[SBB] Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

["Karen DeMello" <[[email protected]]>]

This evening Kay Partelow, Debbi Brusco & I went to Monte Bello OSP
to check out a route for our California Fall Challenge guided trip that
we're leading next month for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
(SFBBO).   

The highlight tonight was hearing a PILEATED WOODPECKER.  It
called and tapped for about 5 minutes, and at one point it called out
constantly for a good 20 seconds!  ACORN WOODPECKERS were also
making a racket above.  Other birds included BROWN CREEPER,
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE,
BAND-TAILED PIGEON, and AMERICAN ROBIN. 

Non-bird highlights included a couple of nearby deer, a garter snake, a
little banana slug, the tail of some animal (fox? coyote? it had a dark
tip; there was a little fur around on the ground but nothing else), and
as we got to the parking lot at dusk there were large bats flying
overhead. Smaller bats were flying further down Page Mill Rd.  It
was a beautiful evening with lots of pink wispy clouds following the
sunset.

About 30 seconds after I got home the phone rang: it was Kay on her
cell phone.  She and Debbi were still at the Park & Ride at
Page Mill Road & Hwy 280 where they heard 2 juvenille GREAT HORNED
OWLS; they saw one land on a wire above.  Tempting as it was to
drive back there, I decided to stay home and write this e-mail instead.

If you're interested in the California Fall Challenge, you should know that you can create your own
team, or you can join a guided trip (or you can do both!).  Not only is
this bird-a-thon loads of fun with exciting prizes, it also raises a
lot of $$$ for SFBBO, a wonderful local non-profit that is
headquartered in nearby Alviso.  We're really looking forward to
leading one of the guided trips this year.  You can read all about the
California Fall Challenge and register to participate with your own
team or with a guided trip at:
http://www.sfbbo.org/cfc/

Wishing you good birding,
Karen DeMello
Mountain View


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