[SBB] Alviso

Good afternoon all...

Today Kristine Long and I birded Alviso...our target bird was the Ruff.... We checked out State and Spreckles only to find Dowitchers, Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, Black-necked Stilts, Dunlin, Avocets, Greater Yellowlegs, Western Sandpipers, Killdeers, a Northern Harrier but no Ruff....

We then birded at the EEC.....two Barn Owls in the nesting box, Common Yellowthroats, Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow in the Hummingbird Garden. We walked out to the first island were we had great looks at a Glaucous-winged Gull....and Kristine counted 45 White Pelicans.....tons of Gulls, Coots, Ruddy Ducks, a few Eared Grebes in the water....

We walked to the second island and while checking it out Frank V. and Bob R. came up to show us a Glaucous Gull.....and we asked them if they saw the Ruff...they said they had good looks at the entrance to the ECC....so Kristine and I left them and went for the Ruff....in doing so we missed Bob and Frank's Sanderling....but we got unbelievable looks at the Ruff....it started out in the pickleweed and then flew to the open water....best look ever at a Ruff...it was a lifer for Kristine...Thanks Bob and Frank....

We also had: Peregrine Falcon, Osprey eating a fish, Kestrel, Great Egret, a single Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, a single Tri-colored Blackbird amongst the hundreds of Red-winged Blackbirds sitting in a tree in front of the large church (forgot the name) on the way home...

Great birding today at Alviso....

Wishing you good birding and my best regards,

Linda Sullivan