From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 02 11:11:27 1999 Subject: [SBB] Yuba Pass? I may have the opportunity to bird Yuba Pass this weekend. As I recall, this area is on highway 49 north of Grass Valley. If anyone is familiar with good birding locations here, I would very much appreciate a reply to this email address with a few details. Thanks very much, and my apologies that this subject is not about SouthBayBirds, Alan ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 02 14:00:28 1999 Subject: [SBB] Alan Walther? Alan - have some stuff for you on Yuba, but message to you at Ultratech was bounced - give me a valid email and I'll send it. Tom -- 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 Jul 02 16:52:47 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Alan Walther? Here's a link to a check list for the Sierra Valley and Yuba Pass -- http://thecity.sfsu.edu/snfc/brdchcov.htm Tim Johnson -----Original Message----- From: Tom Grey <[[email protected]]> To: South Bay Birders list <[[email protected]]> Date: Friday, July 02, 1999 2:04 PM Subject: [SBB] Alan Walther? >Alan - have some stuff for you on Yuba, but message to you at Ultratech >was bounced - give me a valid email and I'll send it. Tom > >-- 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]] > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 02 20:29:30 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Yuba Pass? Dear Walter_ We went to Yuba Pass with the Audubon Society this past weekend. The forest camp at the top of Yuba Pass was great! Early in the morning (7am) Evening Grosbeaks, Cassin's Finches, & Pine Siskins feed along the road beside the sign at the east end of the parking lot. Nearby is a large stub with a White-headed Woodpecker nest. If you walk down the left side of the meadow behind the bathroom, you will see Red-breasted Sapsuckers (2+ nests). We also saw W. Tanagers, Mt Chickdee, Hairy Woodpeckers & many more there, and across the highway & up the logging road we saw several flycatchers. Stop at the store at Bassetts to see the Calliope Hummingbirds at the feeders. Then turn N on Gold Lake road & visit Sardine Lake lake. There is a trail with goes through a swamp (it begins about 1/4 mile before the parking lot). On this trail we saw Tree Swallows, Lincoln's & Song Sparrows. When the trail continued through the forest we saw several warblers, Warbling & Cassin's Vireos & heard Mt Quail. The next day we went down 49 to 89 (south) then turned on Westside Rd at Sattley. Not very far along we turned off to the L & parked in an open pine/sage area. There we saw Green-tailed & Spotted Towhees singing, and Western Wood Pewee among others, We then drove to an unfenced open sage/grass field (probably any will do). There we saw Vester & Brewer's Sparrows. Finally, we drove to the swamp at Sierra Valley Channels. We turned R into the swamp (maybe on Dyson Rd-but I'm not sure). there we saw White-fronted Ibis, Red-winged & Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Wilson's Phalerope, Bakd Eagle, Marsh Wren, American Bittern, & Black-crowned Night Heron. Hope this helps. Ruth Ruth Troetschler At 11:11 AM 7/2/99, Alan Walther wrote: >I may have the opportunity to bird Yuba Pass this weekend. >As I recall, this area is on highway 49 north of Grass Valley. > >If anyone is familiar with good birding locations here, I would very >much appreciate a reply to this email address with a few details. > >Thanks very much, >and my apologies that this subject is not about SouthBayBirds, > >Alan >========================================================================== >This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list >server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the >message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] Ruth Troetschler ========================================================================== 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 Jul 04 04:42:41 1999 Subject: [SBB] Alviso-area birds All: On 30 June, while conducting a Burrowing Owl survey in San Jose, I found three active MOURNING DOVE nests _on the ground_ within a 250-foot radius enclosure. A fourth nest was found in the same enclosure on 2 July. I've now found a total of 7 MODO ground nests this year alone, all in the middle of fields far from trees or other more typical nest sites, yet I never found such a nest until a couple of years ago. I know this species' nest substrates are highly variable, as I've seen numerous nests on artificial structures and in hanging planters, but how often do other South Bay birders see MODO nests on the ground? At the EEC in Alviso, an unbanded ad. BLACK SKIMMER was on