[SBB] Sunnyvale bayside spots

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All,

This morning 10/1/05, I started out at 7am at the Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Working the sparrow flock at the east end of the grassy playing field, I got a glimpse of what looked to be a Spizella sparrow but couldn't refind it. The flock consisted of 40+ WHITE-CROWNED, 15+ SAVANNAH, and 54 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. At the east end of the eucalyptus row was an intergrade NORTHERN FLICKER, with yellow wing linings, orange tail lining, no nuchal collar, a tan face, gray nape, and a mixed black and red moustache mark. Warblers included 24 YELLOW-RUMPED and 9 YELLOW.

I next headed to the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant, spending 3 hours wandering widely in search of the Blackpoll Warbler without success. Birds here (including over by the Lockheed ponds) included 18+ VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, 3+ BARN SWALLOWS, 1 TREE SWALLOW, 1+ ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, 6+ YELLOW WARBLERS, 20+ YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 20+ COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, 1+ HERMIT THRUSH, 1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 2+ male TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS, and all the expected sparrows. A flock of 40+ AMERICAN PIPITS up on the landfill had several SAVANNAH SPARROWS mixed in that were not our locally breeding subspecies. Other birds of note included a GREEN HERON, an immature COOPER'S HAWK, precocial young PIED-BILLED GREBES and AMERICAN COOTS, and a singing BEWICK'S WREN (not a known breeder in block 8540 - yet).

A quick stop along the Guadalupe River north of Blossom Hill Road turned up the tail-less BREWER'S SPARROW in the rock-lined drainage channel. I quickly went back for my camera, but by the time I got back, the bird was in the willow and fennel across the creek out of picture range. At least 8 YELLOW WARBLERS were between Blossom Hill Rd and Highway 85.

Mike Rogers
Sunnyvale
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