[SBB] HIghlights of Dec. 18 Palo Alto CBC

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

   Several participants on the Dec. 18 Palo Alto CBC (which straddles the
Santa Clara/San Mateo County line) have already posted their observations,
but others have not.  This note summarizes notable species found on the
count.  I'll post more details about the count as a whole after it has
been compiled.  The preliminary total number of species is 170, toward
the high end of past counts; a few more species could be added pending
review of documentation.

   In Santa Clara County, all the previously-found species of geese were
refound on the count:  3 Greater White-fronted, 2 Snow, 6 to 7 Cackling,
and the Brant.  (The latter, a county rarity, was seen at the Shoreline
overflow parking lot.)  Blue-winged Teal and Eurasian Wigeon are regular
on the count, but still interesting -- we had 9 and 8, respectively.
The 2 Pelagic Cormorants on salt pond A2W marked only their third
appearance on the count.  Short-eared Owl used to be regular, but has
been scarce on the count in recent years; the one at Byxbee Park was
seen on the count, and has been rather cooperative the past few days.

   The continuing House Wren along Stevens Creek near Crittenden was
seen, only the fourth count record.  A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, found on
count day near the Emily Renzel marsh, was even rarer.  The stakeout
Black-throated Gray Warbler along Stevens Creek was seen, as was a
newly-found individual along San Francisquito Creek near Fulton.  As
Mike Rogers has reported, two different Northern Waterthrushes were seen
along Stevens Creek (and one, presumed one of those, at the Charleston
Road Marsh).  Four Western Tanagers (including the two previously
reported at Stanford) was an unusually high total.  Two White-throated
Sparrows (a bit below average) included one near lower Matadero Creek.
One Slate-colored Junco was also found (I'm not sure in which county).
Last but not least:  an impressive total of 18 Lawrence's Goldfinches
were seen departing early morning from Garth Harwood's favorite spot
at the Montebello Open Space Preserve.

   In San Mateo County, the above two Snow Geese were seen by two
additional parties.  A Common Loon was at Bear Gulch Reservoir (no
public access).  An Osprey (only the third count record) was on a
transmission tower out toward the Bay from Bayfront Park.  Also at
Bayfront was a Brn Swallow, our only swallow of the count.  A
Lesser Yellowlegs was seen near Sun Microsystems.  A Hermit Warbler
near Horseshoe Lake at Skyline OSP was in the same area where the
species has recently summered.

    We had three species new to the count:  the continuing Brant (there
is one previous count-week report) and -- more surprising that these are
new -- Barn Swallow (congratulations to Bob Power) and Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
(likewise to Richard Jeffers).  Thanks, indeed, to all the participants,
and to the count organizer, Jack Cole, for a very successful day

                                                    Al Eisner (compiler)



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