[SBB] Llagas Creek area

[Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>]

    Today:  a walk along the west side of Llagas Creek, N. from Bloomfield,
in Gilroy, and checking out the settling ponds (but not the ponds inside
the sewage plant fence).  On the way north, about 10:00, I picked up no
hint of the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT; on the way back about noon, I heard it
sing briefly, but it was uncooperative (perhaps due to windy conditions) --
it went silent again, and I never got a look.  I only detected a few other
species of spring passerines:  3 singing BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKs, and a
briefly-heard-only singing BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.  The only other warblers I
found were COMMON YELLOWTHROATs.
    There were at least three MALLARD broods:  two with five very small
ducklings apiece, the other with a surprising 17 ducklings!  (Is this
plausible, or might it have been a merging of two families?)  The fourth
pond (counting from the south) had four male CINNAMON TEAL hanging out
together, suggesting that the females were on hidden nests somewhere.
But if so, what should be made of three male NORTHERN SHOVELERs on the
same pond?  ANother pair of Cinnamon Teal was on the second pond.  The
only other duck species were GADWALL and RUDDY DUCK.  The only shorebirds
apart from Avocets, Stilts and a Killdeer were three GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
two distant DOWITCHERs, and six RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs.
    On the way down (a bit after 9:00), I stopped at the Coyote Creek
Golf Course, where I saw three GREAT-TAILED GRACKLEs, a male and two
female-types, together at the edge of the ponds, across the lawn from
the clubhouse.
								Al Eisner

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