[SBB] From Yellow-billed Magpie to Yellow-headed Blackbird

[Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>]

    The Magpie was the first bird that caught my attention while driving
up Mt. Hamilton Road this morning (toward Smith Creek).  The Blackbird
was my last species of the day.
    As reported to me by birders (including Les's group) who were leaving
as I arrived, Smith Creek was quite dead today.  I had no flocks, not a
single warbler, and even the usually-evident Black-headed Grosbeaks were
mostly silent (a couple did sing for a while).  I did hear a singing
Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Perhaps the nearly-complete cloud cover was
depressing activity.
    Fortunately, various birding stops en route along Mt. Hamilton Road,
and the Grant Ranch visitors center area, were much livelier, with lots of
Bullock's Orioles providing color.  (My total for the day was close to 20.)
No Grasshopper Sparrow heard at a spot (just up-road from Grant Lake) where
they've been in the past, but there was much other activity nearby.  At Twin
Gates I saw a couple of Western Tanagers and a Warbling Vireo,  and a walk
uphill (on a return visit) turned up a Lark Sparrow.  At mile 13.4, where
Mike Rogers had had a selasphorus bonanza last week, hummingbirds were
scarce today, with just Anna's detected, but there was (as often here)
a singing Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and a Wild Turkey was heard once.  At
mile 15.5 there was a persistently singing (but invisible) Orange-crowned
Warbler below the road.  I briefly heard two other warblers calling here:
one was a Wilson's, and I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) that the other
was a MacGillivray's Warbler.
    I was surprised not to see or hear Lazuli Bunting along the road,
but there was a male at the visitors center parking at Granch Ranch Park
(thanks to Tom Olsen).
    Since I haven't heard much from CCFS lately, I paid a visit after
lunch to check the ponds.  The settling ponds had ostensibly good
shorebird habitat, but hosted not a single shorebird -- just some
ducks.  The waterbird pond had only a few Avocets (I think the water
level is too low for much nesting), resting Dowitchers and about 130
bright Western Sandpipers.  More of the latter two were at the wet
Arzino fields along El Estero, but I didn't find any Yellowlegs here
today.  A pair of Burrowing Owls along Disk Drive may be nesting outside
the fenceline (seems risky!).
    Oh, that Blackbird:  a female-type Yellow-Headed Blackbird was on the
Arzino Ranch close to the northeast corner of the Jubilee Church parking
lot at 5 PM.  I didn't see which way it went when it left (I was scanning
for possible others), but the wet area here attracts blackbirds and
Starlings, so it's a good place to check.
								Al Eisner

_______________________________________________
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/list_fred_archives%40plaidworks.org

This email sent to [[email protected]]