[SBB] Breeding Bird Survey - 5/28/06

[[[email protected]] (Mike Rogers)]

All,

Yesterday morning 5/28/06, I surveyed my Coyote Breeding Bird Survey route, a 24.5 mile roadside route consisting of 50 3-minute point counts spaced a half-mile apart, starting from the San Felipe Valley, heading west on Metcalf Road, up Bailey Road past Calero Reservoir, and then into the hills past Almaden and Guadalupe reservoirs. Unlike on my Santa Cruz Forest survey on 17 May, bird song was plentiful, especially from some of the less common species. I found 88 species along the route, which ties the high count from the past 12 years I have done the route; the total count of 1054 individual birds ranked fifth for the 13 years. The high species count included several highlights:

1) Five WOOD DUCKS tied the previous high count (from 2004) and were notable for their locations, 2 flying north over Coyote Creek opposite the new power plant along Monterey Highway, 2 over Alamitos Creek along Almaden Road 0.75 miles south of Mockingbird Hill Lane, and 1 at the more expected lcoation of Almaden Reservoir.

2) a pair of NORTHERN SHOVELERS in Bailey Cove at Calero Reservoir was new for this survey route and may indicate breeding in block 0515/1015 (on block boundary).

3) One of the GOLDEN EAGLE chicks still in the nest west of Calero Reservoir, but no adults around to be counted :(

4) The first RING-NECKED PHEASANT since 2002, across Bailey Road from IBM.
Also the first BELTED KINGFISHER since 2002, along Alamitos Creek at McKean Road.

5) A singing LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE along Bailey Road west of IBM - only the second time I've found this species on the survey in the last 9 years.

6) The first BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER in 10 years on the survey, along Hicks Road south of Guadalupe Reservoir at mile marker 0630, at the same stop where I had this species in 1994 (and one stop further than the bird in 1996).

7) Two COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, one east of Monterey Highway south of Coyote and another along Bailey Road near the west gate to IBM was a new high count, compared to single birds in 4 previous years.

8) Five LAZULI BUNTINGS included one away from Metcalf Road, on the hillside north of McKean Road at Country View Drive.

9) A pair of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH in thistle along Bailey Road one stop east of the riparian at IBM, which is the only place I have seen this species previously (single birds in 2001 and 2002).

On the drive to the survey starting point, I saw a BARN OWL atop a telephone pole near Metcalf summit; GREAT HORNED OWLS were plentiful during the survey, with 9 hooting from 5 of the first 6 survey stops (eclipsing the old high count of 5). Several other new high counts were established:

5 GREAT EGRETS (tied previous high)
5 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS (previous high of 3), including a bird bringing food to a nest in a eucalyptus along Alamitos Creek at McKean Road
13 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS (previous high of 12)
2 HAIRY WOODPECKERS (previous high count of 1 in 7 years)
9 WESTERN KINGBIRDS (tied previous high count)
14 HOUSE WRENS (previous high of 12)
8 HUTTON'S VIREOS (tied previous high)
7 YELLOW WARBLERS (previous high of 6; including some migrants this year?)
7 LARK SPARROWS (previous high of 3)
5 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (tied previous high). from 3 stops near Metcalf summit
5 HOODED ORIOLES (previous high of 3)
6 PURPLE FINCHES (previous high of 4 last year)

Misses included PIED-BILLED GREBE, SNOWY EGRET, CANADA GOOSE (after a high of 20 last year), WHITE-TAILED KITE, DOWNY WOODPECKER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (none since 2002), but very few species were reported in significantly below average numbers. Sixteen ROCK PIGEONS was well below the average of 53.6, but the spread varies from 3 (2001) to to 166 (1996), depending on whether large flocks are encountered or not.

A stick nest on a high tension tower near the summit of Bailey Road east of Calero Reservoir appeared to have young in the nest and looked to be of COMMON RAVEN construction - and adult raven did fly by during my 3 minutes there but I could not confirm ownership of the nest - can you confirm this Ann?

Mike Rogers

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