From [[email protected]] Sun Feb 01 09:19:17 1998 Subject: South-bay-birds archive South Bay Birders, I have updated my website with an archive of the January 1998 messages from this list. Please let me know if you have any problems. Thanks. -- Joseph Morlan Spring Birding Classes begin Feb 17 in SF: 380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ Pacifica, CA 94044 [[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]] Sun Feb 01 09:32:03 1998 Subject: BALD EAGLE 1/31/98 Yesterday around 1:30PM I went to the Palo Alto Baylands. >From near the Black Rail spot, while scanning the skies, I picked up a really distant BALD EAGLE. Les Chibana and Al Jaramillo got their scopes on the nice adult bird. I would estimate that the bird was somewhere above the Sunnyvale Baylands, but it is really hard to say. I didn't call it into the BirdBox but I understand that a Bald Eagle at this location is unusual. Les and Al where there as part of a group outing for CCRS birders. I hung out with them for the rest of the afternoon. At the Duck Pond, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still with the domestic geese. A couple of MEW GULLS were about. Al picked up the mystery "RING-BILLED/MEW/Kamchatka GULL" that he has seen there before. Les took some photos I think. Maybe Les or Al will write more about it. Then over at the Sunnyvale water-treatment plant, I found two pairs of BURROWING OWLs near the parking lot. Look to the left (south) of the small bridge over the sewage channel. There is a pair on the mounds on each side of the channel. We also saw a saw SORA next to the bridge. By the time we reached the large sewage ponds, it was already too dark to look for the Tufted Duck. 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]] Sun Feb 01 11:34:07 1998 Subject: Sierra, Calaveras Yesterday (1/31) around midday after the rain stopped, I checked out Ed Levin. No Swan or YB Sapsucker. At milepost 2.80 on Calaveras Road up by the reservoir, I had a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. No Bald Eagle or other interesting raptors in sight, but a pair of RED-TAILED HAWKS were doing their courting flight. At the Sierra Road summit, I had either 2 or 3 adult GOLDEN EAGLES (one soared low along the summit, and later I saw two circling high overhead.) Also had 10 LARK SPARROWS near the cattle pen, and a couple of HORNED LARKS in the field. No luck on Rock Wrens. At Spreckels and Grand in Alviso on the way home, the EURASIAN WIGEON was still in the pond on the edge of Arzino Ranch, and yet another adult GOLDEN EAGLE flew in and perched on one of the phone poles along Zanker Road. -- 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]] Mon Feb 02 09:10:22 1998 Subject: Saturday birds Making a late start on Saturday because of the weather, I made two primary stops. I first spent an hour and twenty minutes missing the Prairie Warbler; and I then went on to Lake Cunningham Park in San Jose. There were several hundred Gulls on the lake, mostly California, but no initial sign of the second-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL when I arrived. However, it must have come in while I wasn't looking: it was present at 12:20, and until at least 1 PM. [Any progress on the possible-heuglini issue?] In fact, only two minutes before I first saw the Gull I first saw a RED-NECKED GREBE, very close to the pier. I strongly suspect that it was spending some of its time actually under the pier, or in other close-by corners hard to spot from the end. (I think this bird had a strong enough facial pattern to be an adult, although I'm unsure how close young birds can come to this.) Nothing exciting to report from some brief stops at CCRS (not many Gulls around) and Alviso, beyond an adult GOLDEN EAGLE, a young RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and an unidentified immature Accipter, all along the EEC entrance road. 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]] Mon Feb 02 09:18:35 1998 Subject: Common Loon On Saturday morning, Jan. 31, Jeanne Leavitt and I observed a COMMON LOON in the first (northernmost, largest) percolation pond at Los Gatos Creek Park, west of Hwy 17. It was in the NE corner, and spent about 90% or more of its time underwater. There were also several HORNED GREBES. In the largest and northernmost of the Oka Ponds, east of the creek, there was one female HOODED MERGANSER and one pair of RING-NECKED DUCKs. - 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 Feb 02 09:49:38 1998 Subject: PA Baylands High Tide Hello All: I showed up at the baylands around 2:30 pm so I missed the Bald Eagle. The tide was rather unremarkable, but good enough as 6 BLACK RAILS came into view starting around 4 pm and remained until about 5:15. Around 5 pm, one of them clambered up a foot or so onto a branch as if to look to see if the coast was clear. There was also a EURASIAN WIDGEON south of the boat landing some 400 yards from shore. No unusual sea ducks even with an hour of scoping and good back lighting. Quite a lot of SAVANNAH SPARROWs, showing considerable variation in color from light beige to nearly to color of the Song Sparrows, presumably multiple races involved. Steve 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]] Mon Feb 02 09:57:23 1998 Subject: Pine Siskins The Pine Siskins have finally arrived at my feeders in my backyard...have several in a pack of about 50 goldfinches feeding as I write this. Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos ========================================================================== 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 Feb 02 12:35:08 1998 Subject: RFI Rock Sandpiper in Santa Cruz South Bay Birders I have a friend coming in from out of town tonight. Does anyone know if the Rock Sandpiper is still being seen in Santa Cruz? Please call me at 408-268-7097 if you have any news. Thanks Bruce Barrett San Jose, CA [[email protected]] or [[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 Feb 03 13:18:53 1998 Subject: Re: Glaucous Gull at Baylands Tom Grey wrote: > > At the Duck Pond, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the domestic > goose flock, and as I drove by them right behind the Sea Scout building, > they were accompanied by two odd exotics, grazing Phasianid-looking birds > larger than Coots, with all over gray plumage regularly speckled > (scaled?) with white; white heads with red bills, and one with red > wattles. At least this was the instant impression I had as I drove past. > When I came back to check them out, they were gone and I couldn't refind > them. I don't see anything like these in my NGS. Daydream? I've seen two ducks with at least some Muscovy parentage that fit that description at the Baylands. Could the birds have been these ducks? 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]] Tue Feb 03 13:30:36 1998 Subject: Alviso wigeon All, On January 26, I saw a male EURASIAN WIGEON at Arzino Ranch in the pond along Los Esteros Road. Today (3 Feb.), at the same location, a pure male EURASIAN WIGEON was accompanying a female EURASIAN on this pond, while an obvious hybrid male EURASIAN x AMERICAN WIGEON displayed to a female AMERICAN. This hybrid had pinkish-purple feathering on the breast and most of the sides, but the upper sides/flanks were gray. The back and scapulars were gray with a faint purplish tinge (rather than being clean gray as on the pure EUWI or more pinkish-purple as on the pure AMWI). The posterior half of the head was reddish, but the foreface and the cheeks were a strange creamy color with only a faint reddish tinge. The anterior portion of the broad green head stripe was clearly visible, and the forehead was off-white, with a slight creamy tinge that was no more yellowish or buff than on several of the pure male AMWI present. Two LESSER (and 28 GREATER) YELLOWLEGS were here, and the YELLOW WARBLER was still at the EEC. 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]] Tue Feb 03 17:09:24 1998 Subject: Glaucous Gull at Baylands Today I had to go into Palo Alto from the largely cut off west side to pick something up shortly after noon, so I thought I'd see how things were at bayside. Embarcadero was open, and it was very odd to see the southbound lane of 101 empty of cars as I drove over. The frontage road was open the whole way to Shoreline, but Shoreline was closed at San Antonio, due apparently to sewage contamination. So I headed back to Baylands. Almost no one there with the tide out. I found a 2d winter GLAUCOUS GULL walking around right in the Byxbee parking lot - which made this somewhat cumbersome expedition (traffic jam on the way back) worth while. At the Duck Pond, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the domestic goose flock, and as I drove by them right behind the Sea Scout building, they were accompanied by two odd exotics, grazing Phasianid-looking birds larger than Coots, with all over gray plumage regularly speckled (scaled?) with white; white heads with red bills, and one with red wattles. At least this was the instant impression I had as I drove past. When I came back to check them out, they were gone and I couldn't refind them. I don't see anything like these in my NGS. Daydream? There were 14 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS on the mudflats in front of the Sea Scout building. -- 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]] Tue Feb 03 22:12:13 1998 Subject: Re: Glaucous Gull at Baylands At 09:18 PM 2/3/98 +0000, you wrote: >Tom Grey wrote: >> >> At the Duck Pond, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the domestic >> goose flock, and as I drove by them right behind the Sea Scout building, >> they were accompanied by two odd exotics, grazing Phasianid-looking birds >> larger than Coots, with all over gray plumage regularly speckled >> (scaled?) with white; white heads with red bills, and one with red >> wattles. At least this was the instant impression I had as I drove past. >> When I came back to check them out, they were gone and I couldn't refind >> them. I don't see anything like these in my NGS. Daydream? > >I've seen two ducks with at least some Muscovy parentage that fit that >description at the Baylands. Could the birds have been these ducks? > >Steve Rottenborn On our CCRS trip on Saturday we saw two guineafowl there, they fit the description. The goose was there as was the weird 'kamchatka' type gull, more details later. Al. Alvaro Jaramillo Half Moon Bay, California [[email protected]] Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at: http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro ========================================================================== 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 Feb 04 09:44:22 1998 Subject: birds On Saturday, 31 Jan 98, I did a little birding in spite of the rain, startin= g at Shoreline Park, where I found a single female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE on the lak= e. A flock of 12 swallows flew overhead, looking to be either TREE or VIOLET-GRE= EN. The Palo Alto flood control basin had a male and female BLUE-WINGED TEAL an= d 3 female RING-NECKED DUCKS. A WESTERN GREBE and a SURF SCOTER were on the Nor= th Pond. The immature WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still at the duck pond, and an a= dult PEREGRINE FALCON was on a power tower at the Baylands. I stopped at the Sunnyvale sewage ponds, but couldn't find any Tufted Duck. A SAY'S PHOEBE w= as at the old landfill, as was a BURROWING OWL. In Alviso, I had 1050 MEW GULLS a= t the end of Nortech Pkwy. A BURROWING OWL was along Disk Dr and a MERLIN was per= ched on a power tower along Grand. 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 Feb 04 09:50:24 1998 Subject: exotic fowl Tom Grey wrote: >> At the Duck Pond, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the domestic= >> goose flock, and as I drove by them right behind the Sea Scout building= , >> they were accompanied by two odd exotics, grazing Phasianid-looking bir= ds >> larger than Coots, with all over gray plumage regularly speckled >> (scaled?) with white; white heads with red bills, and one with red >> wattles. At least this was the instant impression I had as I drove past= From [[email protected]] Wed Feb 04 13:08:19 1998 Subject: County Common Loon All, This morning at Los Gatos Creek Park Frank Vanslager and I saw the Common Loon in the largest, northern most pond. Later, on the way out, we were unable to relocate it. We also had one male Hooded Merganser, a female Red-breasted Merganser, several Horned Grebes, 3-4 Green Herons, a small flock of Ring- necked Ducks and a flock of 20-30 Lesser Scaup. We then went to Oak Knoll Cemetery where we had three, interacting Hutton's Vireo's. Take care, Bob Reiling, 12:47 PM, 2/4/98 ========================================================================== 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 Feb 04 14:08:29 1998 Subject: Mystery goldeneyes South Bay Birders, I've put up photos of a couple of mystery goldeneyes on my website. I have a feedback form for votes and comments and I'd really like to get opinions on these. Thanks to a contribution from Alan Hopkins I've also added a photo gallery showing the recent Long-billed Murrelet from Muir Beach and Summer Tanager from Golden Gate Park which may be of interest. I also added better photographs of the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher that was at Bodega Bay last fall. Go to http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ and follow the links. Thanks. -- Joseph Morlan Spring Birding Classes begin Feb 17 in SF: 380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ Pacifica, CA 94044 [[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 Feb 04 18:47:35 1998 Subject: 1998 composite list FEBRUARY 1 1998 SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST UPDATE Having passed 200 before the end of January we can definitely say things are off to a good start! We should be able to add Short-eared Owl, Canyon Wren, and Sage Sparrow before migration starts...and maybe even that rarely reported Ash-throated Flycatcher that returned to the Guadalupe River this winter. Also, any bayside duck flocks are definitely worth checking for Oldsquaw and Black Scoter. 