the tern nesting island at the eastern end of pond A-16. It's possible that skimmers are nesting on one of the islands in this pond, but it is difficult to get close enough to scrutinize the islands without disturbing the terns. On 1 July, I was conducting surveys along Coyote Creek below CCRS when I was surprised to discover a sizeable colony of GREAT EGRETS nesting in the trees near the Milpitas sewage treatment plant. As recently as 22 June I had been in the same area and checked the GREAT BLUE HERON colony that has been present in a willow (and previously a eucalyptus) in this area in past years, and on 22 June there were no signs of Great Egrets anywhere in the area. However, on 1 July, there were a total of 30 adults here. The willow where the GBHE were nesting (still a few nests with nearly fledged young) had at least 5 Great Egret nests; an adult was apparently incubating on one, while the other four were under construction but were mostly complete. Just upstream, two other willows on the east side of Coyote Creek contained single nests (incubation on one, the other being built), and a cottonwood on the west side of the creek here had adults tending a nearly completed nest. There was a great deal of displaying and nest-building activity, with a number of egrets breaking branches off trees and carrying them to their nests. This colony is unusual for several reasons. First, it is the first colony of any size away from Artesian Slough since the 1950s, when GREG and GBHE nested together in a eucalyptus along the lower Guadalupe River near the western Agnews campus. The only other nesting record away from Artesian Slough since then was the single nest I had earlier this year at Almaden Lake, although Tom Ryan of SFBBO had seen GREG carrying sticks at Almaden Lake a few years earlier. Second, this colony is getting started quite late in the year. The sudden appearance of such a large number of birds suggests massive failure of another colony somewhere. I haven't been checking the Artesian Slough area (from afar, scoping from the EEC) much this year, but when I've looked in that direction I haven't noted a lot of heron activity. Perhaps that colony failed? I'll check with SFBBO, but if anyone has information on the fate of this year's Artesian Slough heronry, please share it. Also on 1 July, the CCRS waterbird pond had 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and 55 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Flightless broods of ducks here included 5 of GADWALL and 1 each of MALLARD, CINNAMON TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, and NORTHERN PINTAIL. The South Coyote Slough area had 1 brood of NORTHERN PINTAIL, 9 of GADWALL, and 5 of MALLARD. A banded one-year-old PEREGRINE FALCON was perched on one of the electrical towers in pond A-18. Remarkably, there was no sign of the Double-crested Cormorant colony here. In the past few years, this colony has actually increased in size through the summer, yet there was not a single stick remaining from the nests present earlier in the summer. I had permission to conduct surveys for a project at work in the San Jose-Santa Clara WPCP (not open to the public, unfortunately). There were no migrant shorebirds here other than 220 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Breeding birds included 22 broods of GADWALL, 6 of MALLARD, 5 of CINNAMON TEAL, and 2 of NORTHERN PINTAIL (plus a number of fledged juv. MALL, CITE, and PINT), KILLDEER (1 nest with eggs plus two broods), AMERICAN AVOCET (3 broods), and BLACK-NECKED STILT (20 nests with eggs, 61 broods of young). The huge disparity between stilt and avocet breeding abundance in these ponds likely reflects the differences in foraging behavior of these birds. The mostly- dry WPCP ponds provide fine habitat for stilts, many of which were nesting and foraging on completely dry ponds, but the avocets need more water for foraging. As would be expected, the CCRS waterbird pond, which provides much better foraging habitat for avocets, had 250 adult or fledged juv. avocets and only 25 stilts on 1 July. Good birding, 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 Jul 04 05:28:13 1999 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting, etc. All: Yesterday (3 July), I headed up to Skyline Blvd. to check the two Indigo Buntings found recently (one by Les Chibana at Long Ridge OSP, the other by Pete LaTourette at Windy Hill OSP). Specifically, I was trying to determine whether these birds were paired with females and, if so, whether those females were Indigos or Lazulis. At Long Ridge, I easily found the INDIGO BUNTING in the spot where Les had been seeing it, as it sang repeatedly and was the