Re: [SBB] (OT) Arastadero Sightings

[Nancy Teater <[[email protected]]>]

At Arastradero, I believe the mowing is done to control yellow star 
thistle. They're making good progress on it, too. A Palo Alto ranger told 
me it takes five years to exhaust the seed bank. So every year the parks 
must mow or burn the large areas that have been infested.

In addition, the Mercury News recently reported that the Coastal 
Conservancy approved the spraying of a safe, non-toxic herbicide over 
selected areas of the Baylands to control the spread of Spartina, or cordgrass.
Regards,
Nancy Teater


At 06:28 PM 6/20/2005 -0700, Ron Wolf wrote:

> I went to Arastadero Sunday afternoon primarily to shoot photos of LESSER 
> GOLDFINCHES in an area where the thistle has reached perfection and birds 
> are pigging out.
>
> There a stretch of about 300 yards along the Arastadero Creek Trail (a/k/a 
> the utility road) between the junction of Acorn Trail and the Woodrat Trail.
> The margin along the east side of the trail is full of very ripe thistle 
> and the goldfinches are coming out of the willows along the creek to feed. 
> Traffi scares them off, but as soon as the hikers / bikers / horses along 
> that stretch of trail abate for a few minutes, the goldfinches re-emerge 
> from the willows and go back to work on the thistle.
>
> A LAZULI BUNTING settled into the thistle to feed for about five minutes. 
> The bunting was silent, but very visible by the side of the trail. Some 
> people on horseback came along and scared off everything.
>
> If you go up there to shoot photos, it is best in mid- to late afternoon, 
> when the sun is farther west and illuminates the east side of the trail/road.
>
> Other sightings:
>
> A pair of ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS were carrying food at the junction of 
> the Arastadero Creek Trail and the Acorn Trail.
>
> A pair of SPOTTED TOWHEES were chasing each other around on the Arastadero 
> Creek Trail about 200 yard north of that trail junction.
>
> About 200 yards along the Acorn Trail west of this junction, we got very 
> good views and photos of a WESTERN WOOD PEWEE on the north side of the 
> trail. Along this stretch of trail, the ground slopes steeply to north. 
> You're at eyeball level with the oak canopy and couple of the high perches 
> for the pewee.
>
> A DARK-EYED JUNCO in this same area was doing a great job of harassing and 
> chasing off a STELLAR'S JAY that had apparently gotten too close to its nest.
>
> A pair of GREEN HERONS were foraging around the edges of Arastadero Lake. 
> Previous reports have described a nesting pair by the lake. We saw no sign 
> of their chicks.
>
> The fire-control czars have mowed hundreds of acres of grass on the hills. 
> That means the red-wing blackbairds have been evicted and the hawks and 
> kites are coming back in bigger numbers.
>
>
>
>
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--
Nancy R. Teater, Hamilton Communications
[[email protected]]
phone 650.321.0252  fax 650.491.3878


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