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: 188: 1/ 4/98 "WESTERN" FLYCATCHER 189: 1/ 5/98 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 190: 1/ 9/98 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER 191: 1/15/98 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 192: 1/16/98 ROSS' GOOSE : 1/16/98 ICELAND GULL (not yet accepted on state list by CBRC) 193: 1/16/98 BALD EAGLE 194: 1/16/98 AMERICAN BITTERN 195: 1/17/98 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 196: 1/17/98 TREE SWALLOW 197: 1/18/98 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW 198: 1/23/98 WESTERN TANAGER 199: 1/25/98 PRAIRIE FALCON 200: 1/25/98 HORNED LARK 201: 1/25/98 ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD Please send any additions, corrections, or comments to Mike Rogers, [[email protected]]. SANTA CLARA COUNTY YEAR LIST - 1998 SCR MMR MJM COMP SOURCE 377 170 145 131 201+ICGU % OF COMPOSITE FOR 1998 % OF 377 (Iceland Gull not counted) Red-throated Loon Pacific Loon Common Loon 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 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 1/ 6 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 1/16 SCR 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 Cattle Egret 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR Green Heron 1/ 6 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/ 3 1/ 2 SCR Ross' Goose 1/19 1/16 1/16 MJM Brant Canada Goose 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Wood Duck 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 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 Surf Scoter 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC White-winged Scoter 1/ 6 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 1/ 1 AVe,CH,NLe Common Merganser 1/ 2 1/ 7 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Red-breasted Merganser 1/16 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 1/19 1/18 1/17 JMa,JLa White-tailed Kite 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM Bald Eagle 1/16 SGu Northern Harrier 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/ 2 1/19 1/ 2 SCR Cooper's Hawk 1/ 2 1/ 6 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 1/ 3 1/ 2 fide CKS Peregrine Falcon 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Prairie Falcon 1/25 NLe Ring-necked Pheasant 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 6 SCR Wild Turkey 1/ 1 JMa California Quail 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 1 SCR,DJC Mountain Quail Yellow Rail Black Rail 1/12 1/12 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 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 American Golden-Plover Snowy Plover Semipalmated Plover 1/ 6 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 1/ 6 SCR Solitary Sandpiper Willet 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Wandering Tattler Spotted Sandpiper 1/ 1 AVe,CH Whimbrel 1/ 6 1/ 6 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 Black Turnstone Red Knot 1/ 6 1/ 6 SCR Sanderling 1/ 6 1/ 6 MMR Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Least Sandpiper 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 AVe,CH White-rumped Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Dunlin 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 AVe,CH Curlew Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ruff Short-billed Dowitcher 1/ 6 1/ 6 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Long-billed Dowitcher 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR,MJM,AVe Common Snipe 1/ 5 1/ 1 DJC Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope Pomarine Jaeger Parasitic Jaeger Long-tailed Jaeger Laughing Gull Franklin's Gull Little Gull 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 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 1/ 6 SCR Black-legged Kittiwake Sabine's Gull Caspian Tern Elegant Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Forster's Tern 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Least Tern Black Tern 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 1/ 1 SCR White-winged Dove Mourning Dove 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Greater Roadrunner Barn Owl 1/ 9 1/ 9 MMR,RJe Flammulated Owl Western Screech-Owl 1/ 1 JMa Great Horned Owl 1/14 1/ 1 DJC Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Burrowing Owl 1/ 5 1/20 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/ 1 JMa Lesser Nighthawk Common Nighthawk Common Poorwill Black Swift Chimney Swift Vaux's Swift White-throated Swift 1/18 1/21 1/ 8 RWR,FVs Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Costa's Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Allen's Hummingbird 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 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 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 Olive-sided Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Hammond's Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1/ 4 CCRS Black Phoebe 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Eastern Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR Say's Phoebe 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/18 1/ 2 SCR Ash-throated Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Cassin's Kingbird Western Kingbird Eastern Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Horned Lark 1/25 AME Purple Martin Tree Swallow 1/18 1/19 1/17 LCh Violet-green Swallow 1/19 1/18 JDa Nor. Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow 1/ 2 1/19 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 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 1/ 1 JMa White-breasted Nuthatch 1/ 3 1/ 6 1/13 1/ 1 DJC Pygmy Nuthatch 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Brown Creeper 1/ 1 1/17 1/ 1 m.ob. Rock Wren 1/19 1/13 1/13 MJM Canyon Wren Bewick's Wren 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. House Wren Winter Wren 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR Marsh Wren 1/12 1/12 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM American Dipper Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/ 2 1/ 2 SCR Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/ 1 1/ 6 1/ 3 1/ 1 m.ob. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1/ 5 CJC Western Bluebird 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 1 DJC Mountain Bluebird 1/17 JLu Townsend's Solitaire Swainson's Thrush 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 Brown Thrasher California Thrasher 1/ 1 1/ 6 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 1/ 1 JMa Phainopepla 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 Plumbeous Vireo Hutton's Vireo 1/ 1 1/19 1/ 3 1/ 1 SCR,JMa Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler 1/ 4 1/24 1/ 4 SCR,CCRS Nashville Warbler Virginia's Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler 1/ 4 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 1/ 9 SBT Townsend's Warbler 1/ 1 1/ 1 SCR,JMa,DJC Hermit Warbler 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 Northern Waterthrush Kentucky Warbler Connecticut Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler Common Yellowthroat 1/ 4 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 2 MJM Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Western Tanager 1/23 RWR Rose-breasted Grosbeak Black-headed Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Indigo Bunting 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 1/ 2 SCR American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow Black-chinned Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow 1/19 1/ 4 1/ 4 MJM Black-throated Sparrow Sage Sparrow Lark Bunting Savannah Sparrow 1/ 2 1/12 1/ 4 1/ 1 DJC Grasshopper Sparrow 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 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 1/ 2 SCR Western Meadowlark 1/ 2 1/ 6 1/ 2 1/ 1 DJC Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird 1/ 1 1/ 4 1/ 2 1/ 1 m.ob. Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird 1/ 2 1/16 1/18 1/ 1 AVe,CH,DJC Hooded Oriole Baltimore Oriole Bullock's Oriole Scott's Oriole Purple Finch 1/ 1 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 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 1/ 1 CKS,JML,DJC Observer codes: m.ob.-many observers,AJa-Al Jaramillo,AJb-Alberta Jasberg,AME-Al Eisner,AVe-Ann Verdi, CCRS-COyote Creek Riparian Station,CH-Caralisa Hughes,CJC-Chuck Coston,CKS-Chris Salander,DJC-Don & Jill Crawford, FVs-Frank Vanslager,GLB-Gloria LeBlanc,HLR-Heather Rottenborn, JDa-Jim Danzenbaker,JLa-Jolene Lange,JLu-John Luther,JMa-John Mariani, JML-Jeanne Leavitt,KLP-Kathy Parker, MH-Matt Heindel,MJM-Mike Mammoser,MLF-Mike Feighner,MMR-Mike Rogers,NLe-Nick Lethaby, RJe-Richard Jeffers,RCo-Rita Colwell,RLe-Rosalie Lefkowitz,RWR-Bob Reiling,SBT-Scott Terrill,SCR-Steve Rottenborn,SGu-Stephan Gunn,TGr-Tom Grey, 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]] Thu Feb 05 08:43:37 1998 Subject: Bay area Calendar & SCC Composite List Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for February 6-13. 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]] Fri Feb 06 09:35:20 1998 Subject: GOEA Status Folks: Janet Hanson asked last week if Golden Eagles are becoming more common in this area. I'm not aware of any studies of this magnificent predator in this area that would give us solid information to answer this question, but data from local CBCs and, for Palo Alto, the Summer Bird Count, do not show any statistically significant trends in their populations. The San Jose (1969-96) and Mt. Hamilton (1978-96) CBCs record about the same number of eagles in terms of birds/party-hour, although the San Jose CBC raw numbers are higher (18.0 birds compared to 5.8 birds over these periods). The Palo Alto (1969-96) data are much lower and the bird is often missed. Here, the winter data show about 1.0 birds per year and the summer data about 0.6 birds. The conventional wisdom is that the Santa Cruz Mountains have always had about five pairs of eagles. Atlas data suggests that there are probably a few more, but most are south of the Los Gatos-Santa Cruz corridor. It seems likely that there are one or two pairs north of this line but I do not have a record of nesting evidence. In the Diablo Range this species is far more common. It appears from some studies that the density of Golden Eagles from the Carquinez Straights to Santa Clara County is possibly the highest in the world and I have heard numbers such as 40 pairs which I find credible. Golden Eagles move onto the valley floor in winter, normally from November through to March or April, and are seen at a number of locations. Whether these are more northern birds or Diablo Range birds that are dispersing because of the need for larger winter foraging territories is unanswered as far as I know. 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 Feb 06 10:11:52 1998 Subject: Bay Calendar Feb 14-20 Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for February 14-20. 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]] Fri Feb 06 16:45:13 1998 Subject: hooded mergansers All: A pair of possible hooded mergansers spotted by Jim Ernst, my neighbor, at about 3:30 today in the ponded up part of Barron Creek nearest Arastradero and the Foothill frontage road. I saw them a little later without binoculars, and could make out the obvious gold crest. Neither one appeared to be an adult male. Irene ========================================================================== 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 Feb 07 03:45:04 1998 Subject: Arzino ducks All, Thursday (5 Feb.), I looked through the ducks at Arzino Ranch and the adjacent flooded field at the intersection of Los Esteros, Grand, and Spreckles in Alviso. One male EURASIAN WIGEON (the pure bird), one male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and a female BLUE-WINGED TEAL were here. At CCRS, Al Jamarillo and I saw a small CANADA GOOSE (slightly larger than minima, with no white collar; possibly parvipes?). Also on Thursday, Linda Terrill saw a RED-NECKED GREBE in mostly alternate plumage at Lexington Reservoir. 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 Feb 08 17:27:39 1998 Subject: Duck Days in Alviso Dear South Bay Birders, I tended a spotting scope at the Environmental Education Center's annual Duck Days on Sun. Feb 8th. Despite the rain good numbers of people turned out for the event, including many local children, many of whom were excellent observers. Looking out on New Chicago Marsh from the pavillion at the Environmental Ed. Center, We observed large numbers of CANADA GEESE, NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, MALLARD, GADWALL as well as smaller numbers of HORNED GREBE, EARED GREBE, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, VIRGINIA RAIL (in the slough channel), NORTHERN HARRIER, WHITE-TAILED KITE, COOPER'S HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK and PEREGRINE FALCON, KILLDEER, AMERICAN AVOCET, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Unfortunately, no Eurasian Wigeon or 'Eurasian' Green-winged Teal made it over from Arzino Ranch. 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]] "While in my own estimation my chief profession is ignorance, yet I sign my passport applications and my jury evasions as Ornithologist." - 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]] Sun Feb 08 18:25:48 1998 Subject: Lake Lagunita Lake Lag on the Stanford Campus is filled right up. That attracted some new customers, and this rainy afternoon I saw two female HOODED MERGANSERS and 6 SURF SCOTERS, species I hadn't previously seen there. This morning I saw a RED-TAILED HAWK carrying nesting material to a redwood off the meadow at the end of Frenchman's Road - the seventh straight year they have nested here. -- 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]] Mon Feb 09 07:37:24 1998 Subject: Almaden/Campbell birds On Sunday, Feb 8, the following birds of note were seen: Oka/Campbell Ponds: 60+ LESSER SCAUP on the Oka Ponds. On the main Campbell Pond, eight SURF SCOTERS were seen traveling about in a tight pack. Several HORNED GREBES were seen as well. I did not see the Common Loon. Almaden Lake: While numerous gulls were in the middle of the lake, 200+ gulls were seen close at hand roosting on a gravel spit by the upper end were Alamitos Creek flows into the lake. Of the roosting gulls, over 90% were HERRING GULLS. Also in their midst were at least nine THAYER'S GULLS, two GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, and three WESTERN GULLS. Also seen on the lake were 18 COMMON MERGANSERS with another one seen further upstream on Alamitos Creek caught up in the swift current. Of greatest interest to me were the Surf Scoters and Western Gulls - birds rarely seen this far inland; in fact, this is the first time I've ever seen Western Gull in this area. I suspect the presence of these birds was storm-related. That's it for now - Ann Verdi ========================================================================== 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 Feb 09 08:29:14 1998 Subject: Shoreline/Forebay area (Feb. 8) On Sunday afternoon I took advantage of a lessening of the rain to check Mountainview Shoreline Lake and the Forebay area. While there were far more Scaup and Surf Scoters on the lake than usual, I didn't detect any storm- driven rarities. Also, I saw only one (female) Barrow's Goldeneye. (The south corner of the lake was, however, not visible to me.) The most interes- ting sighting was an American Bittern, which flew out of the wet marshy area northwest of the Forebay, made one low loop over the Forebay, and landed out of sight back where it had come from. 