[SBB] Varied Thrushes etc., MB05 10/4/2005

["Garth Harwood" <[[email protected]]>]

At least 3 Varied Thrushes were present during a brief visit to the Gate 5 pond at Monte Bello OSP (a.k.a. MB05 as designated on the metal gate) this morning, 10/4/2005. Two flew over separately while a third called from hiding. Last year I did not encounter this species until 10/25, when 162 flew over to herald the return of VATH to the county in melodramatic fashion. It was a considerably lower-key event this morning, but I am always happy to see them return, whichever style they may choose.

At the little pond, a Sora and a Virginia Rail fed side-by-side in the first rays of the rising sun, within inches of each other and with no aggressiveness at all, even though the Sora felt obliged to drive off a drinking Golden-crowned Sparrow which surely presented less competition for its favorite foods. It's remarkable how similar these 2 rails are in size and manner when seen together like this.

A juvenile Cooper's Hawk spent some time wake-hunting the quail flock during my visit: swooping in, sometimes surprisingly close to me, every time I sent nervous quail flying up in my "wake". Its presence was very subtle between attacks except for one thing: it couldn't seem to make itself stop giving out a thin, whiny begging call wherever it perched, giving its position away the entire time. Towards the end of my visit a small coyote trotted down to the pond, scaring up the quail again and giving the COHA more opportunities to swoop - and miss.

--Garth Harwood
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