[SBB] Gilroy Sewage Ponds

On Monday morning, 24 Apr 06, I drove down to the Gilroy Sewage Ponds in late morning, noting that Bob Reiling and Frank Vanslager had signed in a couple hours before me (I saw them at one point, but we never met up).

While checking the ponds directly behind the plant, I heard the "oompah loompah" calls of AMERICAN BITTERN on two occasions. As I walked between two of the ponds a bittern flew from one into the other (a year bird for me after searching for it all winter). Many swallows were flying about and I noticed about a half dozen VAUX'S SWIFTS mixed in with them. At one point, a WHIMBREL flew by overhead, perhaps one of the birds I had here last week. A SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER was hiding in the weeds of one pond. This alternate-plumaged bird had spotted breast sides, a white belly, and a bill on the short side of the spectrum - all adding up to the ID. A single WILSON'S PHALAROPE was on one of the ponds, and 3 alternate-plumaged EARED GREBES were scattered. A few crowing RING-NECKED PHEASANTS belied the presence of this south county population. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON came by, but didn't linger.

On the way home I stopped at the Coyote Creek Golf Club, where I had a pair of GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES (male and female) foraging on the lawn next to the parking lot of the club house. After a minute they took off and flew towards the southwest, over the water hazard. I don't know where they ended up.