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]] Mon Feb 09 09:40:35 1998 Subject: Bittern, Forebay All, On Saturday afternoon, Maria and I were looking at the east side of the Mountain View Forebay, when another birder pointed out an American Bittern, standing at quite close range. We checked out Shoreline Lake, where another birder had noted a White Winged Scoter, but we didn't see it. Yours, 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 Feb 09 09:53:09 1998 Subject: Lexington Res All, After hearing about Scott Terrill's wind-blown rarities at Lexington Reservoir on the Bird Box I headed up there just before 5:00pm to see if they were still around. I had a subset of his birds, including 1 RED-NECKED GREBE (mostly basic), 1 RED-THROATED LOON (basic, probably imm), 3 RED PHALAROPES (feeding close to shore near the dam and west of here). I saw none of Scott's 110 SURF SCOTERS. Also at the reservoir were 2+ SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, at least 1 female-type COMMON MERGANSER, at least one FORSTER'S TERN, and several wet WESTERN BLUEBIRDS feeding at the edge of the dam with a few AMERICAN PIPITS. 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 Feb 09 10:21:58 1998 Subject: Oka-La Rincanada Strange picture to have SNOWY and GREAT EGRET on the La Rincanada Driving range, joined by a couple of MALLARDS swimming! Thx Ann for not finding the COMMON LOON at Oka. I looked for it Sunday and couldn't find it. Did see your SURF SCOTERS, HORNED GREBE, LESSER SCAUBS also one of the resident GREEN HERON. Near the entrance on Oka Court I had RING-NECK DUCKs and MERGANSER. This morning on my jog through La Rincanada Park I brought my binocs, just in case, and saw a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. Brilliant red, was beautiful. It was in tree on walkway practically at last bridge. Lots of bird activity in park today,, but time was limited, to work, to work.... gloria leblanc ========================================================================== 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 Feb 09 11:02:19 1998 Subject: Common Loon The comments on the common loon at the Campbell percs are interesting, I saw the bird on the 5th, and ten minutes later it seemingly disappeared dispite looking for about ten minutes. That bird must have an amazing set of lungs! I also was at Duck Days yesterday helping out with the people on the boardwalk. In addition to the birds that Tom Grey reported, the golden eagle was on the usual power pole. 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]] Mon Feb 09 13:12:44 1998 Subject: birds On Sunday morning, 8 Feb 98, I went to the Palo Alto Baylands for the high t= ide. Even though the projected tide was only moderate, the water level was nearl= y as high as I've ever seen. Two BLACK RAILS put on a wonderful show, with one sitting in a fairly open spot, preening and stretching for about 10 to 15 minutes. Only a small group of people were present, and we were able to get= a =22bird's eye view=22 of this guy from about 4 feet away. In addition, an a= dult PEREGRINE FALCON was perched on a power tower. = As I walked out the levee to look for sparrows, 2 BROWN PELICANS flew overh= ead, an adult and an immature. No rare sparrows presented themselves, but I had = a BLACK RAIL flush from the marsh along the outflow channel. CLAPPER RAILS, VIRGINIA RAILS, and SORAS were also plentiful. The immature GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still present at the duck pond= From [[email protected]] Mon Feb 09 13:23:30 1998 Subject: Tropical kingbird at Rancho San Antonio...? All-- I just received this message and thought it was worth forwarding to the list. I haven't had a chance to go look for the bird. >X-Sender: arnel@sunburn >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.2 (32) >Date: Mon, 09 Feb 1998 11:06:27 -0800 >To: Peter LaTourrette <[[email protected]]> >From: Arnel Guanlao <[[email protected]]> >Subject: Tropical kingbird at Rancho San Antonio...? > > >Hi Peter, > > I was over at Rancho San Antonio yesterday and saw what I think was >a tropical kingbird in the fields just below the northernmost parking >lot, near the South Meadow Trail. It had a long, notched tail, bright yellow >belly and a head that was a bit too dark to be a western kingbird. The >lighting was too dim for me to make out the colors on its back - I only >saw a flat gray. Ditto for the tail colors - it was dark-colored, but >I couldn't say much more about it. I also noticed that there was a lighter, >whitish patch under the chin. The song (I think) was a "pippipip". >I think the only other bird that it could be was a Cassin's kingbird. > >Anyway, I thought you might be interested. > > >Arnel Guanlao > > --------------------------------------------------------- Peter LaTourrette Bird photos: http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society: http://www.scvas.org/ Western Field Ornithologists: http://www.wfo-cbrc/org/ ========================================================================== 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 Feb 09 14:01:35 1998 Subject: Arzino Having a rare dry day stimulated me to visit Alviso during an expanded lunch "hour" today. The birds previously reported by Steve Rottenborn from the Arzino Ranch were still present. At the pond and flooded field on the south side of Los Esteros at Grant were a pair of Eurasian Wigeon and two Lesser Yellowlegs. Al J. came up and located the odd hybrid male Wigeon as well. Finally, one or (probably) two Golden Eagles were in the area -- one perched on the RR tracks. 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]] Mon Feb 09 15:55:47 1998 Subject: WFGO All, On my noon-time run today 2/9/98 I was lucky enough to run into the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE that is wintering on the Moffett Golf Course. It was with the domestics at the flooded pond just west of the road that bisects the golf course. 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 Feb 10 12:28:20 1998 Subject: waterbirds All: Sunday morning (8 Feb.), I did a little South County birding. I started at the waterfowl farm on Middle Ave. in the San Martin/ Morgan Hill area, where the diversity of Canada Goose races is just as great as Mike Rogers and others have previously described. The five huge "Canada Geese" (showing a few genes of domestic geese) were still present, all pinioned. Six medium-large, very dark (Dusky-type) Canada Geese were also pinioned. Thirteen tiny Canadas (minima) were by themselves in the small pond right in front of the house, and 7 or more slightly larger "small" forms, including at least one free-flying bird, were also present. Of the 85 other Canada Geese (not including any of those mentioned above) present, about half appeared to be pinioned or banded, or had their right hallux clipped. Also present were 9 free-flying ROSS'S GEESE, none banded or with clipped toes, of which two were obvious immatures. Five of the 17 SNOW GEESE were free-flying, healthy birds, none banded or with clipped toes, while the other 12 were all pinioned. Four adult Greater White-fronted Geese (3 banded on right foot) and 4 Canvasbacks (3 males) were in cages here. Finally, a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW flew over heading north while I was here. I then went to the San Felipe Lake area, where water covered most of the valley along Frazier Lake Road and around the lake, gradually moving downstream and mixing with the flooded Pajaro. I first scoped this huge "lake" from Bloomfield Avenue, which was closed near its intersection with Frazier Lake Road. Near this intersection, in Santa Clara County, I saw 9 HOODED MERGANSERS (3m, 6f), 2 TUNDRA SWANS (1ad., 1 imm.), 2 CATTLE EGRETS, and 2 LEAST SANDPIPERS. Waterfowl were scattered throughout this entire area but were concentrated in large flocks near San Felipe Lake, so I scoped the lake from the Bettencourt (sp.?) Dairy and from the pullouts along Hwy. 152 around the lake. From the call box pullout just east of the dairy, I saw a basic-plumaged RED PHALAROPE and a RED-NECKED GREBE in virtually complete alternate plumage on San Felipe Lake. The grebe looked very lost, and was not seen to dive, but the phalarope was picking at the surface of the water fairly actively. A male EURASIAN WIGEON was also here among hundreds of Americans. Across the water, I could see a large flock of 117 TUNDRA SWANS (a very high count for San Benito Co.) near Frazier Lake Road in San Benito. Driving along Hwy. 152 to Dunne Lane then making a loop around the "lake" on Shore Road, Lake Road, and much of Frazier Lake Road (until I got to the flooded portions), I was able to work the area fairly well. Total counts for this San Felipe Lake area, not including the TUSW, CAEG, and HOME noted in Santa Clara Co. above, were 6 PIED-BILLED, 2 HORNED (both San Benito), and 10 EARED GREBES; 110 GREAT, 18 SNOWY, and 16 CATTLE EGRETS (all CAEG along Frazier Lake Rd. in San Benito), 15 CANADA GEESE, 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 425 MALLARDS, 60 CINNAMON TEAL, 1050 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 180 GADWALLS, 575 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 450 AMERICAN WIGEON, 325 CANVAS- BACKS, 415 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 21 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 31 BUFFLEHEADS, 3 HOODED MERGANSERS (near Lover's Lane in San Benito), and 185 RUDDY DUCKS -- that's more than 3700 ducks! Where these birds were before the flooding, I don't know, but I doubt they were all on San Felipe Lake. Al DeMartini and Debi Shearwater have not been seeing nearly this many ducks in the area, so these birds obviously moved in from somewhere. The vast majority of these ducks (and all of the Canvas- backs and Ring-neckeds) were in San Benito County. Also in this area were 320 AMERICAN COOTS, 210 BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 30 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 4000 CALIFORNIA GULLS, 250 MEW GULLS, 10 RING-BILLED GULLS, 35 HERRING GULLS (15 in Santa Clara Co.), and 12 THAYER'S GULLS (7 in Santa Clara Co.). All morning, large numbers of gulls, predominantly Californias, were flying south down the Santa Clara Valley (seen from San Jose and Morgan Hill, both on the way down and on the return trip at noon) to these waters. Four more HOODED MERGANSERS (two pairs) were along the Pajaro River near Hwy. 25, just across the river from Santa Clara County. At least 400 TREE SWALLOWS (with a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS and one NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW) were also in the San Felipe Lake area. On the way back, I stopped at Laguna Avenue, south of Bailey Ave. just south of San Jose. Here a flooded field contained 12 HOODED MERGANSERS (1m, 11f) and a BONAPARTE'S GULL. Nearby Calero Reservoir had an adult BALD EAGLE, 1 COMMON LOON, 10 SURF SCOTERS, 220 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 185 LESSER SCAUP, 29 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 65 BUFFLEHEADS, 1 COMMON MERGANSER, and 170 dabbling ducks of five species. Yesterday (9 Feb.), 2 pure male EURASIAN WIGEON and 6 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at Arzino Ranch along Los Esteros Road. Today (10 Feb.), an adult PEREGRINE FALCON was along I-280 near Hwy. 85. At the Palo Alto Baylands, only 110 SURF SCOTERS were on the bay off the yacht harbor mouth. A first-winter male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was also here, although it was several 100 meters into San Mateo County. The duck pond had the imm. GREATER WHITE- FRONTED GOOSE and the unusual large Mew-type Gull. Shoreline Lake had a COMMON LOON, 320 SURF SCOTERS, a male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, 22 HORNED GREBES, 175 LESSER and 80 GREATER SCAUP, 20 BUFFLEHEADS, and 25 COMMON GOLDENEYES, but I saw no Barrow's Goldeneyes or White-winged Scoters. 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]] Tue Feb 10 13:13:34 1998 Subject: GOEA photo in San Martin Hi South Bay Birders, Yesterday afternoon, I was entering 101 north from San Martin Ave in San Martin, south of Morgan Hill, when I noticed a large shape to my left, on the depressed ground, in the triangle formed by San Martin, 101 and the northbound on-ramp. I pulled off the on-ramp, grabbed my cameras, slowly walked toward him, but stayed low out of sight, then stood up and got four shots of a golden eagle taking off with a rabbit or ground squirrel (I think) in his talons. Then I got about five seconds of video as he disappeared past the overpass. Unfortunately, he was flying into the sun, so as usual, the pictures in my mind were much better than the actual ones. The best one is at http://pw2.netcom.com/~blutman/Golden.html. He wasn't bothered at all by moving cars, but when he saw me raise up into visibility, he took off, with a little trouble - like a loaded 747. As the online British birders report, I had a crippling view. 