Re: [SBB] Sunday blues

[Matthew Dodder <[[email protected]]>]

Al and everyone,

The levy trail leading west from the EEC and then north along the  
train tracks does have a break on the north side after it turns  
southeast and heads back toward the EEC. At the midpoint of the north  
side of the trail (hypotenuse of the triangle), there is a break the  
trail leads around pond A-17 before rejoining the original trail. The  
map is available in the EEC headquarters and makes it clearer than I  
am doing now, but it is indeed a loop. To reach the area that would  
have given Dave a better view of the bird, he would have had to go  
all the way around A-17 first, or gone counter clockwise from the  
beginning. A bike is really helpful if one wants to do the entire loop.

Some official maps to help clarify the areas mentioned:
http://www.southbayrestoration.org/Maps.html

Matthew Dodder
http://www.birdguy.net



On Jun 11, 2006, at 5:06 PM, Al Eisner wrote:

>     Just after 8 AM, the Almaden Lake LITTLE BLUE HERON was readily  
> found
> at an islet just south of the main island.  About five minutes  
> later it
> flew off; I'm not sure where it came down.  (This was certainly not  
> helped
> by a speedboat circling the island a few minutes later.)  Also here  
> was
> one femaile COMMON MERGANSER and several CANADA GOOSE families (a  
> theme
> of the day).
>     My next stop was the Agua Caliente trail at Ed Levin Park.  I  
> walked
> to the hang-glider launch area, but mainly hung out at the lowest  
> sycamores
> at the draw, since I figured water here might attract birds in.   
> There was
> an active BULLOCK'S ORIOLE family here (with two or three  
> fledgelings);
> a singing LAZULI BUNTING occasionally perched in the barest tree;  
> and a
> bit further up the trail was a coperative RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW,  
> singing
> by the trail.  A male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (singing) came in twice.
> Finally, at about 10:30, a male BLUE GROSBEAK (silent) paid a brief
> visit.  I only saw it as it was leaving -- it perched in a neaarby  
> tree
> for a couple of minutes before heading up the draw.  This bird  
> (bulkier
> than the Lazuli) had striking broad buffy-orange wingbars, a deep blue
> head (with the blue extending down the breast), and a largish bill  
> with
> black around its base.  Leaves obscured the back, so I couldn't  
> definitely
> age it, but I had the impression of an adult.
>     Finally, about midday I visited A16, walking the length of the  
> levee
> separating it from the New Chicago Marsh.  I didn't want to walk  
> farther,
> so I scoped the north side (despite some heat waves).  I didn't find
> either of the recent rarities, although given the viewing conditions I
> could have missed the Little Blue against the far shore. (One thing
> puzzled me about Dave's post:  he referred to a break in the levee.
> Does that mean one cannot walk all the way around A16?)  I also had no
> sign of Black Tern.  But still a pretty good day.
>                                                               Al  
> Eisner
>
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