[SBB] South County: SCRWA and Pajaro River

[Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>]

Folks:

This morning, 7/27/07, I visited the South County Regional WasteWater 
Authority (SCRWA) plant in Gilroy, walking down to Bloomfield and 
back, and I then went over to the Pajaro River below Hwy 101.

The two ponds at the entrance road had two adult MUTE SWANS and a 
female CANVASBACK that has oversummered there (the bird has been 
reported as injured, although I did not have that good a look).  Most 
of the treatment ponds are dry, except they have filled the 
near-levee ponds 5-7 (counting from Bloomfield).  Unfortunately, the 
pond near the plant, which in the past has had some nice cattails was 
disked this summer.  One of the wet ponds held a Greater Yellowlegs 
and a few Least and Western sandpipers.  Of the ducks there, a group 
of 7 NORTHERN SHOVELER appeared to be hatching-year birds, so perhaps 
they nested there again this year.  I saw two WARBLING VIREOS and a 
female WILSON'S WARBLER in the willows along Llagas Creek and I 
suspect that both are dispersants/early migrants, since we have not 
found nesting evidence of either species there.  A female HOODED 
ORIOLE is the first I've seen there, but they likely nest nearby.

I then went south to the Pajaro River below Hwy 101 and walked along 
the RR tracks.  A bit before the 1/2 mile marker I saw the BLUE 
GROSBEAK, which continues to sing in the coyotebrush south of the 
tracks.  At one point a f/imm interacted with the male, then both 
flew north of the tracks and foraged in the dry grass.  This looked 
more like mate guarding than "weaning" of juveniles to me, but I'm 
not certain.  Overhead, I had two immature GOLDEN EAGLES to the north 
and an adult over the river.  I didn't find any other grosbeaks.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler 



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