[SBB] Varied Twitchers find 103 species on 9/17/05

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All,

Yesterday 9/17/05, the Varied Twitchers birded South Bay locations on our quest for 100 species - which we finally achieved at about 2:30pm at the Palo Alto Baylands (our final half day's total was 103 species).

Our group of Ann Verdi, Pat Humphrey, Lisa Myers, and Bill Duke met near the Alviso Marina for a leisurely 8:00am start and quickly began racking up species around the Marina, finding 48 species in less than an hour and a half. A fair number of migrants were along Alviso Slough, including 8+ VAUX'S SWIFTS, 
2 HOUSE WRENS (we had a 3-wren stop here, with BEWICK'S and MARSH WRENS also present), 7 YELLOW WARBLERS, many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, 1 FOX SPARROW, 2+ LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and an immature GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. Among the many BARN SWALLOWS were 8+ VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, 1 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and 1 CLIFF SWALLOW. An immature COOPER'S HAWK perched on the balcony of the old cannery building while another poorly seen accipiter was being harassed by crows up and down the levee. Scoping the salt ponds added both species of PELICANS, FORSTER'S TERNS, and a NORTHERN HARRIER. Scoping across the slough to dried out pond A8, we added 4 SNOWY PLOVERS. The mud along the slough itself added 4+ VIRGINIA RAILS and a heard-only SORA.

We moved on to New Chicago Marsh, finding a single WESTERN SANDPIPER, a single SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS at State and Spreckles. Lisa put her scope to good use and found a distant GREAT BLUE HERON and a PEREGRINE FALCON. At least 16 more VAUX'S SWIFTS buzzed by low overhead. Along the EEC entrance road we added 9 more LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 2 BURROWING OWLS, and a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. Turning the corner, we added 4+ TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS and 3 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS from the blackbird flock along the slough.

The EEC was pretty quiet (3 YELLOW WARBLERS) with the exception of a vocal WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, which seemed out of place here. We had no luck with the Barn Owls, but scoping the salt ponds turned up 3 EARED GREBES (A16), 3 WESTERN GULLS (A16), and 300 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES (A18). A surprise as we left were 4 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS eating (berries?) high up in the trees across the slough.

A quick stop behind the Jubilee Christian Center added AMERICAN KESTREL, SAY'S PHOEBE, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK, bringing our total to 73 species by 11:00am. We dropped Ann off back in Alviso and headed out to CCFS. The area around the eucalyptus by the trailer was full of birds, including 1 VAUX'S SWIFT, 1 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, 2 WILLOW FLYCATCHERS (neither cooperative, but both vocal), 12+ "WESTERN" FLYCATCHERS, 25 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, 7 YELLOW WARBLERS, 5 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and 1 WILSON'S WARBLER. We also added a WHITE-TAILED KITE, a heard-only RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and another immature COOPER'S HAWK.

The waterbird pond was pretty empty, but Lisa managed to find a silent BELTED KINGFISHER along the creek and while searching unsuccessfully for the Bishop we had another uncooperative WILLOW FLYCATCHER. While driving back south, I got a brief look at an apparent female Wood Duck in the creek, but by the time we backed up she had disappeared into the reeds or upstream. I had one near here last fall (8/29/04), and other records from this stretch on 9/8/95, 8/26/96, and 9/27/98 suggest a pattern of occurrence at this time of year.

Lisa and Bill had to leave at 1:15pm after reaching 86 species, so Pat and I had the honor of finshing off our 100 species with a trip to Shoreline Park. We quickly added lots of ducks, including 19+ AMERICAN WIGEON (all in eclipse), PIED-BILLED GREBES, a COMMON MOORHEN, AMERICAN COOTS, and 3 MARBLED GODWITS. Then on to Shoreline Lake for our injured ducks, 5 SURF SCOTERS and the male GREATER SCAUP. Scoping also added our only 2 RUDDY DUCKS, but failed to produce a Brewer's Blackbird on the lawns across the lake. While I had my eyes glued to the scope, Pat picked out a beautiful juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER on the old wooden pier. We failed to find any White-crowned Sparrows along the southern edge of the Forebay, although 2 YELLOW WARBLERS were near the restrooms. Poised at 98 species, we opted to make a quick trip to the Palo Alto Baylands, despite having birded past 2:00pm already.

Driving north along the fronatge road, we spotted 4 of the elusive BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS on a lawn along the road. Arriving at the baylands, we scoped the flooded yacht harbor, passing over a sleeping curlew/godwit, and finding nothing new. Crossing the street to the duck pond we found another injured duck, a female GREATER SCAUP. While I tried to turn other female scaup into Lessers, Pat picked out the most surprising bird of the day, a female CALIFORNIA QUAIL walking the path along the west edge of the pond! Species number 100! Not knowing our exact species count, we sought to pad our total. Reverting our attention to the pond again, we noted a female LESSER SCAUP scavenging for bread right in front of us - a contorted right wing explained her presence at this time of year. Driving out towards the bay turned up a single BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER near the parking lot, but only windsurfers on the bay itself. Heading back out, the mystery shorebird had its bill out - it was a LONG-B!
 ILLED CURLEW, species #103 for the day. So we did get to 100, even without the help of our three crippled duck species! :)

Mike Rogers
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