From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 01 13:44:16 1998 Subject: Shorebirds! At CCRS this morning, I ran into Dave Weber who spotted an adult female RUFF in the slush pond directly opposite the trailers. We had excellent scope views as she foraged in the company of Dowitchers. She was still mostly in breeding plumage, so very dark down to her white undertail coverts, except for some molting to white in the lores and around the eyes. Pink legs. At the pond further down toward the shorebird pond opposite where the levee road turns, we saw a juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER among the Westerns, and 3 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Dave was still scoping the thousands of birds on the shorebird pond when I had to leave at 10:30 am. -- Tom Grey Stanford CA [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 01 21:30:43 1998 Subject: More Band-tails This seems to be an eruptive year for BTPI. The flock along Saratoga Creek runs between 27 and 30 most days. Last fall we had only 25 and the previous year only 5-6. Thanks to all of you kind souls who have been nurturing them at your feeders. We only get MODOs who try to nest in the silliest places in our yard. I found a dead young (just getting feathers) last week. Lou Young ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 02 12:08:16 1998 Subject: How to feel like an Expert... I was walking from the old Dream Inn to Natural Bridges on Cliff Walk in Santa Cruz yesterday with a friend. Stopped to look at some birds, a couple of whom were taking baths. He said to me "Did you know those are chickadees?" I said "Chickadees?" He said "Yes, see the black and white on them." I said "But chickadees are only about this big (holding up my fingers)---those are Black Turnstones."......Gloria LeBlanc http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 02 12:09:54 1998 Subject: CCRS The Ruff was still present at the pond opposite the trailers on Sunday morning. This can be a difficult bird to see. NO sign of Semi-p Sandpipers or Baird's. I saw what may have been a Gray Fox. The body was gray but with obvious rusty tones on the rump and tail. The ears were more rounded than on Red Fox in my view and the head looked looked smaller and cuter. Nick Lethaby Director of Business Development Elanix, Inc. Tel: 408 941 0223 Fax: 408 941 0984 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 02 12:53:58 1998 Subject: 4 Hawks at Once While bicycling down upper Page Mill Road this a.m., my husband and I saw 4 Red-Tailed Hawks circling together; one of them was screeching. I've never seen so many Red-Tails together at once. Any idea why they'd be doing that? Territorial dispute? Nancy Teater -- Nancy R. Teater Hamilton Communications phone: +1 650 321 0252 [[email protected]] http://web.hamilton.com fax: +1 650 327 4660 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 02 16:14:13 1998 Subject: SESA, LETE, RUTU All: On 22 July at CCRS, I saw 5 LESSER and 20 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 19 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 30 LEAST and 1600 WESTERN SANDPIPERS. Salt pond A-18 had 23 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and 16 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT nests were still active here. On 23 July, I heard a Passerina bunting (likely Lazuli) calling as it flew high over east San Jose, heading south at midday. On 24 July, there were 22 BONAPARTE'S GULLS and an alternate- plumaged RUDDY TURNSTONE in pond A-18 in Alviso, a WESTERN KINGBIRD on the San Jose WPCP fence, and a brood of LESSER SCAUP on the west side of pond A-18 near the Zanker Road landfill. At CCRS, I had an adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER in the northernmost of the WPCP ponds along the CCRS road (mostly basic-plumaged scapulars, bill of moderate length, possibly one of those that I previously saw here), plus a WHIMBREL and my first 1st-year RING-BILLED GULL (still almost entirely in juv. plumage). Conducting Burrowing Owl surveys on the WPCP right at the intersection of Zanker and Los Esteros (near the main WPCP entrance), I had a surprising HOUSE WREN in a dense clump of pines; this was obviously a migrant or post-breeding dispersant. Some of the WPCP ponds nearby had a brood of LESSER SCAUP and two alternate-plumaged SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. On 25 July, leading a field trip for a Stanford class, I saw 18+ LEAST TERNS and 3 eclipse male CANVASBACKS (probably the injured birds I reported earlier) in outer Charleston Slough, 1-2 juv. PEREGRINE FALCONS over the area, and a WESTERN KINGBIRD in Mountain View Forebay. On 31 July, I checked the Morabito goose farm on Middle Avenue in San Martin. The most interesting "wild" birds were 4 adult BLACK-NECKED STILTS with 2 recently fledged young. "Ornamentals" included 10 Snow Geese (all adults), 4 ad. Greater White-fronted Geese (in pens), and 5 Canvasbacks (in pens). Among the many varieties of Canada Geese here were 11 minima (in the small pond right in front of the house) and 11 "Dusky"-type Canadas. Steve Rottenborn ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 03 10:48:00 1998 Subject: Female Ruff still present at CCRS The dominantly alternate plumaged female RUFF was still present this morning immediately opposite the trailers at CCRS. It was quite close to the levee and afforded excellent views in the early morning light. Mark Eaton [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 03 15:20:42 1998 Subject: 1998 Monterey Bay Bird Festival Fellow SBB'ers -- Rick Fournier asked me to spread the word to SBB about this two-day fall event, which is gathering strength with every year now. Todd Newberry Santa Cruz [[email protected]] **** 1998 Monterey Bay Bird Festival “A Window On The Flyway” October 3rd & 4th Monterey Bay and its surrounding landscape offers some of the most diverse and spectacular birding opportunities on the Central Coast. Headquartered at one of California’s rarest jewels, Elkhorn Slough, the 1998 Monterey Bay Bird Festival will take place October 3&4, 1998. Sponsored by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and the Department of Fish & Game, the weekend will offer unique field trips, workshops and festival activities designed to inspire both novice and experienced birders and introduce birding opportunities in the Monterey Bay Area. * Special Tours - Elkhorn Slough (boat and kayak tours), Big Sur, Carmel River, Watsonville Sloughs, Moss Landing, Salinas River Wildlife Area and Special Pelagic Trips. * Workshops - Bird Banding, Bird Songs and Calls, Photography, Shorebirds, Gulls, Native Plants, Raptors, Food and Feeding of Birds, Study Skins, with a special keynote address Saturday night featuring Herb Clarke photo presentation on “Northern California Birds”. * Festival Activities - Live music, exhibits, food, special demonstrations on a variety of topics including identifying bird eggs and nests, dissecting owl & cormorant pellets, wildlife viewing stations with spotting scopes, and more. Located on the Pacific Flyway, Elkhorn Slough the Monterey Bay are major stopovers for shorebirds, waterfowl and land birds. This weekend promises to be a fantastic experience. For information, a registration packet and schedule of events, contact the Elkhorn Foundation at (831)728-5939. E-mail inquires may be sent to: [[email protected]]. Website: www.elkhornslough.org. ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 03 17:09:42 1998 Subject: Palo Alto Parakeets I don't know how many of you on the SBB List were around in May of 1996, but at that time there was an exchange of messages about parakeets nesting in the eaves of churches in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. Steve Rottenborn wrote then that the greatest number of those at St. Mark's on Colorado Ave. in Palo Alto were Mitred Parakeets with a few Blue-crowned, Red-masked and White-eyed Parakeets. An article in the Palo Alto Daily News on Wed. July 29 reported that the parakeets were "pecking their way through wooden beams" and that church officials have had a construction company board up the eaves with metal sheeting. The probable $20,000 cost of trapping and relocating was judged too much. I got the news from a distraught neighbor of mine, and there have been several letters to the paper from anguished residents who love the parrots. A campaign may be underway to do something....although I don't know what. Rosalie Lefkowitz ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 04 10:27:32 1998 Subject: birds On Saturday, 1 Aug 98, I went to the Palo Alto Baylands, where I found the usual assortment of shorebirds at the estuary on the ebbing tide. The WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE is still at the duck pond. It was interesting to note that the MUTE SWAN there is neither banded nor toe-cut. At the Palo Alto flood control basin I was able to refind the mostly alternate-plumaged PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, as well as 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Along Coyote Creek, south of Hellyer Ave, I saw 1 juvenile WHITE-TAILED KITE that had just fledged from the nest I found earlier in the season. Late in the afternoon I was able to refind the adult female RUFF at CCRS, in the pond right across the fence from the trailers. When I arrived home I was surprised to see 2 CASPIAN TERNS circling and calling over my apartment building in San Jose, near Campbell. On Sunday, 2 Aug 98, I stopped at Calabazas Marsh to see if any good shorebirds were around. I was only able to find 2 GREEN HERONS. At CCRS I again saw the adult female RUFF in the same pond as the day before. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 04 12:27:48 1998 Subject: composite list AUGUST 4, 1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST UPDATE Les Chibana thought he might have had a Black Swift near his house on 7/14 and 7/15, but the bird never returned for confirmation. This looks like a miss this year :(. Shorebird migration is in full swing, as can be noted from the fact that four of the five additions in this update are indeed shorebirds! Mike P.S. Some advice from Kendric: [To make the columns line up, please copy this list to a word processor, and change the font to a monospaced font (Monoco, Courier, etc.), and set the right hand margin to 7.5 inches.] ________________________________________________________________________ Recent progress of the composite list: 268: 7/18/98 INDIGO BUNTING 269: 7/25/98 PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER 270: 7/26/98 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 271: 8/ 1/98 RUFF 272: 8/ 1/98 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER Please send any additions, corrections, or comments to Mike Rogers, [[email protected]]. SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST - 1998 SCR MMR MJM COMP SOURCE 377 239 221 223 272+ICGU % OF COMPOSITE FOR 1998 % OF 377 (Iceland Gull not counted) Red-throated Loon 2/16 2/ 8 2/ 8 SBT Pacific Loon 2/21 SBT Common Loon 2/ 8 2/11 2/14 1/ 2 AVe Pied-billed Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Horned Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Red-necked Grebe 1/ 2 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Eared Grebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Western Grebe 1/ 2 2/11 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Clark's Grebe 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Northern Fulmar Sooty Shearwater Ashy Storm-Petrel Brown Booby American White Pelican 1/ 2 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Brown Pelican 7/ 3 1/ 6 2/ 8 1/ 4 JMa Double-crested Cormorant 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Brandt's Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Magnificent Frigatebird American Bittern 1/16 2/28 1/15 CWh Least Bittern Great Blue Heron 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Great Egret 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Snowy Egret 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Little Blue Heron 5/ 7 4/29 PJM Cattle Egret 1/ 2 4/24 4/26 1/ 2 SCR Green Heron 1/ 6 2/11 2/13 1/ 1 DJC Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC White-faced Ibis Fulvous Whistling-Duck Tundra Swan 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC Greater White-fronted Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Snow Goose 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 2 SCR Ross' Goose 2/ 8 1/19 1/16 1/16 MJM Brant Canada Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Wood Duck 4/21 4/11 1/18 1/ 1 AVe,CH Green-winged Teal 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Mallard 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Northern Pintail 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Garganey Blue-winged Teal 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Cinnamon Teal 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Northern Shoveler 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Gadwall 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Eurasian Wigeon 1/26 2/24 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM American Wigeon 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Canvasback 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Redhead 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Ring-necked Duck 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/31 1/ 1 m.ob. Tufted Duck 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Greater Scaup 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Lesser Scaup 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Oldsquaw Black Scoter 3/ 8 3/ 2 3/ 8 3/ 1 JMe Surf Scoter 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC White-winged Scoter 2/11 1/ 6 2/13 1/ 6 MMR Common Goldeneye 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Barrow's Goldeneye 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Bufflehead 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Hooded Merganser 1/ 4 2/28 2/28 1/ 1 AVe,CH,NLe Common Merganser 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Red-breasted Merganser 1/16 2/11 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Ruddy Duck 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Turkey Vulture 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. California Condor Osprey 3/ 2 1/19 1/18 1/17 JMa,JLa White-tailed Kite 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM Bald Eagle 2/ 8 2/16 1/16 SGu Northern Harrier 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/ 2 1/19 4/26 1/ 2 SCR Cooper's Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/22 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Northern Goshawk Red-shouldered Hawk 1/ 2 1/16 1/ 3 1/ 1 DJC Broad-winged Hawk Swainson's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Ferruginous Hawk 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 2 SCR Rough-legged Hawk 1/ 3 1/ 3 SCR Golden Eagle 1/ 6 1/ 7 1/17 1/ 1 DJC American Kestrel 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Merlin 1/ 9 2/ 9 1/ 3 1/ 2 fide CKS Peregrine Falcon 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Prairie Falcon 3/ 4 1/25 NLe Ring-necked Pheasant 1/ 6 1/13 2/22 1/ 6 SCR Wild Turkey 3/16 4/11 4/ 5 1/ 1 JMa California Quail 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 1 SCR,DJC Mountain Quail 6/11 5/13 MLF Yellow Rail Black Rail 1/12 1/12 2/ 8 1/ 9 VTi,RWR,FVs Clapper Rail 1/12 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Virginia Rail 1/ 2 1/12 1/31 1/ 2 SCR Sora 1/ 2 1/16 2/ 8 1/ 2 SCR Common Moorhen 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC American Coot 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Pacific Golden-Plover 7/27 7/26 7/25 AME American Golden-Plover Snowy Plover 5/13 6/14 4/19 TRy,SSa Semipalmated Plover 1/ 6 4/24 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Killdeer 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/18 1/ 1 m.ob. Mountain Plover Black Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC American Avocet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Greater Yellowlegs 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Lesser Yellowlegs 1/ 6 4/24 8/ 1 1/ 6 SCR Solitary Sandpiper 4/19 PJM Willet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Wandering Tattler Spotted Sandpiper 4/27 2/ 8 2/16 1/ 1 AVe,CH Whimbrel 1/ 6 1/ 6 2/ 8 1/ 4 CKS,JML Long-billed Curlew 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Hudsonian Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit Marbled Godwit 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Ruddy Turnstone 7/24 4/28 RWR Black Turnstone Red Knot 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR Sanderling 5/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR Semipalmated Sandpiper 7/ 4 7/ 4 SCR,NLe Western Sandpiper 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Least Sandpiper 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/14 1/ 1 AVe,CH White-rumped Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper 8/ 1 DWe,TGr Pectoral Sandpiper 7/26 7/26 MJM Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Dunlin 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Curlew Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ruff 8/ 3 8/ 1 8/ 1 DWe,TGr Short-billed Dowitcher 1/ 6 1/ 6 4/26 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Long-billed Dowitcher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM,AVe Common Snipe 1/ 5 3/ 8 1/ 1 DJC Wilson's Phalarope 6/16 7/10 6/13 6/12 BMc Red-necked Phalarope 6/30 8/ 4 4/17 4/17 MJM,AVE,FVs Red Phalarope 2/11 2/ 8 2/ 8 SBT