[SBB] Palo Alto CBC Redux

[Al Eisner <[[email protected]]>]

   The following text summarizing the 2006 Palo Alto CBC was prepared for
the Avocet, but apparently there was not room to publish it there.  It is
an updated/edited form of the message I posted here shortly after the
count; much of it won't be new, but it seemed worthwhile to put out the
full version.  [According to the Avocet, CBC details are available on the
SCVAS web site, but I've spent some time unsuccessfully looking for them.
Then again, the index web pages are mostly dated 2005.]
									Al
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

   The 48th consecutive Palo Alto CBC was held on Dec. 18, 2006, in
fair but chilly weather.  Despite some wind at the highest elevations,
conditions were good enough to result in 171 species, near the high
end of the past range.  Three species were new to the count:  a
Barn Swallow (found by Bob Power at Bayfront Park in Menlo Park) a
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (by Richard Jeffers near the Emily Renzel Marsh in
Palo Alto), and the continuing Brant (seen by Bill Bousman at Mountain
View Shoreline Park).  All the other stakeout bayside geese were also
found:  3 Greater White-fronted, 2 Snow (seen in both Santa Clara and
San Mateo Cos.) and 6 Cackling; an additional Cackling was seen at the
Gate of Heaven Cemetary.

   Pelagic Cormorant made its third appearance on the count, this time
with two individuals at pond A2W, while an Osprey near Bayfront Park was
also a third occurrence.  Nearly as infrequent were the House Wren along
Stevens Creek, a Rock Wren at Montebello, and two (!) Northern Waterthrushes
at Stevens Creek/Charleston Road (fourth time for each species).  Other
unusual warblers were two Black-throated Gray (at Stevens and San Francisquito
Creeks) and a Hermit (at Skyline OSP).  The 18 Lawrence's Goldfinches
at Montebello were an impressive showing, although not quite matching
the 28 two years earlier.  Short-eared Owl was regular on the count until
the early 90's, but hasn't been found in 7 years, so the one at Byxbee Park
was quite satisfying.  Recurrent but less-than-regular species were a
Common Loon, a Lesser Yellowlegs and 4 Western Tanagers (a new high).

   Two species continued their impressive increases in numbers:  Canada
Goose (a mixed blessing) and American Crow.  Black Skimmer has also been
increasing, with 34 a new high.  The 425 White Pelicans were more than
twice any count in 20 years, but not quite a record; while the 18
Wilson's Snipe were an impressive rebound after a decade of much lower
numbers.  Other species were also present in high or low numbers, but
without any obvious historical pattern.  Perhaps worth noting, however,
is that California Gull had by far its lowest numbers in several
decades (while other Gulls seemed "normal").  Seven "regular" species
were missed entirely:  Red Knot, Northern Pygmy and Northern Saw-whet
Owls (owling conditions high up were not good), Pileated Woodpecker
(found count-week), Winter Wren, Pine Siskin (an invasive species)
and Tricolored Blackbird.  This last was missed for the third straight
year, after a steep decline from pre-1998 numbers, which had been
comparable to those of Red-winged.

    Thanks to all the participants for a very successful count, to the
region coordinators, and especially to Jack Cole who organized the whole
thing.  As I've said before, "Let's do it again next December".

                                                    Al Eisner, compiler



_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
South-Bay-Birds mailing list      ([[email protected]])
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://plaidworks.org/mailman/listinfo/south-bay-birds_plaidworks.org