[SBB] Alum Rock Park (April 2)

[Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>]

   The SCVAS field trip to Alum Rock Park today drew only five birders
(all enthusiastic).  I guess everyone else was afraid of getting wet and
miserable.  We revised the usual itinerary (traversing the North Rim
trail between Rustic Lands and its east end, and along the creek both
east of there and back to the start), also because of the forecast.
Instead, we birded both ends of the trail and creekside areas,  As it
turned out, by the time we stopped (about 12:30) there had only been some
brief drizzle, and not much wind -- generally overcast but quite pleasant.
   Bird variety was down from normal at this time.  We didn't find any
significant insectivore flocks (except for lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers),
and spring birds seem late.  We saw just one male Bullock's Oriole, at
Rustic Lands, where there are usually six or eight by now; and no House
Wrens (usually present in numbers) or Grosbeaks were detected.  Northern
Rough-winged Swallows were evident.  Two or three male Allen's Hummingbirds
were present (and posed nicely) in their usual area along the North Rim
Trail.  And Dave Kutilek (but unfortunately no-one else) had an identifiable
male Rufous Hummingbird high in the flowering eucs at Rustic Lands.
   Resident species provided the rest of the fun.  The highlight (at lesat
for me) was seeing both a Great Horned Owl (on a ledge) and a Barn Owl
(in a crevice) on "Alum Rock" (or, better, the large rock at the junction
with the old entrance road).  Both were visible from one spot.  Raptor
variety was low, but included a young Cooper's Hawk and a Golden Eagle
(the latter perched on a transmission tower viewed east from Mineral
Springs).  Band-tailed Pigeons totalled at least 34 (all in flight).  A
California Thrasher wsa seen singing in the open high uphill, while a
pair of Rufous-crowned Sparrows below Eagle Rock included one which posed
for half a minute or so in full view.
   Thanks to the participants for a good trip.
								Al Eisner

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