[SBB] Alamitos Creek Trail

[Janna Pauser <[[email protected]]>]

This morning I birded on the Alamitos Creek trail from Crossview Court to 
Pfeiffer Ranch Road to the south. At the end of Crossview Court I heard 
Black headed Grosbeaks in a large Sycamore tree and spotted the calling 
Pacific slope Flycatcher. A female W. Tanager's call caught my attention. I 
saw her fly with bug from the Sycamore tree to a Mulberry tree in the back 
yard of the last house of the court. Would nesting be a possibility? It 
certainly looked suspicious.

I checked the Bullocks Oriole nest hanging over footpath along the street. 
An adult was in constant contact with nestlings, one of which was out of 
the nest climbing up the branch. A bit further south one Vaux's Swift flew 
over as did several V.G. Swallow's which are nesting in a nearby nest box. 
An immature Red-shouldered Hawk was perched on the fence only 10' few feet 
away from a N. Rough Winged Swallow juvenile. A W. Kingbird was perched in 
the chaparral by the first house. An Ash-throated Flycatcher pair were seen 
along equestrian trail on the walk north. A B. H. Cowbird juvenile was 
found begging and being fed by a Cal. Towhee on the S.W. side of the 
Mazzone bridge.

I went back to the Alamitos Creek trail at 6:30 pm to look for the female 
W. Tanager, without success. The Bullock Oriole chicks had fledged. They 
couldn't fly and were in a bush under the nest being fed by a male with a 
first year male perched near by. Lots of female Orioles seen again tonight 
including one f. Hooded Oriole. I spotted two W. Kingbirds fly over the 
hill from the court and found two juveniles sitting in an Elderberry bush 
on the chaparral hillside calling and begging. An adult WEKB landed nearby 
and then flew off. I checked the island sanctuary at the lake which was 
loaded with egrets and herons. I counted 60 birds from the s.w. side. Many 
Great Egrets and chicks but mostly Snowy Egrets with some young still on 
the nest. A few Black crowned Night Herons and a few Green Herons were also 
seen. I found a Spotted Sandpiper on the gravel island feeding at the 
waters edge. An adult female Common Merganser with her two remaining 
offspring were resting on the rocks at the bridge. A small flock of N.Rough 
winged Swallows with adults feeding fledglings on the wing. I walked down 
to the creek on the way back to the car and found one adult Nutmeg Mannikin 
gathering grass, the first I've seen in a month. Lots of Song Sparrows and 
juveniles in that area. They were smart enough to gather at the mouth of a 
drain pipe where bugs were trapped and easily caught. I heard Ash throated 
Flycatchers and found a family of five in the brush along the creek before 
reaching Cross Springs Court. I'd like to think they nested in our nest box 
near Mazzone bridge. The light was much better for birding tonight.

Janna Pauser


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