From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Tue May 25 13:13:37 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i4PKAiin006614 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 25 May 2004 13:10:44 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mail07d.vwh1.net (mail07d.vwh1.net [207.201.152.72]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with SMTP id i4PK99cu006562 for <[[email protected]]>; Tue, 25 May 2004 13:09:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: from www.hiddenvilla.org (209.238.180.140) by mail07d.vwh1.net (RS ver 1.0.94vs) with SMTP id 3-0524695283; Tue, 25 May 2004 16:01:29 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <001e01c44292$dd8bc680$[[email protected]]> From: "Garth Harwood" <[[email protected]]> To: "SBB" <[[email protected]]> Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 12:59:54 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 X-Loop-Detect: 1 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5b1 Cc: [[email protected]], [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] Hidden Villa/Los Altos Hills birds 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]] Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by plaidworks.com id i4PKAiin006614 Hello all, The cherry tree in the kids' garden at Hidden Villa is bringing in hordes of fruit-eaters these days, not all of them human. At least one pair of Western Tanagers is regular, so it may be that their nesting tradition here continues, even though they are much sneakier than in past seasons. The tree also attracts several Black-headed Grosbeaks. On Friday 5/19/2004 young-of -the-year BHGR first appeared with them. On that day also, a robin-sized bird dove into the tree causing immense commotion; it turned out to be a very small Sharp-shinned Hawk, almost certainly male given the size. It has been seen once or twice since, in addition to the resident Cooper's Hawks. Yesterday 5/24, I took a short break from a meeting at the Duveneck House in the middle of the farm and immediately heard a Cassin's Vireo from the porch; as I listened to its eager repetitions, a pair of Vaux's Swifts chittered by overhead in close tandem. VASW have been daily here, usually just 2 at a time, for at least the past week. The chimney on the big house might make a nice spot for them...? Way back on Weds. 5/12, a solo female Lazuli Bunting was the only one of it's species to show itself at HV this year. Friday 5/21/04 I was checking nestboxes at Byrne Preserve on Altamont in Los Altos Hills (3 clutches of Western Bluebirds, 1 of Bewick's Wrens, and one of Oak Titmice fledged there so far) when I heard Cassin's Vireo song below. I went down to investigate, having heard their song at the same location repeatedly since April 24. Until now I just assumed these were migrants I was hearing. However, I found two singing CAVI interacting for at least 1 hour at the western boundary of the preserve, where it joins the Town of LAH's Artemas Ginzton Trail, a little-used public-access trail maintained by the town. They were in tall oaks there, and I was fairly certain that one of those I observed was carrying food. There was also a pair of Warbling Vireos there, AND a pair of Hutton's Vireos, the latter definitely carrying food. All of these came and went as I stood in one spot for about 45 minutes. A male Black-throated Gray Warbler passed through with the chickadees overhead. Song Sparrows, Oak Titmice, Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos were all feeding fledged young at that spot as well. There was still at least 1 CAVI there on a return visit yesterday afternoon. By walking down the path a bit farther I encountered 3 different Wilson's Warblers in song and another pair of Warbling Vireos. A full-adult Red-shouldered Hawk perched with fresh prey (a rat) was under assault by a half-dozen Steller's Jays. A pair of House Wrens is defending an oak snag nest site at the preserve as well. Ranging farther afield, I encountered a singing Chipping Sparrow while on a nestbox check at Arastradero Preserve Tues. 5/18. And I neglected to report a single (silent) Lark Sparrow at the Black Mtn. backpack camp (Monte Bello OSP) on 5/1/04. For what it's worth, I have not encountered any Western Wood-pewees at all in my north county haunts this year. Several of 'my' spots have had them regularly in past seasons. Good birding to all, Garth Harwood _______________________________________________ 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]]