[SBB] Alviso and CCFS

This morning Frank Vanslager and I had several female RED-NECKED PHALAROPE in the Alviso Impoundment (between Salt Pond A12 and the Railroad tracks into Alviso). SEMIPALMAYED PLOVERS were also in the impoundment as well as in the pond located at the intersection of State and Spreckles. Other birds included among the hundreds of breeding plumaged WESTERN SANDPIPERS at State and Spreckles were DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, Yellowlegs, a couple BONAPATES GULLS and a WILLET. An OSPREY was on the eastern edge of the road leading into the Environmental Education Center (far side of the canal) and at least two BARN OWLS (at least one an adult) were in the nest located near the center. First thing this morning we (and sometime later Jack Cole) were unable to locate any of the "goodies" found yesterday (4/25) by Mike Mammoser at the Coyote Creek Field Station. (I did get a glimpse of flycatcher working the bushes and lower trees, near mist net 9655(?), which was flicking it's wings and tail as it fed but I was unable to get a good look at the head before it disappeared....for good :-(

Maybe I just never noticed it before but today, at State & Spreckles, certain of the Western Sandpipers were feeding with their tail cocked like that of a Winter Wren. I assume that this is some sort of breeding behavior as the birds with cocked tails tended to be very aggressive toward other nearby WESA and when two WESA with coked tails got close to one another they would fight.