[SBB] Mines Rd., San Antonio Valley Rd., Del Puerto Canyon

[Les Chibana <[[email protected]]>]

[Apologies for your duplicates due to my crossposting.]

Today, 5/8/05, my Palo Alto Baylands birding class went, undaunted, 
into the dripping weather to bird this popular route. We didn't spend 
too much time along the Mines Rd. section in Alameda County, opting to 
focus on the area around San Antonio Junction and Del Puerto Canyon.

The highlights:

In Alameda County, we found a CANYON WREN singing from an unlikely 
location, a fence line near the barn with the peafowl beyond and uphill 
from the bridge at approx. 1-1/8 mi. south of the Del Valle Reservoir 
turnoff. The area is a grassy hillside.

In Santa Clara Co., a SWAINSON'S THRUSH was heard singing at MP 24. 
Near the cattle guard north of the San Antonio Junction, Bell's SAGE 
SPARROWS were plentiful but shy. A CHIPPING SPARROW was also in the 
area. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES were scattered from the fire station to at 
least 1/4 mi. south of the Junction. A LEWIS'S WOODPECKER was tending a 
nest near the road, 1/4 mi. south of the Junction; it carried food into 
the cavity. A second bird flew by but did not stop. A female WOOD DUCK 
watched over 16 ducklings at the pond on the north end of the dogleg 
south of the Junction. The only other duck present here was a male 
MALLARD. At the pond approx. 1 mi. west of the Stanislaus Co. line, a 
colony of 60-80 TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS, plus a few bicolored RED-WINGED 
BLACKBIRDS, were busy around the reeds.

In Stanislaus Co., the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was still present about 1/4 
mi. east of the entrance to Frank Raines Park. A single GREAT-HORNED 
OWL roosted in a hole in "Owl/Grafitti Rocks". A SAY'S PHOEBE carried 
nesting material in this area, as noted for a few years. Near the 
cattle guard approx. 1 mi. from I-5, a pair of BLUE GROSBEAKS was seen. 
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were heard but not seen.

LAZULI BUNTINGS and BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were plentiful in various 
locations. We saw a couple of YELLOW WARBLERS and a WILSON'S WARBLER.

We did not see any Costa's Hummingbirds, Phainopepla, or Greater 
Roadrunners. The showers/rain made it difficult to be out of the cars 
for long stretches of time, but, all in all, it wasn't too bad.

[We did check the area at MP 24 SCC (Santa Clara County) for the 
reported Gambel's Quail (East Bay list) but found only paired 
CALIFORNIA QUAIL the whole day.]

Les
---
Les Chibana
BirdNUTZ(tm) - Ornigasmic Birding
Palo Alto Baylands Birding Classes
em <[[email protected]]>
web <http://www.birdnutz.com>
ph 650-949-4335
fx 650-949-4137
snailmail: SR2 Box 335, La Honda CA 94020
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