Pomarine Jaeger Parasitic Jaeger Long-tailed Jaeger Laughing Gull 6/22 DSt Franklin's Gull 6/ 9 6/10 6/13 5/13 RWR,FVs Little Gull 4/28 4/29 4/28 4/28 SCR Black-headed Gull Bonaparte's Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Heermann's Gull Mew Gull 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,TGr Ring-billed Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. California Gull 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Herring Gull 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Thayer's Gull 1/ 2 1/16 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH ??Iceland Gull 1/16 1/16 SBT,SCR,AJa,MH Lesser Black-backed Gull 1/18 3/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Western Gull 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Glaucous-winged Gull 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,TGr Glaucous Gull 1/ 6 2/24 1/ 6 SCR Black-legged Kittiwake Sabine's Gull Caspian Tern 4/17 4/11 4/11 4/ 2 RWR Elegant Tern Common Tern 5/15 SBT Arctic Tern Forster's Tern 1/ 6 2/ 8 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Least Tern 7/ 2 7/ 7 7/ 3 7/ 2 SCR Black Tern 5/ 7 4/29 4/28 TGr,JSt,RWR Black Skimmer 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Common Murre Ancient Murrelet Cassin's Auklet Rock Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Band-tailed Pigeon 1/ 1 3/27 3/15 1/ 1 SCR White-winged Dove Mourning Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Greater Roadrunner 4/19 SMi Barn Owl 4/19 1/ 9 4/26 1/ 9 MMR,RJe Flammulated Owl Western Screech-Owl 6/ 2 4/26 1/ 1 JMa Great Horned Owl 1/14 4/25 3/22 1/ 1 DJC Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/ 1 4/12 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Burrowing Owl 1/ 5 1/20 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl 3/ 7 RiC Northern Saw-whet Owl 4/26 1/ 1 JMa Lesser Nighthawk Common Nighthawk Common Poorwill 4/26 4/26 MJM,GKH,DSt Black Swift Chimney Swift Vaux's Swift 4/13 4/25 4/25 4/12 DPo,SMi White-throated Swift 1/18 1/21 2/22 1/ 8 RWR,FVs Black-chinned Hummingbird 5/ 6 5/ 8 4/18 4/16 CCRS Anna's Hummingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Costa's Hummingbird 6/ 8 6/ 8 SCR Calliope Hummingbird 4/19 4/19 SCR,HLR,RPR Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird 3/16 4/ 8 4/ 5 3/16 SCR Allen's Hummingbird 3/ 4 4/11 3/15 1/25 AME Belted Kingfisher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/17 1/ 1 DJC Lewis' Woodpecker 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs Acorn Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 6 2/28 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/ 2 1/ 1 CKS,JML Red-naped Sapsucker 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob. Williamson's Sapsucker Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 3 1/ 2 m.ob. Downy Woodpecker 1/ 1 3/ 4 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,CKS,JML Hairy Woodpecker 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC Northern Flicker 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Pileated Woodpecker 6/11 4/12 4/12 MJM Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/26 5/ 6 4/25 4/16 JCo Western Wood-Pewee 4/26 4/25 4/25 4/19 JDa Willow Flycatcher 5/28 6/12 5/28 SCR Least Flycatcher Hammond's Flycatcher 4/30 4/11 4/11 4/11 MMR,MJM Dusky Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/28 3/27 3/18 1/ 4 CCRS Black Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Eastern Phoebe 1/ 2 3/ 4 3/ 1 1/ 2 SCR Say's Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 2 SCR Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/14 4/25 4/26 4/ 8 RWR Tropical Kingbird Cassin's Kingbird 5/ 4 4/11 4/11 3/ 1 DRo,RCa kingbird sp. 2/ 8 AGu Western Kingbird 3/16 4/ 8 4/11 3/16 SCR Eastern Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Horned Lark 3/16 4/26 3/15 1/25 AME Purple Martin 5/14 RCi Tree Swallow 1/18 1/19 3/ 1 1/17 LCh Violet-green Swallow 2/ 5 1/19 2/22 1/18 JDa Nor. Rough-winged Swallow 2/ 8 2/25 2/28 2/ 8 SCR Bank Swallow 7/ 2 5/26 NLe Cliff Swallow 3/ 2 3/ 1 3/ 8 2/26 TRy Barn Swallow 1/ 2 1/19 3/ 1 1/ 2 SCR Steller's Jay 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob. Western Scrub-Jay 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Clark's Nutcracker Black-billed Magpie Yellow-billed Magpie 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. American Crow 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Common Raven 1/ 1 1/ 5 2/13 1/ 1 m.ob. Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/ 1 1/16 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Oak Titmouse 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC Bushtit 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Red-breasted Nuthatch 4/12 1/ 1 JMa White-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 DJC Pygmy Nuthatch 1/ 1 4/12 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Brown Creeper 1/ 1 4/25 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob. Rock Wren 3/ 16 1/19 1/13 1/13 MJM Canyon Wren 1/ 1 JSa,HGe Bewick's Wren 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. House Wren 3/29 4/ 8 4/ 5 3/21 LAY Winter Wren 1/ 1 4/ 4 1/ 1 SCR Marsh Wren 1/12 1/12 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM American Dipper 4/11 3/29 TGr Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4/26 3/27 3/29 1/ 5 CJC Western Bluebird 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/16 1/ 1 DJC Mountain Bluebird 1/17 JLu Townsend's Solitaire 5/ 6 5/ 3 MHa,DHa Swainson's Thrush 4/30 5/ 6 5/ 9 4/ 2 PMB Hermit Thrush 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 SCR,JMa American Robin 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 m.ob. Varied Thrush 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR Wrentit 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/17 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC Northern Mockingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Sage Thrasher 4/ 7 BWe Brown Thrasher California Thrasher 1/ 1 1/ 6 2/28 1/ 1 SCR Red-throated Pipit American Pipit 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Bohemian Waxwing Cedar Waxwing 1/ 2 1/14 3/28 1/ 1 JMa Phainopepla 4/18 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs Northern Shrike Loggerhead Shrike 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. European Starling 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Bell's Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Cassin's Vireo 4/26 4/11 4/12 4/ 5 LAY Plumbeous Vireo Hutton's Vireo 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Warbling Vireo 3/28 3/27 3/29 3/18 AME Red-eyed Vireo Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler 1/ 4 1/24 3/ 1 1/ 4 SCR,CCRS Nashville Warbler 4/14 4/25 4/12 JMM Virginia's Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler 1/ 4 4/11 4/25 1/ 4 SCR Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Black-throated Gray Warbler 4/30 4/25 4/ 5 1/ 9 SBT Townsend's Warbler 1/ 1 3/27 3/15 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC Hermit Warbler 4/26 4/ 4 2/ 1 AVe,CH Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Prairie Warbler 1/ 4 1/17 1/ 4 SCR Palm Warbler 1/ 4 1/13 1/ 4 SCR,HLR Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Ovenbird 6/ 7 SRo,KVV Northern Waterthrush Kentucky Warbler Connecticut Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler 4/26 4/25 4/19 NLe Common Yellowthroat 1/ 4 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler 3/28 3/27 3/22 3/22 MJM Yellow-breasted Chat 5/ 6 5/ 3 CCRS Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Western Tanager 4/24 4/26 4/25 1/23 RWR Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/25 KCo,MWr Black-headed Grosbeak 4/ 8 4/11 4/11 4/ 5 VTi Blue Grosbeak 5/ 6 5/11 4/19 4/19 MJM Lazuli Bunting 4/19 4/26 5/ 3 4/19 SCR Indigo Bunting 7/18 AJa Passerina sp. 4/10 4/10 SCR Dickcissel Green-tailed Towhee Spotted Towhee 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC California Towhee 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 m.ob. Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/ 2 4/ 8 4/11 1/ 2 SCR American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow 4/27 4/26 3/31 GFi,MPl Clay-colored Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow Black-chinned Sparrow 5/23 JGa Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow 4/ 8 1/19 1/ 4 1/ 4 MJM Black-throated Sparrow Sage Sparrow 4/12 AME,DPo Lark Bunting Savannah Sparrow 1/ 2 1/12 1/ 4 1/ 1 DJC Grasshopper Sparrow 4/10 6/ 2 4/10 SCR Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1/ 9 fide AME Fox Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Song Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Lincoln's Sparrow 1/ 2 1/13 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Swamp Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR White-throated Sparrow 3/29 1/15 AJb Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. White-crowned Sparrow 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Harris' Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Lapland Longspur Chestnut-collared Longspur Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Tricolored Blackbird 1/ 2 1/14 4/11 1/ 2 SCR Western Meadowlark 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Yellow-headed Blackbird 5/ 4 4/ 4 NLe Brewer's Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Great-tailed Grackle 5/25 5/28 5/30 5/25 SCR Brown-headed Cowbird 1/ 2 1/16 1/18 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Hooded Oriole 3/29 4/24 4/26 3/21 AWa Baltimore Oriole Bullock's Oriole 3/28 4/ 8 3/22 3/19 GHa Scott's Oriole Purple Finch 1/ 1 3/27 2/28 1/ 1 SCR Cassin's Finch House Finch 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Red Crossbill Pine Siskin 1/18 1/ 9 TGr Lesser Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/13 1/ 4 1/ 1 m.ob. Lawrence's Goldfinch 5/ 5 4/26 4/26 1/ 6 NLe,RWR,FVs American Goldfinch 1/ 1 1/ 7 1/20 1/ 1 m.ob. Evening Grosbeak House Sparrow 1/ 2 1/ 6 2/22 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC Observer codes: m.ob.-many observers, AGu-Arnel Guanlao, AJa-Al Jaramillo, AJb-Alberta Jasberg, AME-Al Eisner, AVe-Ann Verdi, AWa-Alan Walther, BMc-Bert McKee, BWe-Bruce Webb, CCRS-Coyote Creek Riparian Station, CH-Caralisa Hughes, CJC-Chuck Coston, CKS-Chris Salander, CWh-Clark White, DHa-David Haveman, DJC-Don & Jill Crawford, DPo-David Powell, DRo-Don Roberson, DSt-Dick Stovel, DWe-Dave Weber, FVs-Frank Vanslager, GFi-George Finger, GHa-Garth Harwood, GKH-Grant Hoyt, GLB-Gloria LeBlanc, HGe-Harriet Gerson, HLR-Heather Rottenborn, JCo-Jack Cole, JDa-Jim Danzenbaker, JGa-Jim Gain, JLa-Jolene Lange, JLu-John Luther, JMa-John Mariani, JMe-John Meyer, JML-Jeanne Leavitt, JMM-John & Maria Meyer, JSa-June Santoro, JSt-John Sterling, KCo-Kitty Collins, KLP-Kathy Parker, KVV-Kent Van Vuren, LAY-Amy Lauterbach & James Yurchenco, MH-Matt Heindel, MHa-Merry Haveman, MJM-Mike Mammoser, MLF-Mike Feighner, MMR-Mike Rogers, MPL-Marjorie Plant, MWr-Marti Wright, NLe-Nick Lethaby, PMB-Phyllis M. Browning, RCa-Rita Caratello, RCi-Rich Cimino, RCo-Rita Colwell, RiC-Richard Carlson, RJe-Richard Jeffers, RLe-Rosalie Lefkowitz, RPR-Rebecca Paige Rottenborn, RWR-Bob Reiling, SBT-Scott Terrill, SCR-Steve Rottenborn, SGu-Stephan Gunn, SMi-Steve Miller,SRo-Steve Rovell,SSA-Susan Sandstrom, TGr-Tom Grey, TRy-Tom Ryan, VTi-Vivek Tiwari, WGB-Bill Bousman SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST HISTORY 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 HIGH COMP 278 295 303 293 296 305 305 SCR 279 291 262 251 268 291 MJM 234 250 265 242 253 276 276 MMR 214 234 254 271 257 258 275 275 MLF 136 183 199 209 215 235 194 165 218 265 265 WGB 216 228 245 170 245 AME 240 220 219 231 240 KLP 232 232 RWR 204 201 203 228 228 TGr 189 211 211 CKS 185 195 186 195 GLB 190 190 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 04 17:03:34 1998 Subject: Feeder-borne disease warning All, Janet Hanson of the SFBBO recently ended a posting on the recent flurry of Band-tailed Pigeon anecdotes with the question, "Didn't I read there is concern about the species as a whole?" I don't know about its overall conservation status, but the summer 1998 newsletter of the Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society printed the following warning [emphases mine]: "TRICHOMONIASIS is a parasite that affects the throats of birds, making it impossible for them to eat and, if left untreated, is fatal...Over the past several months, the SPCA Wildlife Center has received about 20 birds with the disease, primarily Band-tailed Pigeons and Mourning Doves. Each year wildlife workers care for many of these types of birds, PLUS HAWKS AND OTHER BIRDS OF PREY that are infected by eating sick birds. Adult birds pass the disease on to their young and to other Adults when a sick bird that is unable to eat food spits it out. That morsel can then be ingested by a healthy bird... To help slow the spread of the disease, those with bird feeders who see sick and scrawny birds attempting to eat at a feeder should take their feeders out of operation for several weeks, long enough for the disease to go through its cycle in our area." (Maia Carroll) The only BTPI I have seen at the Audubon feeders in the past 2-1/2 years was one that showed up May 1st of this year displaying trichomoniasis symptoms. Those who have big crowds at their feeders should be alert for this problem. Rest assured that especially in our area, the food supplied by feeders is rarely important to the survival of visiting birds (the most likely exception is hummingbirds in winter). --Garth Harwood ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 05 10:48:30 1998 Subject: CCRS Shorebirds This morning I saw a juv. Baird's Sandpiper and a juv. Semi-palmated Sandpiper on the pond by the trailers. I was able check all the dowitchers well on all ponds and could not find the Ruff today. However, there may be other ponds in the sewage plant we can't see that have shorebirds. Nick Nick Lethaby Director of Business Development Elanix, Inc. Tel: 408 941 0223 Fax: 408 941 0984 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 05 18:36:11 1998 Subject: Santa Clara Co List Update Mike Rogers has updated the 1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST. Kendric South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU) http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 06 12:36:53 1998 Subject: White-Faced Ibis, Crittenden Marsh All, At 10:25 AM today Frank Vanslager and I saw two WFIB in Crittenden Marsh. The first bird was on the western edge in the southwest corner of the marsh (about 100 ft fom the dike). The second bird was on the southern edge of the marsh toward the southeastern corner. Both birds had glossy black plumage, body and neck, but with no white bordering the facial skin. There seemed to be a significant amount of red in the scapulars (or median coverts?). We also saw a (the?) partially leucistic Horned Grebe. Take care, Bob Reiling, 12:18 PM, 8/6/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 06 12:44:02 1998 Subject: List Bureaucrat Stand-in needed Hi all, I will be out of the area and offline for 8 days, starting next Thursday, 8/13. If there is anyone who can help out with List Bureaucrat duties until I'm back, it would be much appreciated. However, we may be okay without anyone at the helm for a week; the traffic and subcription activity has been low. Les ======================================== Les Chibana List Bureaucrat South-Bay-Birds List [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 06 14:00:20 1998 Subject: Web Site Updates South Bay Birders, The July South-Bay-Birders archive is available online at http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/southbay.htm Also I just finished updating the California Bird Records Committee photo gallery with new images of Mourning Warbler, Yellow-billed Loon, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Great Tit, Masked Booby, Blue-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Special thanks to Don DesJardin, Ron Branson, Keith Kwan, Mike San Miguel, Steve N. G. Howell, Christine Barrett, Shauna Bingham, Mary Beth Stowe, Tony Mercieca, Al DeMartini, Daniel S. Singer, John C. Wilson, Peter Pyle, Matt T. Heindel, Kimball L. Garrett, and Walter K. Lees for contributing photos to the committee. The photo gallery is at : http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/photos/ Recent updates to my California Birding Pages include new sonograms and audio files of the Eastern Wood-Pewee at Bodega Bay with direct comparison of the Eastern Wood-Pewee at Mono Lake. Thanks to Alan Wight for the Bodega Bay sound files. A new mystery photo page is up with a hawk and a confusing duck. Also I have posted for information on last month's mystery oriole and blackbird. Additions to the county pages include a site guide to Tehama County by Bruce Deuel and to Discovery Park in Sacramento County by Doug Shaw. The links page has been updated including a link to Don DesJardin's great new bird photo site. The California Birding Pages are at http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ I understand this site will be down temporarily on Sunday, 9 August. As always, we welcome additional contributions or suggestions. Enjoy! -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044 [[email protected]] SF Birding Classes begin Sept 9th http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan California Bird Records Committee http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 06 14:11:16 1998 Subject: WFIB,RUFF All, I took advantage of Bob Reiling's timely e-mail and drove out to the fence along the northern edge of Moffett Field overlooking the southern edge of Crittenden Marsh. The two WHITE-FACED IBIS were foraging together near the big yellow building halfway along the southern shore. Earlier today the RUFF was still present at CCRS, now in the waterbird pond. I failed to find the Ruff at CCRS on 8/4/98, but there were two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES (1 mostly alternate adult, 1 basic adult) in among the many WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Mike Rogers 8/6/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 07 08:34:30 1998 Subject: Another BTPI story A friend of mine who has a cabin at Alpine Meadows came up to me this morning and asked if I know anything about BTPI. Seems a flock of 12 came to his cabin last weekend and cleaned out his feeder in short order. He was really impressed by their size and appetite. He had never seen one before, and didn't know that they are also found locally. ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 07 08:35:39 1998 Subject: Ruff continues at CCRS This morning the female Ruff was still on the shorebird pond at CCRS. Strangely the sewage ponds were almost devoid of birds. I saw no peeps anywhere. Nick Lethaby Director of Business Development Elanix, Inc. Tel: 408 941 0223 Fax: 408 941 0984 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 07 10:15:22 1998 Subject: WFIB, LEAST TERN Yesterday evening, I saw one of the WFIB at Crittenden Marsh. After parking at the end of Crittenden Lane, walked north on the dike between Stevens Creek and the Moffet field fence. Walked past the iron bridge. I then saw the bird at the northern edge of the grassy area. It was close to the dike. This was a lucky break since soon after the bird took off and landed further east. Then it flew yet further east and landed out of sight near the two yellow buildings that Mike Rogers mentioned. Walking back south the path climbs up past the iron bridge. From here I was able to get a very distant view of the bird near the yellow buildings. Later, a long hike to the far reaches of Charleston Slough did not yield any Least Terns. A CANVASBACK and 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were there. On the walk back, a LEAST TERN did fly-by overhead. 2 BLACK SKIMMERS were roosting on the island just north of the pumphouse near the Forebay. Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 13:09:36 1998 Subject: Elegant Terns I saw 3 (1 juv) Elegant Terns flying over the salt ponds at the mouth of Steven's Creek. There was also a Red Knot here and 10 Caspian Terns. There were 15 Least Terns at Charleston Slough. I also thought I heard Elegant Tern here too, likely the same birds. Nick Lethaby Director of Business Development Elanix, Inc. Tel: 408 941 0223 Fax: 408 941 0984 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 15:13:50 1998 Subject: RUFF still at CCRS All, The RUFF is still at the CCRS waterbird pond. At about 1:15p today, Saturday, 8/8/98, it became active and foraged at the edge of a group of dowitchers at the northeast corner of the pond. It had apparently been sleeping among the sleeping dowitchers when I arrivewd. It's black breast plumage ends at the leading edge of its belly and its legs appear to be an orangey-yellow. Comparing this to Tom Grey's initial report, it appears to be in active pre-baisc molt. I also saw two passerines that I could not ID on the fence next to the levee. They were next to the second pond with a good amount of water to the north of the trailers. My first impression was of Western Tanagers. One bird had olive-green upperparts and looked like a female WETA. Only a single wingbar was noted. The bill structure appeared to be like a tanager. The other bird accompanying it confused me. It was more gray-brown than olive-green. They both flew down to the northeast corner of the pond and out of sight, before I could get a better look. Banding activity was low, with young birds making up all(?) of the 9 birds. One 1st year male WILSON'S WARBLER, a 1st year "WESTERN" FLYCATCHER, and a second year(?) SWAINSON'S THRUSH were the notable migrants/"dipersants". A male BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD was heard all morning (seen once) between net lanes 9835 and 9900. Les ========================================== Les Chibana, Mountain View [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 15:27:47 1998 Subject: Crittenden I swung by this morning in hopes of seeing the ibises, but no luck. Didn't see Nick's Elegant Terns or Red Knot either. Did see 6 CASPIAN TERNS, a peculiar looking HORNED GREBE (in basic plumage, but with more white plumage above than is normal), and a male CANVASBACK. -- Tom Grey Stanford CA [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 15:47:06 1998 Subject: Ruff and stuff at CCRS Hi Everyone-- This morning (8/8), the female RUFF spent most of its time sleeping with the DOWITCHERS (mostly LONG-BILLED, but I saw and heard 3 SHORT-BILLED there, too) in Salicornia at the northeastern end of the waterbird pond at CCRS. Notable were several LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and a WILSON'S PHALAROPE jumping up and down and snapping its bill trying to catch gnats. I scanned the pond across from the main building, and saw 4 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 100 or so WESTERN SANDPIPERS. There is a peep on this pond that looked like an adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER except for one row of rusty feathers on the scapulars (the row below had black centers with buff edgings). It did not stay in one spot long enough for me to get comfortable with an identification. Once the fog lifts, the air gets rather turbulent here and the viewing degrades. That's my excuse, anyway. On the way back to work at 11:00, I saw at least 30 WHITE PELICANS and a flyby GREEN HERON at the Calabazas Creek ponds just north of 237. Mark Miller ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 17:04:30 1998 Subject: Hello Hi everyone, I'm new to the list, and relatively new to the area. Is there a central location where I can find directions to the places mentioned? Some of the abbreviations I can't figure out at all. Is there a list as a cross reference? Thanks! Diane Starner CalStar Books http://www.abebooks.com/home/calstar ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 08 23:04:33 1998 Subject: Hello I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my query regarding locations and abbreviations. I also found the SCVAS home page, so I'm set! Good Birding! Diane Starner CalStar Books http://www.abebooks.com/home/calstar ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 09 15:07:58 1998 Subject: Black Scoter at Princeton I had an imm (or eclipse male?) male Black Scoter at Princeton Harbor today. First time in a few dozen visits I've seen anything other Surt Scoters there. Nick Lethaby Director of Business Development Elanix, Inc. Tel: 408 941 0223 Fax: 408 941 0984 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 09 17:26:08 1998 Subject: A few birds On Saturday morning, after seeing the Ruff plus more usual stuff at CCRS, I checked Coyote Creek near Sycamore Drive. The only visitor I found was one Western Tanager. I also saw about three Black-Chinned Hummingbirds (including one adult male at a tree tobacco) north of Sycamore. Later, I found the northwest pond of the PAFCB fully flooded. Is this now under tidal influence? I hadn't previously thought so. Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 09 20:49:56 1998 Subject: Sunday Birds Walked dog along Belmont Slough by Oracle this Sunday. Tide slack. had a handfull of Lesser Yellowlegs and a couple of Elegant Terns flying overhead. P L Noble--Scchowl. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 10 12:09:10 1998 Subject: birds On 8 Aug 98 I went to Crittenden Marsh and was able to find one WHITE-FACED IBIS feeding right along the edge of the levee. Two HORNED GREBES were here as well, including one that is partially albino. A WHIMBREL was on Stevens Creek Tidal Marsh. On 9 Aug 98 I birded various spots along the bay without finding anything unusual, and ended up at CCRS. Here I had 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS on the second sludge pond along the levee on the way in. On both Saturday and Sunday I had the adult female RUFF at the CCRS waterbird pond, where I had scope-filling views. This bird was slightly smaller in body size than the nearby dowitchers, though she stood as tall as them due to her longer legs. She had a proportionally longer neck and smaller head than the dowitchers. The bill was relatively short, thin, and tapered, with a slight droop towards the tip. It looked entirely black at a glance, but had just a slight orange color restricted to a small area right at the base. This was visible on both the upper and lower mandibles. This bird had already acquired the largely pale face that is typical of this species in basic plumage, with the forehead, lores, face, and throat being pure white. The crown and nape was a pale gray/brown with possibly some darker fine streaks or mottling mixed in. The lower foreneck, sides of the neck, breast, and upper flanks were almost uniformly blackish/brown. This color was somewhat broken and mottled at the edges where it bordered the white upper neck and white belly, lower flanks, and undertail coverts. The back feathers were the same blackish/brown color, but with very thin paler edges. The scapulars and wing coverts were mainly gray/brown with pale edges and a dark blackish/brown subterminal spot. The uppertail coverts had extensive white patches on either side, with a thin dark bar between them, connecting the dark back with the dark uppertail. The legs were a pale orange and the eyes were dark. This bird is an adult female, based on its size, its orange legs, the extensively dark breast plumage, and lack of any buffy tones. The white face and throat indicate a start of molt into basic plumage. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 10 13:55:13 1998 Subject: SCVAS Ano Nuevo trip report Hi Everyone-- This year's trip to Ano Nuevo State Reserve on the San Mateo coast found 60 species of birds, including a family of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS at the old bridge over New Years Creek, 5 MARBLED MURRELETS 100 yards offshore of the mouth of New Years Creek, a WESTERN KINGBIRD on the beach south of Ano Nuevo point, and BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and WANDERING TATTLER on the rocks nearby. We spent some time watching young WESTERN GULLS harass a Sea Otter for its food (all the gulls got for their effort was some empty crab legs), and there were many molting male Elephant Seals providing windbreaks for the turnstones (both BLACK and RUDDY). Bank Swallows were absent for the first time since I've been leading this trip. Masked Booby was also a no-show, but an evening search after the group disbanded turned up a single BLACK SWIFT over the pond. Thanks to all who braved the wind and sand. Mark Miller ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 11 00:33:34 1998 Subject: 10-Week Alaska RV Birding Vacation URL My wife Sharon and I just completed a 70-day RV birding vacation, leaving from San Jose, California on May 22, 1998 and arriving back home on July 30, 1998. Our objectives were 1) add as many birds as possible to our lifelist, 2) see as many Alaska birds in breeding plumage as possible, and 3) drive the Alaska Highway. In that order of importance. The path was California, Oregon, Washington, BC, Yukon Territory, Alaska (with five-day trip to Nome), Yukon, BC (with leg up to Northwest Territories), Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California. We saw 240 trip birds, of which 75 were lifers. Added to our 444 when we left. Highlights [asterisk marks Nome lifers] were Boreal Chickadee, Northern Hawk- Owl with chicks, spectacular Goshawk in Anchorage, Yellow* and White* Wagtails, both* Redpolls, all four Longspurs in breeding plumage (Lapland*, Smith's* - good story, McCown's and Chestnut-collared), Bar-tailed Godwit*, Slaty-backed Gull*, Grey-cheeked Thrush*, all three Ptarmigan (Willow*, Rock*, White-tailed), three Jaegers (Pomarine*, Long-tailed* and Parasitic*), Gyrfalcon* with chicks, Northern Wheatear*, Bluethroat*, Arctic Warbler*, Emperor Goose*, Red-faced Cormorant, both Puffins (Horned and Tufted) in breeding plumage, Marbled Murrelet, Kittlitz's Murrelet, Upland Sandpiper returning a wolf whistle, four types of Grouse (Ruffed - heard and seen at different locations, Sharp-tailed, Spruce and Blue), Yellow-billed Loon, Blue- headed Vireo, Barred Owl (heard only), Tennessee Warbler feeding fledglings, Clay-colored Sparrow, Calliope Hummingbird, Black Swift at Maligne Canyon in Alberta, two Rosy Finches (Gray-headed north of Lake Louise feeding fledglings, and Black in the Utah Uintas), Three-toed Woodpecker, Le Conte's Sparrow, Sprague's Pipit, Common Tern, Gray (aka Hungarian) Partridge, Lark Bunting, Vaux's Swift south of Salt Lake City, and Varied Thrush. All of these in breeding plumage, of course. If you are a pure birder, you'll find lots of RV junk and unrelated observations mixed in, and I doubt that you'd like this. If you enjoy reading other people's trip reports, like I do, or if you dream about taking a long RV vacation, you'll get a kick out of it. I use the style of some of my favorite birding trip reports I've found on the web: interesting trip observations mixed in with details of bird sightings, augmented by general philosophy. But written from my own perspective. There are a very few photos included, but a very few. We saw our White Wagtail pair in Teller with Brian Small, author of many bird photography arcticles for Wild Bird magazine. When we left him, he was waiting for them to return for some closeups. If you're not interested, you've bailed out long before this, but if you are, the URL is http://home.earthlink.net/~blutman/alaska.html This trip of a lifetime will do until I can design a bigger one. Good Reading and Good Birding, Bob Lutman [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 11 11:38:22 1998 Subject: funny heron All, I just received a report of an apparent Tricolored Heron at the EEC in Alviso on Friday. Given the earlier report listed in the EEC bird log that Joe Morlan found out about, it seems clear that there is an unusual heron of some kind out there, quite possibly a Tricolored Heron but perhaps a hybrid or escapee. Good luck searching! Mike Rogers ======================================================================= From: Karl & Linda Fowler <[[email protected]]> To: mrogers CC: [[email protected]] Subject: Possible Tricolored Heron Mike, My wife and I were birding at the Don Edwards Wildlife Education Center in Alviso Friday morning, 8/7/98. We believe observed a Tricolored Heron on the levee between the slough and the marsh opposite the island with Forester's Terns nests. It was with two Great Egrets and a Black Crowned Night-Heron. It was near the same size as the Great Egrets. The neck was a Chestnut reddish color with a black crown and prominant white chin abd white along the front of the neck. The Wings and black were dark bluish-grey. This is a first sighting for me and I'm not 100% sure since it is not on any bird lists for the area. Has anyone else seen it? Curious, Karl Fowler ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 11 12:39:41 1998 Subject: Russian Ridge All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I went to Russian Ridge with the outside possiblity of finding a Grasshopper Sparrow. No GRSP or much of anything for that matter. In addition to California Towhee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Steller's Jay, Band-tailed Pigeon, a couple of Savannah Sparrows and Dark-eyed Junco we had one House Wren, one Bewick's Wren, one White-tailed Kite, three Warbling Vireo (at least one yellow flanked first fall bird which was continuously begging for food) and one immature/female Lazuli Bunting. Take care, Bob Reiling, 12:22 PM, 8/11/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 11 20:46:13 1998 Subject: birding This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01BDC569.14350960 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This morning at 9:30 the Ruff was still present in the duck pond at = CCRS. It was on the eastern most island where it has been seen=20 previously. Kent Van Vuren=20 ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01BDC569.14350960 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
This morning at 9:30 the Ruff was still = present in the=20 duck pond at CCRS.  It was on the eastern most island where it has = been=20 seen
previously.
 
 
Kent Van Vuren
