[SBB] Recent birding (Sunnyvale and Mountain View)

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

   On Sunday morning (Aug. 6) I visited the Sunnyvale WPCP to look for
unusual Terns.  I didn't find any.  (I had a distant view of a likely
Black Tern in flight,but I lost it before I could get close enough to
tell for sure. )  I did see 30 RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs, as well as
6 WILSON'S PHALAROPEs (two juveniles).  Of about 50 Swallows on the
wires, 20 were identified as VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs, the rest were
viewed too much into the sun.

   On Tuesday morning (Aug. 8) I took advantage of the overcast conditions
to make a first serious attempt this year for Least Tern in the Crittenden
area.  I didn't find any of those either.  In fact, I saw no more than 20
Terns total at pond A2E, all Forster's or Forster's-type.  And, in line
with Bill's comments, I saw only 6 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs on pond A2E.
The habitat in this area is not very promising for shorebirding, either:
the water level in Crittenden is too high, while what we've called the
Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh has become just that -- there are no longer
exposed mudflats (although I didn't check the north end).

   Back to Sunnyvale WPCP this morning, after hearing Monday's Tern
reports.  There were very few Terns about, but one of those on the mud
island (at the northeast corner of the "west" pond) was the continuing
COMMON TERN.  It had the characteristic black covering the rear crown
and face and the nape, just extending forward to the eye, uniform in
shade (but with a little pale mottling); definite dark carpal feathering;
a gray rump; etc.  I first saw it about 10:30, but at 10:50 it left
when the Avocets and half the other shorebirds took off, and I didn't
relocate it.  The mud island also had 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs, about
24 DOWITCHERs (LONG-BILLED identified), 19 or 20 WILSON'S PHALAROPEs,
and more than 50 LEAST SANDPIPERs -- but only one WESTERN SANDPIPER
for sure (apparently a winter adult).  Of about 44 Phalaropes well out
in the pond, the ones I identified were RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs.  A flyby
flock of  18 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs were the only ones I saw.  (Oddly,
the largest flock I've seen this season has been 39 by the Dumbarton
Bridge in San Mateo Co., a surprisingly high count for that spot.)  The
levees are often hosts to lots of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDs in late summer;
the flock of 24 I encountered today was a modest number.
								Al Eisner


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