only bunting to do so while I was there. Although Les had reported an adult with no brown in the wings, the bird I saw was clearly a first-alternate bird. The entire head and underparts (with the exception of 2-3 grayish-brown feathers near the vent) were colored as would be expected on an adult (ASY), and in shade or when seen just through binoculars from a distance, the brown tones in the wings were difficult to note, especially because all the upper-secondary coverts were blue as on an adult. So, the bird appeared adult-like overall. However, as seen through a scope or through binoculars at close range, the primaries, secondaries, tertials, primary coverts, and alula were dusky or dusky-brown, the latter four feather groups having brown edging as well. The only blue on these feather groups was a pale, dull blue along the shafts of the outer 3-4 primaries, but there were no blue-edged blackish feathers anywhere among these groups to indicate an adult. Les, do you think there are two birds, or did you not see the bird at close range (the scope was really helpful in seeing the color of the wings)? The Indigo frequently chased or was chased by a first-alternate male Lazuli Bunting. However, the Lazuli never sang, and I think the territory clearly belonged to the Indigo. Oddly, both the Indigo and the Lazuli were repeatedly followed by juv. Dark-eyed Juncos which occasionally begged from the buntings! In more than an hour at the site, I did not see a female bunting. I then went to Windy Hill OSP, but the only buntings I was able to find there were a pair of Lazulis. Eight GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (7 singing males) were also here. These mountains must be full of both Lazuli Buntings and Grasshopper Sparrows right now. At Langley Hill Road I had a another singing male GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and a pair of LAZULI BUNTINGS carrying food for young, plus three singing male Passerina sp. A LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH flew over the Yerba Buena Nursery. At Russian Ridge OSP, I had 28 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (15+ singing males, four broods of fledglings), 12 LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES, 16 LAZULI BUNTINGS (15 singing males, only 1 female), and 14 more singing male Passerina Buntings that were not seen. Although the Long Ridge Indigo Bunting's song was noticeably slower than most given by Lazulis yesterday, there was some overlap, and these species are known to copy the phrasing and cadence of other buntings singing around them, including heterospecifics. A total of 12 other singing Passerina Buntings were heard just while driving along Skyline Blvd. (most in San Mateo Co.). I had only 4 SAVANNAH SPARROWS at Russian Ridge. Cheers, Steve Rottenborn of searching and waiting I did not see a female. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 04 05:48:46 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Alviso-area birds Alvaro Jaramillo wrote: > I did not see any young Ruddy Ducks, but thought it > would happen this year as the Ruddies have been hanging around. I am > wondering if Ruddies have bred at the waterbird pond before or not? I don't > think I have records of them doing so. Actually, on 22 June I had 2 broods here. I also have not seen Ruddies breeding in the waterbird pond in past years. 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 Jul 04 13:14:59 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Alviso-area birds At 11:42 AM 7/4/99 +0000, Steve Rottenborn wrote: >All: > >On 1 July, I was conducting surveys along Coyote Creek below >CCRS when I was surprised to discover a sizeable colony of >GREAT EGRETS nesting in the trees near the Milpitas sewage >treatment plant. Steve beat me to it, I noted the presence of Great Egrets here the next day and communicated the information to others at SFBBO. I think there is a formal survey that will occur this week which will count these birds. As Steve mentions they have just set up shop and it is extremely late in the season. The last time I checked the Artisean Slough colony a couple of weeks ago nothing was unusual, and I don't know if there have been any more recent counts. Thanks Steve for giving a historical perspective on the importance of having Great Egrets at the new colony. >Also on 1 July, the CCRS waterbird pond had 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, >2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and 55 WILSON'S >PHALAROPES. Flightless broods of ducks here included 5 of GADWALL >and 1 each of MALLARD, CINNAMON TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, and NORTHERN >PINTAIL. On