[SBB] Miscellany

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

   I did a little Santa Clara Co. birding both yesterday morning and
this morning.  Yesterday (Dec. 22) I started at the Charleston Road
marsh in Mountain View.  I heard what was likely a Waterthrush call
several times, but it wasn't prolonged enough for me to be sure.  Also
heard, and a bit odd here, was an Oak Titmouse -- in roadside trees
near the start of the parcourse.  And an adult Green Heron gave a
very nice view.  At the Shoreline overflow parking lot, the Brant was
readily seen among a small group of Canada Geese.  I thought I saw some
smaller geese (Cackling candidates) in a large distant flock, but I
couldn't find them when I got closer.

   This morning I headed for Calero Reservoir, hoping for Bald Eagle,
but no such luck.  (I may have arrived too late, about 8:40.)  Among
the distant diving Eared Grebes visible from the boat launch, I saw a
bird with a different shape and more white on its face -- i.e., a
candidate for Horned Grebe -- but I couldn't confirm it.  The only
shorebirds here other than Killdeer were 10 Least Sandpipers (briefly).
At the upper end of the reservoir, there were two Western Grebes and
13 Common Mergansers; ducks were generally scarce, with smaller numbers
of only five other species seen.  I didn't find any unusual geese among
the 80 or so Canadas (although I might have missed a Cackling if it
were sleeping at the shore).  Two flocks of Wild Turkeys totalled over
32 birds, including one tight group of 8-10 displaying males.

   On the way back, I made brief stops at Parkway and Cottonwood Lakes.
Parkway had one or two Osprey but only one American White Pelican (there
were none at Calero).  The pelicans were in fact at Cottonwood, where I
saw 19.  Also, an Osprey was circling overhead there.  But the estimated
260 Canada Geese didn't have anything different with them.

								Al Eisner

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