Re: [SBB] Western Tanager & Spotted Sandpipers

[Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>]

Dear Randy and everyone,

At 12:24 PM 4/27/05, [[email protected]] wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Another recent sighting has given rise to a question.  Yesterday, Tuesday, 
> I was birding along San Fransquito Creek at the end of Geng Rd in Palo 
> Alto.  I saw two Spotted Sandpipers foraging together.  Usually seen as 
> single individuals in the Bay Area, I was wondering if there have ever 
> been any evidence of breeding in or around the South Bay?  I think of them 
> breeding being more in the Sierras.

They nested along the Russian River at the end of the 19th century, but 
nesting further south appears more recent, at least if you look only at 
first nesting records.  In Santa Clara County our first record was in 1989 
and we found them nesting in scattered locations in four blocks during the 
atlas period of 1987 to 1993.  All nest locations have been in low-gradient 
streams on the valley floor.  Last year they nested at Almaden Lake.

We have irregularly had birds along the Bay edge in summer and we have 
discussed the possibility of breeding in some area with gravel, somewhat 
like the low-gradient stream beds they use now.  But our conclusion is that 
these are nonbreeding birds.


> The next question would be, do they pair up prior to moving to breeding areas?

Good question.  Another question is how does one define a pair.  Breeding 
pairs in the county have been very active with lots of calling to each 
other and flight displays, jumping in the air, etc.  Really quite 
spectacular.  Two birds without courtship behavior may be just two migrants 
or nonbreeders.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler 

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