[SBB] MB05 last 2 mornings

Hello All,

The excitement up in the high country is a bit more subdued than down on the baylands; I am still waiting for my first exotic warbler.

This morning 9/19/2006, I arrived at Monte Bello's gate 5 pond area at first light. A Great Horned Owl was still calling. Two Yellow Warblers were foraging vigorously in the bulrushes at the water's edge, but retired to the willows and deep cover when the light grew strong. One of these individuals was very bright and still had extensive red breast and flank streaking. A Lazuli Bunting female was munching on Harding Grass seeds well before sunrise. This was the first LAZB I've confirmed for this September at the pond. I presume it's a migrant.

Yesterday 9/18/2006 there were at least two Chipping Sparrows at the pond. One was in immature plumage and the other in adult-winter plumage. Golden-crowned Sparrows had arrived in the form of 3 immatures, along with a few White-crowned Sparrows. I also had one Lincoln's Sparrow and one Savannah Sparrow. A small flock of Violet-green Swallows surprised me, as I thought they were done up here at this point. 6 VGSWs were joined by 4 Vaux's Swifts and a couple of Barn Swallows.

I forgot to mention in my post of 9/14 that I had an immature Sharp-shinned Hawk on that date at the pond, harassing an adult Kestrel. The next day I hardly saw any birds at the pond, thanks to an adult Sharpie which had all the local jays excited. They would approach to as close as 2 feet, at a disadvantageous angle for the hawk, which would try for them anyway causing outbursts of particularly raucous jay screams.

--Garth Harwood