[SBB] 5/14/06 ascent of Black Mountain etc.

[Mike Rogers <[[email protected]]>]

All,

Yesterday 5/14/06, I managed to convince one of the kids to join me on a 
5-hour, 17-mile, 2700+ foot elevation hike from Rancho San Antonio 
County Park to the top of Black Mountain and back. This was not a 
birding hike, but I did note a few interesting birds nonetheless. At the 
farm were a singing WESTERN TANAGER and a singing YELLOW WARBLER - at 
this time of year these could be migrants, but they could be trying to 
breed as well. Another WESTERN TANAGER was calling from further up the 
Rogue Valley Trail. There were at least 11 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS along 
the trail, mostly along the upper portions, and 10+ LAZULI BUNTINGS, 
with the first halfway between the parking lot and the farm. Only 2 
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS detected seemed like a low number for this 
area.  A male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD along the Chamise Trail seemed a bit 
late - also had a COOPER'S HAWK in courtship flight up here. No sound 
from any Mountain Quail all morning :(

This morning 5/15/06, I stopped by Rengstorff Park in Mountain View, as 
I had seen an adult RED-TAILED HAWK flying across Central Expressway 
here as recently as 5/12/06 and we have no breeding confirmation for 
atlas block 8035 yet. I did see an adult RED-TAILED HAWK again, but it 
was being mobbed by crows and didn't lead me to a nest. The pool staff 
guy told me the bird sometimes bathes in the wading pool and often hunts 
squirrels by flying low through the park. He also said he had seen one 
carrying branches earlier in the year. There were some migrants at the 
park this morning, including a singing male YELLOW WARBLER, a WESTERN 
TANAGER, and a late AUDUBON'S YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Also a good-sized 
flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS still there. Oak woodland species continue to 
penetrate our urban areas, with singing BEWICK'S WRENS, an OAK TITMOUSE, 
and many DARK-EYED JUNCOS (including fledged juveniles) around. Also a 
HOODED ORIOLE, several AMERICAN and LESSER GOLDFINCHES, and a BLACK 
PHOEBE nest with young.

On Friday 5/12/06, a peek at Crittenden Marsh through the fence here at 
work turned up some lingering waterfowl: a late male REDHEAD and 2 
AMERICAN WIGEON. A BEWICK'S WREN was singing from the riparian on the 
NASA side of the fence out here. This species has been invading bayside 
areas in the last few years.

On Saturday 5/13/06, I heard a singing WESTERN TANAGER and a singing 
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER near the Purissima Little League baseball 
fields off I280 in Los Altos Hills.

Mike Rogers


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