[SBB] Red Knots, Least Terns, etc.

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

All,

This morning 8/4/07, I met Steve Rottenborn and Mike Mammoser at Byxbee Park at 6:00am. We headed out to the bay edge on the falling tide, hoping for interesting shorebirds. I had my bike with me, and went on ahead to the riprap along the edge of the outer Palo Alto Flood Control Basin - no rocky shorebirds there today, but in the adjacent Flood Control Basin were 1 female CANVASBACK, 1 alternate-plumaged EARED GREBE, and 10 LESSER SCAUP. The gull colony on the island opposite outer Charleston Slough still had 3 medium-large precocial young and several larger fledgling CALIFORNIA GULLS. Two adult WESTERN GULLS were in the colony and a sub-adult was in the slough nearby. At least 4 CLAPPER RAILS were calling from the bayside marshes here.

Back at the Palo Alto yacht harbor, shorebirds were flying in to the mudflats. A single WHIMBREL and numerous SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were among other expected species, and a pair of adult PEREGRINE FALCONS was stirring things up. At least two VAUX'S SWIFTS were foraging low with the swallows and a female-plumaged SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD was foraging at the edge of the Byxbee Park parking area.

We next headed out along Stevens Creek from Crittenden Lane to the bay. The number of LEAST TERNS has jumped significantly, with 137 being counted (128 sitting on the boardwalk in Salt Pond A2E, the rest foraging over Crittenden Marsh). Out at the creek delta we tallied 31+ RED KNOTS, all fading alternate or basic-plumaged adults. Most of these birds flew north just after 8:20am. Many peeps on the mud flats included at least 2 juvenile WESTERN SANDPIPERS. Ducks in the nearby salt ponds included 1 female REDHEAD (with injured right wing), 1 female GREATER SCAUP, 1 female-plumaged BUFFLEHEAD, and 4 LESSER SCAUP. The first three birds were also present here on 24 July. Other ducks in Stevens Creek included 3-4 GREEN-WINGED TEAL (1 with an injured right wing), 1 male AMERICAN WIGEON, and 2 NORTHERN PINTAIL (7 more pintail were in pond AB1). These may have been mostly summering birds, but 35 NORTHERN SHOVELERS winging their way south were likely recent fall migrant arrivals.

Mike Rogers
Sunnyvale

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