[SBB] MB05 pond today 7/30/2007

Hello All,

Now that the hills are well and truly dry, the 'waterhole effect' is in evidence at the little pond at Monte Bello's gate 5 pond, drawing in some extra birds from the surrounding area. This morning 7/30/2007, the pond margins and willows held family groups of Lawrence's Goldfinch (4; at least 2 of them juveniles), Chipping Sparrow (3; 2+ juveniles), and Lazuli Bunting (5; 2+juveniles). Other highlights included 2 Vaux's Swifts with 48 Violet-green Swallows, a juvenile Green Heron, and a new family group of American Coots with 4 tiny redheaded precocial young. A male Wood Duck, already in nonbreeding plumage, was a pond first for me. It was associating with 3 female-plumaged Mallards.

Although the pond was serene in most respects this morning, I witnessed a violent episode by an adult coot which held a youngster from an earlier brood underwater for a considerable length of time, during which it plucked numerous feathers from the trapped bird. I did not see the victim come back up, but later the total coot-count (9) was back to normal, so I hope it worked out OK.

Additional breeding confirmations this morning were of Dark-eyed Junco and Spotted Towhee, each of which had recently-fledged young at the pond.

--Garth Harwood