[SBB] Henry Coe SP - 5/7/06

[[[email protected]] (Mike Rogers)]

All,

Today 5/7/06, Richard Jeffers and I made a 10-mile, 2000' elevation loop in southern Henry Coe Park, starting from the bridge at the end of Gilroy Hot Springs Road. We started out following Coyote Creek to the north, then rising up to the Coit Horse Camp, taking the Coit Spring Trail to the Cattle Duster and Domino Pond trails until Wasno Road, the heading down the Dexter Trail to the Grizzly Gulch Trail and back to the car. We were hoping for migrants, but, as was the case yesterday, these were in short supply. We did find 7 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 6+ BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, and a WESTERN TANAGER, but the latter two species were in areas where they are known to breed and may not have been moving through. The most active area was near the Coit Horse Camp, where we also had at least one singing CHIPPING SPARROW, and a PURPLE FINCH building a nest (new breeding confirmation for breeding bird atlas block 3510).

We ended up with 65 species during the hike, the highlight being a singing CANYON WREN at a large rock outcrop just northwest of where the Dexter Trail meets the Grizzly Gulch Trail (a new location for this species apparently, as it was not recorded in this block during or after the breeding bird atlas). Also at this outcrop were WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS (new species for block 3505) and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS investigating potential nest sites (the Canyon Wren also eventually disappeared into a crevice). This outcrop is 2.5 miles and 1000' elevation above the end of Gilroy Hot Spring Road for those interested in trying for this bird.

Near the end of Gilroy Hot Springs Road we had 2 pairs of COMMON MERGANSERS and a pair of WOOD DUCKS - on the drive in we had another female COMMON MERGANSER and two pairs of WOOD DUCKS. Other bird of note today included 2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, 4 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 7 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, groups of 21 and 13 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 6 CASSIN'S VIREOS, 35 LAZULI BUNTINGS, at least 1 singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW (at the junction of Jackson and Wasno roads, right where I had the species on 4/24/1999), several LARK SPARROWS, a lingering GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and a flyover LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH (not far from where I had a pair along Wasno Road on 4/24/1999, and right where we had our only HOUSE FINCH of the day, which was exactly where I had my only HOFI on 4/24/1999!).

We drove out via Canada Road, finding a group of 6+ male TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS at the horse corral just before the road begins its descent to the valley floor. Breeding season records of this species have been very scarce lately and this observation may be of interest to those doing TRBL surveys.

A quick stop at the Bloomfield Road bridge over Llagas Creek turned up a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT singing about 100 yards north of the bridge.

Mike Rogers

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