the next day (July 2) there were 3 Greater Yellowlegs, and two Lesser Yellowlegs. Only one Wilson's Phalarope (a male) and no dowitchers or Western Sandpipers. I did not see any young Ruddy Ducks, but thought it would happen this year as the Ruddies have been hanging around. I am wondering if Ruddies have bred at the waterbird pond before or not? I don't think I have records of them doing so. Steve noted 250 Avocets at the pond, while on the next day I had over 400 which suggests that some migrants may be coming in already, unless this is due to local movements only. I have been in Alberta for the last week and a half and shorebirds are gathering up there in numbers, hundreds of yellowlegs for example, so they should be with us soon. While I was away a California Thrasher was banded at CCRS, which is a highly unusual record. It was in heavy molt I am told. regards, Al Alvaro Jaramillo Wildlife Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 [[email protected]] Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds 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 Jul 04 18:31:46 1999 Subject: [SBB] Mystery Bird Hello all, I just had a bird in my yard in Los Gatos that I cannot identify. It had a yellow head, a bright yellow breast and a yellow tail that was not as yellow as the head. It was the size of a house finch or a little bigger. Not as large as a grosbeak. The bill was sharp like a warbler, not like a seed eater. The bird had just come from one of my bird baths and was still wet, therefore, I don't know if it had wing bars. The body color could have been gray like a house finch, but I'm not sure. With this meager description, can anyone help me? Jean Dubois ========================================================================== 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 Jul 05 13:20:55 1999 Subject: [SBB] Re: Alviso-area birds Alvaro wrote (first quoting Steve): > >Also on 1 July, the CCRS waterbird pond had 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, > >2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and 55 WILSON'S > >PHALAROPES. Flightless broods of ducks here included 5 of GADWALL > >and 1 each of MALLARD, CINNAMON TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, and NORTHERN > >PINTAIL. > > On the next day (July 2) there were 3 Greater Yellowlegs, and two Lesser > Yellowlegs. Only one Wilson's Phalarope (a male) and no dowitchers or > Western Sandpipers. I did not see any young Ruddy Ducks, but thought it I stopped by on the afternoon of July 3, and found the shorebird migrants more disappointing: nothing but 7 GREATER YELLOWLEGS -- no Westerns, no Wilson's, no Lessers. I also noticed two Burrowing Owl locations along the sidewalk on Disk Drive. Earlier in the year (with much of the vegetation plowed under) I had not been seeing them here, only on Nortech and on the Arzino Ranch. How well is the population doing in this area? Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue Jul 06 07:15:56 1999 Subject: [SBB] nestbox kudos Check out page 120 of the July-August edition of AUDUBON. It acknowledges the SCVAS nest box program developed under Garth Harwood's leadership here in "Silicon Valley"...along with pictures of the nest box team. Nice 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]] Tue Jul 06 10:30:02 1999 Subject: [SBB] RE: Indigo Bunting, etc. REPLY RE: Indigo Bunting, etc. Steve, I have not looked at the Long ridge INBU with a scope and have not seen it up close with binoculars, so I haven't seen the 1st alt. plumage. I don'= t think that there is more than one INBU here. Thanks for the clarification = on this bird's age. Other than the possible female bunting that I reported = earlier, I have not seen a female bunting in this OSP this season. Male = LAZB seem to be more prevalent in this area during the last couple of = weeks; one has been singing around our home near the preserve and I've = been seeing and hearing a few more along the grassland areas in Long = Ridge. During the PA SBC on 6/5, we saw only a few seemingly paired = female LAZB. Les ========================================================================== 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 Jul 06 10:41:34 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: Alviso-area birds Back in mid-June I had two burrows on Nortech Pkwy that had juvenile birds. Mike Mammoser [[email protected]] wrote: > I also noticed two Burrowing Owl locations along the sidewalk on Disk Drive. > Earlier in the year (with much of the vegetation plowed under) I had not > been seeing them here, only on Nortech and on the Arzino Ranch. How well is > the population doing in this area? > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 06 12:34:06 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Alviso-area birds I posted last week my observation of a GREG on the island at Vasona Lake adjacent to the GBHE nests and looking very like it could be interested in nesting. I'll be away and unable to check this site again before the end of July. I hope someone else will do so and report the results. (Because of heavy vegetation, nests are best viewed from the higher elevation of University Ave.) George Oetzel Menlo Park, CA (W) [[email protected]] (SFBBO) [[email protected]] San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory http://www.sfbbo.