[SBB] Monte Bello Gate 5 pond 12/11/2006

["Garth Harwood" <[[email protected]]>]

Hi All,

 

A stop in at Monte Bello Preserve's gate 5 pond this morning turned up 5 Lawrence's Goldfinches, which flew in briefly to the pondside willows at about 9AM before flying off down the Stevens Creek valley. Also present were 3 female-plumaged Hooded Mergansers, which were also there during a brief lunchtime stop on 12/9.

 

Other birds found were typical for this location in December, although I don't find Nuttall's Woodpecker or American Goldfinch up there very often, and 193 Band-tailed Pigeons was an unusually high number, passing over in flocks ranging from 20 to 75 birds. The complete list as reported to ebird appears below.

 

A correction for any compulsive record-keepers out there: Back in mid-November I reported a Lesser Yellowlegs from the pond just at sunrise. Apparently my eyes were more dazzled than I thought by the rising sun, as a Greater had been located there just 2 days before; I believe this must actually have been the same bird.

 

Good birding,

 

Garth Harwood

 

 

 

Location:     Monte Bello OSP Gates 4, 5
Observation date:     12/11/06
Notes:     Lawrence's Goldfinches flew in together but kept separate from other finches. H. Mergansers were all female-plumaged. Weather cloudy, damp and raw with mild breeze, but no rain during visit.
Number of species:     38

Mallard     4
Hooded Merganser     3
California Quail     6
Pied-billed Grebe     3
Northern Harrier     1
Red-tailed Hawk     2
American Kestrel     1
American Coot     4
Band-tailed Pigeon     193
Belted Kingfisher     1
Acorn Woodpecker     3
Nuttall's Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker     2
Black Phoebe     1
Hutton's Vireo     1
Steller's Jay     2
Western Scrub-Jay     3
Chestnut-backed Chickadee     4
Oak Titmouse     1
Bushtit     6
Bewick's Wren     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     3
Hermit Thrush     1
American Robin     8
Varied Thrush     2
Cedar Waxwing     21
Yellow-rumped Warbler     1
Townsend's Warbler     1
Spotted Towhee     1
California Towhee     3
Fox Sparrow     1
Song Sparrow     4
Golden-crowned Sparrow     16
Dark-eyed Junco     21
Purple Finch     1
Lesser Goldfinch     22
Lawrence's Goldfinch     5
American Goldfinch     1

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