[SBB] Palo Alto SBC - 4 Jun 05

["Michael Mammoser" <[[email protected]]>]

On Saturday's (4 Jun 05) Palo Alto Summer Bird Count I surveyed the area
from the Lockheed ponds adjacent to the Sunnyvale sewage plant, through the
salt ponds around the back of Moffett Field, to Stevens Creek and Crittenden
Marsh. 

I started at the old landfill overlooking the Lockheed ponds, where large
numbers of CLIFF SWALLOWS and lesser numbers of BARN SWALLOWS were joined by
6 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS. With my scope I could see 50+ CANADA GEESE,
including various ages of young, waddling around the levees bordering the
sewage ponds. Many MARSH WRENS and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS were singing from
the reeds bordering the ponds and channels. As I drove out the levee towards
salt pond A3W, I saw a breeding-plumaged EARED GREBE in one of the channels
bordering the sewage ponds. 

Scoping A3W, I had 2 WESTERN GREBES and a single CLARK'S GREBE as the only
aechmophorus grebes on the pond. Moving towards the northeast corner of the
pond I drove past 2 nicely-plumaged male BLUE-WINGED TEAL. At the barge dock
a EUROPEAN STARLING was carrying food into the old light fixture there,
where they have nested for many years. A pair of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS was
also here, as a few of these birds have also nested in the past near the
wooden structure just across the fence on the sewage pond channel. A lone
juvenile WHITE-TAILED KITE came flying by, and where it came from I don't
know.

Moving on to the levee that separates A3W from B2, I was able to scope out
the breeding activity in this area. Over 550 CALIFORNIA GULLS are nesting on
various islands in B2, with birds sitting on nests and precocial young of
various sizes all around, including some small ones still in nest
structures. On a small vegetated island on the western side of B2 there were
2 WESTERN GULLS. One of them was sitting and wiggling about in a manner
consistent with it being on a nest, but its body was generally hidden from
view by a line of pickleweed. Surprisingly, when I checked the western side
of A3W, I found a CALIFORNIA GULL sitting on a nest that was placed on the
PG&E boardwalk. Another of these gulls was sitting in some pickleweed on a
small island at the base of a power tower not far from the boardwalk nest,
that also looked to be incubating. A few FORSTER'S TERNS were on a couple
small vegetated islands in the south end of B2, but I couldn't tell if they
were nesting there (it seems reasonable to assume so). A handful of CASPIAN
TERNS were working the waters of A3W and B2. 

At the northeast corner of B2 one of the power towers contained 4
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT nests, with birds sitting on each one and 7 others
just perched about the place. On the next pair of towers to the west there
was a stick nest with a fairly large RED-TAILED HAWK chick sitting in it,
while an adult was soaring overhead. A COMMON RAVEN was still on one of the
power tower nests in A3N, but the other one was empty, though 3 birds were
sitting on an adjacent tower.

The tide was rather high, and still coming in, but some exposed mud at the
mouth of Guadalupe Slough had 2 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS probing about. Other
than AVOCETS, these were the only shorebirds out there. 

Working along the north edge of B1 I counted 49 SNOWY EGRETS and 8 GREAT
EGRETS working the shallow waters of this pond. A handful of LESSER SCAUP
contained 1 male GREATER SCAUP and a male NORTHERN PINTAIL. At the northwest
corner of B1 there is a good sized vegetated island that had a large number
(130+) of FORSTER'S TERNS that are evidently breeding. In with them were 2
BLACK SKIMMERS, though they demonstrated no breeding activity. 

Scoping from the mouth of Stevens Creek, the bay looked quite dead, but I
did see a couple of aechmophorus grebes well out. They looked to be Clark's
but the distance was great enough to add some uncertainty. A male CANVASBACK
swam out of the vegetation at the creek mouth, displaying a very ratty left
wing that is undoubtedly what is keeping him in the area. 

I went out the levee that separates B1 from A2E, flushing a CASPIAN TERN
from the latter and finding 2 more NORTHERN PINTAILS. Interesting here was a
pair of SAVANNAH SPARROWS both carrying food to a given point in the
pickleweed bordering the southern edge of B1. The southeast corner of
Crittenden Marsh had a number of CANADA GEESE with broods.

After finishing my area, I headed for the Mt. View Forebay, where I saw both
of the WHITE-FACED IBIS that had been reported there. I ran into Dean
Manley, who told me of a reported Lesser Yellowlegs in Adobe Creek. However,
we were unable to find any yellowlegs there when we looked, though there
were 10 or so GREATERS in the forebay. 

I then drove to the Palo Alto duck pond, first checking the estuary from the
old sea scout building. I found a couple who I assume were the Goldfranks
(they didn't tell me their names, though they said they were doing the
count) and looked over the dowitchers on the mudflat. I found 1
alternate-plumaged bird that looked like a SHORT-BILLED. I was then informed
by them of the GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE over at the duck pond heronry, and was
able to find it singing in the palm trees there. At least a dozen
RING-BILLED GULLS were hanging around, as well as the 2 BONAPARTE'S. Some
very worn and faded gulls that were sitting under the heronry remained
unidentified by me. 

Michael Mammoser



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