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]] Tue Jul 06 15:05:22 1999 Subject: [SBB] Virus from Server I got an email from SBB this morning that infected my computer with a new virus. The email was from a Scott Young. It referenced the following in the subject line: Re: [SBB] Vasona Lake I had posted something about Vasona Lake a few weeks ago. It seemed appropriate to open the email. Did anyone else get the same email? If so, don't open it. It erased all the characters in my Word documents, including an extensive mailing list!! Pat Curtis ========================================================================== 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 Jul 06 15:24:32 1999 Subject: [SBB] FW: [pen-bird] Warning Hi Everyone-- Melissa or some variant of it seems to be going around again. Since people posting to SBB do not use attachments as a rule, the safest thing to do is delete any posting with an attachment before you open it. Attachments that are zipped, stuffed, or executable are particularly risky. Apologies for straying off birds, but until everyone is behind a firewall with anti-virus software, we share all the viruses we've been exposed to. Mark > -----Original Message----- > From: [[email protected]] [SMTP:[[email protected]]] > Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 12:58 PM > To: [[email protected]] > Subject: [pen-bird] Warning > > In response to a pen-bird message I sent out yesterday, I received in > response what appears to be an attempt at infiltration by a publicized > virus. > The message was in effect "I'll get back to you later", but meanwhile read > this attachment (zipped file). Of course, if you receive such a thing, do > exercise some care; my assumption is that this one could be a real virus > rather than a hoax, although I don't have certain knowledge of that. > The message, by the way, purported to come from > [[email protected]]. > I presume he knows nothing of it, but the message is evidence that either > his system has been infiltrated, or someone is playing a trick. > > Regards, Al > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Just Tell Us What You Want... > Respond.com - Shopping the World for You! > http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/390 > > > eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/peninsula-birding > http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications > > > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 06 17:30:28 1999 Subject: [SBB] Swift swifts Having worked with SFBBO for years, I can't look at a flock of birds without trying to count. July 4 AM I got a real test. Six (+2 -1) White-throated Swifts and 2 (+1 -0) Vaux's Swifts were patrolling about a quarter-mile of Saratoga Creek near Murdock Park at altitudes between 60 feet to at or below eye-level - sometimes in my face. At least 2 of the White-throated had rusty coloration of the white sides that may indicate year birds. One interaction between a WTSW and a Vaux's resulted in a fantastic spral around each other almost into the berry bushes. None on July 5 and only 2 Vaux's this morning. Lou Young ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 09 09:13:39 1999 Subject: [SBB] birds A few recent bird sightings: On the 4th of July I had a very worn 2nd summer GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin, and an eclipse-plumaged LESSER SCAUP on Charleston Slough. A visit to Almaden Reservoir on the 5th of July produced a WILD TURKEY with two poults right at the entrance to the O'Day's. Also near this spot were: CALIFORNIA QUAIL with half-grown young, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW entering a nest cavity in a sycamore, AMERICAN ROBIN building a nest, and a CASSIN'S VIREO carrying food. A single scruffy male WOOD DUCK was on the reservoir. 