[SBB] Arastradero Preserve 4/23/2005

["Garth Harwood" <[[email protected]]>]

The SCVAS birding by ear trip at Arastradero Preserve on Saturday 4/23/2005 got lucky in terms of weather. Steady rain in the early AM had cleared out by the 9AM start and the birds sang out their satisfaction with the improving conditions. About 16 people took a chance on the weather and were rewarded with excellent listening and viewing conditions on passable trails.

Best bird of the day for most of us was a pair of male Lawrence's Goldfinches at the junction of the De Anza and Meadowlark trails. They were feeding in thistles and fiddlenecks with a dozen or so Lesser Goldfinches, but also spent some time in the adjacent large oaks.

Above the pumphouse at Arastradero Lake we observed a delivery of nest material to an oak canopy by a White-tailed Kite, who then flew to a nearby treetop where she and her mate copulated briefly.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were practically a junk bird by day's end; at least six pairs were well observed at different points. Warbling Vireos were also numerous with 7 or so individuals accounted for. One WAVI pair was attending a lichen-dominated nest in the willows just above the trail near the farther pond. Also in that area we found two Western Wood-Pewees and we began to hear Lazuli Buntings. After a merry chase we had great looks at one singing male way out by the old caretaker's house site - only to find a M/F pair right beside the road when we finally got back there.  I figured there were at least 4 LAZB for the day. Two Wilson's Warblers along the creek were reluctant to show themselves to most of our group.

Perhaps it was the cool weather but there were fewer raptors than usual for the location and the swallows were unusually quiet - a trio of Northern Rough-winged Swallows was actually the most vocal of the lot. I detected no Cliff Swallows or either species of swift, which I have come to more or less expect when I bird there for more than a couple of hours in April.

--Garth Harwood
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