[SBB] continuing rarities

[Mike Rogers <[[email protected]]>]

All,

Over lunch today 1/3/07, I looked for continuing rarities along Stevens 
Creek next to my work.

I started out by heading out the east levee towards the bay to look for 
the PELAGIC CORMORANT, which I found at the left end of the right 
portion of the dilapidated boardwalk in the northeast corner of pond 
A2W. On the walk out I scoped the BRANT and the 2 SNOW GEESE (adult and 
immature) on the hillsides of Shoreline Park overlooking the Stevens 
Creek Mitigation pond. An adult male BLUE-WINGED TEAL was in Crittenden 
Marsh and 3+ swallows headed east over the marsh - 2 TREE SWALLOWS and 
one probable Barn Swallow.

Driving into Shoreline Park, there was a single BURROWING OWL at the 
mound across from the golf course entrance. Scoping from the southeast 
corner of pond A1 revealed the presence of at least 4 BLACK SKIMMERS on 
the island in the northwest corner of the pond (others likely concealed 
by the many other birds out there). A scope is essential to see these 
birds, as they are a mile away. An adult male EURASIAN WIGEON was much 
closer and easier to pick out.

I parked at the end of Crittenden Lane and walked south along the west 
side of Stevens Creek to look for the Black-throated Gray Warbler. As I 
was passing the point where the high voltage power lines cross the 
creek, I heard a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. This bird called for over two 
minutes, but I got just a brief glimpse of it as it flew over to the 
east channel, so I can't comment on whether it was the whiter or 
yellower bird. While trying to see the waterthrush here, the 
first-winter BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER flew by and landed low in a 
willow before dropping down to the ground at the edge of the path to 
forage. Also along the creek were an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and an 
immature GREEN HERON.

Lots of good birds still around!

Mike Rogers
Sunnyvale


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