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 Feb 10 22:44:08 1998 Subject: Bluebird A neighbor on Bicknell (Los Gatos) was VERY excited. she and her husband saw 3 WESTERN BLUEBIRD's checking out their owl birdhouse. They got so excited they went to the store and bought a bluebird birdhouse and put it up. However, it's been a week and they have not seen the bluebirds again. They both work, so they could have just missed seeing them. I've never seen a bluebird in my neighborhood before so thought this might be of interest to you all. gloria leblanc ========================================================================== 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 Feb 11 13:08:53 1998 Subject: White-winged Scoters All: In yesterday's message, I forgot to mention that I had five CATTLE EGRETS at the end of Nortech Pkwy. yesterday (10 Feb.). Today (11 Feb.), I visited the Sunnyvale WPCP over lunch, finding a basic-plumaged RED PHALAROPE in the channel between the two ponds (near the pump) and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (ad. female?) near the SW corner of pond A4. A CLAPPER RAIL far up Guadalupe Slough very close to the WPCP itself was unusual in what is probably mostly fresh water given the outflow from the plant and the recent rains. At least 75% of the 1500 scaup on pond A4 were GREATERS; I think this species has also shown an influx in the last week. Later, Scott Terrill relocated my White- winged Scoter and found another female/imm. type in the larger of the two SWPCP ponds. This evening, Scott and I scoped pond A-12 (just north of the Alviso marina), finding 11 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS (all females and imm. males) and a basic-plumaged RED-NECKED GREBE, which Scott spotted right along the south shore of the pond, next to the marina. One of the White-winged Scoters flew to the marsh pond on the east side of the railroad tracks and was still there when we left. Also present were about 200 SURF SCOTERS. This influx of WWSC into the county is, I would guess, unprecedented, and it is clear that Surf Scoters, Red Phalaropes, and Red-necked Grebes (and probably Greater Scaup) have moved inland from the ocean as a result of these storms. Birders should be on the lookout for more individuals of these species on reservoirs and ponds in the county after storms in the coming weeks. I think that more intensive coverage of these areas, especially immediately following storms, would produce even more unusual species (possibly kittiwakes, rocky intertidal shorebirds, Brant, Brandt's or Pelagic Cormorants, dare I hope for an alcid or a tubenose?). 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]] Wed Feb 11 14:27:53 1998 Subject: WWSC,COLO,REPHAL All, On the way back to work today I scoped quickly from the Palo Alto yacht harbor mouth and the Forebay end of Shoreline Lake, looking for unusual ducks. Results were very similar to Steve's trip yesterday. Off the yacht harbor there were hundreds of SURF SCOTERS, some very close to shore, and the first-year male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was near the first wooden structure offshore. I first found the bird well right (south) of here, quite close to Santa Clara County waters - but not quite there. It then swam to the platform. Also here were a pair of vocal PEREGRINE FALCONS, the female (larger) chasing the male. At the duck pond I got some decent photos of the large "Mew" Gull. This bird appears to me to have at least some Ring-billed Gull genes in it and, as Al noted, is easily passed off as a RBGU on a quick look. It was one of the most aggresive birds there today, pecking at many RBGU and chasing them off the posts. The vocalizations sounded like RBGU, but somewhat scratchier and raspy. Unlike what Al J. noted previously, the red orbital ring seemed similar in color to other nearby Ring-billed Gulls. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still present as well. The immature COMMON LOON was swimming back and forth under the wooden pier at the west end of Shoreline Lake, but the only other species of note at this spot were 3 female-plumaged RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and 2 GREEN HERONS in the nearby Forebay. Back at Ames I did a quick 5K run and practically ran over a basic-plumaged RED PHALAROPE that was swimming at the northwest corner of Moffett Field where the road is flooded. Returning later with a camera, there were two RED PHALAROPES swimming there. These birds should be easily visible from the Stevens Creek dike just north of Crittenden Lane. Mike Rogers 2/11/98 P.S. Recent Oldsquaws at Shoreline Lake: 2/12/95 2/25/96 to 2/27/96 2/13/97 to 2/16/97 It's that time 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]] Wed Feb 11 15:12:54 1998 Subject: Sunnyvale All, I just got a call from Steve Rottenborn who birded Sunnyvale at noon today. He had yet another RED PHALAROPE near the pump station in the channel between the two ponds and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in the southwest corner of Salt Pond A4 (east of Sunnyvale) with a few SURF SCOTERS. To get to the scoter take the trail on the near side of the channel behind the sewage treatment plant. The bird was in the first part of A4 you get to. 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 Feb 11 16:31:15 1998 Subject: add to list Not sure if this is correct way to be added, but I would appreciate being added to the south-bay-birds list. My address is [[email protected]] Please let me know if I should send message to another address to be added. Thanks, John Luther Oakland ========================================================================== 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 Feb 11 20:51:08 1998 Subject: Scoter at CCRS + Mike's Gull. Birders: Today at CCRS I saw a White-winged Scoter at the waterbird pond, it looked like an immature male. As far as I know this is a first record for CCRS, and our second Scoter species since Surf has been seen. There were also lots of scaup around, of both species, which is not usual. At 02:27 PM 2/11/98 -0800, Dr. Michael M. Rogers wrote: > >At the duck pond I got some decent photos of the large "Mew" Gull. >This bird appears to me to have at least some Ring-billed Gull genes >in it and, as Al noted, is easily passed off as a RBGU on a quick >look. It was one of the most aggresive birds there today, pecking at >many RBGU and chasing them off the posts. The vocalizations sounded >like RBGU, but somewhat scratchier and raspy. Unlike what Al J. noted >previously, the red orbital ring seemed similar in color to other >nearby Ring-billed Gulls. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still >present as well. I am also coming around to the thought that this odd bird may be a hybrid between a Ring-billed Gull and a Mew Gull. I heard the bird over a week ago and it sounded very much like a Ring-billed Gull, and not a Mew Gull. If this is the case, then this hybrid combination is going to make confirmation of a true 'Kamchatcka' Mew Gull very difficult. One small thing I noticed was that the ring on the bill had become a little paler than when I first saw it earlier in the winter. If this bird is a real Kamchatka gull it should lose the ring on the bill by the time it is in full alternate plumage. I assume that if it keeps it well into the breeding plumage then it is more likely a Ring-billed x Mew Gull hybrid. I have tried to get recordings once, but the time I had my equipment it was not active. Vocalisations will become more common as the spring nears. I hope to be able to make sonograms of the calls to see what that tells us about this bird. I encourage people to go and have a look, and try to photograph the thing with spread wings. Regards, Al. Alvaro Jaramillo Half Moon Bay, California [[email protected]] Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at: http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro ========================================================================== 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 Feb 11 21:52:16 1998 Subject: AGE/SEX SCOTERS Birders: Ok, its easy to tell when you have an adult male White-winged Scoter, but what do you look for in the other age/sex classes? The bird I saw today was dark brown, like a female, but it only showed one prominent white patch on the face, at the bill base. I took this to be a sign of immaturity, but assumed it was a young male. What do young females look like? Is this a better guess for the CCRS bird? If Surf Scoters are a guide a young male White-wing should probably show some black by now so the CCRS bird is likely not a young male, but I am not sure. Do adult females change in plumage between non-breeding and breeding? Its interesting to discover, once again, that it takes a rarity for me to wake up and realize I don't really know what a species really looks like. Given that I am not a big fan of ducks, I have little to read on them as well. I would also not trust all that is in European publications as they mainly deal with a very different subspecies (species?) of the White-winged Scoter. Al. Alvaro Jaramillo Half Moon Bay, California [[email protected]] Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at: http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro ========================================================================== 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 Feb 12 07:40:17 1998 Subject: Re: Ocean birds in the bay, WWSC [[email protected]] wrote: > > Dear South Bay Birders, > > While on a cruise in Monterey Bay yesterday, Lucy and I noted a plume of muddy > water extending offshore and several miles along the shoreline from the mouths > of the Salinas and Pajaro Rivers near Moss Landing. The underwater visibility > within this area is greatly reduced. Few birds were observed on the water > within this plume. Several of the species being noted in the reservoirs and > bay are species which forage inshore (Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, Red- > necked Grebe, Surf Scoter, and White-winged Scoter). I wonder if these muddy > plumes may be part of the reason they are showing up in reservoirs etc? Reduced visibility in inshore ocean waters may be part of the reason why some species may be showing up inland, but I would guess that some of these species (e.g., the scoters) don't find food visually. Also, the Red Phalaropes would still be able to find food on top of the waters as long as food is present. More important, I think, is whether the storms have caused reductions in food availability or affected these species' ability to forage and/or survive. For example, scoters that usually forage in relatively shallow water must have gotten pounded in the surf zone last week. By the way, this morning I saw a female/imm. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in San Tomas Aquinas Creek immediately upstream from Hwy. 237 near Great America Parkway; the bird was sitting on a small island in the channel, and was probably not well. This afternoon, Scott Terrill and I had 6 female/imm. WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in pond A12. More than fifty Aechmophorus grebes were here (more than yesterday), but we didn't see the Red-necked Grebe. 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]] Thu Feb 12 11:26:55 1998 Subject: Ocean birds in the bay & reservoirs Dear South Bay Birders, While on a cruise in Monterey Bay yesterday, Lucy and I noted a plume of muddy water extending offshore and several miles along the shoreline from the mouths of the Salinas and Pajaro Rivers near Moss Landing. The underwater visibility within this area is greatly reduced. Few birds were observed on the water within this plume. Several of the species being noted in the reservoirs and bay are species which forage inshore (Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, Red- necked Grebe, Surf Scoter, and White-winged Scoter). I wonder if these muddy plumes may be part of the reason they are showing up in reservoirs etc? I will save any reports of seabirds in the bay & reservoirs. If anyone observes such plumes elsewhere I would be interested in hearing about them. There are still spots on cruises between Feb 23-27 if anyone is interested in helping out with these surveys. 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Feb 12 11:42:14 1998 Subject: Re: Ocean birds in the bay & reservoirs [[email protected]] wrote: > > Dear South Bay Birders, > > I will save any reports of seabirds in the bay & reservoirs. If anyone > observes such plumes elsewhere I would be interested in hearing about them. > While this is outside the SBB area, there was a huge "plume" of silt-laden water emanating from San Francisco Bay through the Golden Gate when I was at the Cliff House on Tuesday of this week. I would guess it's still occurring given that the bay is a major drainage for CA rivers. 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]] Thu Feb 12 13:32:21 1998 Subject: Re: Ocean birds in the bay & reservoirs lois and i had four black scoters on saturday among the huge flock of surf (c. 600), as well as a sprinkling of white-winged. wally goldfrank ========================================================================== 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 Feb 12 13:54:42 1998 Subject: Re: Ocean birds in the bay & reservoirs forgot to mention: this huge scoter flock was around the santa cruz municipal pier, mostly on the east (more sheltered) side. w ========================================================================== 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 Feb 12 19:28:02 1998 Subject: Salt water birds reach Almaden Valley Howdy South-bay-birders, Today (2-12-98) Jolene Lange and I visited Almaden Lake Park and the Coleman Road ponds in the late afternoon. To add to the spate of inland scoter sightings, we saw 21 SURF SCOTERS on Almaden Lake near the creek inflow, and 3 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the pond behind the County Water District building just north of Coleman. We also saw a COMMON LOON near the 3 White-winged Scoters--he was doing a lot of splashing and wing flapping. This is the first time I've ever seen scoters in the Almaden Valley. Storm related? I THINK SO! No trace of the Western Gulls reported earlier in the week, but then few gulls were around while we were there. John Mariani [[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 Feb 13 10:43:40 1998 Subject: SFBBO orientation & open house Dear South Bay Birders and East Bay Birders, The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is seeking volunteer observers for the upcoming field season (March-August 1998). Please come and join us for an orientation & open house on February 17th or 18th from 7-9 pm at the SFBBO office in Alviso. You will have a chance to meet our biologists, who will introduce you to our various volunteer programs and to the avifauna of southern San Francisco Bay. Our programs include observation and monitoring of heron, egret and tern colonies in San Francisco Bay, as well as studies of their nesting behavior and reproductive biology. If this interests you please contact us at [[email protected]] or call our office (408) 946 6548 to RSVP and receive directions. Please pass this along to friends, students and anyone else who might be interested. Cheers, 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Feb 13 10:43:40 1998 Subject: SFBBO orientation & open house Dear South Bay Birders and East Bay Birders, The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is seeking volunteer observers for the upcoming field season (March-August 1998). Please come and join us for an orientation & open house on February 17th or 18th from 7-9 pm at the SFBBO office in Alviso. You will have a chance to meet our biologists, who will introduce you to our various volunteer programs and to the avifauna of southern San Francisco Bay. Our programs include observation and monitoring of heron, egret and tern colonies in San Francisco Bay, as well as studies of their nesting behavior and reproductive biology. If this interests you please contact us at [[email protected]] or call our office (408) 946 6548 to RSVP and receive directions. Please pass this along to friends, students and anyone else who might be interested. Cheers, 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]] From [[email protected]] Fri Feb 13 14:25:11 1998 Subject: County birds All, Today after leaving Mike Mammoser and the White-winged Scoters at Salt Pond A-12, Frank Vanslager and I tried (and failed) to find Red Phalaropes and Cattle Egrets in Arzino Ranch and the flooded fields of Alviso. We did find four Burrowing Owls, a male Ring-necked Pheasant, several Whimbrel and the ad Golden Eagle on one of the power towers near the entrance to the Environmental Education Center. Finaly we went to Sunnyvale Baylands Park where we had an ad male and a possible female Blue-winged Teal. Take care, Bob Reiling, 2:07 PM, 2/13/98 ========================================================================== 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 Feb 14 21:37:47 1998 Subject: A12 birds, Saturday Around 2:00PM, in the salt pond A12 in Alviso, there were atleast 3 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. 