[SBB] CBCs and rarities

On Sunday, 17 Dec 06, I provided roaming coverage for the San Jose CBC, starting the day at Lake Cunningham. Here I ran into Jim and Sue Liskovec, and while we talked Jim saw an OSPREY over the lake. Within a few minutes, a number of swallows showed up and I was able to pick out 3 TREES and 12 VIOLET-GREENS. A good start to the day.

I then headed for the EEC in Alviso to try for more good birds. I soon had both of the YELLOW WARBLERS that have been in the butterfly garden and heard the HOUSE WREN calling on two occasions (Bruce Barrett saw it later). Two BARN OWLS were in the nest box along the slough and a BURROWING OWL was on the little mound near the railroad tracks. A male EURASIAN WIGEON was on salt pond A16 out front of the EEC, and both SORAS and VIRGINIA RAILS were calling from the slough. A SAYS PHOEBE was along the tracks, 23 WILSONS SNIPE were on a little island at the corner of Grand and Spreckles, 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were in the pond at State and Spreckles, as were 13 MEW GULLS. While at this location a MERLIN flew by, heading towards the north.

I made some stops that didnt pay off, such as the Gold St bridge over Alviso Slough looking for Swamp Sparrow and to Calabazas Marsh to try for American Bittern.

So, I checked a closed pond in Alviso and found a SNOWY PLOVER and a SANDERLING, but I dont know if these were seen there by the normal party.

Finally, it took me 3 trips to the EEC entrance road before I found the wintering RUFF, and one more to get a LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

I ended up with 7 writeup birds, not bad for a poacher.

On Monday, 18 Dec 06, I worked the Palo Alto CBC, covering the salt ponds behind Moffatt Field between Stevens Creek and the Sunnyvale sewage ponds.

A BURROWING OWL greeted me at the start, from the side of the old landfill next to the sewage plant. The Lockheed Ponds next to the landfill produced a nice male BLUE-WINGED TEAL. My usual ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at the fennel patch cornering the landfill next to the Yahoo parking garage. It was interesting to watch an adult male COOPERS HAWK at the Lockheed Ponds chasing crowned sparrows through the coyote brush and fennel. It would just crash into the vegetation and I could hear its wings smacking the small branches as it chased the birds unseen, only to pop out and crash back in at another spot. Finally, it just stayed hidden for some minutes in the undergrowth and I left, not knowing if it was successful or not.

Other highlights included 2 HORNED GREBES, 7 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and 2 each of WESTERN and CLARKS GREBES. I found 11 REDHEADS in a large flock of CANVASBACKS. A MERLIN flew by just 10 feet over my head at Crittenden Marsh.

At the end of the day I did my paperwork at Byxbee Park and then walked out to look for owls in the Palo Alto flood control basin. I met John Meyer on the way and we both took up the vigil. At last we had a SHORT-EARED OWL working low over the reeds, along with a BARN OWL. On the way back to the parking lot, the Barn Owl came by just across Matadero Creek from us and dove down into the vegetation, flushing out a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT. I couldnt imagine the owl taking on a pheasant, but that seemed to be what it was after. The pheasant escaped, issuing a crow of resentment.

On Tuesday, 19 Dec 06, I decided to chase rarities. I went to Upper Penitencia Creek Park and spent 2.5 hours looking for the Black-and-White Warbler, along with a number of other people. Failing that, I headed for Mountain View. Walking out through the overflow parking lot at Shoreline, I saw the 2 SNOW GEESE in with a number of CANADAS. I went out to salt pond A2W and was able to find 1 of the PELAGIC CORMORANTS that had been found the previous day. On the way back I passed Mike Rogers, who had told me of the arrival of the BRANT and CACKLING GEESE in the lot and, sure enough, they were there as I returned.

I returned to Penitencia Creek Park and, as I walked onto the little wooden bridge, saw the BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER on a sycamore branch not 20 feet from me. I followed this bird for the next 30+ minutes, eventually being joined by Dean Manley and Mike Rogers. At one point Dean and I had this confiding bird foraging on a branch about 5 feet from our heads. Sweet!