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]] Fri Jul 09 09:39:01 1999 Subject: [SBB] poss grackle All: On the way to work today, I had a 2 second view of what appeared to be a male (Great-tailed?) Grackle flying around over the drying up pond N of the 237/Lafayette-Great America intersection. It was most flying away at an awkward angle but appeared to be large with an obvious keeled tailed. Given the poor view, I can't be at all sure, but it may be worth following up on (I will be out of the country for a week and cannot). Nick Nick Lethaby Technical Marketing Manager CoWare, Inc. Tel: 408 845 7646 E-mail: [[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 Jul 11 09:19:03 1999 Subject: [SBB] CAKI and stuff Folks: On Thursday, 7/8/1999, I stopped by the eucalypti on San Felipe Road north of Pacheco Creek and found at least two WESTERN KINGBIRDS in the southernmost tree, where Steve had a nest in May (?). However, the middle tree had three fledged CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS, quite vocal, and I watched the adult return with food and feed one of the three young, so they've had a good nesting season. On Friday, 7/9/1999, I counted 270 WILSON'S PHALAROPES in Salt Pond A16 at the Alviso EEC, most well into basic plumage. Along Nortech Parkway, I had three BURROWING OWLS by the fields (at least one juvenile), two more on Disk Drive, and one perched on the Arzino gate. 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]] Sun Jul 11 16:36:10 1999 Subject: [SBB] Field report on GBHE & Egret rookery This is my first post to this list. I hope that I've managed to do things correctly and in keeping with the taste and flavor of the other great posts that I've been reading. Any helpful comments on how to make these reports better will be gratefully and cheerfully accepted. TIA! In response to George Oetzel's recent request for coverage while he was on vacation, I undertook to provide continuation for his Great Blue Heron and Egret rookery observations at Vasona lake. Lacking the necessary forms and any prior knowledge on how to do this (I've never done anything like this), I've presented my observations in an informal dialog style format. I hope it's sufficient. Trust me, I'm working hard to partly fill just one of his giant sized shoes... I had located the site and had begun a survey over the preceding few days looking for the best locations and angles. It was fun. Thanks George! == San Jose, California, Saturday, July 10th == Vasona Lake is one of the 28 parks in the Santa Clara count park system. To get to the Vasona Lake rookery; take 17 south, to Lark avenue west, turn south on University avenue. As you pass the dam on your left, start looking for a small overgrown green island about 20m across, and about 80 meters from shore approximately 5-600 meters south of the dam. Go past the closest approach to the island for about another km. or so, and find a wide spot in the road. If there's room, you can park there. It not, good luck! I would NOT recommend parking directly on University avenue! The island contains at least 2 Great Blue Heron nests. One with two ready to fledge young visible from the north side (from University avenue), and one with 3 chicks on the south side of the island visible from the Vasona park trail and benches below University avenue. You can easily climb down to that trail from the parking place, as well as at several other places. But do watch for poison oak. It's as plentiful as it is pernicious! In addition to the GBHE nests, there are at least 3, and possibly as many as 5 Snowy Egret nests. Two are easily visible from the north side, each with 3 chicks (every once-in-a-while). In addition, there seem to be 2 other nests much less visible from the same location. There seems to be no fledging or feeding activity at those two screened locations. Unfortunately, the location and nature of the cover does not permit certain assessment of nesting or other activity. There is also sporadic SNEG feeding activity in an open area behind a bamboo clump at the center of the island. Another SNEG nest with 3 chicks is clearly visible on the south end somewhat below and to the left of the GBHE nest. In all, there seem to be about 11-12 fully fledged SNEG chicks skulking about. As the time and mood strikes them they either congregate by a nest, or hop among the available branches and cover. I observed adults feeding at both GBHE nests. Over the course of several hours, the SNEG chicks were fed at least 5 times. Since many of the chicks converged on "the adult", it was not possible to determine which chicks belonged to which nest group. I clearly saw at least 2 chicks get fed by two different adults at two different locations in the company of other chicks. I also observed sporadic fencing between various members, as if exhibiting territorial behavior. In addition to the GBHE and SNEG groups, I