From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Fri Mar 5 17:37:00 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i261XSwj002381 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 5 Mar 2004 17:33:28 -0800 (PST) Received: from pintail.mail.pas.earthlink.net (pintail.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.122]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i261WkkF002332 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 5 Mar 2004 17:32:46 -0800 (PST) Received: from user-vcaunja.dsl.mindspring.com ([216.175.94.106] helo=pavilion.earthlink.net) by pintail.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1AzQgH-0004da-00 for [[email protected]]; Fri, 05 Mar 2004 17:32:45 -0800 Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.2.1 Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 17:41:07 -0800 To: [[email protected]] From: Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Subject: [SBB] Roadrunner, Pygmy-Owl (San Antonio Valley) 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]] Folks: Today, 3/5/2004, I made a trip to San Antonio Valley, driving up from Livermore and going over Mt. Hamilton. Spring is coming slowly to the high country, with only a few of the willows leafing out. The annual grasses seem to be growing equally well on both the unburned and burned areas in San Antonio Valley from last August's fires. If anything, the swaths of shooting stars seemed better on the burned areas. On the drive up from Livermore along Arroyo Mocho, I had a PHAINOPEPLA about M.P. 6, then a GREATER ROADRUNNER crossed the road at M.P. 9.15. I crossed into Santa Clara County about 0740 hrs and I stopped along Arroyo Mocho 0.55 mi. before the pavement marker 26 at a mailbox labeled "Casa de los Altos." Here, about 0800 hr, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was calling spontaneously. He seemed quite close, but as I looked around I eventually found him at the top of the ridge to the east. I went and got my scope and watched him give his "tooks," surrounded by his groupies, about 15 Purple Finch and a single Eur. Starling. Ah to be a rock star. At the Digger Pine Ranch, I saw a number of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS foraging. Later, I saw both Violet-green and TREE SWALLOWS inspecting oaks for nest sites in the center of the valley. We've never found them nesting in the valley before so we will have to wait and see if they stay. About a third of the way from San Antone Junction to the cattle guard to the north, I had good looks at a GREATER ROADRUNNER. A single LEWIS'S WOODPECKER was at the pond just before the dogleg (along with three WOOD DUCKS). At the last grove of valley oaks before the road turns west, I found five more LEWIS'S, just where they were last fall. Later, just east of the summit of Mt. Hamilton, I could only find a single LEWIS'S, from the group that apparently wintered there. Lots of water along Arroyo Bayo, with three more WOOD DUCKS, but nothing else unusual. Coming down the west side of Mt. Hamilton, things were quiet in the afternoon at Smiths Creek, but I did find a male PHAINOPEPLA at the top of the ridge to the east. I didn't seen anything unusual at Grant Lake or, later, at State and Spreckles. Bill _______________________________________________ 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]]