[SBB] Where are the Wilson's Phalaropes?

["Kris Olson" <[[email protected]]>]

I birded along the Bay in San Mateo county yesterday AM with Ron Thorn. He
wondered where the Wilson's Phalaropes were in Santa Clara county, since he
has seen females (leaving males to care for the young) in San Mateo and
others have been reported in S. California.  

So about 11am I headed south to see what I could find. I did not have the
chance to check my records to see what locations I had seen them in prior
years, but I checked Alviso RR tracks near the Marina, State & Spreckles,
New Chicago Marsh and the EEC first salt pond with nesting terns.  No luck.
Then I headed for CCFS, also no luck, but wow! is the water LOW LOW LOW. The
only birds there are a bunch of American Avocets, 3 Black-necked Stilts and
2 Gadwells, oh and one gull. A Red-tailed Hawk flew over (probably looking
for food for 2 very noisy youngsters sitting near their nest at the entrance
to CCFS).  Three avocets chased the hawk high into the sky.  CCFS had
several BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and one male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, whose head
looked absolutely golden in the sun.

EEC/New Chicago Marsh had 2 BURROWING OWLS, one of which was sitting across
the entry road and flew back to its mound to be with the other owl. I had
not seen this behavior before. It actually perched up on the curly dock to
look around.  Poor owl, can't even sit on a native plant. A BARN OWL was in
the nest box.

Otherwise, I saw mainly Stilts and Avocets everywhere I went, with 4 young
stilts near the RR tracks by the Marina and 1 nearly adult stilt (with
golden edges to its back feathers-- assume a juvenile) along the EEC
entrance road.

I even stopped briefly at San Antonio and Terminal Rds in Mt View-- again,
no sign of a phalarope, but lots of stilts, avocets wading and Forster's
Terns nesting on the island--- which is pretty much the mixture of birds
that Ron and I had found in the north San Mateo County bay from Coyote Pt up
to Oyster pt. Except we found the pair of Oyster Catchers that is apparently
nesting there and the male Harlequin Duck at Coyote Pt.

Past records show that I have seen Wilson's Phalaropes in Alviso/EEC etc. in
June, July and August in years past. So I guessed the right locations, at
least!

Good birding and may those phalaropes show up somewhere.

Kris Olson, Menlo Park


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