observed 2 pairs of Black Crowned Night Herons, and 6 fully fledged young. Since they did not congregate and had no distinguishing features or habits, it was not possible to determine which young belonged to which adults (if at all). At different times individual young did try to engage an adult with feeding behavior. In all cases none appeared to be successful. The adults simply flew away. I saw three instances of a single Great (or Common) Egret. Always seen as a singleton, I could not determine if this was one bird seen 3 times, or 3 different birds. While it spent considerable time in the trees about 2 meters further north than the northern GBHE nest, I did not observe what I would consider nest building activity. Since the bill appeared to be clear yellow, it may well not have been of breeding age or mindset. Also found on the island was a single adult Least Bittern (my first). Getting to watch such a beautiful and graceful bird artfully clambering about in the bamboo was a joy! I circumnavigated the island several times by boat, and could find no other nesting locations. For those from out of the area, I've included a list of other birds observed during that time: Pied-billed Grebes, too many ducks to list, American Coot, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Double Crested Cormorant, Black Phoebe, Foresters Tern, Common Tern, Anna's Hummingbird, Dark-eyed Junco, White Breasted Nuthatch, Tree Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Acorn Woodpecker, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, MODO, Scrub-jay, and Band-tailed Pigeon's. There's one other bird, but I hesitate to mention it, as it probably means that I'm ready for a rubber room. And that was a tern with relatively short moderately notched (as compared to other terns) tail, and an all orange bill. Although late in the day (low light angle), I saw it pretty clearly a dozen times or so. And I'm pretty certain of what I saw. But the only bird this resolves to would be an Arctic Tern. Given the time of year, and knowing where they *should* be, I'm loath to admit that that was what I thought I saw... OTOH; what I know about water birds you could write on the head of a pin, and have enough room left over for a good sized dictionary. So take that sighting for what it's worth... Besides the usual list of suspects found at that location, I also observed a beautiful adult Red-Shouldered Hawk from 7 or 8 meters at the University avenue (nest view) clearing. What a beautiful and awesome creature! Of additional interest, whenever the SNEG adults came to feed, an enterprising and attentive America Crow would seize the moment to place himself below the animated SNEG's, and snatch up "table droppings" and other chance crumbs. == San Jose, California, Sunday, July 11th == Penny and I paid a mid-day visit to the rookery, and found the northern most GBHE nest apparently empty. As the day is very hot, it is possible that the 2 fledglings moved further into the brush to escape the sun. I doubt that they've fledged, as I'd expect to see them in the area for a while anyway. We'll be checking on them again later this evening before dark. Besides the usual list of suspects, we were treated to an hour long visit by what appeared to be an immature Red-shouldered Hawk. He flew in from the south, complaining loudly about something. After giving us ample time to observe, listen, and enjoy, he flew back off into thicker trees to the south. This observation was made about 150m south of the trail end closest to the rookery. Additionally, while we were watching the young RSHA, we observed an Osprey casually floating over watching us watching the RSHA. He wheeled and returned several times. Regretfully, we did not observe any fishing action. Got too hot. Went home. There may be more later... Dusty Bleher Campbell, Ca. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 12 08:48:54 1999 Subject: [SBB] Least Terns Hi All, I led the Beginner's trip to Charleston Slough on Saturday am. The main item of interest was between 12-14 LEAST TERNS that flew by headed toward the Forebay as we were partway out along the slough. Also seen were 1 BLACK SKIMMER, 1 male NORTHERN HARRIER (who bombed through the shorebirds in the flood control basin), 2 SCAUP, 1 CASPIAN TERN and 1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS among the usual summer denizens. Cheers Nick ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 12 09:45:06 1999 Subject: [SBB] birds On Sunday, 11 Jul 99, I went to check out the Coyote Creek Waterbird Pond, finding Al Eisner already stationed there. There wasn't much going on here: a couple of WILSON'S PHALAROPES and small groups of WESTERN SANDPIPERS flying about. AMERICAN AVOCETS still had some young birds here. A couple broods of GADWALL were in the tidal pond/marsh near the methane plant. Afterwards, I went to the EEC and checked out salt pond A16. Here I had 745 adult WILSON'S PHALAROPES, ranging from complete alternate plumage to almost complete basic plumage (and many degrees in between). Some of the FORSTER'S TERNS on the island still have downy young. