[SBB] Skyline Ridge goodies

During today's Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society field trip to Skyline Ridge a few goodies made an otherwise slow birding day memorable. Our first goodie of the day was an adult, breeding plumage, male INDIGO BUNTING singing below the grassy hillside trail southeast of Alpine Pond. This bird provided extended viewing (and distraction) as approximately 200 runners passed us by on the narrow tail. While LAZULI BUNTINGS have been fairly prolific this year and males fighting on the hillside a fairly normal sight a well seen GRASSHOPPER SPARROW singing from the top of a bush near the trail was definitely notable. While these two sightings (INBU and GRSP) were in San Mateo County RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH seen later were notable birds in this part of Santa Clara County. BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and PURPLE FINCH were also a nice distraction. It seemed unusual to find a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT resting on a raft in Alpine Pond and later, as we watched, a male AMERICAN KESTREL carried a snake (or lizard) to a tree stump on the western edge of the pond, entered thru the top of the stump and then quickly exited thru a hole in the side of the stump without the snake. A sure sign of nesting activity to end our trip on.