"WILD Women BIRDers" Birdathon Report from March 8 is below. Sorry I'm so late in posting this. Dotty Calabrese, Mountain View
SCVAS 2006 Spring Birdathon
Wild Women Birders Team Report
Saturday, April 8, 2008 - 114 Species Identified
This was the fourth year our team participated in Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society's Spring Birdathon. Linda Swanson, Lori Cuesta, and I (Dotty Calabrese) invited Jennifer Thompson to join us on this year's quest. We were hoping to beat our 2004 count of 121 birds but realized this would be difficult due to the ongoing rain and late migration of many of our spring/summer breeding species. Weather forecasts in the days ahead were poor. As the 8th of April approached, we realized it would probably have the best weather of our four possible days, so we decided to go for it.
We used my minivan again for this year's adventure. With some of the seats removed, we had seating for four, leaving ample space for binoculars, three spotting scopes, bird books, layers of clothes, changes of clothes and shoes in case of rain, bags of food, and snacks. It also provided easy entry/exit for all four of us, as we drove from location to new location, jumping in and out of the car all day long.
At 5:30 a.m., Jennifer, Linda, and Lori arrived at my house in Mountain View. By 5:45 we were on the road, driving in the dark to Steven's Canyon Road and Upper Stevens Creek County Park. At 6:05 a.m. we parked the minivan in the Cooley Picnic Area, assembled our gear, and started out on foot, still in the dark, hearing a GREAT HORNED OWL as our first species of the day.
With slippery, muddy trails, we decided it would be prudent to walk up a paved road in the dark to the clearing above and next to the Costanoan Girl Scout Camp, and down the muddy trail after dawn, rather than vice versa. Part way up the road we began hearing more species, including AMERICAN ROBIN, DARK-EYED JUNCO, MOURNING DOVE, STELLAR'S JAY, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, AND RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. As the sky began to lighten, we saw the AMERICAN ROBINS we had been hearing. At 6:36 a.m., we spotted the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK flying over us. A beautiful SPOTTED TOWHEE sang from a bush in front of us, serenading us. Several STELLAR'S JAYS scolded from nearby trees. SCRUB JAYS landed in other trees near us.
As we walked toward the Zinfandel Trail, we heard the “bouncing ball” call of the WRENTIT, and the loud, repetitious call of a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, while CANADA GEESE flew overhead. As we started down the Zinfandel Trail, we heard a BELTED KINGFISHER over the swollen creek, and saw a RED-SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER fly by. A tiny male RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET treated us to an extraordinary show by quickly flitting around in a nearby tree and repeatedly flashing his gorgeous ruby crown at us. BUSHTITS twittered close by. A breathtaking pair of yellow and black TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS fed in a tree above us. In a far off tree, a male DOWNY WOODPECKER caught our attention with his drumming and calls. Farther on, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES hopped around in the trees. Back at the car, we saw a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER quietly sucking sap from a tree trunk in the Cooley Picnic Area.
We drove down Steven's Canyon Road to the Upper Steven's Creek Reservoir and parked. As we searched in vain for Spotted Sandpipers, we did see a pair of MALLARDS looking like they were trying to shoot rapids. The first of many STARLINGS, in their full summer plumage, greeted us from the tops of nearby power poles. ACORN WOODPECKERS flew back and forth among the treetops. We crossed the road to another field and saw an OAK TITMOUSE in the bushes. A PURPLE FINCH called from a tall tree behind us and a COMMON RAVEN flew over the reservoir. Across the field, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK landed in a tree in front of us, facing away from us, and pooped in our direction. We all laughed in amazement.
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS hopped on the ground under nearby bushes, as small flock of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS flew overhead. We drove down to the main parking lot of the reservoir, and saw a small flock of VIOLET-GREEN, BARN, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS soaring and swooping over the reservoir, in search of insects. Several DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS swam and dove in the water. Jennifer spotted an OSPREY perched in a tree at the far side of the reservoir, which would be our least common bird of the day. In the bushes near us we heard, then saw, a SONG SPARROW.
