[SBB] WT Sparrow, Merlin at San Francisquito Creek

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

All,

Today during my lunch hour walk along San Francisquito Creek in Palo Alto, I located a tan-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW associating with a small flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. The bird was in exactly the same location as last year, the year before that AND the year before that: right across the street from 320 Palo Alto Avenue (a condominium complex). I observed the flock from behind the green mail box and watched for the White-throat to appear from beneath the bush that grows between the tree stump and the yellow fire hydrant. As hoped, he did appear and foraged cautiously for a few moments in the open. Eventually the flock began to move left (twoard the intersection with Poe and Bryant), but in years past the flock has been found anywhere from the pedestrian bridge to the three-way intersection. It seems as if the White-throat is a little more wary than its associates, and it usually comes out only after several Golden-crowns have decided its safe.

A few minutes later, a very dark MERLIN came cruising  downstream, low over the water, causing a great panic among the many small birds. Other species seen in the general area include DOWNY and  NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, CALIFORNIA and SPOTTED TOWHEE, SONG and FOX SPARROWS, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and HERMIT THRUSH.

Matthew Dodder
http://www.birdguy.net

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