[SBB] Donald M. Somers Water Polution Control Plant Thursday

[Elliotte Harold <[[email protected]]>]

Thanks to everyone who helped out with suggestions for the Birding BoF
at Software Development 2007 West last week. Sunnyvale Baylands was dry
so we went to the Donald M. Somers Water Pollution Control Plant instead.
  We got 32 countable species in only a little more than an hour. (I
wish we'd had more time.)

Thursday morning was the second SD Birding BoF. If I do it once more, it
becomes a tradition. Due to the daylight savings time change and the
conference happening two weeks later this year, we only had about an
hour and fifteen minutes of actual birding, but we tried to make the
most of it. Nine hardy souls joined me at 6:30 A.M. to ride over to the
Donald M. Somers Water Pollution Control Plant. (It’s more interesting
than it sounds.)

We started with some Mallards, Song Sparrows, and Mockingbirds in the
canal. Marsh Wrens were also singing from the reeds. At the first corner
on the Northeast of the hill, we relocated the Common Moorhen I’d
scouted on Tuesday. There were a few false alarms where various bits of
junk were misidentified as birds, and some domestic geese that were
initially called as Greater White-fronted Geese (they weren’t) but that
was all forgotten when two Black-necked Stilts flew in and started feeding.

Continuing along the canal toward the west we found numerous American
Coots in full voice as well as several egrets, both Snowy and Great. One
attendee had brought a scope this year which helped a good deal. We
scoped some Northern Shovelers and Ruddy Ducks further out in the ponds.
We found some closer Ruddy Ducks as well that we could easily view with
binoculars. Marsh Wrens continued to call from the reeds, and one Great
Blue Heron flew over the hill. We also had flybys by Double-crested
Cormorant, White Pelican, and Western Gull. The most unexpected species
on the north side of the hill though wasn't a bird at all, but rather a
Jackrabbit.

The best birding, however, was at the pond just to the West of the hill,
which featured Northern Shovelers, Mallards, Green-winged teal, Cinnamon
Teal, Gadwall, American Wigeon, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and 15+ Black-crowned
Night-Herons. A lone Green Heron also flew out of the reeds bringing our
heron family total to 5 for the morning. We also had Common Yellowthroat
in the reeds along with some Golden-crowned Sparrows.

I hated to leave that spot, but time was limited. Continuing south we
came to the Yahoo corner and found our first Black Phoebes of the day.
The Eucalyptus trees along the south side parallel to Caribbean Drive
yielded up some Yellow-rumped Warblers. We also found our first definite
White-crowned Sparrows.

Not a lot else was seen until we got back to the cars, and found two
Barn Swallows perched on a sign, and an Anna’s Hummingbird that
cooperatively posed long enough to be scoped.

Two barn swallows perched on sign

Total species count for the brief trip was 32, not counting the domestic
geese:

     * Canada Goose
     * Gadwall
     * American Wigeon
     * Mallard
     * Cinnamon Teal
     * Northern Shoveler
     * Northern Pintail
     * Green-winged Teal
     * Ruddy Duck
     * Double-crested Cormorant
     * Great Blue Heron
     * Great Egret
     * Snowy Egret
     * Green Heron
     * Black-crowned Night-Heron
     * Common Moorhen
     * American Coot
     * Black-necked Stilt
     * Ring-billed Gull
     * Western Gull
     * Anna’s Hummingbird
     * Black Phoebe
     * American Crow
     * Barn Swallow
     * Marsh Wren
     * Northern Mockingbird
     * European Starling
     * Yellow-rumped Warbler
     * Common Yellowthroat
     * Song Sparrow
     * White-crowned Sparrow
     * Golden-crowned Sparrow

Numerous life birds were seen and a good time was had by all.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold      [[email protected]]
XML in a Nutshell 3rd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/xian3/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596007647/cafeaulaitA/ref=nosim


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