Back into the minivan we piled, and drove down to the main parking lot at Steven's Creek Park. Sitting on the top of a power pole in the distance was a RED-TAILED HAWK. Hiking up the nearby hill, we found a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS sitting atop tree snags on the far side of the meadow. As we started down the trail to the lower picnic area, we visually identified ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, species we had heard earlier. Two COOPER'S HAWKS flew overhead. A loud BEWICK'S WREN attracted our attention to its tree, as it hopped in and out of a hole in a large branch, possibly a nest. Hopping on the ground under nearby bushes, a late HERMIT THRUSH peered out at us. Next, we identified AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and breathed a sigh of relief. This was a common bird we missed on last year's Birdathon. A loud chatter caught our attention on our hike up to the Villa Maria Campground. A male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE displayed his colors for us.
In the Villa Maria Campground trees, we found a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, a WESTERN BLUEBIRD, and a HOUSE FINCH. An AMERICAN CROW flew by overhead. At about 10:30 a.m. we left Stevens Creek Park.
Our next stop was McClellan Ranch Park and the birdfeeders outside the SCVAS office. We were hoping to see a Barn Owl in the barn or palm trees there, but did not find it. However, the stop was worthwhile. We heard CALIFORNIA QUAIL and saw LESSER GOLDFINCHES.
Over Highway #237 en route to Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas, we noticed ROCK PIGEONS on power lines and a TURKEY VULTURE soaring. On the golf course next to the entrance road to Ed Levin County Park, we saw six WILD TURKEYS.
Swimming on Sandy Wool Lake in Ed Levin County Park were a PIED-BILLED GREBE, about a dozen Double-crested Cormorants, and several AMERICAN COOTS. At the edge of Sandy Wool Lake was a majestic GREAT BLUE HERON. TREE SWALLOWS soared and swooped over the lake while WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS fed in the bushes nearby. A KILLDEER flew over the lake.
To no avail we hunted for a Long-eared Owl reported the day before in the parking lot below Sandy Wool Lake. Instead, we saw numerous owl pellets and could not find the owl. We also heard a HUTTON'S VIREO and saw a HOODED ORIOLE and an ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD.
Next we drove along Felter Road in Milpitas to scour the East Foothills for birds not seen in the West Foothills of the Santa Clara Valley. Our first find was many YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES. We also identified BREWER'S BLACKBIRD and two WESTERN KINGBIRDS. Felter Road led us to Sierra Road, a loop that would bring us back to Highway #237. At the summit we saw a WESTERN MEADOWLARK, a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and a SAVANNAH SPARROW, while we hoped in vain for a Horned Lark or a Prairie Falcon. Instead, we had beautiful views and much wasted time. Sierra Road was closed about 3/4 of the way down to Highway #237, due to an unstable area closed for USGS inspection the following week. No new birds were seen as we spent another 45 minutes driving back the way we had come.
On to Alviso! At Arzino Ranch, at the end of Nortech Parkway, we added RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. In the flooded field adjacent to the parking lot of the Jubilee Christian Church, we noted AMERICAN AVOCET, BURROWING OWLS, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and NORTHERN PINTAIL.
At the EEC in Alviso we added BLACK-NECKED STILT, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, CINNAMON TEAL. GREATER YELLOWLEGS, NORTHERN HARRIER, FORSTER'S TERN, RING-BILLED GULL, EARED GREBE, immature GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, and a BARN OWL with at least one nestling. We also heard a MARSH WREN and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. At the Alviso Marina, we found a pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.
Leaving Alviso, we realized that we were missing two very common birds, the House Sparrow and the California Towhee, so we drove to my neighborhood for a few minutes to find them. The HOUSE SPARROW was easy to find, but the California Towhee eluded us.
On to the Palo Alto/Mountain View border at the end of San Antonio Road. We walked out the Adobe Creek Trail to find shorebirds, including MARBLED GODWIT, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, COMMON MOORHEN, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, and nest building CLIFF SWALLOWS by the time we reached the pumphouse.
Around the small island in the Charleston Slough, we were treated to skimming flights of the local flock of BLACK SKIMMERS, their huge lower mandibles touching and skimming the water as they flew. Continuing on, we added RUDDY DUCK, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, AMERICAN WIGEON, and WILLET. As we were getting back into the car, our elusive CALIFORNIA TOWHEE hopped into the road for us.
