[SBB] Palo Alto CBC (12/19/2005) Results

[Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>]

   Preliminary results of the Dec. 19 Palo Alto CBC indicate a tally of
156 species.  This is at the low-end of recent counts, with last year's
169 toward the high end.  While advance weather forecasts had threatened
rain, it only occurred at very early hours for the highest elevations;
on the other hand, those areas also had to put up with some fog and much
wind.  Lower down, it was overcast nearly all day, but mild, with daytime
winds fairly light.

   Several factors account for much of the difference from last year:
(a) Weather severely hampered owling at the upper elevations (toward
    Skyline Drive); neither N. Saw-whet Owl nor N. Pygmy-Owl was found.
(b) Most years we find Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot and Sanderling, but
    generally only at San Francisquito Creek mouth on exposed mud; this
    year, the mudflats were covered throughout daytime hours.
(c) Last year was an invasian year for irruptive Finches (and some other
    species); this year was quite the opposite.  For example, Pine Siskins
   dropped from 845 to zero (so far as is known from the countdown).

   The long-staying Rusty Blackbird at Bayfront Park was unfortunately
not found despite an intensive effort; it will be only a count-week bird.
The best bird found was the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker near 1025 San Mateo
Drive in Menlo Park -- congratulations to Carol Masterson, Martha O'Neal
and Joe Macho for that find.  This was a first-ever for the Palo Alto
count.  Also new to the count, but much more expected, was the recently-
new species Cackling Goose, with three found at Bayfront Park (I think)
and one by a Santa Clara Co. salt pond.  Rounding out the rarest finds
was an unidentified Grosbeak (either Rose-breasted or Black-headed) at
Stanford.

   Other interesting finds included a Greater White-fronted Goose at
the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant; 2 Eurasian Wigeons (low);
about 12 Blue-winged Teal; 5 BArrow's Goldeneyes at Mountain View
Shoreline Lake (high, but not our most ever); an intergrade Green-winged
Teal (American-Eurasian) in the Stevens Creek area; 29 Black Skimmers
at and near Charleston Slough (our highest count ever); 6 Tree Swallows
at the Lockheed ponds (elsewhere there were 6 unidentified Swallows);
an Orange-crowned Warbler at the Lockheed ponds; and a long-present
Yellow Warbler along Stevens Creek.  Wild Turkeys continue on their
upswing in the circle; while for the second year in the row (after
a precipitous decline) no Tricolored Blackbirds were found.

   I'd like to particularly thank Jack Cole for organizing the whole
effort, especially challenging this year with unfilled vacancies in
two of eight regional-coordinator slots.  And thanks of course to
all of our enthusiastic counters.
							   Al Eisner

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