[SBB] Some FOS at Arastradero Preserve

[Eric Goodill <[[email protected]]>]

Hi all,

This morning I picked up some first-of-season (for me, that is) birds  
at Arastradero Preserve. The FOS birds are WARBLING VIREO (2),  
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (1), BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (3), WILSON'S  
WARBLER (2), and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (many).

I saw most of these birds up the Arastradero Creek Trail past the  
upper pond (Sobey Pond?). In that area the Orange-crowned Warblers  
were singing continuously while we'd had no luck finding them earlier  
near Arastradero Lake. All through the park, the OAK TITMICE were  
singing so much that there probably isn't a patch of oak that isn't  
claimed.

I was not able to refind Marion and Kendric Smith's Lawrence's  
Goldfinches though I was never able to identify a hidden bird giving  
a very fast, high-pitched, and somewhat-mimicing song. I thought this  
was a good candidate, but I'm not familiar enough with the Lawrence's  
Goldfinch's some to make a heard-only ID.

Arastradero Lake had RUDDY DUCK, AMERICAN COOT, CINNAMON TEAL,  
BUFFLEHEAD, and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Another birder from San Jose (Jim?  
sorry, I've blanked on your name) showed me a new behavior: during  
the Ruddy Duck's display it raises two little horns of feathers on  
each side of its head. The horns don't stay up long, so you'll have  
to look for them at the right time.

VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOWS were abundant. GOLDEN- and WHITE- 
CROWNED SPARROWS were still present.

The complete list follows.

Good birding, Eric


--ANSERIFORMES
Cinnamon Teal
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
--GALLIFORMES
Wild Turkey
--PODICIPEDIFORMES
Pied-billed Grebe
--CICONIIFORMES
Great Blue Heron
--FALCONIFORMES
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
--GRUIFORMES
American Coot
--APODIFORMES
Anna's Hummingbird
--PICIFORMES
Acorn Woodpecker (heard only)
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker (heard only)
--PASSERIFORMES
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (heard only)
Black Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo (heard only)
Steller's Jay  (heard only)
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse (heard only)
White-breasted Nuthatch (heard only)
Bewick's Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Bluebird
American Robin (heard only)
Wrentit (heard only)
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Towhee (heard only)
California Towhee
Song Sparrow (heard only)
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch (heard only)

44 species


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