------=_NextPart_000_0039_01BDC569.14350960-- ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 10:20:18 1998 Subject: Ibis etc. This morning around 8 a single WHITE-FACED IBIS was close to the levee trail on the west side of Crittenden Marsh about 100 yards north of the iron bridge, giving good views of my #200 for the county this year. 6 BROWN PELICANS flew over heading west. A VIRGINIA RAIL was calling in the marsh at the south end of the impoundment area, near the wooden bridge. Last evening around 7 I saw 14 LEAST TERNS on outer Charleston Slough. -- Tom Grey Stanford CA [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 11:42:05 1998 Subject: BRPE & ELTE Dear South Bay Birders, I observed an adult & an immature Brown Pelican, and an Elegant Tern last night (8/11/98) in the salt pond north of the Sunnyvale Softball Park. Additionally large numbers of terns, herons and egrets congregate at the south east end of that pond and it is quite a spectacle in the early evening. It might be a good place to watch for Little Blue Herons and other odd herons. Tom ******************************************** Tom Ryan San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 1290 Hope St. Alviso, CA 95002 (408) 946-6548 (408) 946-9279 fax [[email protected]] "Considering carefully this whirling ball of mud upon which I found myself, I read in books and saw pictures of jungles and deserts, and my desire to see them was just a little stronger than the many obstacles between." - William Beebe ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 12:40:00 1998 Subject: Rules of Birding To confirm that many others share your birding frustrations, check out Jim Frazier's Rules of Birding Web site: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jimfrazier/rules.htm One example reminds me of the many grackle posts a few weeks ago. "The Lister's Geographic Difficulty - The best birds are always on the other side of the dividing line for the area you're keeping track of...refuge, park, state, country, continent, etc." ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 15:15:35 1998 Subject: Book request Hi: Does anyone have a copy of "America's Most Wanted Birds" by Michael O'Brien and Steve Mlodinaw. Nick ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 15:44:56 1998 Subject: REEVE still around At 3:00PM the REEVE (female RUFF) was still around. The Dowitchers were active and dispersed, and the REEVE was foraging alone close to the reeds in the south-east corner of the waterbird pond. Was able to pick it off with binoculars. Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 12 22:47:31 1998 Subject: Peninsula Birding e-mail list All, There've been a few e-mails on this list lately about birding in San Mateo County (Pillar Point, Ano Nuevo). These would have been more appropriate for a San Mateo Birding e-mail list, if one had existed. There is now. The new Peninsula Birding list replaces an informal e-mail address list Bert McKee had been maintaining. Subscribers to South Bay Birds that frequent this mysterious land to the north are invited to subscribe by sending an empty message to: [[email protected]] You'll receive an e-mail from the listserv that you must reply to for your subscription to be validated. Please let me know if you have any difficulties. Don't expect a flood of e-mails once you suscribe; the list is likely to remain low traffic for a couple of months. Feel free to pass on this information to individuals you think that might be interested, but, in keeping with the wishes of some of our subscribers, I'd like to ask that you NOT announce it on any public e-mail lists, such as Calbird. Cheers, Adam Winer [[email protected]] [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 13 07:13:51 1998 Subject: Atlantic pelagic Forget about all you heard about Atlantic pelagic trips being boring! Ed Frost and I just returned from a week at the Outer Banks of North Carolina and surrounding National Wildlife Refuges, and our pelagic trip with Brian Patteson on Saturday was so good we forfeited our Sunday trip.There just wasn't much else left to see. As we say, timing is everything in this "sport", and we couldn't have timed it better. The weekend trips of August 2-3 were weathered out due to high winds, and in contrast we experienced one of the calmest Atlantic seas you can imagine. We also had the privilege of being aboard what Patteson called his greatest trip ever and also his longest. The trip was extra long due to a twisting, turning, high speed chase of at least 30 minutes after what Brian reported was a probably Swinhoe's storm-petrel. If the rolls of film that were burned at the bow can distinguish the bird from a dark-phase Leach's, it is possible that we were on hand for a North American first. Even if we weren't, the thrill of the chase was worth the price of admission. In addition to the pelagic species, we also saw some pretty neat warblers, like hooded, worm-eating, yellow-throated and enough prothonotary warblers to last a lifetime. Total species for the week = 134. Here's a summary of the pelagic species, with approximate numbers of each. Pomerine jaeger - 8 South polar skua - 1 Cory's shearwater - 350 Audubon's shearwater - 130 Greater shearwater - 170 Herald (Trinidade) petrel - 1 Wilson's storm-petrel - 750 Black-capped petrel - 160 Band-rumped storm-petrel - 130 Leach's storm-petrel - 5 Bridled tern - 13 Sooty tern - 5 Red-necked phalarope - 15 White-tailed tropicbird - 1 SWINHOE'S STORM PETREL - 1 (we hope!!!) Jack Cole _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 13 17:10:25 1998 Subject: Nature Conservancy in the SC ? The last CA newsletter from the Nature Conservancy had a news-flash on a new project in the Mt. Hamilton area. It said that they will have more info in the Nov. newsletter. Does anyone know more about this? Thanks, Vivek [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 13 17:57:00 1998 Subject: All Bird TV To all, Animal Planet's All Bird TV is going to be coming back to the San Francisco Bay Area to film a new show on Herons and Egrets. The producer, who worked with us on the Rail show at the Baylands, has asked me if there are any scientists in this area working with Herons and Egrets. They would like to interview a few different people on film when the crew arrives here in late September. This show is aired nationwide. If you know of anyone who might be interested and comfortable in front of the camera, please contact me by e-mail (best) or call me at the nature center: 650-329-2382. Thanks, Deborah Bartens Naturalist-City of Palo Alto ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 10:26:01 1998 Subject: SE of Mt. Hamilton Folks: I believe the Mercury-News had an article of the new lands being purchased SE of Mt. Hamilton. I believe it is a combined effort with the Packard Foundation and it may involve conservation easements rather than ownership. My recollection is that there are two large ranches (owned by banks, of course) east of the crest. One, the Newman?, is entirely in Stanilaus County and the other, the Romero, is partly in Santa Clara, north of Pacheco Pass. During the atlas years we were not successful in getting permission to atlas on the Romero property. Bill ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 11:26:46 1998 Hi Everyone-- A female-plumaged WESTERN TANAGER visited my apartment complex in Mountain View this morning. They aren't normally here in the summer, so this one is either in post-breeding dispersal or southbound migration. Mark Miller ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 12:53:38 1998 Subject: Thanks & BROWN PELICANS Thanks to everyone who responded directly and thru the list on my question about Nature Conservancy and Mt. Hamilton. Today in the area N/W of the Sunnyvale Softball Park (thanks to Tom Ryan for the directions), there were at least 8 BROWN PELICANs resting on the sand bars in the salt pond. A fly-by ELEGANT TERN was nice too. Lots of AMERICAN PELICANS, both species of YELLOWLEGS and many other species. Last evening, a leisurely walk in the Sunnyvale Baylands Park yielded at least 5 BURROWING OWLS. A couple next to a burrow, the rest on tops of posts. Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 12:56:53 1998 Subject: Some shorebirds All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I went to CCRS and despite the fact that there were hundreds of dowitchers, many yellowlegs and Wilson's Phalaropes we were unable to refind the Reeve. We then checked out the small ponds at Los Esteros and Grand which had a few peeps (mostly Least Sandpipers), dowitchers and yellowlegs (both). We had one Burrowing Owl in Arzino Ranch perched on a stake with a pink ribbon on it (the stake of course!). We then went to the ponds that are alongside Hwy. 237 and just east of Sunnyvale Baylands Park (does anyone have a name for them?). Again there were hundreds of dowitchers (800-1000), lots of yellowlegs, a few peeps, 15-20 Anerican White Pelicans, 5-6 Caspian Terns and a Green Heron which flew everytime we got near it and even perched in the highest tree alongside the trail for us. We also spent some time checking out Salt Pond A8, unfortuately it was fairly windy with lots of heat waves by the time we got there. We did get one Loggerhead Shrike for our efforts. Take care, Bob Reiling, 12:42 PM, 8/14/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 13:57:02 1998 Subject: Directions to Sunnyvale Softball Park As per, Nick Lethaby's request, I am posting Tom Ryan's directions to the area behind the Sunnyvale Softball Park. I assumed this was a well-known spot. It gives the vibes of being a very good spot. Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ------------------------------------ To get to the Sunnyvale Softball Park, exit 237 at Lawrence/Carribean, and take Carribean North to Twin Creeks Rd, go into the parking lot and leave your car. Then continue walking down Carribean accross the creek to the second road. Continue north on the dirt road along the creek and turn right when you get to the salt pond. You can continue walking to Guadelupe Slough if you want. The concentrations of birds are on your left side. On the right is a channel full of yellowthroat & Marsh Wren. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 14 14:44:40 1998 Subject: 237 Ponds I believe those pond are called the Calabazas Creek Mitigation Ponds. I saw twenty or so White Pelicans there today 08/14). Paul noble---Scchowl ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 15 09:10:57 1998 Subject: Hwy 237 Ponds All, I received several responses to my question as to the name of the ponds east of Sunnyvale Baylands County Park and bordered by Hwy 237, Calabazas Creek and San Thomas Aquino Creek. They are (it is) apparently an unnamed Caltrans mitigation pond. All agree that the name is (should be) Calabazas (either ponds, marsh or mitigation ponds). I vote for Calabazas Marsh. Many thanks to all whom responded to my question. Take care, Bob Reiling, 5:05 PM, 8/14/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 15 11:11:37 1998 Subject: Recent birds Thursday I saw 10 Red-necked Phalaropes at CCRS. Friday, a male Lazuli Bunting was along Berryessa Creek by Hidden Lake in Milpitas. Saturday, CCRS had the ad. female Ruff, an adult Pectoral Sandpiper, a single Lesser and 42 Greater Yellowlegs. At the Spreckles/Grand ponds in Alviso was a second female Ruff (slightly more advanced into winter plumage) and 8 Lesser Yellowlegs. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 15 18:51:00 1998 Subject: Turkey Vultures To everyone, Thanks to all of your responses about All Bird TV, they are contacting SFBBO. My next question: They are also coming out to film a show on Condors and Vultures, they already have the Condor folks lined up but they are looking for scientists working with Turkey Vultures. Any suggestions? Thanks, Deborah Bartens ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 15 19:15:06 1998 Subject: Ruff @Calabazas Saturday evening a female Ruff was at the Calabazas wetlands. It was presumably the same bird as earlier at Alviso, which I could not relocate afterwards. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 16 15:10:57 1998 Subject: recent birds All: On 3 August, I saw the adult female RUFF (in nearly full alternate plumage) and a juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER in the WPCP pond nearest to the office at CCRS. On 7 August at the Ogier Ponds, I had a pair of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS with one recently fledged young, 3 MARSH WRENS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES feeding fledged young (unusual away from the bay or extreme southern edge of the county), and 1 OSPREY. Conducting a Burrowing Owl survey in the hills south of Bailey Road and southeast of Calero Reservoir, I found the remains of a dead, raptor-eaten COCKATIEL, unusual for being so far from the nearest human habitation. At CCRS, the RUFF was in the waterbird pond. On 13 August at the Ogier Ponds, I had 1 VAUX'S SWIFT, 1 RINGED TURTLE-DOVE, 2 VIRGINIA RAILS, 7 SORAS, a brood of very recently fledged MARSH WRENS near their nest, and a MOURNING DOVE nest with two eggs on the ground in the middle of a field. Migrant passerines included 2 WILSON'S and 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. The marsh near Coyote Ranch had 3 adult COMMON MOORHENS, one with 3-4 full-grown juveniles and a pair with 3 downy young. That evening at Calaveras Reservoir, I saw 5 nests occupied by Aechmophorus grebes at the south end of the lake. Three of the nests were occupied by pure pairs of WESTERN GREBES, although I was not able to identify conclusively the birds at the other two nests. Of the 38 Aechmos on the lake, all 25 that I could identify were Westerns. There were 300+ ducks at the south end of the lake, but I did not see any Ring-necked Ducks (which bred here last year). Somewhat disconcerting was a large stick nest in "the" sycamore in the middle of the southern shore of the lake. The nest did not look large enough for a typical Osprey's nest, and might have been used by a Great Blue Heron or Red-tailed Hawk, but I'd hate to think that we missed breeding Ospreys there this year. Today (16 August), I had a heard-only GOLDEN-PLOVER flying over Shoreline Park at 06:30 giving calls that sounded both like "cu-wee" and "cuweedle". This call is typical of Pacific Golden-Plover, but I have to admit that I don't have enough comparative experience with the two Golden-Plovers to call this bird to species. I then met up with Mike Mammoser, and at Crittenden Marsh we had one of the WHITE- FACED IBIS still present. A check of salt pond A-4 in Sunnyvale failed to produce anything more unusual than 20 or so BROWN PELICANS. At the Calabazas Ponds, I picked out an adult STILT SANDPIPER in mostly basic plumage (some alternate barring still on the underparts, a few alternate coverts and tertials retained), while Mike picked out two female RUFFS. At times, we had all three of these birds in the same scope field at once. The upperparts feathering on both birds appeared (to me, at least) to be mostly or entirely alternate, although one bird showed pale coloration at the bases of some scapulars that the other bird did not show. One bird, which Mike thought could have been the same bird that Al Eisner had shown him the previous day at State and Spreckels in Alviso, had limited dark mottling on the foreneck and breast (mostly on the sides) and a very straight, all-black bill. The other had somewhat more extensive dark mottling on the underparts and a more decurved bill with a hint of orange at the base. Despite the presence of these three great shorebirds, the most unexpected bird at the Calabazas Ponds was a Clapper Rail. This bird was chased from the cattails at the southwestern edge of the central pond (by what, I'm not sure, as I focused on the CLRA), flew a bit further west while calling repeatedly, then landed in the mud and ran back into the cattails. Clapper Rails have been recorded with some regularity in the vicinity of the Alviso Marina, and there is one recent record near the Gold Street bridge in Alviso, but I know of no records of Clapper Rail from the immediate vicinity of this marsh. Tom Ryan, have you had Clapper Rails from Guadalupe Slough this far upstream? Steve Rottenborn ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 16 17:30:06 1998 Subject: Saturday birding On Saturday morning, I first stopped at CCRS. I located the continuing female Ruff at the waterbird pond, among the Dowitchers near the northeast corner, as before. Also here were 1 Red-Necked Phalarope (among approximately 200 Wilson's) and at least 35 Greater Yellowlegs, but no Lessers. At the impoundment along Spreckels St. near State St. in Alviso, I found a second adult female Ruff -- this one farther along in moult than the CCRS bird, with more of the upperparts showing buffy edgings, and much less black on the breast. This area also had up to 12 Lesser Yellowlegs (that is, I had 8 to 10, but Mike Mammoser -- he and Nick Lethaby joined me here -- had 12 on one scan). I hear from today's BirdBox (Mike's report) that we now have an infestation of Ruffs.... My remaining birding consisted of a walk around the larger Sunnyvale WPCP pond. It was a pleasant walk, but proved to be unproductive. The only birds worth mentioning are: 2 separate Canvasbacks (one male, one female); about 33 young Lesser Scaup, with 3 or 4 adults (23 of the young were in one group with several adults); and 7 Wilson's Phalaropes. Cheers, Al Eisner ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 16 18:38:50 1998 Subject: Sunday birds I checked out the ponds at Los Gatos Creek park. Nothing there, but the small ponds in the extreme SE corner have muddy margins and may be a good bet for Solitary Sandpiper. I went out to Stevens Creek mouth again but couldn't wait for the tide to get high enough to really grill the shorebirds. I saw at least 5 (probably double or triple that number) Least Terns on the salt ponds out here. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 16 19:43:45 1998 Subject: SOSA Sunday morning there was a Solitary Sandpiper at Speckles and Grand in Alviso. I saw the bird from about 70 feet away along Spreckles. After several minutes of observation a large dog ran into the marsh flushing many birds including the SOSA. The bird flew north along towards Grand and may have gone into the short aquatic weeds (sarconia?). The female RUFF was still at CCRS as of 1430 hours. Doug Shaw Santa Rosa, CA [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 07:38:48 1998 Subject: Re: recent birds > >Today (16 August), I had a heard-only GOLDEN-PLOVER flying over >Shoreline Park at 06:30 giving calls that sounded both like "cu-wee" >and "cuweedle". This call is typical of Pacific Golden-Plover, but >I have to admit that I don't have enough comparative experience with >the two Golden-Plovers to call this bird to species. I then met up >with Mike Mammoser, and at Crittenden Marsh we had one of the WHITE- >FACED IBIS still present. A check of salt pond A-4 in Sunnyvale >failed to produce anything more unusual than 20 or so BROWN PELICANS. >At the Calabazas Ponds, I picked out an adult STILT SANDPIPER in >mostly basic plumage (some alternate barring still on the underparts, >a few alternate coverts and tertials retained), while Mike picked out >two female RUFFS. At times, we had all three of these birds in the >same scope field at once. I still had the female Ruff at CCRS on the morning of the 16, so I imagine we may have 3. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 08:14:54 1998 Subject: Eastern Kingbird All, I know this is out of the list's sphere of influence , but I dont' know where else to report it. On Sunday while running my Brittany at the Suisun Marsh Pheasant Club in Solano County I saw a Eastern Kingbird. The bird was along the north side of Setter Road which is the first named road at the club off of Chadbourne Rd. If someone knows where I should report this let me know. Thanks. Paul Noble---Scchowl ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 10:18:21 1998 Subject: Re: Turkey Vultures > My next question: They are also coming out to film > a show on Condors and Vultures, they already have > the Condor folks lined up but they are looking for > scientists working with Turkey Vultures. Any suggestions? It seems like the Turkey Vulture Society would be a good place to start. http://www.accutek.com/vulture/ ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 10:28:27 1998 Subject: Calabazas Whatzzit Folks: Bob Reiling has voted to call the ponds that are east of the Sunnyvale Baylands and enclosed on two sides by Calabazas Creek the _Calabazas Marsh_. These are mitigation ponds created by Caltrans for wetlands destroyed by the new Hwy 237 and I am unaware of an official name. A cursory examination of my Avocet columns shows 11 references to these ponds from September 1994 to June 1998. Of these 11 references 10 refer to the _Calabazas Ponds_ and 1 refers to the _Calabazas Marsh_. So I guess that means my vote is for _Calabazas Ponds_. Bill ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 10:34:37 1998 Subject: Red-Necked Phalaropes All: On Sunday the 16th, Maria and I saw at least two Red-Necked Phalaropes toward the north end of Charleston Slough. John Meyer ******************************************************************** John W. Meyer, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford U., Stanford, Cal. 94305 [[email protected]] (650) 723 1868 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 11:26:15 1998 Subject: birds On Saturday, 15 Aug 98, I went to salt pond A4 behind the Twin Creeks softball fields to check for terns. Although there was a feeding frenzy on the pond that included scores of FORSTER’S TERNS and a handful of CASPIAN, I couldn’t find any Elegants. There were 35 BROWN PELICANS in with the hundreds of WHITES. I moved on to Alviso, where I came upon Al Eisner at the corner of Spreckles and State Street. Here he had an adult female RUFF staked out for me (and for Nick Lethaby, who showed up later). This bird seemed to be further along in molt than the bird that was at CCRS; having only some blackish spotting on the sides of the breast, while the rest of the breast was just washed grayish. It also had an entirely black bill that seemed to be straight, without the customary slight droop at the tip. All 3 of us repeatedly scanned the pond for LESSER YELLOWLEGS, coming up with various counts. My highest count was of 12 birds. I then stopped at CCRS to insure that the other adult female RUFF was still there (which it was). On Sunday, 16 Aug 98, I met Steve Rottenborn at Crittenden Marsh. Steve picked out a single WHITE-FACED IBIS, probably the same one that’s been here for a week. A couple BROWN PELICANS were on the salt pond with 287 WHITE PELICANS. After finding nothing else unusual, we moved on to salt pond A4. Like yesterday, this pond had large numbers of birds, including many FORSTER’S and a few CASPIAN TERNS, about 18 BROWN PELICANS, and hundreds of WHITE PELICANS. Among the throng of CALIFORNIA GULLS was a scattering of WESTERNS and a single adult BONAPARTE’S. We moved on to the Calabazas Ponds, where a CLAPPER RAIL burst out of the cattails after being chased briefly by fauna unknown. We scoped out the dowitchers lining the south shore of the northernmost pond. Steve picked up on a STILT SANDPIPER and, while I was scanning towards it, I found an adult female RUFF. Later I picked out another adult female RUFF and we eventually were able to see all 3 of these birds in a single scope view. One of the Ruffs looked like the straight-billed bird that I had seen the previous day at Alviso. We went to Alviso to check the pond at Spreckles and State, in order to verify that no Ruff was present here. A small group of about a dozen RED-NECKED PHALAROPES was in with the rest of the shorebirds. After Steve left, I went on to CCRS and found the adult female RUFF that has been here for a couple weeks. This means that there are currently 3 adult female RUFFS in the county. This certainly illustrates the claim by some that Santa Clara County is "Ruff central" for the west coast of North America. Mike Mammoser ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 11:37:26 1998 Subject: Rail chicks & Sora all; This morning I saw a young (all black) Clapper Rail chick with its mother on the outer PA Flood Basin bike path. Seemed pretty late for so young a bird. I've also been observing a wonderfully cooperative Sora from the bike path by the MV Forebay. The Sora has been out in the open!! with Dowitchers or along the reed edges every morning since Tuesday. -- Richard C. Carlson Palo Alto, California [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 14:20:25 1998 Subject: Reeves, no SOSA or STSA :-( All, This morning Frank Vanslager, Clysta Seney and I went to Calabazas Marsh but we were unable to find the Stilt Sandpiper or the Reeve previously reported by Steve (ans Mike). (There was a 75% reduction in the number of shorebirds that were their last friday.) We then went to Spreckels and Grand in Alviso where we ran into Mike Feighner and Evelyn ? (from Huntington Beach). We were unable to find the Solitary Sandpiper but we did find a Reeve (female Ruff) with the feathers on her back sticking up in accordance with good Ruff fashion. This was a life bird for Clysta (the first time that she was sure that she saw a Ruff). We then went to CCRS where we were able to find the Reeve that has been there for a while (in the northeast corner of the pond). There were a large number of birds in the pond but we didn't find anything new or different. On our way home we stopped by Spreckels and Grand in Alviso for a final quick check of the ponds. The Reeve was still there, which we showed to another lady birder (name?) who was bird watching in a dress during what I assumed was her lunch break. Take care, Bob Reiling, 2:05 PM, 8/17/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 17 19:17:36 1998 Subject: Golden Eagle Today on my way home from work at about 5:15, I saw an adult Golden Eagle flew across 280 from the Stanford dish area towards Jasper Ridge. Barbara Costa La Honda ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 06:08:09 1998 Subject: Re: Eastern Kingbird On Mon, 17 Aug 1998 11:14:54 EDT, [[email protected]] wrote: >On Sunday while running my Brittany at the Suisun Marsh >Pheasant Club in Solano County I saw a Eastern Kingbird. The bird was along >the north side of Setter Road which is the first named road at the club off of >Chadbourne Rd. If someone knows where I should report this let me know. Please report all vagrants and rarities as soon as possible to the Northern California Bird Box. 415-681-7422 and follow the prompts. Before posting, you may wish to review the number of species of loons which have been recorded in California. This system is sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society and funded entirely by contributions. It works because of the generous sharing of information of everybody who sees rare birds. If you find this service to be of value, please reciprocate by keeping us all abreast of the latest rarities and calling in your sightings. Thanks. -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044 [[email protected]] SF Birding Classes begin Sept 9th http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan California Bird Records Committee http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 11:13:22 1998 Subject: status of interior Red-shouldered Hawks Hello Everyone, Fresh back from Canada. Outstanding trip . . . for mammals. Thought I got a new bird in a Spruce Grouse but, sadly, no. They are in the middle of very dry times up there and it was also very quiet. I think I was just late. Anyway, here is my question. What is the status of Red-shouldered Hawks for interior North America? I mean specifically eastern WA and ID. On the return trip I got a glimpse over the highway north of Pasco, WA what I thought might have been a Red-shouldered Hawk. At 65 mph with a family and a trailer I remember the subterminal crescents in the wing which I always attribute to Red-shouldereds. I didn't even have enough of a look to see the tail. I apologize but I am still curious. I also remember hearing one along the Snake River many moons ago. I reported that one and the folks in ID were most interested. Don ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 13:36:09 1998 Subject: Reeves, Sabine's Gull All, Two adult female Ruff were in the pond east of the intersection of Spreckels and State Streets in Alviso this morning. They were closely interacting during most of our observation period and eventually flew east at about 12:45 PM. While we were there Florence (I want to say Bennett), her son? and Jean Marie (Spoelman?) said that they saw an adult Sabine's Gull fly over their heads and land in the pickleweed in New Chicago Marsh west of the Environmental Education Center. Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:20 PM, 8/18/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 13:51:26 1998 Subject: Stilt Sandpiper, still there All, This morning Mike Rogers, Frank Vanslager and I saw the Stilt Sandpiper in Calabazas Ponds. It was in a small pond behind the large center pond (when viewed from the Calabazas Creek dike). We also had a Spotted Sandpiper that was being "chased" by two Cliff Swallows. Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:35 PM, 8/18/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 13:51:47 1998 Subject: STILT SANDPIPER All, Well, Bob didn't mention the STILT SANDPIPER at the Calabazas Ponds, so I guess he expected me to do the honors. Before noon today I was able to pick out the mostly basic adult STILT SANDPIPER in the second of the Calabazas Ponds. From the dike the bird in the back right subsection of the pond (behind the little island area) and given the sun's location we moved to the bike path along the southern edge of the ponds to get better views (we being Bob Reiling, Frank Vanslager, and I). A group of 8 additional birders arrived as I was leaving. Also had a SPOTTED SANDPIPER being abused by two BARN SWALLOWS in the northern-most pond. Mike Rogers 18 Aug 98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 17:05:28 1998 Subject: Calabazas Ponds access? Hope someone can respond tonight. I would like to try these ponds tomorrow morning. How does one access the Calabazas ponds? They seem viewable from the on-ramp to 237W from Great America/Laffayette, but stopping there is illegal I assume. Thanks a ton, Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 17:38:29 1998 Subject: Monterey Pelagic only $60 (9/12/98) Hi Birders - Jim Booker asked me to put this message on these respective lists for all to hear about: A pelagic trip out of Monterey Harbor will take place on September 12, 1998. The trip will focus on storm-petrel flocks, shearwaters and the waters above the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Cost is only $60 (what a deal!). Proceeds for this trip will go to the Big Sur Ornithology Lab (BSOL) to purchase much-needed reference materials. The trip runs from 6:30 AM to around 3:00 PM. Be at Sam's Fishing on Fisherman's Wharf between 6:00 - 6:15 AM. Reserve your spot early, as there are limited spaces available. Send a check for $60 to Jim Booker at: 1764 Harding Street Seaside, CA 93955 to reserve your spot! Reservations are on a first-come first-served basis, so get your money in early. Bring chum and cod liver oil if you can. We want to encourage a high diversity of seabirds to visit our boat! If you have any more questions, please feel free to call Jim at (831) 899-4452. I'll be there. Will you??? Steve Rovell [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 17:38:29 1998 Subject: Monterey Pelagic only $60 (9/12/98) Hi Birders - Jim Booker asked me to put this message on these respective lists for all to hear about: A pelagic trip out of Monterey Harbor will take place on September 12, 1998. The trip will focus on storm-petrel flocks, shearwaters and the waters above the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Cost is only $60 (what a deal!). Proceeds for this trip will go to the Big Sur Ornithology Lab (BSOL) to purchase much-needed reference materials. The trip runs from 6:30 AM to around 3:00 PM. Be at Sam's Fishing on Fisherman's Wharf between 6:00 - 6:15 AM. Reserve your spot early, as there are limited spaces available. Send a check for $60 to Jim Booker at: 1764 Harding Street Seaside, CA 93955 to reserve your spot! Reservations are on a first-come first-served basis, so get your money in early. Bring chum and cod liver oil if you can. We want to encourage a high diversity of seabirds to visit our boat! If you have any more questions, please feel free to call Jim at (831) 899-4452. I'll be there. Will you??? Steve Rovell [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 17:39:01 1998 Subject: Re: Calabazas Ponds access? Access them via the the old Mtn View/Alviso Road that runs just S. of 3Com. A tracks leads under the freeway. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 18 18:29:56 1998 Subject: Re: Calabazas Ponds access? Vivek Tiwari wrote: > > Hope someone can respond tonight. I would like to try these ponds tomorrow > morning. > > How does one access the Calabazas ponds? There is a small industrial complex right on the south side of 237 and the west side of Calabazas Creek. If you park all the way back in the corner of this complex, you can get on the creek levee, walk under the 237 overpass, and be at the ponds. Technically, this complex is private property, but it doesn't seem to be a problem to park there (the lot isn't posted like many industrial parking lots). However, if a super rarity is discovered at these ponds, a lot of cars parking at this lot could cause a problem. The public access method would be to enter Sunnyvale Baylands Park and park all the way in the southeast corner. You can then walk along a frontage road (closed to traffic) about 1/4 mile east to the ponds. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 19 10:42:32 1998 Subject: STILT S. at Calabazas Ponds Thanks to everybody who responded to my query about Calabazas Ponds access. I was able to go there last evening and the STILT SANDPIPER was still there. It was in the large pond that's bordered by the creek dikes and the bike-path. It was in the main portion on the pond, just north of the "island" and the smaller enclosed "pond". Vivek Tiwari [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 19 11:07:15 1998 Subject: Re: Reeve I refound one Reeve at the Alviso east pond location last evening. Two other birders joined me (Jesse and Matthew from Redwood City). The bird was still present when I left at 7:00 PM. Gina Sheridan Santa Clara, CA 8/19/98 At 04:36 PM 8/18/98 EDT, [[email protected]] wrote: >All, > >Two adult female Ruff were in the pond east of the intersection of Spreckels >and State Streets in Alviso this morning. They were closely interacting >during most of our observation period and eventually flew east at about 12:45 >PM. While we were there Florence (I want to say Bennett), her son? and Jean >Marie (Spoelman?) said that they saw an adult Sabine's Gull fly over their >heads and land in the pickleweed in New Chicago Marsh west of the >Environmental Education Center. > >Take care, >Bob Reiling, 1:20 PM, 8/18/98 > >========================================================================== >This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list >server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the >message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] > > ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 19 13:56:38 1998 Subject: BLTE All, I made a quick check of the EEC in Alviso yesterday 8/18/98 (hoping for Sabine's Gulls and Tricolored Herons :) ). Of interest was a BLACK TERN flying north over State Street and then foraging over New Chicago Marsh. Also surprising was a SAVANNAH SPARROW with a beak full of insects for some hidden nearby young. This is much later than any breeding confirmation in the atlas database, although we have several mid-August breeding confirmations for Common Yellowthroat and Marsh Wren, which also breed out in these marshes. Mike Rogers ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 19 14:09:46 1998 Subject: birds I just saw (19 Aug 98) what was apparently a melanistic GREAT BLUE HERON along Coyote Creek south of Hellyer. This bird was equivalent in size and structure to a Great Blue Heron. It had a thin white band running from the throat down the foreneck, as is typical of Great Blue Heron. However, the rest of the bird’s plumage was very dark; almost a blackish or dark brownish-gray; including the head and face, nape and sides of neck, and the complete body. There seemed to be no other color pattern overlying this dark plumage. The legs and feet were dark. The bill was also dark, with possibly an area of slate gray at the base (unless this was actually the loral skin). I observed the bird for a couple minutes from about 30-40 yards, but had no binoculars and had to settle for naked eye views. By the time I arrived back some minutes later with binoculars, the bird had left. There was a GRAY FOX lying along the edge of the creek near where the heron had been, and it may have been responsible for flushing the bird. This fox was evidently shedding, as the salt-and-pepper gray of the head and lower back on this animal contrasted with a warm brown upper back, which seemed to be just the underfur of the fox’s coat. Also along the creek was an eclipse-plumaged male WOOD DUCK and a calling WESTERN TANAGER. Mike Mammoser ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 19 16:35:29 1998 Subject: Rancho San Antonio birds etc. All, During a brief lunch break at Rancho San Antonio County Park today (8/19/98) I birded the parking lots and surroundings, coming up with the usual suspects (BUSHTITS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, BARN SWALLOWS, ACORN and DOWNY WOODPECKERS, TURKEY VULTURE, and one or two BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS in the coyote brush nearest the SW corner of the most SW parking lot), when a small but interesting mixed flock moved in high overhead...about 12 CLIFF SWALLOWS were accompanied by at least one WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, and, for a brief time, by a KESTREL and a small accipiter (most likely SHARP-SHINNED HAWK). I was also interested to note that several Barn Swallow nests in the eaves of the restroom structure were still active at this late date. Most were about ready to fledge, but one brood appeared to be only a week old. The private lands immediately east of the park (Catholic Diocese land, I believe) are being mauled for a big development at the moment. It's not a total loss; they are putting in at least a dozen of the largest potted trees I've ever seen, stout Live Oaks of up to 25' height. For what it's worth, following the SCVAS Directors' retreat last Saturday at Alviso, I noticed two active BURROWING OWL burrows along the western verge of North 1st Street north of George Mayne School. One had four full-sized birds at its entrance, the other two. --Garth Harwood ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 11:22:38 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles & BH Cowbirds All, A pair of adult HOODED ORIOLES were observed tending a fledgling BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD here at McClellan ranch park on Tuesday (8/18/1998). This is the second such incident of HOOR/BHCO parasitism here this season, the first having been observed in late June. Bonnie Bedford-White told me this week that she observed a separate incident of this pairing on Thursday or Friday of last week in her neighborhood in Gilroy, on New Ave between Rucker and Bridal Path. I report these incidents in detail because there were apparently no official records of cowbird parasitism of HOOR in this county before I reported an incident observed here in the summer of 1997. Is this a developing trend, or has this association been noticed before? (By the way, at least 2 broods of legitimate HOOR young were also fledged at McClellan this year.) --Garth Harwood ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 13:50:57 1998 Subject: birds Along the Coyote Creek Trail today, 20 Aug 98, south of Hellyer I watched an immature NUTALL'S WOODPECKER abandon its usual tree trunk environment to hang upside down on the wispy end of an elderberry branch and gobble down ripe berries. A female BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was also partaking of the berry crop, while a WESTERN TANAGER called from a eucalyptus. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 14:22:00 1998 Subject: White Pelicans To everyone, Thanks again for all of the information on Turkey Vultures. All Bird TV would like to get in touch with anyone in the area doing research on White Pelicans. Again, any ideas? Thanks, Deborah Bartens ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 15:10:12 1998 Subject: Cattle Egret, Spotted Sandpiper, Adobe Creek There was a Cattle Egret, first spotted by Carol Belew, at Adobe Creek this morning. Seen through a scope, the bird had a yellowish-flesh colored bill, yellow lores and eyes; the legs were dark grey and the feet black, so it may have been an immature. Further out, a Spotted Sandpiper was working along the muddy bank of a small inlet off Adobe Creek. Phyllis ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 18:17:35 1998 Subject: Re: Hooded Orioles & BH Cowbirds Hi Folks, A couple years ago at an Audubon Conference I had a conversation about cowbirds with PRBO researcher Dave Shuford. He told me that "people should stop feeding birds" because they were assisting the cowbirds in spreading all over the place. I was horrified, but he said that it was a big factor that went right along with habitat fragmentation, especially in populated areas. Since then, when we first see a cowbird in spring, we pull the millet and the platform feeder on which we offer it, and we stop throwing any seed on the ground. Luckily this has been after the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows and the juncos have left. We still get plenty of birds at our feeders, they are just targeted to specific species - hummers, orioles, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, the occasional nuthatch and goldfinches. California Towhees and Thrashers scuttle around and peck at the bits that are dropped. We feel much better not supporting cowbirds. Shuford noted in the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas that Northern Orioles are aggressive rejectors of cowbird eggs as are a number of other species. It is interesting that Hooded Orioles haven't evolved that behavior. We have Hooded Orioles coming to the feeder in our backyard, apparently a family, but of course since we usually see them one at a time we don't really know. There are a male and a female, then at least two of what I am guessing are youngsters with very little yellow on them compared to the female. Right now the orioles are really tanking up at our feeder. We are wondering if others have found our feeder or if they perhaps are getting ready to migrate. Cheers, Leda Beth Gray ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 20 20:14:10 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles All this Hooded Oriole talk got me wondering. A pair attempted nesting in a eucalyptus across the street from my home this spring. The first brood was apparently wiped out by that May rain. the second brood was also unsuccessful. By the first of this month the birds had stopped visiting my feeder. I have not seen them since. Have they migrated already? Other accounts in this forum suggest otherwise. I wonder why the left the feeder (always filled with fresh solution, of course). As for Shuford's suggestion of not feeding birds to prevent Cowbird paratism, hey Dave, there's a practical solution! Paul Noble---Scchowl ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 21 06:52:36 1998 Subject: Yard bird species Hi Everyone: I am trying to get an idea of what kind of species regularly visit feeders (or nest around houses) in the Bay area. I have put together a preliminary list. I would be grateful if dedicated yardbirders could comment on the status ot these species at your feeders or around your house. Please add any species you have coming regularly to your feeders that I don't list. Please do not list species like Western Flycatchers or Warbling Vireos that may occur occasionally as migrants, but aren't really attracted to feeders or houses. I would also like to get an idea of your location and surrounding habitat, since houses in wooded areas seem likely to get many more species. PLEASE reply ONLY to me, rather than the whole list. Thanks, Nick Lethaby California Quail Rock Dove Mourning Dove Band-tailed Pigeon Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Nuttall’s Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Flicker Black Phoebe Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Scrub Jay Steller’s Jay Chestnut-backed Chickadee Plain Titmouse Bushtit White-breasted Nuthatch American Robin Northern Mockingbird European Starling Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-headed Grosbeak Spotted Towhee California Towhee Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Brewer’s Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Hooded Oriole Bullock’s Oriole House Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch House Sparrow Nick Lethaby 1112 N. Abbott Avenue Milpitas,CA 95035 (408) 941 0223 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 21 09:13:03 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles & BH Cowbirds Hi, > We have Hooded Orioles coming to the feeder in our backyard, apparently a > family, but of course since we usually see them one at a time we don't > really know. There are a male and a female, then at least two of what I > am guessing are youngsters with very little yellow on them compared to the > female. Right now the orioles are really tanking up at our feeder. We are > wondering if others have found our feeder or if they perhaps are getting > ready to migrate. We didn't see the Hooded Orioles much till the youngsters arrived, but they have become regulars lately. We see M & F adults and also M & F juveniles. There may be two female youngsters; I'm not sure. We had a few BH Cowbirds around the yard for awhile in spring, but not seen lately. Visits to the feeders were quite rare. From this, I would guess that they don't care much for B.O. sunflower, as the feeder has perches and a tray that we have learned will support 6 Band Tailed Pigeons (on the bottom layer - they stack up). ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 21 12:45:53 1998 Subject: Oriole migration All, Paul Noble asked if Hooded Orioles have already migrated. At Mc Clellan Park their numbers have dropped but the Cowbird "parents" are still hanging around. All Bullock's Orioles left by the end of July (and there was a real crowd this year, perhaps 7 active nests). According to the SCVAS-published Santa Clara County checklist, both species may be seen in small numbers until the end of September, but the main body of the much-more-common Bullock's leave the county at the end of July. For Hooded Orioles, the general exodus takes place in the third week of August - about now. I use the checklist constantly because it contains a wealth of information on population levels at different times of year, among other things...I know of no other single source for such specific, local information (until, perhaps, the county atlas comes out.) We have scads of checklists here at the office/shop at .50 apiece. --Garth ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 21 14:21:39 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles I also have a family of Hooded Orioles coming to my feeder. There were originally six of them...adult male and female, a second year male, and three young. All but the young male are still around. Often the whole crowd appears together although they have to take turns at the feeder. Unless you have a bird in hand and can take wing chord measurements, I don't think it's possible to tell the sex of the first year young unless a male is starting to show a few black feathers. In this case the bird is molting quite early and the feathers will appear very fresh. A second year male will have very worn feathers by late August. Rosalie Lefkowitz ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 21 16:10:50 1998 Subject: WFIB,LBHE All, Taking advantage of the high tide over lunch time, I biked the Alviso loop hoping to find all the shorebirds in the Salt Ponds. As usual, Salt Pond A9 (the outermost pond opposite the confluence of Coyote Creek and Alviso Slough) had the most birds. The number of NORTHERN SHOVELERS is already in the thousands and there may well have been over a thousand BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS along with large numbers of WILLETS, DOWITCHERS (all calling being SHORT-BILLED), MARBLED GODWITS, LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, and WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS. Less numerous shorebirds included 4 WILSON'S PHALAROPES in Pond A14 and another in A9, 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in A14, 6 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS in A14 and another in A9, and 4 WHIMBRELS with a curlew flock at the west end of the A9/A10 dike. Among the many egrets in A9 there were an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON and an immature WHITE-FACED IBIS (therefore different from the two adult birds found at Crittenden Marsh by Bob and Frank). I heard what sounded like an ELEGANT TERN over pond A13, but it did not call again and I could not pick it out among the FORSTER'S TERNS so I guess that's one that got away. BROWN PELICAN total came to 26. Mike Rogers 8/21/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 22 12:51:48 1998 Subject: birds On Saturday, 22 Aug 98, I went to salt pond A4 behind the Twin Creeks softball fields. Walking around the outer fence of the fields, I found 2 migrant YELLOW WARBLERS and at least 3 VAUX’S SWIFTS overhead. The slough behind the fields had 2 VIRGINIA RAILS and a SORA. I got excellent scope views of one of the Virginias, and was able to determine that it was an adult heavy into molt. The salt pond itself had 17 BROWN PELICANS and 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS among the other usual species. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON of the race anatum was perched on a power tower in the distance. I then went to the Calabazas Ponds, where, after walking almost completely around them, I was able to refind the adult basic-plumaged STILT SANDPIPER. I also had a COMMON SNIPE foraging out with the dowitchers. A GREEN HERON was in the little slough near the paved bike path. At the Spreckles and State St pond in Alviso I was only able to pick out 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. However, in a flock of peeps on Mallard Slough, next to the EEC, I found a juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Mike Mammoser ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 22 15:06:46 1998 Subject: morning birds I walked all around Calabazas Ponds early this morning and checked all the dowitcher flocks but couldn't find a Stilt Sandpiper. A lot of the birds were sleeping while was there, and I certainly could have missed it. I did see a COMMON SNIPE foraging by itself near a dowitcher flock in the middle pond, a GREEN HERON, and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS. At Spreckels and Grand, there was a nice close-up of a LESSER YELLOWLEGS in the pond on the edge of Arzino Ranch. At CCRS, there were relatively few birds in the sludge ponds, among them a couple of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. Lots of birds in the shorebird pond, but nothing unusual. -- Tom Grey Stanford CA [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 22 16:50:39 1998 Subject: Saturday Birds Checked the mouth of Stevens Creek on the rising tide. Nothing of interest. 10+ Least Terns on the salt-ponds on the way out and 2 Horned Grebes, including an albino on Crittenden marsh. Some other birders told me a female Ruff had been reported from the tidal mitigation area there but I failed to find it. I didn't look too hard, since it was only another Ruff. I did briefly see an epidomax sp.in the brush near here but never saw it again. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat Aug 22 17:55:23 1998 Subject: Unusual Robin All, Today on my road in La Honda, there was an adult Robin with white corners on the tail. I have seen Robins like this in New York but never in California. I have read that "eastern" Robins show this marking, but how far west do these birds usually appear? Has anyone else seen similar birds here? Barbara ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 23 12:07:26 1998 Subject: CCRS Sunday For some reason, the shorebird pond has been topped up again rendering it hopeless for the smaller species. I missed the Ruff there (seen by Al Eisner) and there was nothing else of interest, not even Lesser Yellowlegs. I then checked the riparian area for migrants and had a 2 Western Flycatchers, a Willow Flycatcher, a Warbling Vireo, and single Orange-crowned and MacGillivray's Warblers. The banders told me they had banded another Willow Fly and another MacG Warbler. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 23 18:30:24 1998 Subject: A few Sunday birds At the CCRS waterbird pond this morning, I did see an adult female Ruff (as Nick has mentioned) -- interestingly, it was not the same bird we've previously been seeing there, but instead looked very much like the fairly straight-billed individual seen last weekend along Spreckels St. (and likely also at Calabazas Ponds). Perhaps of more interest: there was an adult Prairie Falcon standing on one of the dry pond-beds toward the north end of the levee road. It apparently liked this spot, since when I disturbed it it settled down in the next pond, providing some great scope looks. Finally, the adult Stilt Sandpiper remains at the Calabazas Ponds (seen also by several others before I arrived). There were quite a few peeps feeding in the shallow water here, so habitat looks like it is improving. Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 06:43:05 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles As Leda Beth Gray mentioned a few days ago, the Hooded Oriole family that was visiting our feeder very frequently just a few days ago seemed to have been "tanking up". Well, we have not seen any oriole activity at our feeder for two days and we suspect that they have hit the road. They may have been drinking lots of nectar for a reason. Cheers -- Dave Drake & LB Gray ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 07:32:01 1998 Subject: Yardbird thanks Thanks to everyone who sent details. I have excluded a few species that sometimes nest in boxes or houses (e.g. Ash-throated and Western Flycatchers) and a couple of vagrants I know about (Costa's Hummer and Green-tailed Towhee). I was suprised to find one yard where there had only been one record of a sparrow! California Thrashers proved to be more widespread than I would have believed. Cooper’s Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk California Quail Rock Dove Mourning Dove Band-tailed Pigeon Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Acorn Woodpecker Nuttall’s Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Flicker Black Phoebe Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Scrub Jay Steller’s Jay Chestnut-backed Chickadee Plain Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Bushtit Bewick’s Wren California Thrasher American Robin Northern Mockingbird European Starling Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-headed Grosbeak Spotted Towhee California Towhee Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Brewer’s Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Hooded Oriole Bullock’s Oriole House Finch Purple Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch House Sparrow ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 08:08:14 1998 Subject: Alviso et al. I went to school at USC in "delightful" L.A. many years ago. When I graduated and migrated north I thought that I had arrived at a place where I could spend my career and perhaps retirement as well. That was about 23 years ago and, trust me, the changes since then have usually not been for the better if you enjoy clean air, low traffic congestion, open spaces and birds. The Silicon Valley is looking very much like the San Fernando Valley these days. Reflecting the progressive decline in the local quality of life has been the recent evolution of SCVAS from a birders club to an advocate for the environment to a group that will definitely file a law suit in order to just slow down the destruction a little. Sadly, we now consider it a glorious victory when we simply win a bit more set-back from the creeks - while most development goes roaring ahead, gobbling-up burrowing owl and other habitat almost as fast as they can disk the fields and pave the roads. I don't claim to have an answer because the priorities of society seem to favor golf courses and malls. But, if you want it to go differently you should consider making your views known to your local city councils and planning departments (not by email, but with personal letters or phone calls). Otherwise, all they hear is the loud voice of the banks, developers and the folks that believe that tax revenues can solve all our problems. Now I'll step off of my soap-box. Cheers, Dave Drake ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 10:07:08 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles My hooded orioles come one at a time, so it's hard to tell how many I have. I've assumed I have 4. two adults, female and male, and two juveniles. it seems like they've gotten hungrier lately...gloria leblanc http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 10:30:48 1998 Subject: Re: Hooded Orioles Greetings, I have had several hooded orioles this year, more than in the past. Most recently a male with a just fledged young in tow spent a few hours in my backyard catching insects and feeding the offspring as well as drinking from my feeder. They have been back every day for the last 2-3 weeks. Now, however, I have not seen the male for 3 days, only the young one, eating bugs on his own. I am guessing that the adult male began migration, and the young will follow. My question is, how does this young one know where to go during the migration trip? Tina Peterson [[email protected]] wrote: > All this Hooded Oriole talk got me wondering. A pair attempted > nesting in a > eucalyptus across the street from my home this spring. The first brood > was > apparently wiped out by that May rain. the second brood was also > unsuccessful. > By the first of this month the birds had stopped visiting my feeder. I > have > not seen them since. Have they migrated already? Other accounts in > this forum > suggest otherwise. I wonder why the left the feeder (always filled > with fresh > solution, of course). > As for Shuford's suggestion of not feeding birds to prevent Cowbird > paratism, > hey Dave, there's a practical solution! > > Paul Noble---Scchowl > ==================== > ===================================================== > This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list > server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the > message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to > [[email protected]] -- Christina A. Peterson Life Sciences Reference Librarian San Jose State University California [[email protected]] 408-924-2727 (voicemail) 408-924-2701 (fax) Visit the Library without Walls! http://library.sjsu.edu/staff/peterson/peterson.htm ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 10:44:33 1998 Subject: Good-bye Alviso Birdwatching If you haven't read it already, you might want to find a copy of last Thursday's _Metro_ newsmagazine. It has a long cover article on the planned development of Alviso, and what will happening to the bird habitat. SCVAS as an organization may contest some of the plans. There is also a short article on the parrots of Sunnyvale. - Chris Salander ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 11:45:47 1998 Subject: RE: Good-bye Alviso Birdwatching Chris: Could you fill us in on the contents? I don't get this newspaper. I am also surprized nobody has made a stink about the closing of the Wildlife Rescue Office in San Jose to make room for a golf course. All of the animals will be put to sleep! Mike Feighner > ---------- > From: Christopher Salander[SMTP:[[email protected]]] > Sent: Monday, August 24, 1998 10:44 AM > To: [[email protected]] > Subject: Good-bye Alviso Birdwatching > > > If you haven't read it already, you might want to > find a copy of last Thursday's _Metro_ newsmagazine. > It has a long cover article on the planned development > of Alviso, and what will happening to the bird > habitat. SCVAS as an organization may contest some of > the plans. > > There is also a short article on the parrots of Sunnyvale. > > - Chris Salander > > ========================================================================== > This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list > server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the > message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to > [[email protected]] > ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 12:18:50 1998 Subject: Re: Hooded Orioles > I am guessing that the adult male > began migration, and the young will follow. My question is, how does > this young one know where to go during the migration trip? Our adult male HOOR also seems to have disappeared within the past week. The adult female visited this AM and at least one juv is still a frequent visitor. Maybe the youngsters follow mama. (?) ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 12:43:54 1998 Subject: Hooded Orioles We have Hooded Orioles in our yard every year, and 1998 has been no exception. The birds arrive the end of March, and almost always nest in a rather tall fan palm a few doors down the street. I believe this year they fledged two young. We have not been getting many cowbirds at the seed feeder this year. I saw both adults as recently as yesterday (Aug. 23) at the feeder in our yard. This is getting to be a very late date for us to still be seeing Hooded Orioles, they are usually gone by mid-August. By the way, the adult male has had very worn plumage for well over a month, he definetely needs a new "coat"!! Alan ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 14:25:33 1998 Subject: RE: Good-bye Alviso Birdwatching Please disregard (delete) this email if you are not interested in the Metro Alviso story. Mike, The main emphasis on this feature was the effect of creeping development on Alviso's rural character. Much of the story detailed the big city politics of San Jose waged against the small community of Alviso. The control of landfills and sewage treatment plants have been a focal point of this struggle. The wetlands issue were treated in a fairly cursory manner. IMHO, Alviso is perhaps the only town left in Santa Clara County that could be truly regarded as "quaint". It has the both the look and feel of a unpretentious coastal village. It is genuinely picturesque and lacks tourist traps. Alviso is a very refreshing break from the surrounding urbanized monotony. If Alviso becomes completely (sub)urbanized and is assimilated into the Silicon Valley Borg, I would personally regard that event as a significant loss. Although I was not one of those who felt that Agnews mental institution buildings should be saved (oh, the happy memories!), I would like to see the rustic charm of Alviso be preserved. Recently, I was able to observe a Reeve from Spreckles Street without being blown into the weeds by speeding traffic. This was an experience that I would like to repeat for years to come. Gina Sheridan Santa Clara [[email protected]] At 11:45 AM 8/24/98 -0700, Feighner, Mike wrote: >Chris: > >Could you fill us in on the contents? I don't get this newspaper. > >I am also surprized nobody has made a stink about the closing of the >Wildlife Rescue Office in San Jose to make room for a golf course. All of >the animals will be put to sleep! > >Mike Feighner ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 16:04:10 1998 Subject: Re: Hooded Orioles George Oetzel wrote: > > I am guessing that the adult male > > began migration, and the young will follow. My question is, how > does > > this young one know where to go during the migration trip? > > Our adult male HOOR also seems to have disappeared within the > past week. The adult female visited this AM and at least one juv is > still a frequent visitor. Maybe the youngsters follow mama. (?) Actually mama left some time back; she disappeared at the time of fledging. I believe that the Birder's Handbook says that female HOORs molt and migrate soon after their young ones' fledging, and this seemed to be the case as I observed it this year. Thus the question of how that juvenile gets to wintering grounds!Tina > > > ---------------- > George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> -- Christina A. Peterson Life Sciences Reference Librarian San Jose State University California [[email protected]] 408-924-2727 (voicemail) 408-924-2701 (fax) Visit the Library without Walls! http://library.sjsu.edu/staff/peterson/peterson.htm ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 17:08:03 1998 Subject: birds On Sunday, 23 Aug 98, I did some birding from the Palo Alto Baylands to Crittenden Marsh. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE seems quite content to hang with the domestic flock at the duck pond, mooching food from the humans. I wonder if its hormones will kick in next year? There was a plegadis ibis, presumablt WHITE-FACED, on the far eastern side of Crittenden Marsh. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 19:00:23 1998 Subject: HOOR migration behavior: my mistake Greetings, Earlier today I queried the list on HOOR migration behavior and cited The Birder's Handbook for some facts I quoted. I was embarassed when I came home and found that this was the wrong source, and now I can't find verification of my info. My face is red; my appologies to the list! Tina Peterson ======================== Christina A. Peterson Life Sciences Librarian San Jose State Univ. California 408-924-2727 (voicemail) 408-924-2701 (fax) [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 19:08:05 1998 Subject: Re: Hooded Orioles REPLY Re: Hooded Orioles ca peterson wrote: >Actually mama left some time back; she disappeared at the time of >fledging. I believe that the Birder's Handbook says that female HOORs >molt and migrate soon after their young ones' fledging, and this seemed >to be the case as I observed it this year. Thus the question of how >that juvenile gets to wintering grounds!Tina I don't know specifically about the timing of HOOR migration by age and sex, but genetic imprinting is usually credited with providing the directions to the wintering grounds for hatch-year birds that migrate at a different time than the adults of the same species. My understanding is that, in many species, adult males will leave sometime after breeding or after helping to show fledglings how to forage and survive in their first few weeks. The adult females leave after the adult males and before the hatch-year birds. Such is the case with Rufous Hummingbirds. In large waterfowl species, the family grouping seems to remain intact through migration. Similarly, I believe, genetic imprinting is credited with providing a hatch-year cowbird with its identity, since it isn't raised by adult cowbirds. I'm interested in hearing about other theories, "proven" findings, or otherwise. Les Chibana ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 24 21:11:29 1998 Subject: Los Angelesation? Yea, everyone laments about congestion, traffic and open space degradation, yet at the same time count their growing shares of Cisco, Intel and Oracle and dream how wonderful their retirement portfolios will be. I'll get off my soapbox now, too. Paul Noble---Scchowl ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 25 03:54:03 1998 Subject: LA and us. Hi Paul, Your email reminded me of a recent lobbying experience I had with Mike Thompson (State Senator) in Sacramento. We were meeting with him as representatives of SCVAS regarding some population and habitat bills before the state legislature. He is a very personable man and generally supportive of wildlife and environmental issues (much like Byron Sher). On this occasion he "played" with us a bit by asking everyone where they were from, as in where were you born and raised. Of course nearly everyone in the room (except him it turns out) was from out of state, and Thompson had fun quickly pointing out that they - "Were part of the problem!!". However, after having that obvious fun, we got down to talking about the present situation and the future outlook for wildlife, open space and habitat in California. He is very concerned and he was receptive and even eager to hear our viewpoints. I hope that similar dialogues about what should be done now to insure a healthy bay area in the future can be part of the scenario for the "average citizen". Many thanks for your comments. Cheers, Dave Drake P.S. Definitely off my soap box now. