[SBB] Breeding Bird Survey - 5/29/05

[[[email protected]]]

All,

On Sunday 5/29/05, I did my Breeding Bird Survey, a roadside bird survey consisting of 50 stops each roughly a half mile apart, from Metcalf Road, up Bailey Road to Calero Reservoir, past Almaden Reservoir, and out to Guadalupe Reservoir. The 83 species and 1018 individuals seen/heard at survey stops was in line with the previous 11-year average (82.3 and 1047.7, respectively). Three additional species were seen between the 3-minute stops, including a female SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD (presumably ALLEN'S) just toward Guadalupe Reservoir from the confluence of Guadalupe and Rincon creeks, a species not seen on these surveys previously. Highlights for the survey included the first SWAINSON'S THRUSH ever noted on my surveys (a singing bird near St. Anthony's Church on McKean Road that may have been a late migrant) and only the second OSPREY ever encountered (perched at Parkway Lakes). The bird that got away was a probable WILLOW FLYCATCHER heard and glimpsed along Hick's Road in t!
 he riparian just below milepost 0745.

Species noted in significantly higher numbers than the 11-year average (in parentheses) included 20 CANADA GEESE (vs 2.0), 8 RED-TAILED HAWKS (vs 3.8), 6 WILD TURKEYS (vs 1.9), 23 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS (vs 12.7, foraging low because of the overcast weather?), 22 BEWICK'S WRENS (vs 13.9), 9 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (vs 4.2), 6 LAZULI BUNTINGS (vs. 1.4), 14 DARK-EYED JUNCOS (vs 8.6), and 4 PURPLE FINCHES (vs. 0.8); all of these represent new high counts for my trips along this route except for the turkeys, which tied the old record.

On the down side were 14 EUROPEAN STARLINGS (vs. 56.9), 15 SPOTTED TOWHEES (vs 29.8), and 6 HOUSE SPARROWS (vs. 14.5); all representing record low counts for the past 12 years.

Surprising misses included Great Horned Owl (2.4), Olive-sided Flycatcher (1.3), and California Thrasher (2.2). Less frequently reported species found this time included 3 GADWALL (0.7), 2 CALIFORNIA GULLS (0.3), 3 ROCK WRENS (0.6), and 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (0.3). The Rock Wrens were just west of the Metcalf Road summit (before the motorcycle park); this general area also had 3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, 2 HORNED LARKS, 2 RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS, and 2 LARK SPARROWS - the only ones of these species recorded on the survey Sunday.

Notable breeding confirmations included a RED-TAILED HAWK nest with young, an occupied WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE nest, a STELLER'S JAY nest with young, an occupied YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE nest, and a PURPLE FINCH fledgling begging from an adult male (at the junction between Hick's Road and the road to Mt. Umunhum, a new breeding confirmation for block 0010). In the unusual department was a CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE nest with young that was in an old hiking boot, the pair of which had been strung together and thrown over a tree branch near Guadalupe Reservoir.

After the survey, I stopped by Almaden Lake and saw the first-summer COMMON LOON. The heronry is very active, with GREAT EGRET-NB, ON, NY; SNOWY EGRET- NB, ON; BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON-ON, FL; and GREEN HERON-FL (breeding bird atlas abbreviations for breeding evidence).

A late afternoon hike in Monte Bello OSP was less thorough than Garth's trip, but my wife and I had 5 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS (including a pair north of the backpack camp, the female of which was carrying food to a concealed nest with young), 2 singing male LAZULI BUNTINGS, an adult male SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Black Mountain summit), and an adult (likely male) COOPER'S HAWK (sag pond).

Mike Rogers
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
south-bay-birds mailing list      ([[email protected]])
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/options/south-bay-birds/list_fred_archives%40plaidworks.org

This email sent to [[email protected]]