[SBB] pygmy owl, virginia rail at Montebello

["Hintermeister Jan-AJH130" <[[email protected]]>]

Karen DeMello, Paul Billig and I led an introductory owl walk for Mid-Peninsula Open Space Sunday night at Montebello Open Space Preserve.  The Canyon Trail was in fine shape with only a little mud. 

 

At the sag pond, we heard a VIRGINIA RAIL, and while Karen was expounding on owls, a member of our group located a VIRGINIA RAIL foraging along the edge of the sag pond.  Everyone in the group got a great look at the rail from about 6 feet away.  Also at the sag pond, we had an agitated WRENTIT chattering along the near edge of the pond giving great looks to all, as well as both FOX and SONG SPARROW.

 

Next we hiked down the Canyon Trail and had dinner at the gravel/rock mound in the small meadow just north of the Indian Creek Trail intersection.   At about 6 PM, one of our dinner revelers noticed a small bird flying into a bare oak tree next to the rock mound.  With enough eyes focused on the tree, we discovered a NORTHERN PYGMY OWL.  After 5 minutes or so, it settled in an adjacent oak and then after several minutes flew out of the area with a loud cascade of barks and yips lasting several seconds, nothing at all like the familiar sequence of monotonous toots on the popular tapes.

 

NOTHERN SAW-WHET and WESTERN SCREECH OWLS were silent, but GREAT HORNED OWLS were calling the entire evening.  We also heard a single BARN OWL screech.

 

Jan Hintermeister

Santa Clara, CA

 

 

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