2 had a lot more white on the face, so may have been imm. males, the third was a female/imm. There were more Scoters further out on the pond, so there may have been more White-wingeds. Also swimming on the pond was an adult winter BONAPARTE'S GULL. 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]] Sat Feb 14 22:51:48 1998 Subject: Scoters I've been offline for a couple of weeks but last weekend I saw 22 Surf Scoters at the Campbell Ponds (only 2 stayed for any period). Today there were 9 Surf Scoters there plus a couple of Hooded Mergansers. Today there were 210 Surf and 7-8 White-winged Scoters still at Alviso (Mike Mammoser walked out on the dykes and may have a more accurate count). Also 7 Cattle Egrets on the Arzino Ranch. The Sewage Ponds by CCRS had a Horned Grebe and 20 each of both Scaups. Last week, I saw 2 Glaucous Gulls at the Fremont Lagoons. I have seen 4 different birds here the past month. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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 Feb 15 11:23:37 1998 Subject: CCRS notes. Birders, On Friday there was one Clark's Grebe at the CCRS waterbird pond. As well there were 4 Canvasbacks there and 4 more on the ponds closer to the bay. The WW Scoter was gone. Al. Alvaro Jaramillo Half Moon Bay, California [[email protected]] Helm guide to the New World Blackbirds, Birding in Chile and more, at: http://www.sirius.com/~alvaro ========================================================================== 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 Feb 15 15:45:27 1998 Subject: Sunday birds I saw 4 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS among many Surf Scoters scoping Salt Pond A-12 from the Alviso Marina this morning. Also saw a pair of BURROWING OWLS near the Sunnyvale WPCP parking lot, and a SORA in the stream between the plant and Salt Pond A4. Didn't that blue sky look good? -- 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]] Sun Feb 15 19:04:03 1998 Subject: Sunday birds The American Bittern continued to perform well at the Mountain View Forebay. There were 2 Barrow's Goldeneyes, 100 Surf Scoters, and one White-winged Scoter on Shoreline Lake. A brief check of the Palo Alto duck pond and yacht station failed to turn up anything, I also quickly checked the base of the Dumbarton Bridge. Most of the birds were rather distant although I did see one White-winged Scoter in flight. However I saw probably over 150 scoters in flight that were all Surf, suggesting that there aren't huge numbers of White-wingeds out there. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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]] Mon Feb 16 07:53:22 1998 Subject: Inland Scoters Hello Everyone, I checked out some of the local ponds and reservoirs in my area and here's my scoter count for Saturday, Feb 14: Santa Clara Water District Pond (Almaden Expwy & Coleman): three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS (probably the same ones seen by John Mariani earlier in the week) Calero Reservoir: 12 SURF SCOTERS Campbell Perc Pond (main pond): 40 SURF SCOTERS Vasona Reservoir: 7 SURF SCOTERS Almaden Lake: No scoters seen, but checked out the gull flocks anyway. There were fewer gulls this time and not so many Herring Gulls with more California and Ring-billed in the mix. Of note were three THAYER'S GULLS and one WESTERN GULL. Also of interest on Feb 14 were the following birds: a SPOTTED SANDPIPER at the Water District pond; three WILD TURKEYS along Alamitos Rd leading into the Twin Creeks community; only one WOOD DUCK (a female) seen upstream at Almaden Reservoir; an OSPREY seen overhead late in the afternoon headed toward Almaden Reservoir as I was leaving the area; and COMMON MERGANSERS seen at Almaden Lake, Calero Reservoir, Almaden Reservoir, and the Water District pond. Bye for now - Ann Verdi ========================================================================== 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 Feb 16 08:44:54 1998 Subject: Alviso ponds All: Today (16 Feb.), I walked all the way around the Alviso salt ponds, thinking that with all the good birds on A-12, there must have been more on the other ponds. Wrong. The one-minute walk from the marina parking lot to A-12 produced a basic-plumaged RED- THROATED LOON and 13 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. The four-hour walk in rain and very strong winds around the rest of the ponds turned up only an adult PEREGRINE FALCON and an AMERICAN BITTERN along Alviso Slough. Only about 350 GREATER and 100 LESSER SCAUP, 260 SURF SCOTERS (most on A-12), 6 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 100 BUFFLEHEADS, and 45 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were on the ponds. No pelicans, only 5 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and 1 BONAPARTE'S GULL (the BOGU have really cleared out in the past month). 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 Feb 16 10:49:42 1998 Subject: Hoodies Hi Everyone-- On Saturday (2/14), there were 6 female-plumaged HOODED MERGANSERS in Barron Creek behind the Foothill Park research complex near Arastradero and Foothill Expressway. Some of these birds have substantial yellow in the bill and some have rather gray faces contrasting with their red-brown crests. I thought perhaps this was a family group. 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]] Mon Feb 16 13:02:41 1998 Subject: Another Glaucous Gull I had another Glaucous Gull, this time a second-winter, at the Fremont Lagoons this morning. There was also incredible array of Glaucous x Herring hybrids, with at least 3 definite ones and another 4-5 probables. Since a number of people have asked how to get to this location, here are directions: Exit on Gateway from 880 (This is about 2 miles N of the 880/237 intersection). Head W to Fremont. Then S on Fremont to it dead ends. Walk R on the dike to the intertidal area at the base of the landfill. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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]] Mon Feb 16 13:58:07 1998 Subject: birds On Friday, 13 Feb 98, I went to the Sunnyvale sewage ponds to look for = some of the recent rarities. A BURROWING OWL was on the side of = the old landfill, and a GREEN HERON was in Moffet Channel. Also, a = WESTERN GREBE was looking a little out of place in Moffet = Channel, all the way up by the sewage plant outflow pipe. Salt pond A4 = had quite a few birds, including large numbers of SURF SCOTERS and = GREATER SCAUP (as Steve had noted). I finally found one of the = WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in the far southeast corner of the pond. = Unfortunately, it flew just before Bob Reiling and Frank Vanslager = arrived. = So we all headed for Alviso, and salt pond A12. Here we found 9 = WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. Two of these birds looked to be = immature males, with dark heads, pale eyes, and no white markings on = the head. One other bird looked to be an adult female, being quite = darker brown than the others with clean, well-defined white spots both = behind and in front of the eye. The rest seemed to be immatures, = probably females? On Saturday, 14 Feb 98, I started out at the Los Gatos perc ponds, = where I quickly found the COMMON LOON on the north-most pond. I = was unable to find any Hooded Mergansers on the Oka ponds, though. I then returned to Alviso to look for more scoters on other ponds. I = walked out the levee, in spite of the mud, and was able to find 14 = WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on salt pond A12. Surprisingly, A13 = only had a few SURF SCOTERS, and A15 had none at all. I wonder = what attracts them to the inner pond? I did see both species of scoter on = this pond bringing up some type of mollusk to eat, which they = swallowed whole in spite of its large size. The skies then opened up, = forcing me back to the car. On Sunday, 15 Feb 98, I walked the levees at the Sunnyvale sewage = ponds out to salt pond A3W. There was nothing unusual here, except = maybe for the large number of GREATER SCAUP that were on the = smaller sewage pond. Also, a pair of BURROWING OWLS was on the = hillside next to the parking lot. Monday, 16 Feb 98, I did some car birding in the rain down in the south = county. Almaden Lake Park had a single RED-BREASTED = MERGANSER and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Calero Reservoir had = the adult BALD EAGLE. Chesbro Reservoir had a male OSPREY = eating a fish. This could be the same bird that had been spending time at = Ogier ponds. I drove over there to see if I could find an Osprey, but the = entrance road is washed out again. 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 Feb 17 11:31:04 1998 Subject: White-Winged Scoters All: Monday, around noon, Maria and I saw two White-Winged Scoters in Shoreline Lake. They seemed to stay together, and flew over the lake once or twice. Almost no white on the head. There were also many Surf Scoters there, one or two Red-Breasted Mergansers, and some Goldeneyes (but we saw no Barrows). Yours, 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]] Tue Feb 17 12:25:36 1998 Subject: Les Chibana is New Bureaucrat Les Chibana has graciously agreed to take over south-bay-birds list administration duties from me. As always, list-related mail should go to [[email protected]] so that it gets to the correct person, regardless of who is acting as list-owner. I should be around for another couple of months, and look forward to seeing a few more exciting birds before I leave. Happy birding to all, Jeff Finger Bureaucrat Emeritus ========================================================================== 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 Feb 17 12:31:14 1998 Subject: 7 White-winged Scoter still in Alviso All: Since I am working a later shift this week, I thought I would check on the Scoters in Alviso on the way to work this morning. Sure enough there were still 7 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS among the many SURF SCOTERS on Pond A-12, the first pond to the north of the Marina. None of the WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were adult males. Particularly absent on Pond A-12 were NORTHERN SHOVELERS. There were about a dozen shovelers on the pond east of the railroad tracks which used to be the field where the LESSER-BLACK-BACKED GULL had been in the past. There was one RED-BREASTED MERGANSER on Pond A-12 and 9 more on the first pond to the north. Last Thursday , February 12th, I checked out the Sunnyvale Sewage Ponds in the rain and found there only one female SURF SCOTER and no phalaropes. Here too NORTHERN SHOVELERS were absent except for one pair. If you want to check out the Alviso Ponds, be prepared for rain and mud. Mike Feighner, Livermore, 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 Feb 18 12:29:28 1998 Subject: Dumbarton Bridge birds All: This morning (18 Feb.) I spent an hour or so looking over the bay at the SW end of the Dumbarton Bridge and on the adjacent salt ponds. More than 2100 SURF SCOTERS were on the bay, and I was able to pick 5 female/imm. OLDSQUAWS, 1 ad. male BLACK SCOTER, and 2 female/imm. WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS out of them. The light on many of the birds was not great, so I'm sure I missed more WWSC and BLSC (and who knows what else) among the SUSC. Another female WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was on the small triangular marsh pond on the NW side of the bridge. While scoping the birds on the bay on the NW side of the bridge, I was amazed to see an alternate-plumaged COMMON MURRE flying east over the bay. I followed the bird until it crossed under the bridge, but after running to the other side, I was unable to relocate it to see where it headed. Large numbers of ducks were also on the salt ponds near the bridge. I did not have time to do these birds justice, and I'm sure that I missed something good (no Tufted Duck!) here. A single female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was the best bird among more than 1950 (!) BUFFLEHEADS, 1600 SCAUP (mostly Lesser), 225 COMMON GOLDENEYES, and 145 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. There were also 3 HORNED LARKS here. I later checked the bay off the Palo Alto Baylands, finding only 100 or so SURF SCOTERS. A blue-bodied, white-headed BUDGERIGAR was perched with Brewer's Blackbirds on the wires near the duck pond. Scott Terrill and I briefly looked over pond A-12 in Alviso, but without scopes, three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were the best we could do. The ad. male MERLIN was near the Alviso marina as well. 