[SBB] Black-chinned Sparrow at Loma Prieta

["Kris Olson" <[[email protected]]>]

After finding the 2 Horned Puffins at the  Monterey Bay Aquarium today, I
drove home via Santa Cruz and highway 17, so I could stop at Loma Prieta off
Summit Rd.  I thought there might be a Black-chinned Sparrow, given that one
has been on another mountain close by -- Mt. Umunhum. I arrived about 3:30pm
and heard and then saw a singing male BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW up the road that
goes to the top of Loma Prieta -- but it was before the gate and on the
downhill side of the road.   He was pretty skittish but sang quite a bit. On
my backcway down the road, he was signing further up the road (up slope side
this time), but flew down to the same location and crossed back to the down
slope side, singing each time he flew and stopped. So he was making a large
circle around the gate.

Also present: 
WRENTIT, CALIFORNIA THRASHER, LESSER GOLDFINCH, 3 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER,
CALIFORNIA QUAIL (heard about 5pm), BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (heard only),
BAND-TAILED PIGEON, STELLER'S JAY (lower saddle), RED-TAILED HAWK, SPOTTED
TOWHEE, BEWICK'S WREN (lower saddle), DARK-EYED JUNCO (several heard),
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (3 heard, upper and lower saddles), WESTERN SCRUB
JAY, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE (2 heard).

Then I drove down Morrill Road to Wright's Station road,  only my second
trip there. I drove right to the bottom to the bridge, where last year on
May 29 I had heard a singing SWAINSON'S THRUSH, and sure enough, one sang
constantly. A pair of Black Phoebe's likely has a nest under the bridge, and
a Wilson's Warbler scolded as I arrived. A couple of ducks flew upstream
over the very tall trees, which was sort of out of context, but funny. Last
year I asked if this thrush could be nesting there, as I understand that
they don't nest much in Santa Clara County anymore, but apparently we'd have
to hear them for a week or two in the same place to know it was not a
migrant.

Good birding,
Kris Olson, Menlo Park, CA



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