[SBB] American Bittern, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle (Llagas Creek)

[Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>]

Folks:

This morning, 4/21/06, I visited the South County Regional WasteWater 
Authority treatment ponds (aka Gilroy sewer ponds).  I started at the marsh 
immediately south of the plant, walked south between the ponds, and then 
returned by Llagas Creek.  The marsh behind the plant had a male and female 
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE in the cattails, but shortly they flew towards the 
creek and I did not see them on my return.  A flock of about 50 female 
Red-winged Blackbirds were in the marsh and foraging sometimes on the 
nearby levee.  These birds were quite light and I assume they are a 
different subspecies than our local Bicolored Redwings.  Among them was a 
female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.  When I returned late morning, the female 
red-wings were hunkered down in the marsh and I could not find the 
Yellow-headed again.  South of here an AMERICAN BITTERN was calling and was 
a sight to see, as it seems that its entire body is required to get those 
great booming gulps out.  There was lots of water left in ponds and many 
ducks remain, but the only ones of interest, probably, were two male and a 
female BLUE-WINGED TEAL in pond #4 (counted from the south).  I found a 
pair of HUTTON'S VIREO in the scrub oaks along the Llagas Creek levee; one 
sang and the other was carrying food (this is a new breeding confirmation 
for Block 3090).  I scanned some of the ponds along the entrance road to 
the plant as I left and saw a male LESSER SCAUP and a BONAPARTE'S GULL, 
which were slightly unexpected here.

The South County Regional WasteWater Authority is open from 7:00 am to 6:00 
pm, Monday through Friday.  You need to sign in at the Administration 
Building.  To reach the plant, take the Monterey Highway from Hwy 101 going 
south and turn right and curve around until you come to the stop light on 
Luchesa.  Take a right, go under the freeway and follows some turns (Rossi) 
until you hit Southside Drive and take a left.  The road ends at the plant 
entrance.


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