[SBB] SCVAS trip to Sunnyvale Bay Trail

["Kirsten Holmquist" <[[email protected]]>]

This morning, an intrepid few joined Frank Vanslager for a walk on the
Sunnyvale Bay Trail.  I say intrepid because it was misting when we started
and the mist got worse before it got better.  It did clear up not that far
into the walk however, leaving the air very clear for scoping.  But enough
about the weather.  We had a number of great birds today.  Right as we
started to leave the parking lot, a COOPER'S HAWK did a fly by.  We first
walked on the trail that runs part way up the side of the landfill where we
picked up nice soft focus views of a BURROWING OWL.  On the mud bordering
one of the canals, a male BUFFLEHEAD sat out of the water (sick? shot?).  A
flock of 20+ AMERICAN PIPITS swept in to forage on the hillside joined by
some SAVANNAH SPARROWS.  A BELTED KINGFISHER went by, chattering.  When the
mist was at its height, a GREEN HERON flew in and landed at the end of one
of the canals.  We got excellent views of a brown-streaked lump in front of
the reeds.  At least, that is what my scope insisted we were looking at.

 

We walked to overlook the Lockheed ponds.  By this time, the air was
clearing rapidly.  In with some MALLARDS and CINAMON TEAL were a pair (male,
female) of BLUE-WINGED TEAL.  For those of you who keep track of such
things, we had 5 BLUE-WINGED TEAL together at one time (3 female, 2 male) a
little bit later.  A pair of SAY'S PHOEBES were working the pond areas along
with a couple of bedraggled looking NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS and a BLACK
PHOEBE.  In the canal bordering the ponds, a number of GREEN-WINGED TEAL
meandered in front of a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON.  Large numbers of ducks
were out in the more open areas.  In with the more expected GADWALL,
NORTHERN SHOVELERS, AMERICAN WIGEON, PINTAIL, and RUDDY DUCKS, we found at
least one EURASIAN WIGEON and 6+ REDHEAD.  We started down the hillside to
join two GREAT BLUE HERONS working the canal area along with several SNOWY
EGRETS.

 

We decided to walk along the marsh area instead of out to the tower to look
at gulls.  We soon picked up our first COMMON YELLOWTHROAT of the day.  An
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flew by, all by its lonesome.  While trying to coax a
MARSH WREN out, Pat Kenny managed to instead coax out a pair of VIRGINIA
RAILS.  A falcon flew by and landed in a nearby tower, turned out to be a
PEREGRINE FALCON.  While we were oohing and ahhing, another falcon flew by
on the other side of us and landed on the hillside.  This time it was a
MERLIN.  Continuing on, we found a couple different SORA in the reeds, one
of which came out and dazzled us for a number of minutes before retiring
back to the safety of the reeds.  We were scanning some dowitchers,sp when
we found another VIRGINIA RAIL just a little distance from a COMMON MOORHEN.

 

At the final pond before the now locked gate, we picked up a couple of
GREATER YELLOWLEGS.  On the fence, a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE perched in the
distance.  A FORSTER'S TERN started hunting in the canal behind us.  On a
canted wood platform sticking up out of the water, a RING-BILLED GULL stood
side-by-side with a HERRING GULL while what looked like a couple of female
LESSER SCAUP swam around beneath them.  On the return, we found an AMERICAN
KESTREL on the wire and a couple of FOX SPARROWS in the fennel close to the
parking lot.  Finally, we were blessed with a much better view of a GREEN
HERON as we walked past the last bit of fennel and turned the corner into
the parking lot.

 

Altogether, we had close to 70 species.  Not bad for a day that started out
a bit moist.

 

Best Regards,

 

Kirsten R. Holmquist

408.747.0988

[[email protected]]

 

 

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