On we drove to Shoreline Lake, where we tallied SURF SCOTER, a gorgeous breeding plumage Eared Grebe, GADWALL, and a female COMMON GOLDENEYE.
Back into the car and off we drove to the Palo Alto Baylands for low tide. Arriving at the Duck Pond, we saw GREATER and LESSER SCAUP. Next, we added LONG-BILLED CURLEW, cooperative CLAPPER RAILS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and RING-NECKED PHEASANT.
By 8:00 p.m. it was getting too dark to see, so we decided to head back to Ed Levin Park to make one more try for the Long-Eared Owl. We drove into the park quietly after dark at about 8:30 p.m. We heard the hooting of a Great Horned Owl, the bird that had begun our day, but no Long-Eared Owl. After a few more minutes, a ranger in a truck shined her lights on us, and told us she really wanted to lock the gate. We left disappointed, but elated that we had completed the day with no rain and 114 species.
Dotty Calabrese
Mountain View, CA
114 Species List - (1=most common thru 6=most rare in Santa Clara County)
* Heard Only
Canada Goose (1)
Gadwall (1)
American Wigeon (1)
Mallard (1)
Cinnamon Teal (2)
Northern Shoveler (1)
Northern Pintail (1)
Green-winged Teal (1)Greater Scaup (2)
Lesser Scaup (1)
Surf Scoter (3)
Common Goldeneye (2)
Red-breasted Merganser (3)
Ruddy Duck (1)
Ring-necked Pheasant (2)
Wild Turkey (3)
California Quail (1)
Pied-billed Grebe (1)
Eared Grebe (1)
American White Pelican (2)
Double-crested Cormorant (1)
Great Blue Heron (1)
Great Egret (1)
Snowy Egret (1)
Black-crowned Night Heron (1)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Osprey (4)
Northern Harrier (2)
Red-shouldered Hawk (2)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Cooper's Hawk (2)
American Kestrel (1)
Clapper Rail (2)
Common Moorhen (2)
American Coot (1)
Black-bellied Plover (1)
Killdeer (1)
Semipalmated Plover (2)
Black-necked Stilt (1)
American Avocet (1)
Greater Yellowlegs (2)
Willet (1)
Long-billed Curlew (2)
Marbled Godwit (1)
Western Sandpiper (1)
Least Sandpiper (1)
Dunlin (1)
Short-billed Dowitcher(1)
Long-billed Dowitcher (1)
Ring-billed Gull (1)
Glaucous-winged Gull (1)
Forster's Tern (1)
Black Skimmer (4)
Rock Pigeon (1)
Band-tailed Pigeon (2)
Mourning Dove (1)
Barn Owl (2)
*Great Horned Owl (1)
Burrowing Owl (3)
Anna's Hummingbird (1)
Allen's Hummingbird (3)
*Belted Kingfisher (2)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (3)
Acorn Woodpecker (1)
Nuttall's Woodpecker (2)
Downy Woodpecker (2)
Northern Flicker (1)
Black Phoebe (2)
Hutton's Vireo (2)
Western Kingbird (2)
Steller's Jay (1)
Western Scrub-Jay (1)
Yellow-billed Magpie (2)
American Crow (1)
Common Raven (2)
Tree Swallow (2)
Violet-green Swallow (1)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2)
Cliff Swallow (1)
Barn Swallow (1)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (1)
Oak Titmouse (1)
Bushtit (1)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2)
Bewick's Wren (1)
*Marsh Wren (2)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
Western Bluebird (2)
American Robin (1)
Hermit Thrush
*Wrentit (1)
Northern Mockingbird (1)
European Starling (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
*Orange-crowned Warbler (1)
Townsend's Warbler (2)
*Common Yellowthroat (2)
Spotted Towhee (1)
California Towhee (1)
Savannah Sparrow (1)
Song Sparrow (1)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (1)
White-crowned Sparrow (1)
Dark-eyed Junco (1)
Red-winged Blackbird (1)
Western Meadowlark (1)
Brewer's Blackbird (1)
Hooded Oriole (3)
Bullock's Oriole (1)
*Purple Finch (2)
House Finch (1)
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch (1)
House Sparrow (1)
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