[SBB] weekend birding 2-3 Apr 05

["Michael Mammoser" <[[email protected]]>]

On Saturday, 2 Apr 05, I stopped to check the vernal pool at the north end
of Coyote Valley. Ducks remaining here included MALLARD, GADWALL,
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 7 BUFFLEHEAD, 3 CINNAMON TEAL, and 3 HOODED MERGANSERS.
Two of the mergansers were female and one was a young male, in female-like
plumage but having the white patch on the side of the head. At least 15
GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 1 BLACK-NECKED STILT were accompanying a handful of
AMERICAN AVOCETS. One breeding-plumaged EARED GREBE was also present.

I then went to Ogier Ponds, where I found my season's first WESTERN KINGBIRD
and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (a male HOODED ORIOLE showed up outside my house last
week). The pond near the model airplane park had 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 6
BUFFLEHEAD, and a RUDDY DUCK. A SORA was calling from the bulrushes here. On
way back, a male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was feeding on flowers along the
entrance road before zooming off towards the northeast, and an immature
GOLDEN EAGLE soared overhead. The ponds north of the entrance road had a
number of SCAUP, with GREATERS outnumbering LESSERS by 48 to 5. Heading back
to the car, I saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK fly by.

On Sunday, 3 Apr 05, I visited Almaden Quicksilver Park at the Mockingbird
Hill entrance. A PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER was calling unseen from the trees
and a HERMIT THRUSH was singing upslope. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS were around
in numbers, "speeing" in the trees. A COOPER'S HAWK was hanging around the
parking lot, where they have bred in the past. 

I moved on to Alamitos Road, where it intersects with Hicks Road by Almaden
Reservoir. I had at least 6 HOUSE WRENS singing between here and the O'Days.
A WARBLING VIREO was singing up the hill on the other side of the road, and
I heard at least 1 PINE SISKIN fly overhead. A small flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROWS was still present, near the O'Days' driveway.

On Monday, 4 Apr 05, I found a pair of COOPER'S HAWKS building a nest about
35-40 feet up in a cottonwood tree on Great America property next to our
parking lot at work, in Santa Clara. One bird is an adult and looks like a
male, with a fairly gray back and fluffed-out white undertail coverts. He
broke off a couple small branches from nearby trees and worked them into the
nest. The other bird is an immature and, I assume, the female. She once flew
to the nest and just turned around in it, I suppose testing the fit. 

On Tuesday, 5 Apr 05, I saw a pair of AMERICAN CROWS carrying nesting
material to the top of a pine tree at the corner of Mission College Blvd and
Agnew Road in Santa Clara. Also, a male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was carrying
food to a location in the bulrushes bordering the Great America Pond, next
to San Tomas Aquino Creek. 

Michael Mammoser



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