[SBB] Hail to the Chiefs

["Michael Mammoser" <[[email protected]]>]

On President's Day weekend I did some light birding in the county.

On Saturday, 18 Feb 06, I walked up the west side of Llagas Creek from
Bloomfield Ave. A pair of NORTHERN HARRIERS was circling low over the weedy
field where the chats are usually found, and where this species has nested
in the past. I saw one each of CALIFORNIA THRASHER and WRENTIT along the
creek, representative of these normally chaparral-loving species' tendency
to occupy some riparian corridors in the valley. A handful of TREE SWALLOWS
over the adjacent ponds included 1 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. There was quite a
variety of ducks on these ponds, but the only geese I found were 4 CANADAS.
Interesting, to me, was a large group of MEW GULLS, with 282 on one of the
creek-side ponds and an additional 145 on a pond by the main entrance to the
wastewater facility. Also, 2 male RING-NECKED PHEASANTS were in a stubble
field across the road from the facility's main gate. 

On Sunday, 19 Feb 06, I visited the EEC in Alviso. An immature-looking
PEREGRINE FALCON came zipping by and spooked the gulls on the island in A16
(nothing unusual there). A MERLIN was again perched on a power tower along
the entrance. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS and a SAY'S PHOEBE were at the Arzino
Ranch. A quick check of Marsh Road east of Milpitas once again failed to
produce a Prairie Falcon.

On Monday, 20 Feb 06, I went to Coyote Lake Park and quickly found the
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in the campgrounds at sites 16/17. This bird was
quite cooperative as I sat at the picnic table in the campsite watching it
forage on the open lawn with a mixed flock of 60 or so WHITE-CROWNED and
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. It eventually moved to the lawn area by campsite
52. Only a handful of swallows were over the reservoir and they stayed high
enough against the sky that identification was not easy. However, I was able
to pick out 1 VIOLET-GREEN amongst them, before they disappeared. I drove
down to the dam to check the rock face for a Rock Wren to add to my year
list. As I worked the rocks facing the lake I had at least 5 RUFOUS-CROWNED
SPARROWS being quite cooperative, sitting up on rocks as close as 30 feet. A
couple of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were perched on a dead tree at the
water line below the dam face. Finally, a ROCK WREN popped up and sang from
a boulder on the rock face opposite the water. 

Michael Mammoser




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