[SBB] Mountain View Salt Ponds/San Antonio Valley

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

Folks:

Yesterday, 3/16/2005, I cycled along the Shoreline bike paths, both morning 
and evening.  In the morning, I saw a f/imm RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in 
Shoreline Lake, presumbably the bird found here over the last few 
months.  The number of ducks in Salt Pond A2W has dropped significantly in 
the last two weeks.  In the southwest corner I saw a single male EURASIAN 
WIGEON.  I found a male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL in Stevens Creek, 
downstream of the foot bridge that is next to the tidal marsh.

Today, 3/17/2005, I made a San Antonio Valley transect, starting on Mines 
Road at the county line and finishing on the summit of Mt. Hamilton.  At 
these elevations most deciduous oaks have not started leafing out, although 
California buckeye is showing fresh green nearly everywhere.  The birds 
were typical of late winter with just a few Violet-green Swallows and a 
single Orange-crowned Warbler representing spring.  I tooted up a NORTHERN 
PYGMY-OWL on Mines Road (between markers 27 and 26, at the "rock" mailbox) 
and had enjoyable looks.  Eight or so ROCK PIGEONS flew close to the 
chaparral in a tight formation over the height of land between Arroyo Mocho 
and Colorado Creek, presumably these were racing pigeons as none are 
resident this deep in the Diablo Range.  I squeaked up a single SAGE 
SPARROW near the cattle guard north of the junction, but there was no 
singing from the local birds.  Later, however, on the grade out of San 
Antonio Valley, before Arroyo Bayo, I had two singing birds in the 
chaparral (about noon).  The junction cafe had a good supply of Anna's 
Hummingbirds, but no others.  I checked the Mallison Pond on Del Puerto 
Canyon Road and was surprised to see a pair of CANADA GEESE looking 
comfortable.  Later, I saw two more in one of the larger stock ponds along 
Arroyo Bayo.  When will this expanding species start nesting in the 
interior of the Diablo Range?  South of the junction I had a single LEWIS'S 
WOODPECKER and then two more at the Y-bar Ranch.  I flushed a pair of WOOD 
DUCKS at the bridge at the Mallison Ranch and later found four birds along 
Arroyo Bayo.  The biggest surprise of the day was an OSPREY feeding on some 
unidentifiable morsel immediately south of the Mallison Ranch.  I've never 
seen one in San Antonio Valley before and none have been recorded on the 
Mt. Hamilton CBC.  However, this species is increasing in numbers on the 
central California coast.  A bit further south I had a male PHAINOPEPLA and 
a second male south of the Y-bar Ranch.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler 

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