[SBB] Long Ridge 04-16-05

[Matthew Dodder <[[email protected]]>]

All,

Eric Goodill and I scouted out Long Ridge OSP for an upcoming field 
trip with my Palo Alto Adult School class. If next week's experience is 
anything like today's, birding will most likely be an auditory 
experience, but the relative absence of mountain bikers made listening 
very productive, and we were please with our results. The trail was 
quite muddy in places, which is perhaps why there were so few bikers, 
but they will return eventually, despite the signs that clearly state 
"closed to bikers"...

We took the trail down to the Peter's Creek trail, hearing the loud 
call of PILEATED WOODPECKER twice along the way. In the heavy cover of 
the overarching canopy near the small wooden bridge were treated to the 
beautiful cascading songs of dueling WINTER WREN. Eventually we were 
able to view one of the tiny birds as it sang in a small tree just 
yards away. Present also was a HERMIT THRUSH skulking in the 
underbrush, and one of only two GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS encountered. 
Throughout our entire tour, we heard PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS almost constantly, 
but it was only in a few willow-heavy areas that we were able to see 
the slightly less-frequently-heard WILSON'S WARBLER. On occasion small 
groups of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS flew overhead. As we approached the small 
lake, the name of which I can't recall, we began to hear WARBLING VIREO 
more often. At the lake itself activity was slow, save for a single 
NORTHERN FLICKER a HAIRY WOODPECKER and a distant HERMIT WARBLER, the 
first of several for the day. As we climbed the switchbacks, passing 
through patches of dark coniferous woodland up toward Long Ridge Road, 
heard as many as 5 or 6 more widely spaced Hermit Warblers, but we were 
never able to view any of them. Along the top ridge itself, 
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, a small flock of PINE SISKIN were found and of 
course the view was absolutely stunning and stretched out forever! 
YELLOW-RUMPED and TOWNSEND'S  WARBLERS sang in this area as well BROWN 
CREEPER, BEWICK'S WREN and the ubiquitous STELLER'S JAYS. We followed 
the next trail back down toward the Peter's Creek encountering two more 
singing Hermit Warblers and at least 5 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS. 
Ample opportunity existed to compare these two songs as well as the 
trills of Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warblers and the somewhat 
similar Dark-eyed Juncos. SPOTTED TOWHEE were of course heard often 
too, doing their best to confuse us with their version of a trill. 
Missed was Western Tanager or Cassin's Vireo. Perhaps next time.

After reaching the car we made a quick stop at Russian Ridge where one 
more Hermit Warbler was heard but little else of note. Before wrapping 
up for lunch we made one more stop at the Los Trancos parking lot, 
hoping for a Bunting or two, but finding instead a BLUE-GRAY 
GNATCATCHER right near the entrance.

Matthew Dodder
http://www.birdguy.net

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