[SBB] Summit Road & Mt Madonna Road

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Yesterday (5/14) I surveyed birds along this crestline route that straddles 
Santa Cruz (SCZ) and Santa Clara (SCL) counties...hence the crossposting. 

I had extra time well before sunrise so I tried for COMMON POORWILLS in the 
last reaches of Loma Prieta Avenue near Loma Prieta. It was 53 degrees and a 
stiff wind was blowing from the inland side of the crest. I heard two Poorwills 
calling in the vicinity of the base of Loma Prieta Peak. A little later, 
driving southeast on Summit Road I flushed a Poorwill off the road about 0.2 mile 
from the junction with Loma Prieta Ave. It looped up entering into SCZ airspace 
and then into SCL.

>From there I continued southeast on Summit Road all the way to Mt Madonna 
Road at the edge of Mt Madonna County Park. I made a brief foray down the inland 
side on Old Mt Madonna Road, and then went down the SCZ side of Mt Madonna 
Road. This overall route is described here, in case anyone wants a general 
account of birding it: 
http://www.santacruzbirdingguide.org/The%20Mountains/Summit%20Road.htm

Here are the things I found interesting...

I found 14 AUDUBON'S YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS in the knobcone pine forest as 
far southeast as the junction with Croy Ridge Road (elevation range 3000' - 
2400'), including 7 territorial singing males and one female carrying nest 
material (0.9 mile southeast of Maymens Flat). Further on and lower down I found four 
territorial singing males in redwood forest at three spots 0.9 to 2.7 miles 
northwest of Mt Madonna County Park (elevation 2100' - 1875'). Then, lower 
still I found a singing male in redwood forest about 0.2 mile down Old Mt Madonna 
Road on the SCL side at the low elevation of 1600'. 

A MOUNTAIN QUAIL called on the SCZ side about 0.5 mile south of Maymens Flat. 

I encountered three PILEATED WOODPECKERS. The first was a male in knobcone 
forest about 0.9 mile south of Maymens Flat. It began on the SCZ side, giving 
animated "kuk" calls and worked over to the SCL side of the road. This was the 
first one I'd seen in knobcone forest along Summit Road, but they have been 
increasingly using that type of forest in SCZ (Nisene Marks SP, Big Basin SP, 
Bonny Doon area), and San Mateo Co (Butano Ridge). The next Pileated was on the 
SCZ side southeast from Croy Ridge junction, and then one was calling on the 
SCL side about 200-300 meters below Summit Road, some 2.2 miles northwest of Mt 
Madonna Road.

I was surprised to find just one RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in the knobcone 
forest, and even more surprised when one called in redwood - tanoak forest 2.2 miles 
northwest of Mt Madonna Road. That one was on the SCL side of the road. A 
HERMIT THRUSH and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET were singing in the redwood forest on 
the SCL side 1.9 miles and 0.9 mile northwest of Mt Madonna Road, 
respectively. A few species I would have hoped to find in decent numbers in the upper 
elevation forest were rare: Western Wood-Pewee (2), Western Tanager (a few), 
Cassin's Vireo (0). Obvious passage migrants in the upper elevation areas were 
sparse, but I did find one SWAINSON'S THRUSH, 2 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 2 TOWNSEND'S 
WARBLERS, and 2 HERMIT WARBLERS. The latter were on the SCL side 0.6 miles 
northwest from the Croy Ridge junction. Come to think of it, I have not had a good 
migrant "fallout" up there for a number of years, but in the late 1980s good 
migrant mornings were seemingly frequent in May.  

The last birds of interest from the crest area were a BARN SWALLOW that flew 
over the road at Maymens Flat, and two flying about near a home southeast of 
Lands End. I don't recall seeing that species up there much before. Both 
localities are knobcone forest and manzanita chaparral.

Finally, heading down Mt Madonna Road I paused at the grasslands 1.1 mile up 
from the junction with Hazel Dell Road, in SCZ. While searching to spot a 
singing LAZULI BUNTING, which I expected there, I saw an unexpected male BLUE 
GROSBEAK perched on a thistle. The bunting was perched nearby for a lovely combo, 
although both were out about 75 meters away from me.

David L. Suddjian 
Capitola, CA
Santa Cruz Bird Club 
Bird Records Keeper
[[email protected]]

Santa Cruz Bird Club website:  www.santacruzbirdclub.org
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