[SBB] Birding San Francisquito Creek behind Stanford & Oak Creek

[Kris Olson <[[email protected]]>]

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon birding the
trail that runs from the San Mateo Ave bike bridge
west to the end of the Oak Creek apartments. Thought
it would be interesting to check out any breeding bird
activity in advance of the breeding bird survey June 4
-- which 2 years ago discovered a nesting Pygmy
Nuthatch family (June 10 2003). (I can't participate
since I am going to a batmitzfa all day.)

OK, no such luck, though I am pretty sure i did hear
Pygmy Nuthatches across the creek near the same tree
they nested in  2 years ago. Or perhaps that was
wishful thinking!

What I did see:

I started on Clark Dr and walked east to the bike
bridge. Right at the  start there are 2 large
eucalyptus trees.  I found 2 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, both
females (or no red), feeding near each other but not
one feeding the other. they stuck together as they
flew. Also in these same trees were begging OAK
TITMICE and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES,  being tended
by respective parents.

A short way along were two male NUTTALL WOODPECKERS --
one an adult and one immature, still with down
feathers coming off its back (it tried to preen and
got them stuck in its bill). The adult circled around
the juvenile but never came into it. hmm.

Lots of California Towhees around, Bushtits,
Chickadees, House Finches, Titmice, Western Scrub
Jays. Dark-eyed Juncos on both sides of the
creek/counties.

I saw no flycatchers of any sort in the trees or
grasslands.

At the bike bridge, three more interesting species:

1. a pair of WOODUCKS, just west-- no sign of babies.
They obligingly swam on both shores of the creek -- in
2 counties?

2. pair of BULLOCKS ORIOLES with nest in the first
eucalyptus west of the bike bridge on the Stanford
side, on the creek side of the trail. They are
bringing food to the nest. There was also another male
watching from the Menlo Park side.

3. 3 ACORN WOODPECKERS on the Menlo Park/San Mateo Co.
side of the bike bridge, flycatching from the choopped
off fir.

Also seen: CLIFF SWALLOWS zipping into presumed nests
over the Nordstrom's north entrance (purses). One
VIOLET GREEN swallow, and 1 WHITE-THROATED SWIFT over
the grasslands. A Red-shouldered Hawk was over the
grasslands at 5pm.

When Mike Feighner and I were watching the Barn Owls
in Menlo Park last night, 4 White-throated Swifts flew
over twice, both times from Stanford/palo Alto toward
the Baylands.

After finishing behind the Stanford houses, I walked
the whole trail behind Oak Creek and saw no other
Woodducks, just Mallards- mainly male, one pair.

Good birding,

Kris Olson





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