[SBB] More visits to the Monte Bello Gate 5 pond

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

Hi all,

I tried to send this last Thurs. 8/18 but misaddressed it, so I don't think it ever made it to your inboxes. Sorry for the delay.

I have stopped in a couple more times recently at the little pond at Monte Bello's Gate 5. I have not relocated the Indigo Bunting seen here on Monday of this week. This morning 8/18/2005 there was a small family group of 3 Lazuli Buntings however (they were also seen close to the road on 8/16). Also present today were 3 Chipping Sparrows including 2 juveniles and an adult whose plumage is changing over to the winter pattern. The LAZB are pretty talkative in terms of calls but the CHSP are generally quiet and shy and stay to the interior of the willows and coyote brush. A bright, adult female Yellow Warbler was the first of the species I'd seen at this location. A silent Warbling Vireo and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were also of interest. (I have also seen an immature Cooper's up there lately.) On 8/16 there was an adult male Black-throated Gray Warbler at the pondside willows, and a family group of American Coots with very new precocial young, which represented an apparent third brood for the resident pair of adults.

I neglected to mention in my 8/15 post that I encountered no fewer than 8 Aquatic Garter Snakes within a few feet of the pond on that date (previous high count was 3). Dragonfly activity is much lower than a few weeks ago right now. The most notable change is the almost complete absence of the hundreds of Blue Dashers that were here at the beginning of the month (I mistakenly ID'd these as their look-alike Western Pondhawk, which were also present but in small numbers. Richard Greene has helped me sort that one out - thanks Richard.)

--Garth Harwood
_______________________________________________
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]]