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]] Wed Feb 18 12:48:27 1998 Subject: Loons at Stanford All: I got a message from Stu Weiss of Paul Ehrlich's lab at Stanford reporting 3+ loons (Common or Pacific) on Lagunita this morning (18 Feb.) among large numbers of ducks. If any Stanford-area birders have time to check this out, please let us know what you find. Thanks, 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]] Wed Feb 18 13:52:46 1998 Subject: Gulls At the Fremont Lagoons today were 2 first-winter Glaucous Gulls. Also a leucistic adult California Gull was seen, that had a significant superficial resemblance to an Iceland Gull when sitting on the water. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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 Feb 18 15:06:51 1998 Subject: Skimmers A lunchtime stop at the Palo Alto Baylands didn't turn up anything unusual out in the Bay, but there were 12 Black Skimmers resting just inside the estuary mouth. Also, the Greater White-Fronted Goose continues at the duck pond. 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]] Wed Feb 18 16:44:02 1998 Subject: RSHA at Stevens Creek Park I saw a territorial pair of Red-shouldered Hawks evict a pair of Red-tails at Stevens Creek Park (below the dam) this morning. Looks like they'll be nesting again this year. cjcoston ========================================================================== 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 Feb 18 16:45:01 1998 Subject: Opportunities South Bay Birders, A couple of requests for bird-related assistance has come my way and I thought that there may be some of you who may be interested. 1) Beginning Birdwatching/Birding Instructor at Palo Alto Adult Education. The Adult School would like to get a beginning class started again as they have been without one for a couple of years. This is a great opportunity for those of you who feel that you have a lot to share in the birding arena. There is a lot of satisfaction derived from getting newbies started in our wonderful addiction. E-mail me if you are interested or have questions, or get in touch with Jeannine Hart at the Adult School, 650-329-3752 or [[email protected]]. 2) Photographers: A docent, Marty Oetzel, at Filoli Gardens in San Mateo County has asked for a photographer who is interested in helping them to get some shots of Western Bluebirds at nest boxes that Howard Rathlesberger built and installed. There are currently pairs of birds at at least two of the 31 boxes installed. Contact Howard at 650-367-1296 or [[email protected]] if interested. 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]] Wed Feb 18 23:55:21 1998 Subject: Re: Some birds [[email protected]] wrote: > > All, > The hybrid hummer was doing an Anna's type of territorial > display flight but the "pop" at the bottom of the loop was of a much higher > tone (saying something about the wingtips?). I don't know whether it has been proven that the "pop" of ANHU is a vocal sound (and therefore not produced by the wings), but I think it is vocal. The "zing" of COHU is made vocally. In addition to the difference you mentioned above, the Alviso bird's display call is given over a much longer portion of the display flight than that of ANHU (though shorter than pure COHU). > I also noted that the tail > feathers did not show any white at the tips which seems strange since both > Anna's and Costa's do have white tail tips! Adult male ANHU and COHU show no white tail tips, and the Alviso bird is an adult male. I'm glad the bird's still around! If it mates with a female Anna's and produces F2 hybrids, then we're all in trouble! Steve Rottenborn > > Take care, > Bob Reiling, 7:02 AM, 2/19/98 > ========================================================================== > 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]] Thu Feb 19 07:21:28 1998 Subject: Some birds All, Before Frank Vanslager and I saw Nick Lethaby at the Freemont Tidal Lagoons (one essentially all white and one off-white Glaucous Gull plus the adrenalin producing leucistic California Gull) we had the Alviso ad male Merlin in a power tower on the southern edge of Grand Ave, five Cattle Egrets in Arzino Ranch and the hybrid ad male Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird at the Environmental Education Center. The hybrid hummer was doing an Anna's type of territorial display flight but the "pop" at the bottom of the loop was of a much higher tone (saying something about the wingtips?). I also noted that the tail feathers did not show any white at the tips which seems strange since both Anna's and Costa's do have white tail tips! Take care, Bob Reiling, 7:02 AM, 2/19/98 ========================================================================== 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 Feb 19 18:27:53 1998 Subject: Loons at Stanford - not I checked Lake Lag during a break in the rain this afternoon. No loons. Added to the previous mix of CALIFORNIA GULLS, MALLARDS, RUDDY DUCKS, oodles of BUFFLEHEAD, maybe a dozen SURF SCOTERS, a few LESSER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE, plus HORNED, EARED & PIED-BILLED GREBES, were a dozen RING-NECKED DUCKS and a couple of MEW GULLS. -- 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]] Fri Feb 20 11:28:34 1998 Subject: EAPH, etc. Hi Everyone-- I drove down to Moss Landing harbor this morning. In the gull roost on Jetty Rd., there's a LAUGHING GULL and a very pale, small-billed gull that sure looks like an Iceland, but I'd be curious to hear what others think of it. On the way back I stopped at Shady Oaks Park and saw the EASTERN PHOEBE in its usual spot near the blue jungle gym (a 3 phoebe day). 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 Feb 20 12:42:29 1998 Subject: Re: EAPH, etc. On Fri, 20 Feb 1998 11:28:34 -0800, "Miller, Mark" <[[email protected]]> wrote: >a very pale, small-billed gull that sure >looks like an Iceland, but I'd be curious to hear what others think of it. You might want to check out Don Roberson's description and discussion of that bird at http://www.nbhc.com/birdwg01/j8021706.htm and the subsequent discussion at http://www.nbhc.com/birdwg01/. -- Joseph Morlan Spring Birding Classes begin Feb 17 in SF: 380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ Pacifica, CA 94044 [[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 Feb 20 16:21:39 1998 Subject: Iceland Gull Hi Everyone-- Here are some notes that I made this morning regarding the ICELAND GULL at Moss Landing Harbor on 2/20. I arrived around 7:30, and left around 9:00 (tide was falling); there were only a few scattered clouds. I got close views from Jetty Road with a Swarovski scope at 60x. The gulls were roosting on a small sand spit about half way between the entrance kiosk and the end of the road. Except when helicopters buzzed the spit, the gulls didn't go anywhere. The Iceland, in particular, spent most of its time sleeping at the edge of the flock. I have to say that if the bird is not an Iceland, it's the most ungodly pale Thayer's I've ever seen. Seen with Thayer's, and similar in overall size and shape. Not one black feather on it anywhere; in some views, the edges of the outermost two primaries looked white, with the feather centers looking pale tan with some wavy white lines visible (Thayer's outer primary pattern is uniform, and much darker). The primary extension looked fairly long, extending beyond the tail. Bill was entirely black, with bright pinkish-purple mouth lining (same shade as feet--legs were a bit lighter). The pattern of marbling on the wing coverts was similar to Thayer's, but paler everywhere (wider pale edgings, paler centers). The chest was white; the head was largely white, with the merest hint of grayish in the face, paler than any known Thayer's present. Rump with pale tan marbling, same shade as the back. Tail pale tan, without any obvious terminal band. Substantial feather wear was noticeable, but the bird didn't have the bleached look of a late molter. Bill was similar in structure to Thayer's, but looked shorter because the feather line seemed to extend farther out from the face; general appearance was rather small-headed. I did not attempt to census the flock, but it included many Herring of various ages, maybe 20 Thayer's of various ages, California, Western, Western x Glaucous-winged, Ring-billed, 2 Heermann's, and a Laughing. The Westerns were largely in the water, whereas the others were sleeping on the sand spit. Mark Miller PS: I don't subscribe to CALBIRD; please forward as appropriate. ========================================================================== 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 Feb 20 16:22:58 1998 Subject: Lagunita, Dumbarton Br. All: Maria and I checked Lake Lagunita at Stanford Thursday about 3:30. A variety of birds, as reported by Tom Grey, but no Loons. We checked the bay from around the west end of the Dumbarton Bridge this morning: no Oldsquaw. Bad light made it hard to see if there were any Black Scoters, but we didn't see any White-Winged Scoters. (Note that with flooding from the last big rain, access here is difficult: one has to get there from the east (Fremont), as access to the frontage road from the west is closed off.) 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]] Sun Feb 22 00:27:59 1998 Subject: Saturday, Palo Alto birds On Barron's Creek, behind the Foothill Research Park complex (Asatradero and Foohill Expwy.), there were 2 female, and one imm. male HOODED MERGANSERs. A BELTED KINGFISHER was also active in the area. On the bicycle path, east of the creek, there was a HERMIT THRUSH. This was around 3:00PM. At Lagunita Lake, there was a male and a female BARROW's GOLDENEYE. Lots of RING-NECKED DUCKs. On the narrow part of the lake, at the Campus Drive West end, there were four pairs of WOOD DUCKs. As I watched 2 more males flew in and joined the others. No sign of loons. After that I checked out the Mtn. View Forebay. The AMERICAN BITTERN was putting on a good show. A SORA was also moving about in the open. A BELTED KINGFISHER, and 2 GREEN HERONs were in the channel that feeds the Forebay at the end of Terminal Blvd. 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]] Sun Feb 22 16:20:03 1998 Subject: scoters, etc. All: Last Thursday (19 Feb.), Scott Terrill and I counted 17 female and imm. male WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in salt pond A-12. During the height of the storm, Scott had an AMERICAN BITTERN fly by the office heading from the vicinity of New Chicago Marsh toward Alviso Slough. Later, I found two pure male EURASIAN WIGEON (one of which was apparently mated to a female EURASIAN WIGEON) and the male hybrid AMERICAN x EURASIAN WIGEON in the flooded fields at Arzino Ranch near the EEC entrance road. Yesterday (21 Feb.), Scott had an ad. male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, a PACIFIC LOON, and a COMMON LOON at the Los Gatos Creek County Park ponds. Today (22 Feb.), Heather, Rebecca, and I visited those ponds and saw the ad. male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, two COMMON LOONS, 30 THAYER'S GULLS, 2 SURF SCOTERS, and 3 HOODED MERGANSERS (1 male). 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 Feb 22 21:18:54 1998 Subject: Dumbarton Bridge + Lake Cunningham Hi: The Lesser Black-backed Gull is still at Lake Cunningham. It's now showing more dark gray in the upperparts. There is a hint of pink coming in to the bill base, although it still looks dark at any range. I also spent some time at Dumbarton Pier (E. side of Dumbarton Bridge). There were not as many scoters as Steve Rottenborn had, but I still saw 2 Oldaquaws and 2 White-winged Scoters. There is also a tame banded Common Murre (lame in the right leg) here that waits around off the end of the Pier to get fed (this eventually paid off for it because some fisherman started throwing anchovies at it!). This is presumably the same bird as Steve found as it's in summer plumage. Nick Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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]] Mon Feb 23 07:41:51 1998 Subject: Western Tanager On Sunday morning (Feb. 22), Ron Thorn and I saw a male Western Tanager (still) along San Francisquito Creek. The bird was seen on the San Mateo Co. side, opposite the end of Webster St. One (possibly the same, but more likely not) was also heard calling a bit downstream. The Euc's where the Tanagers were originally found (at Middlefield) have only a few flowers now. Note that the flooding has eliminated some of the trees which had been anchored in the banks of the creek, but there is still much good habitat. Other birds included a California Thrasher on the Palo Alto side, near Tasso St. 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]] Mon Feb 23 08:07:27 1998 Subject: weekend birds In the clear patch on Sunday morning, I swung by Lake Lag and found Vivek Tiwari's WOOD DUCKS over at the far end of the narrow part, by the gold driving range. On to Shoreline, where 11 BLACK SKIMMERS flew from Charleston Slough over to Shoreline Lake, first time I've seen them go there. -- 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]] Mon Feb 23 19:37:26 1998 Subject: Almaden Lake birds Howdy South-bay-birders, Stopped at Almaden Lake Park this afternoon to see if any storm-petrels or albatrosses were blown there by the storm. No luck. But I did find some more evidence of "saltwater intrusion"--at least 3 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS with the usual bunch of COMMON MERGANSERS. Another Almaden Valley first? There was also a male GREATER SCAUP on the lake. Can't wait to see what the next storm sends this way-- John Mariani [[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 Feb 23 21:55:39 1998 Subject: Surf Scoter in Milpitas A male Surf Scoter has now showed up at Hidden Lake in Milpitas. