouth of Guadalupe Slough, in with the numerous AMERICAN AVOCETS. The slough itself has served as a safe haven for the local injured ducks (the duck hospital, as Mike Rogers calls it), and this year was no exception. It contained a male AMERICAN WIGEON (with an injured right wing), a pair of NORTHERN PINTAIL (with injured left wings), and a male CANVASBACK (with indeterminate injuries). The rest of the loop around A2E and Crittenden Marsh was uneventful, except for a CASPIAN TERN flying by. LESSER SCAUP were liberally scattered about the various salt ponds, many paired up. On Sunday, 6 Jun 04, I stopped at the Coyote Creek Golf Course, where I found a small-form CANADA GOOSE in with the larger varieties. The subspecific identity of this goose was difficult to determine. It had a flat head, much like the Aleutian race, but the white cheek patches wrapped around under the chin and it lacked any white neck ring. The breast coolor was darker than the larger geese, but gave no real indication of subspecies. Mike Mammoser _______________________________________________ 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]]