[SBB] Palo Alto CBC (along the Bay)

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

Folks:

Yesterday, 12/19/05, I counted along the Bay.  Basically, I covered 
Shoreline Lake and Park, the Mountain View Forebay, Salt Ponds A1 and A2W, 
and the Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh.  I haven't written up my notes yet, so 
this is sort of winging it.  On Shoreline Lake, I found the male and two 
female BARROW'S GOLDENEYES that have been there since November plus two 
juveniles, that appeared to be females.  I tried to search out the Canada 
flocks on the golf course, but never found more than a couple of dozen and 
no Snow Geese as were around a few weeks ago.  A GOLDEN EAGLE was in the 
transmission tower along Permanente Creek, not far from the club 
house--according to the workers, he has been a regular feature this winter.
Nearby was an adult male MERLIN. Seven FORSTER'S TERNS over the lake were 
good for the winter time.

I checked Charleston Slough before counting on Salt Pond A1.  The BLACK 
SKIMMERS were there on the low tide and I counted 29.  Later, they coursed 
over A1 as well.  The salt pond had mostly Ruddy Ducks.  I had a couple 
more FORSTER'S TERNS and about four BONAPARTE'S GULL.

Bicycling over to Salt Pond A2W I saw one BURROWING OWL in the mound across 
from Michael's.  The number of ducks on A2W was way below recent 
years.  Most were Ruddy Ducks and scaup species and were out at the Bay 
edge of the pond.  I did walk out there in late afternoon and amongst the 
200-300 American Wigeon, I found a single male EURASIAN WIGEON, a real drop 
from recent years.  Along the near edge of the pond, next to  the bike 
path, was a CACKLING GOOSE, apparently the Aleutian subspecies.

In the Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh, on the high tide, I found an intergrade 
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, that is, a bird part way between the North American and 
Eurasian subspecies (soon to be separate species?).

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler 


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