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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 Feb 25 10:08:13 1998 All, Yesterday 2/24/98 Nick Lethaby and I spent several hours at the Newby Island Landfill looking through the vast gull flock that has built up over there. The task is clearly daunting and we probably missed more goodies than we saw, but there is no lack of stuff to look at. Our estimates of the common species included 20,000 HERRING GULLS, 8,000 CALIFORNIA GULLS, 800 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, 350 THAYER'S GULLS, 200 WESTERN GULLS, and 10 RING-BILLED GULLS. Highlights included an adult GLAUCOUS GULL, three (perhaps four) first-winter GLAUCOUS GULLS, and numerous odd-ball gulls that may have included various hybrids. We did find some very pale THAYER'S GULLS/KUMLIEN'S ICELAND GULLS. Many of the first and second-winter gulls were very bleached (not necessarily worn though) resulting in very pale individuals. Thus it is hard to be sure whether one is looking at a pale gull or a bleached gull. We saw several birds that we called VERY pale THAYER'S GULLS with upperparts and wings that approached the coloration of a Glaucous Gull. These birds did, however, had solid pale tan centers to the tertials, lacking any marbling in their interiors. Then Nick picked out a bird with nearly completely white tertials and primaries. There were just a few scallop-like markings in the tertials, but if the solid center had ever been there it was bleached away except for perhaps the tip of this mark. As Steve noted on his Kumlien's Iceland Gulls, this bird appeared a dingy pale tan and gray on the body and mostly chalk white on the back, coverts, and wing tips. The bill was mostly black (perhaps paling slightly at the base) and was not large by Thayer's Gull standards, but was not very short like those of many Iceland Gulls. The head was also not as smoothly rounded as on many Iceland Gulls. The bird was very pale in flight and the tail lacked a dark bar, being similar to Steve's description as well. I got many photos of this bird, including some flight shots, so hopefully a study of them will be instructive. Other interesting birds included several probable GLAUCOUSxHERRING GULLS. I got some very close photos of a second-winter bird that appeared very similar in size and coloration to a Glaucous Gull, but with some brown mixed in the primaries. Similarly we had at least 3 birds that appeared similar to first-winter Glaucous Gulls (nice marbled paterns, white primaries etc) but lacked the pink base to the bill. Perhaps these may have been GLAUCOUSxGLAUCOUS-WINGED hybrids, or perhaps they were atypical GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS (although the marbled pattern on these birds is unlike typical GWGUs and it might be surprising to see such pale primaries without similar bleaching in the rest of the upperparts). We also had some birds that were either huge THAYER'S GULLS or GLAUCOUS-WINGEDxHERRING GULL (or some other?) hybrids. Nick speculated that a dark-eyed HERRING GULL with THAYER'S-like build and proportions and an intermediate wing-tip pattern may have been a THAYER'SxHERRING GULL hybrid. I got photos of many (most) of these birds, so any gull fans will be welcome to add their opinions (assuming the photos come out OK). Also had one last bird that defied our guesses (no photos unfortunately). This was a large first-year gull that was quite dark, but had a very prominent marbled pattern with clear white on the back. Two generations of tertials were present. The lower tertials were very worn with frayed tips and mostly pale tan in color. The uppermost tertial was fresh, with a broad white tip, a black subterminal band and a mottled DARK gray interior, this gray being much darker than that of an adult smithsonianus Herring Gull. The hefty bill was mostly black. Heading back through Alviso I had the hybrid EURASIANxAMERICAN WIGEON south of Los Esteros Road, along with a pure EURASIAN WIGEON. The hybrid is a neat looking bird, appearing mostly AMERICAN from head on but EURASIAN from the rear. (The front half of the face and body are AMWI-like, whereas the rear half of the face and body are EUWI-like). 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 Feb 25 13:46:52 1998 Subject: swallows All, Today at mid-day there were 35+ swallows foraging over the flooded fields behind NASA-Ames and nearby Crittenden Marsh. Most were VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, but there were also several TREE SWALLOWS, at least one NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and a WHITE-THROATED SWIFT in the mix as well. Mike ========================================================================== 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 Feb 25 16:47:09 1998 Subject: Wednesday Field Trip Thirteen birders spent a dry morning at Palo Alto's Foothill Park today (2/25). We saw or heard birds of 46 species. Red-shouldered Hawks were loudly evident. Ravens were carrying large sticks for a nest in a site w= e didn't find. On the lake were Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, and one each of Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Gadwall, and Hooded Merganser (probably an immature male). Two swallows, one clearly a Violet-green and the other a likely candidate, were flying above the lake. Rosalie Lefkowitz = ========================================================================== 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 Feb 25 19:10:15 1998 Subject: Alum Rock Park, Lake Cunningham, Lake Lag Hi SBBirders, I made a trip to Alum Rock Park yesterday (Tuesday) morning to look for the Northern Pygmy-Owl reported in the Christmas Bird Count. I found the park closed because of recent storm damage. There is a barrier at the end of Alum Rock Avenue, just before you begin dropping down towards the park. Can anyone give me specific directions regarding the location of the Alum Rock Pygmy-Owl during the CBC? Thanks. I then drove to Lake Cunningham (still Tuesday), and continued around to the left of the Raging Waters entrance, finding a thick layer of mud over most of the parking lot. I drove through slowly, because tracks indicated some people had done so recently. I didn't see any Red-necked Grebes, but I saw one or two Violet-green Swallows flying about over the lake and came away with a very muddy truck bottom. Sharon and I went to Stanford Sunday afternoon to try and see the Peter Coutts merlin, but for the sixth time in two months had no luck. Then we drove up to Lake Lag looking for Mew Gulls, where we saw three male and two female Surf Scoters. It was too muddy to try to get close to the gulls for ID, and we couldn't quite make them out with our 45X zoom spotter. 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]] Thu Feb 26 05:44:42 1998 Subject: FW: Newby Island Mary: That's a good question, and I am sure you are not the only one besides = me who would like to know. I am sure that since I am forwarding you = question to South-Bay-Birds everyone's question will be answered. Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, [[email protected]] ---------- From: Mary Simpson Reply To: [[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 1:36 AM To: [[email protected]] Subject: Newby Island I read Mike Roger's post regarding the gulls. Do you know where Newby Island is? If you have directions, I'd appreciate it.=20 Thanks, Mary. --=20 MZ=90 ========================================================================== 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 Feb 26 08:05:52 1998 Subject: Re: FW: Newby Island There is no general public access to Newby Island Landfill. To see the gulls, the best spot is the Fremont Lagoons where I've been posting sightings and directions to the last month or so. You should see Glaucous Gulls here if you look hard for a couple of hours. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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]] Thu Feb 26 09:30:23 1998 All, I have been receiving many queries regarding the location and accessibility of the Newby Island Landfill. This is the big landfill at the west end of Dixon Landing Road, west of Interstate 880 along the Santa Clara/Alameda County line (the dump itself is in Santa Clara County). There is no general public access to this area. Nick Lethaby negotiated a special visit for the San Jose CBC and the manager allowed us a followup visit on Tuesday. That being said, the gulls at the dump can be seen from elsewhere. Steve Rottenborn has scoped the flock from nearby areas to the south accessed via CCRS. Since they are currently dumping garbage on the southeast face of the dump, you can actually see the area where we had most of the Glaucous Gulls. Steve has also had high counts of Thayer's Gulls from here (275 at CCRS, Salt Pond A18, and the dump on 10/23/95, 300+ near the dump on 1/14/97). Since the entire waterbird pond area is submerged, access to this portion of CCRS may be impossible at the moment. In any event, the distances involved with this are likely to be too great to ever be sure of an Iceland Gull, so the other option is to work the surrounding loafing areas - this can be especially fruitful when the dump is closed on Sundays. Birds can be found on the dikes of the San Jose-Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant (viewable from the CCRS dike), the CCRS waterbird pond (when not so flooded), and the Alviso dikes. The Alviso dikes often require long hikes (in the mud now), so if you don't mind finding your birds in Alameda County Nick's alternative of the Fremont Lagoons is a very good one, involving much less walking. His directions are repeated below: Exit on Gateway from 880 (This is about 2 miles N of the 880/237 intersection). Head W to Fremont. Then S on Fremont to it dead ends. Walk R on the dike to the intertidal area at the base of the landfill. Nick tells me that he usually walks 0.5 miles to 1.0 miles and spends an hour or two to find a Glaucous Gull. Bob Richmond added our Alviso Lesser Black-backed Gull to the Alameda County list on 2/13/96 by patiently waiting at this location (and I think Steve Glover saw the bird there again 3 days later). Good gulling! Mike Rogers P.S. I saw the wintering ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER near Shoreline and Montecito Ave in Mountain View again this morning 2/26/98. ========================================================================== 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]] Thu Feb 26 09:39:24 1998 Subject: Re: FW: Newby Island Feighner, Mike wrote: >=20 > Mary: >=20 > That's a good question, and I am sure you are not the only one besides = me > who would like to know. I am sure that since I am forwarding you quest= ion > to South-Bay-Birds everyone's question will be answered. >=20 > Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, [[email protected]] >=20 > ---------- > From: Mary Simpson > Reply To: [[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 1:36 AM > To: [[email protected]] > Subject: Newby Island >=20 > I read Mike Roger's post regarding the gulls. Do you know where Newby > Island is? If you have directions, I'd appreciate it. >=20 > Thanks, Mary. >=20 > -- > MZ=90 >=20 > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > 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]]o= rd.edu Mike: Remember, I told you just a few weeks ago that the Fremont Lagoons area is our famous YERA location! There were directions earlier this week on the birdbox? Anyhow, Newby Island is at the south end of Fremont Blvd. Take the (Gateway ??? exit) from 880. You could probably give better directionsv than me. Doug [[email protected]] =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the=20 message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]]ord= .edu From [[email protected]] Thu Feb 26 09:42:37 1998 Subject: CLSW Dear South Bay Birders, Today the Cliff Swallows arrived at the colony site at the SFBBO office. There are approximately 15 individuals circling the colony site as I write this message. Tom ========================================================================== 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 Feb 26 09:43:00 1998 Subject: RFI: Bishops and Mannikins Dear South Bay Birders, I was sent a request from Scott Smithson, a graduate student at Cal. State Long Beach, who is currently studying introduced Nutmeg Mannakins and Red Bihops in southern California. He is interested in any information regarding localites and numbers of either or both in the greater south S.F. Bay area. Thank you for your help. 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Feb 26 10:42:37 1998 Subject: Bay Calendar and Merlie Larry Tunstall has updated the Bay Area Calendar for Feb 28 - Mar 6. More sightings of Merlie have been added. 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 Feb 26 13:52:57 1998 Subject: All: This morning (26 Feb.), an adult male OLDSQUAW was with Surf Scoters at the Ravenswood OSP impoundment at the end of Bay Road in East Palo Alto. A quick check of the Palo Alto Baylands produced nothing unusual on the bay, but there was an unusual first-winter MEW GULL at the duck pond. This bird was rather large and large-billed for a Mew (though not as large as the unusual adult that has been at the duck pond). Most of the tail was dark brownish, almost black, but just distal from the tips of the longest uppertail coverts there was a narrow white band across the entire tail. Proximal to that band, the base of the tail was barred with black and white. I've never seen such white on the tail of a first-winter MEGU before. Also, the upper-secondary coverts had dark centers that were more pointed than is typical of a Mew Gull, being more similar to the illustrations of Kamchatka Gull coverts in Tove's Birding article on the ID of these gulls. This bird's tail pattern was not typical of any race of Larus canus, so I am certainly not implying that it was a Kamchatka Gull, but it was unlike any Mew I've ever seen. Salt pond A-12 had 14 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, including one adult male. SURF SCOTERS and GREATER SCAUP have been showing up in small ponds and puddles all around the edge of the bay in the past few weeks, and a male GRSC, a pair of SUSC, and a female COMMON GOLDENEYE were even on the flooded Guadalupe River below Montague Expwy. today! A survey along the Guadalupe River near Lick Mill Rd. produced 14 DARK-EYED JUNCOS (unusual in such numbers along the lower reaches of the Guadalupe River), 4 VIRGINIA RAILS, a morphna-type SONG SPARROW, and an unusual assortment of NORTHERN FLICKERS. Of 7 flickers seen well, I saw one pure male and one pure female Red-shafted, 2 male Red-shafteds with a bit of red on the nape, two obviously intergrade females, and one intergrade male. An unusual FOX SPARROW here had a small white shaft streak-spot (a streak that broadened slightly toward the tip) on each of its crown feathers, producing a crown that was finely streaked with white. Breeding activity is starting to pick up. Rock Doves were carrying nesting material at the Palo Alto Baylands on 13 Feb., a pair of Mourning Doves began building a nest in one of our flowerpots on 20 Feb., and today a Killdeer was sitting on 3 eggs in the parking lot at H.T. Harvey and a pair of White-tailed Kites were copulating near their completed nest along the Guadalupe River. 