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 25 09:20:47 1998 Subject: RUTU,REKN All, I checked the old Palo Alto yacht harbor yesterday evening 8/24/98 at about 6pm. The mudflats were just uncovering and the number of shorebirds increased greatly while I was there. Highlights included a juvenile RUDDY TURNSTONE and at least 5 RED KNOTS (1 mostly alternate adult, 3 basic adults, and a very fresh buffy juvenile) foraging out on the flats. These birds were kind enough to stay around for Al Eisner who arrived a bit later. Other shorebirds included 10+ WHIMBREL, 20 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, and a flyover adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Across the street the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still present at the duck pond. Mike Rogers ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 25 12:12:34 1998 Subject: Cedar Waxwing back in town This morning at McClellan Park, a single CEDAR WAXWING paused to vocalize for several minutes from the Sycamore tops before flying off to the south. I also had a solo waxwing fly over my place at Pescadero on Sunday the 23rd. --Garth Harwood ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 25 17:25:18 1998 Subject: RE: Good-bye Alviso Birdwatching On Mon, 24 Aug 1998, Feighner, Mike wrote: > Could you fill us in on the contents? I don't get this newspaper. > > > ---------- > > From: Christopher Salander[SMTP:[[email protected]]] > > Sent: Monday, August 24, 1998 10:44 AM > > > > If you haven't read it already, you might want to > > find a copy of last Thursday's _Metro_ newsmagazine. > > It has a long cover article on the planned development > > of Alviso, and what will happening to the bird > > habitat. SCVAS as an organization may contest some of > > the plans. The article can be read in its entirety at http://metroactive.com/metro/cover/alviso-9833.html Jennifer Dungan | MS 242-4 CSU - Monterey Bay | NASA Ames Research Center Tel: 650-604-3618 FAX: 650-604-4680 | Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 email: [[email protected]] | USA URL: http://geo.arc.nasa.gov | ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Aug 25 22:01:50 1998 Subject: hooded orioles I left for Seattle last Thursday night and I know on Thursday my male hooded oriole was feeding...however, now that I've returned he has not been seen...the kids are still "sucking it up"...today I noticed a house finch and some chickadees were trying to outmaneuver each other at the hummingbird feeder too. I've seen chickadees frequently at the hummingbird feeder but had never seen a house finch eat the sugar water. My Black-headed Grosbeaks are still here. I'm off to Istanbul...and then a Mediterranean cruise...guess the bird scenery in my backyard will have changed when I return in 3 weeks...til then...Gloria LeBlanc http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 26 13:00:30 1998 Subject: Nothing new All, Today Frank Vanslager and I saw the ad male Wood Duck and the Greater White- fronted Goose at the Palo Alto Duck Pond, a Spotted Sandpiper and the ad Stilt Sandpiper at Calabazas Ponds. Nothing new :-( Take care Bob Reiling, 12:44 PM, 8/26/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Aug 26 20:31:13 1998 Subject: Stilt Sandpipers at Alviso This evening (Wednesday) I found 2 juv. Stilt Sandpipers at Spreckles/State street. Lots of other shorebirds here too, including 6-8 Lesser Yellowlegs. Also saw the adult Stilt Sandpiper at Calabasas ponds along with a Spotted Sandpiper. Lots of peeps and dowitchers here too. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 27 00:36:05 1998 Subject: Access to Modesto Sewage Ponds Modesto Sewage Ponds, Stanislaus County. Last Tuesday, I had 2 flocks of about 500 birds each of Black-bellied Plovers. There were at least 2 basic plumaged American Golden-Plovers and one other Golden-Plover seen flying but not identifyable to species. I also had 2 Marbled Godwits. Caspian Terns continue to be found in good numbers as I had 25-30 in one spot. There were 3 Bank Swallows, 1 adult and 2 immatures. I have made arrangements to have the gates open for me this Saturday morning at 7:00 A.M. I plan on birding there until 11:30 or so. If you are interested in birding the Modesto Sewage Ponds, but can't make during the week, this might be a good chance. The address is 7007 Jennings Rd. Jennings Rd. runs north from Las Palmas/West Main out of Patterson. The entrance to the ponds is about 2 miles north of West Main at the truck crossing (flashing yellow light). I will get there a little early and wait for any interested birders. If you are interested I would appreciate an email, or just show up. If you would like more detailed directions email me or call me at 209-524-5694. Jim Gain (work) [[email protected]] (home) [[email protected]] P.S. Of local interest I saw an Osprey flying down Briggsmore Ave. yesterday in Modesto. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 27 10:33:49 1998 Subject: CCRS migrants I spent about 1.5 hours at CCRS this morning. There appears to be a major migration push with lots (10+) of Yellow Warblers, 3 each of Willow and Western Flycatchers, 2 Western Tanagers, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, single Orange-crowned and Wilson's Warblers. Shorebird Pond now has exposed mud and is attracting peeps. Nothing interesting here though. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 27 13:51:39 1998 Subject: YHBL, STilt SA All, Steve Rottenborn reports a first-year male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the Arzino Ranch near the old barbed wire fence and tules in the middle of the pasture as viewed from Los Esteros, Spreckles, and Grand in Alviso. Also, one of the juvenile STILT SANDPIPERS reported yesterday by Nick Lethaby was still present today according to Steve. Mike Rogers 8/27/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu Aug 27 17:53:02 1998 Subject: Monterey Bay Pelagic: 9/12/98 Hi Birders - Jim Booker asked me to re-send this message: A pelagic trip out of Monterey Harbor will take place on September 12, 1998. The trip will focus on storm-petrel flocks, shearwaters and the waters above the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Cost is only $60 (what a deal!). Some of the proceeds for this trip will go to the Big Sur Ornithology Lab (BSOL) to purchase much-needed reference materials. The trip runs from 6:30 AM to around 3:00 PM. Be at Sam's Fishing on Fisherman's Wharf between 6:00 - 6:15 AM. Reserve your spot early, as there are limited spaces available. Send a check for $60 to Jim Booker at: 1764 Harding Street Seaside, CA 93955 to reserve your spot! Reservations are on a first-come first-served basis, so get your money in early. Bring chum and cod liver oil if you can. We want to encourage a high diversity of seabirds to visit our boat! If you have any more questions, please feel free to call Jim at (831) 899-4452. Steve Rovell [[email protected]] PS - 12 of the mandatory 14 spots have been filled. We need two more for this trip to be a "go." A less crowded boat IS nice, but BSOL can sure use a boost. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Aug 28 09:55:30 1998 Subject: CCRS Migrants This morning I saw a Vaux's Swift, MacGillivray's Warbler, and 5 Western Tanagers at CCRS. No Willow Flycatchers today. Nothing good during a brief check on the shorebird pond. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Aug 30 16:08:03 1998 Subject: Guadalupe River birds My plans of discovering a waterthrush at the Guadalupe River were blown up in smoke when I arrived to find a group of birders already looking for one reported by Mike Rogers the previous day. I managed to relocate the bird within about 10 minutes about 50 yards N of the Eucalyptus tree. It came into the tree above my head after some pishing along with a couple of Western Tanagers. Saw the heavily spotted throat, lack of buff flanks etc to eliminate Louisiana. I headed downstream a fair ways along the river bank but only found odd migrants - another W. Tanager, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler - so I cut back to the gravel trail to look for sparrows. No sooner had I done this, when a small grayish-brown sparrow with an unstreaked breast walked out on to the path about 40 yards away. It then flitted up on to a stem revealing a long notched tail. I was unable to make out any head markings or wingbars at all (the bird was so plain that I had initially considered it might be a washed-out Lesser Goldfinch!). The bird then flew off high over towards the west side of the river. I assume it was a very worn Brewer's that perhaps had begun migrating before completing its molt or perhaps I was far enough away to make discening the face pattern difficult. Didn't see anything else. ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 00:05:05 1998 Subject: Golden-Plover ID Modesto is a bit too far east for South Bay Birds and a little south of "Yolo" birds (which I think is now Central Valley Birds?) but some of you have expressed interest in our bird sightings. Kent Van Vuren and I birded the Modesto Sewage Ponds last Saturday and had a couple of nice birds. After much diligent searching we came upon 3 Golden-Plovers. Two were in full basic plumage and one was about half and half. It was fortunate that we had the three goldens together with the black-bellied to compare sizes and shapes. The two in basic plumage demonstrated what I would call the Mountain Plover look. Slightly thinner and with a more upright posture than the mixed plumage bird. The two in basic plumage were ever so slightly shorter than the mixed plumage bird. They also had a warm yellowish-golden cast especially around the head, nape, and shoulders. The mixed plumage bird had a more robust appearance and was closer in size to the Black-bellies. Its color was more of a brownish-gold cast with a wide white superciliary that extended around about halfway down the neck where it broadened and ended. It was hard to tell the primary extension past the secondaries and to the tail. While the lighting was perfect (we were looking west at the birds abount 10:00 A.M.) their movement and our distance (about 45 yards) made the tail/wing positioning difficult. Based upon these markings I feel we had 2 Pacific Golden-Plovers and 1 American Golden-Plover in mixed alternate and basic plumage. I would welcome any comments about Golden-Plover identification. I also had an excellent look at a female bunting-type bird. It was small sparrow-sized with a grayish-brown conical bill. Its belly was a light shade of tan. Its breast, back, head, and tail were all medium brown. While there was a small bit of discoloration along the tercials (which appeared to be weathering), there were no apparent wing bars. There was no streaking, striping or other discolorations. The bird flew up from the tall grasses in front of me and nervously chipped for quite some time. Its overall appearence reminded me of the nondescript Varied Buntings I just saw in AZ with the exception of the slightly lighter colored belly. Indigo Bunting female? Again any comments about female bunting ID would be appreciated. Jim Gain Modesto [[email protected]] (work) [[email protected]] (home) ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 09:47:30 1998 Subject: Great Backyard Bird Count Greetings Cal Birders-- Bird club presidents/newsletter editors, because of newsletter production deadlines, the BirdSource team wanted to drop you a note about an upcoming event your members may be interested in. The rest of you subscribers, we hope you'll mark your calendars now: The 2nd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (cosponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon) will take place February 19-22, 1999. For the count, every birder in NA is being asked to count the birds you see at your feeders, local parks, and other areas, and to enter your reports at the BirdSource website . The count is a way to add to a vast database (that includes info from the NA Winter Finch Survey, Warbler Watch, Christmas Bird Counts, Project FeederWatch, etc.) that will help make sure common birds remain common and to help species whose numbers are already in decline. The technology should be in place this year to allow anyone to query the database with specific questions about which species were reported where, down to zip code. Again, there'll be species accounts, bird images and sounds, an extensive Map Room for within- and between-project abundance and distribution comparisons, and other info. As always, there's no sign up or fee, you just go to the website and enter your data. Last year, we received more than 14,000 reports during a three-day period. This year, we're hoping for even more. Please forward this to other listservs you deem appropriate, and pass it along to other newsletter editors you may know. If you'd like a copy of our press release, or if you have questions, please feel free to email me. Thanks! Allison Wells Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 10:51:23 1998 Subject: birds On Saturday, 29 Aug 98, I went out to CCRS to look for migrants, and there seemed to be plenty around. I had 12 YELLOW WARBLERS, 12 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 8 WESTERN TANAGERS, 3 WARBLING VIREOS, 3 WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, 2 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, 2 SWAINSON=92S THRUSHES, a WILSON=92S WARBLER, a female HOODED ORIOLE, 2 HOUSE WRENS, and a WINTER WREN. Overhead, I saw a single VAUX=92S SWIFT and an immature COOPER=92S HAWK. There were also 4 BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS about. = When I first got there in the morning, I had an interesting bird that I thought might have been a Bobolink. It was sitting in the bare branched tree south of the trailers, while I was looking from across the overflow channel near the crossover. This bird was larger than a House Finch, quite buffy brown, and had sharply-pointed tail feathers. However, by the time I got to a closer vantage point, the bird was gone. So I can=92t= make a positive ID. Out at the waterbird pond, the female RUFF was still present. It looks like the same bird that=92s been here for a month or so, except it almost= completely in basic plumage now. There was also a GREEN HERON here. At Alviso, I had the 2 juvenile STILT SANDPIPERS in the pond at State and Spreckles. On Sunday, 30 Aug 98, I started the day at the Palo Alto Baylands, scoping for shorebirds on the estuary. Nothing unusual here; I had 3 WHIMBRELS and the only dowitchers I heard were SHORT-BILLED. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still at the duck pond, as was the adult male WOOD DUCK. I stopped at the end of L=92Avenida and checked Stevens Creek for migrants. Here I had 11 YELLOW WARBLERS, 2 WILSON=92S WARBLERS, a female HOODED ORIOLE, a female MacGILLIVRAY=92S WARBLER, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, a WARBLING VIREO, and 2 GREEN HERONS. A stop at the Guadalupe River produced the NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH that was found the previous day by Mike Rogers. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 10:56:54 1998 Subject: NOWA All, After hearing about all the waterthrushes and redstarts being reported on the Bird Box, I decided to check the Guadalupe River on Saturday 8/29/98 for migrants. I got a late start, but the first bird I had upon climbing the dike about 100 yards south of Montague Expressway at 8:30am was a calling NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. By heading down to the creek I was able to get nice looks at the bird as is circled the small pools just east of the river at this spot. A good start! I spent the next 2.5 hours working my way south along the eastern side of the river, having to push through some pretty thick brush for much of the time. It was a rewarding trip, though, with many western migrants in evidence. Numbers for this southbound transect included 1 VAUX'S SWIFT, 10+ "WESTERN" FLYCATCHERS, 1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH, 1 CEDAR WAXWING, 1 WARBLING VIREO, 13 YELLOW WARBLERS, 1 cooperative female-plumaged MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, 7 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, 1+ WILSON'S WARBLER, 10 to 13! WESTERN TANAGERS, 2+ BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, 3 LAZULI BUNTINGS (1 molting adult female and 2 apparent hatching-year birds), and 2 HOODED ORIOLES. Other birds of interest included 3+ BELTED KINGFISHERS and an out-of-place BROWN CREEPER. The trip back up the west bank (much quicker pace) was filled with the same species, including several WESTERN FLYCATCHERS that I'm sure didn't get counted on the way south. Next I made a quick stop at the Calabazas Ponds (not much unusual) and State and Spreckles in Alviso, where a birder from Alameda pointed out the 2 juvenile STILT SANDPIPERS to me. At the junction of Spreckles and Grand I found a freshly dead SORA, which I delivered to CCRS. At CCRS the landbird scene was pretty quiet, but I did manage 1 WILLOW FLYCATCHER among 7+ WESTERN FLYCATCHERS, 3 YELLOW WARBLERS, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, and a HOODED ORIOLE. Most interesting was a small flock of perhaps 7 CEDAR WAXWINGS. Mike Mammoser showed me the female RUFF at the waterbird pond (the third time he'd seen the bird that day he said). Mike Rogers ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 13:07:28 1998 Subject: No Northern Waterthrush :-( All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I birded the east bank of the Guadalupe River from the bridge at Montague to about a mile south of the bridge. We had a Western Tanager, a Cassin's Vireo, a male Wilson's Warbler, a Red-shouldered Hawk, four Band-tailed Pigeons, a pair of Nuttals Woodpeckers, 1 possibly 2 Downy Woodpecker(s), a Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Double-crested Cormorant as well as various back yard birds. Lots of big juicy grasshoppers in those tall weeds but no Northern Waterthrush along the creek or in the isolated ponds. Take care, Bob Reiling, 12:47 PM, 8/31/98 ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Aug 31 15:50:52 1998 Subject: An encounter, plus goings & comings On my Sat. bicycle ride, around noon, on Canada Rd near Olive Hill, a small bird (HOFI?) flew over me with a hawk about a meter behind in hot pursuit. I think the hawk was a male Coopers, but the observation was short. The hawk had tail feathers fully fanned to follow the erratic flight of its intended victim. I wasn't able to get stopped and turned around in time to see the outcome, but I wouldn't bet on the finch. Adult female Hooded Oriole last seen at our feeder on 8/24, juvenile(s) on 8/27. None since, presumably gone for the season. House Finches have returned to our feeders in reasonable numbers after being scarce since late spring. For the past 3 months, we've been seeing just 3 or 4 at a time, and not very often. These days, we get 10 to 12 each morning, and the flock seems to be growing. Last year, we had a good crowd all summer, but it diminished in Sept, so the increase has come as quite a surprise. ---------------- George Oetzel <[[email protected]]> ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]]