Re: [SBB] Stevens Creek Below La Avenida

["Garrett Lau" <[[email protected]]>]

I also walked along the Stevens Creek trail yesterday, 9/1/06, but I went all the way to Pond AB1. At Pond A2E, there were 15 Pied-billed Grebes, including one juvenile that came fairly close to the trail. After counting the grebes, I noticed a flock of 7 juvenile cowbirds feeding 10 feet away from me.

 

Photos are at

http://www.pbase.com/garrettlau/recentbirds

 

--Garrett
 

On 9/1/06, Bill Bousman <[[email protected]] > wrote:

Folks:

I walked the east side of Stevens Creek this morning, 9/1/06, from
Crittenden Lane up to La Avenida, and I returned along the west
side.  The bird distribution was much as Mike Rogers described
yesterday, although there I saw fewer birds.  I saw an adult and
juvenile WILLOW FLYCATCHER, but only one "WESTERN" FLYCATCHER.  Other
migrants included an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, 7 YELLOW WARBLERS, a
WILSON'S WARBLER, and a WESTERN TANAGER.  An adult female HOODED
ORIOLE was feeding a juvenile bird (there may have been a second
juvenile, but I could not be certain).  It appears that Hooded
Orioles have been nesting later in recent years.  During the atlas
period (1987-1993), the latest evidence we had of breeding was of a
fledgling on 8/3/1987 (n = 52 observations).  In subsequent years
(1994-2005) we have had 17 later records (n = 50), with the latest on
9/17/1999.  It seems likely that more birds are attempting 2nd or 3rd
broods.  Families seen in late August and early September have been
remarked on by a number of observers and it appears that this is a
widespread and recent phenomenon.

I stopped and watched a Great Egret and a Snowy Egret foraging along
the creek for about 10 or 15 minutes.  The Great seemed tolerant of
this small relative, displacing it only once.  During this period, I
saw the Great catch 7 fish, including what looked to be a sculpin
that was 6 or 7 inches long (most of the fish it caught were
smaller).  The Snowy caught none.  The Great often move along where
coyotebrush drop into the water at the stream's edge and snaked its
head and long neck in the brush and caught its prey.  The Snowy
stayed in the stream center.  The Great still had nuptial plumes,
although they are getting bedraggled.  Later it flew off towards the
nearby colony on Shorebird Way.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler



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