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]] Thu Feb 26 13:57:03 1998 Subject: County birds All, Today in Los Gatos Creek Park Frank Vanslager and I had two Common Loons (one first winter and one adult non-breeding), the ad male White-winged Scoter (nice looks and a great photo opportunity!) and four Surf Scoters in the large northern most pond. There was, unfortunately, no Pacific Loon. In the creek we had an ad male and an imm male Hooded Merganser. Elsewhere in the park we had two+ Northern Rough-winged Swallows, two+ Violet-green Swallows, 7-8 White-throated Swifts and 3-4 Green Herons. We also had lots of (too lazy to count) Violet-green Swallows on the northern edge of the Shoreline amphitheater overflow parking area. It was nice to be in the sun for a change! Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:32 PM, 2/26/98 ========================================================================== 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]] Thu Feb 26 15:47:22 1998 Subject: Fremont Lagoons, Newby Is. Dump South Bay Birders, Everyone interested in counties when they are birding should be aware that the Fremont Lagoons/Newby Is. area involves both Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. When you park at the lot at the end of Fremont Blvd you are in Alameda County. The entire trail is also in Alameda Co. When you walk the trail west you soon come to a wide channel. I believe that this is Coyote Creek. If indeed this is Coyote Creek then the county line runs midway between the levee you are standing on and the far shore. The Newby Is. dump is on the far side and is definitely in Santa Clara Co. This is a great place to watch gulls because the gulls are constantly in and out, stopping only to drink and take a bath. Unfortunately this also means that you have to look at them quickly because they aren't staying long. It also means that you cannot see their legs unless you see them in flight. The Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen here on two occasions in mid-February of 1996 and probably visits daily. It took me 2 trips and a total of about 13 hours to get it in Ala. Co. On 2/14/96 I estimated 35,000 gulls when something flushed all the gulls up from the dump, a number similar to the estimate of Nick and Mike. I had no access to the dump and was thus forced to base my estimates on species composition based on the birds on the water. I have no way of knowing which species or individuals were returning over and over and which only visited once and so my estimates were obviously not at all scientific. I actually estimated 50% Cal, 40% Herring, Gl. Winged 5%, Western 2%, Thayer's 2%. I don't know if this means that the Cals spend more time bathing, thus skewing the numbers, or if the species composition is different this year than last. Of course it could also mean that i'm lousy at making estimates. I had only 3 Ring-billed Gulls that day and no Mew Gulls. There were also 2 first-year Glaucous Gulls that day. I also saw lots of gulls that I couldn't even begin to identify. This is a great place to look at big gulls. Also note that the light is great here early in the day but steadily declines. Steve Glover [[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 Feb 26 16:25:34 1998 Subject: Re: Fremont Lagoons, Newby Is. Dump If indeed this >is Coyote Creek then the county line runs midway between the levee you are >standing on and the far shore. I think the main Coyote Creek channel runs mostly out of sight beyond the intertidal lagoon. The whole lagoon is in Alameda county. >It also means that you cannot see their legs unless >you see them in flight. It seems your data is out of date. Coyote Creek breeched the levee of the lagoon so it now exposes mudflats at low tide. In addition gulls may roost on the path at high tide. Thus you can often see leg color. > I had no access to the >dump and was thus forced to base my estimates on species composition based on >the birds on the water. I have no way of knowing which species or individuals >were returning over and over and which only visited once and so my estimates >were obviously not at all scientific. I actually estimated 50% Cal, 40% >Herring, Gl. Winged 5%, Western 2%, Thayer's 2%. I don't know if this means >that the Cals spend more time bathing, thus skewing the numbers, This seems to be the case. We've noticed that Californias are proportionately much commoner in the resting/bathing areas right by the dump (e.g. CCRS) than they are on the dump itself. >great place to look at big gulls. Also note that the light is great here early >in the day but steadily declines. I second this. Nick Lethaby Director of Strategic Partnerships 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 Feb 27 09:22:42 1998 Subject: RFI Mountain View Forebay/Charleston Slough Hi South Bay Birders, I will be leading a Golden Gate Audubon field trip to the Forebay, etc. on Saturday. I had planned to scout the trip last Saturday with some friends, but we were rained out. I then thought I could check it out today on the way home from banding at CCRS, but banding was canceled due to flooding! So, I haven't birded there in a long time and am feeling a little unprepared. Darn that Nino. Can anyone tell me whether there are any problems with access, path closures, deep mud, etc? I haven't seen many reports from this area lately, and hope it isn't because of access problems. I would also appreciate any tips on fun birds to show people; for example, are there Blue-winged Teal or Barrow's Goldeneye around? If so, where is best to look for them? Any particular spots to look for the Bittern that people have reported? Does anyone know where the Skimmers are hanging out these days? (I assume that we will see them, at least, which should make the trip for some people. Such a great bird.). Any tips on local birds would be much appreciated. Please reply to me personally unless the information seems of general interest to this group, so as not to bore the locals with this stuff. Thank you! Jennifer ------------------------- Jennifer Matkin San Francisco, 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]] Fri Feb 27 11:37:44 1998 Subject: Panoche Valley? Is it possible to get to Panoche Valley right now? The CHP Road Conditions message reports that Highway 25 is closed at Tres Pinos. Can you get to the valley by taking Little Panoche Road from I-5, or are there problems on that side as well? TIA. --------------------------------------------------------- Peter LaTourrette Bird photos: http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society: http://www.scvas.org/ Western Field Ornithologists: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/ ========================================================================== 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 Feb 27 11:54:02 1998 Subject: RE: Panoche Valley? RE: Panoche Valley? = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= Les Chiba na, Mountain View, CA [[email protected]] Pete, Florence Bennet reported on Panoche Valley sightings to the No. Calif. = Birdbox from there recently and noted that Panoche Rd. is closed between = Little Panoche Rd. and Paicines. So apparently, access from I-5 via Little = Panoche Road is available. I've also seen reports that New Idria Rd. is = closed. Les Peter LaTourrette wrote: >Is it possible to get to Panoche Valley right now? The CHP Road = Conditions >message reports that Highway 25 is closed at Tres Pinos. Can you get to = the >valley by taking Little Panoche Road from I-5, or are there problems on >that side as well? > >TIA. >--------------------------------------------------------- >Peter LaTourrette >Bird photos: http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ >Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society: http://www.scvas.org/ >Western Field Ornithologists: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/ >= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >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]] > > >RFC822 header >----------------------------------- > >RECEIVED: from SF_Database by POP_Mailbox_-1323542728 ; 27 FEB 98 = >11:42:48 UT >Received: from LISTS.STANFORD.EDU by auc.com > with SMTP (QuickMail Pro Server for MacOS 1.0.2); 27 FEB 98 11:42:38 = >UT >Received: (from daemon@localhost) by lists.Stanford.EDU (8.8.5/8.7.1) id = >LAA20051 for south-bay-birds-out506152; Fri, 27 Feb 1998 11:37:11 = >-0800 (PST) >Received: from mailhub.Stanford.EDU (mailhub.Stanford.EDU [171.64.14.35]) = >by lists.Stanford.EDU (8.8.5/8.7.1) with ESMTP id LAA20045 for = ><[[email protected]]>; Fri, 27 Feb 1998 11:37:09 -0800 = >(PST) >Received: from tip-mp1-ncs-15.Stanford.EDU (tip-mp1-ncs-15.Stanford.EDU = >[36.173.0.46]) > by mailhub.Stanford.EDU (8.8.7/8.8.7/L) with SMTP id LAA09993 > for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 27 Feb 1998 11:37:06 = >-0800 (PST) >Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> >X-Sender: [[email protected]] >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.3 (16) >Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 11:37:44 -0800 >To: South Bay Bird List <[[email protected]]> >From: Peter LaTourrette <[[email protected]]> >Subject: Panoche Valley? >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii" >Sender: [[email protected]] >Precedence: bulk > ========================================================================== 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 Feb 27 11:55:31 1998 Subject: Re: Panoche Valley? Peter LaTourrette wrote: > > Is it possible to get to Panoche Valley right now? The CHP Road Conditions > message reports that Highway 25 is closed at Tres Pinos. Can you get to the > valley by taking Little Panoche Road from I-5, or are there problems on > that side as well? > My understanding is that Panoche Valley is accessible with "normal" vehicles from the I-5 direction but that you can not get all the way to Paicines Reservoir from the I-5 side with other than a high-clearance vehicle. As well, there was a report yesterday on the NorCal Birdbox that indicated that access was feasible from I-5. However, I do not have first-hand knowledge of any of this -- Mark W. Eaton [[email protected]] Visit the Golden Gate Audubon Society at: http://www.audubon.org/chapter/ca/goldengate/ ========================================================================== 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 Feb 27 12:08:46 1998 Subject: Re: Panoche Valley? On Fri, 27 Feb 1998 11:37:44 -0800, Peter LaTourrette <[[email protected]]> wrote: >Is it possible to get to Panoche Valley right now? The CHP Road Conditions >message reports that Highway 25 is closed at Tres Pinos. Can you get to the >valley by taking Little Panoche Road from I-5, or are there problems on >that side as well? Yesterday Florence Bennett reported on the BirdBox that Panoche Road is closed from Little Panoche Road to Paicines. Access from I-5 is not a problem. -- Joseph Morlan SF Bay Area birding, Rarity photos, ID quizes. 380 Talbot Ave. #206 http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ Pacifica, CA 94044 [[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 Feb 27 17:20:32 1998 Subject: Bair Island Dear South Bay Birders, While surveying Bair Island today we encountered two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in amongst flocks of SURF SCOTERS in Redwood Creek. Also in Redwood Creek were two MEW GULL. Near the Redwood City Boat Launch there was on male COMMON GOLDENYE, the only one seen on the survey. In Smith Slough, where it meets Foster City, near the airport, we encountered a male HOODED MERGANSER. The largest concentration of ducks we encountered was at former Pond B1, which was contiguous with the bay. Here were several hundred GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN WIGEON, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, BUFFLEHEAD, PINTAIL, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL as well as WESTERN GREBE, CLARK'S GREBE, EARED GREBE and HORNED GREBE, NORTHERN HARRIER, and WHITE-TAILED KITE. GREAT BLUE HERONS are building nests and courting on the PG&E power towers, the DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS are at the towers but do not appear to be nesting yet. No herons or egrets were observed attending the former rookery. Overall, the water level out there is higher than at any time during last year's surveys and much of the former salt ponds and the tidal marshes were completely innundated. Access to middle and outer Bair Island are restricted and you must obtain permission before landing a boat there. However, all the species listed here can be observed from navigable waterways and Inner Bair Island. There is a boat launch at Redwood City off Seaport Blvd/Woodside Rd. and the trail at Inner Bair off the Whipple Exit. Good Birding, 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Feb 27 17:37:37 1998 Subject: Fremont GLAUCOUS GULL All: Yesterday after work I stopped off at the Fremont Lagoons just inside Alameda County outside the Newby Island Landfill. The gull activity here was high. The gulls numbering in the hundreds were flying in and out of the dump and the Fremont Lagoons. After spending about an hour scoping the area, I did come across at 3:30 PM one first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL on the lagoon about 200 yards north of where the levee trail first bends to the north. Directions are from I-800 in Fremont take Gateway Blvd west to where it Ts with South Fremont Blvd. Turn left here (south) and drive to the end of South Fremont Blvd. and pull into the small parking lot at the right, park, and walk in to the west. It is a very short hike, and the levee trail is hard-packed. Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, [[email protected]] (home) Mike Feighner, Sunnyvale, CA, [[email protected]] (work) ========================================================================== 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 Feb 28 09:01:57 1998 Subject: San Jose Water pond access How can I access the fenced in ponds on Coleman Ave. They are posted NO TRESPASSING. I live in the neighborhood and find all gates to the ponds padlocked. Am I missing something? Barbara Harkleroad ========================================================================== 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 Feb 28 13:24:56 1998 Subject: wild turkeys Friday there were 25 wild turkeys, four males, one displaying, on the hillside opposite the golf course near the entrance to Ed Levin Park. (The park is closed until further notice due to a mud slide). 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]]