[SBB] INBU at Monte Bello-06 Trailhead

All:

This morning, Wednesday July 4 from about 8 AM, the male Indigo Bunting provided many good sightings for many birders and photographers. The bird was circling around, perching and singing, for several hours. This was in the northwest parking lot of the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. At times the bird would perch in a treetop about 30 feet or so from Skyline Blvd. However, according to Roland Kenner, Bill Bousman, and Microsoft Streets and Trips, this is still in San Mateo County; the county line there seems to run right along the south edge of Skyline Blvd.

But finally the bird perched near the highway, and some converging people made the bird go north, appearing to cross the highway into Santa Clara County; in a while it came back to San Mateo. When I went to leave, I parked by the MB06 trailhead and walked the 100 feet, or so, up the highway to the red telephone pole where the bird had appeared to cross. I played my Birdjam iPod bird songs, and the bunting immediately flew over my head and into Santa Clara County, where I could still hear it singing. So I decided not to annoy the bird any more, and started back to my car. As I got there, the bird flew into the top of the small Live Oak next to the MB06 gate, and it proceeded to sing for the next few minutes.

Frank Vanslager