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 12 11:24:41 1999 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting, etc. On Saturday morning, 7/10/99, I went to see the INDIGO BUNTING (INBU) at Long Ridge OSP with a scope. I didn't get to the bottom until about 11:00a. The INBU was singing from a coyote bush at the base of the twin douglas firs, apparently pausing between feeding stops in the nearby fennel. I was able to get a couple of good views of the upperparts of the bird with the scope and did note a few brown edges to what I took to be lower scapular feathers, but maybe they were the primary coverts. The only blue in the flight feathers were on the outer primaries; I thought these were blue outer webs but I wasn't close enough to say that these weren't the outer primary shafts. This appears to be the bird that Steve described, the same bird that I've been seeing here, and, as far as I can tell, the only male INBU in this spot. I didn't see it interact with any other bird this time. It sang in flight at one point, fluttering while doing so, somewhat reminiscent of a Yellow-breasted Chat or Vermilion Flycatcher. I also heard, or saw, a Selasphorus hummingbird, HAIRY WOODPECKERS, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, HOUSE and BEWICK'S WREN, the 3 expected VIREOS, ORANGE-CROWNED and WILSON'S WARBLERS and PURPLE FINCHES. COMMON RAVENS have been flocking in the area recently. On the morning of 7/6, I saw 21 CORA on a utility tower normally occupied by a Red-tailed Hawk, near Monte Bello OSP. On 7/8, 16 (probably the from the same group) flew across Skyline Blvd. at Long Ridge in the evening. Juvenile GREAT HORNED OWLS can still be heard contact calling in the evenings from Peters Creek in Long Ridge. The visiting group of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS have now included juveniles. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, not all that common around our house, was vocalizing loudly this morning. On the lep-side Lorquin's Admirals, Calif. Sisters, Calif. Ringlets, Wood Nymphs (Ox-eyed Satyrs?) and a medium-sized blue have been flying. Les ========================================== Les Chibana, Palo Alto [[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 Jul 12 11:35:25 1999 Subject: [SBB] Least Bittern & other info Hello folks; I guess I dropped quite a bombshell with that Least Bittern sighting. I had no idea it was such a rare event. A number of you have contacted me (thank you, all) and convinced me to embellish the sighting a bit. == San Jose, California, Saturday, July 10th == Vasona Lake is one of the 28 parks in the Santa Clara count park system. To get to the Vasona Lake rookery; take 17 south, to Lark avenue west, turn south on University avenue. As you pass the dam on your left, start looking for a small overgrown green island about 20m across, and about 80 meters from shore approximately 5-600 meters south of the dam. Go past the closest approach to the island for about another km. or so, and find a wide spot in the road. If there's room, you can park there. If not, good luck! I would NOT recommend parking directly on University avenue! I saw what *I believed to be* a Least Bittern in the reeds on the south side of the rookery island at Vasona Lake. I didn't notice it until I had drifted to within about 50 feet of its hiding place. Actually, AFTER I noticed it, it seemed to have been hiding in plain sight. As I can't say that I saw it move into view...rather it moved to shift its position--which is when I first noticed it. Size wise I'd say that it's smaller than a crow, and not all that much bigger than a jay. It had dark (blue-black) cap, and dark body top with a white streak. The area from behind the eyes to and under the wings varied from nearly solid to spotted Rufous blending to off-white/cream near the center of the breast and lower underparts. For me, one of the real tip-off's was the markedly lighter Rufus to cream area on the wings. Legs were yellowish, beak was dark with yellow highlights. I observed it from the water at a distance that varied from 50 to 15 feet. It ran through the bamboo thicket from stalk to stalk like a tightrope walker. It stood and preened for a bit, and flew off. It went straight south for about 300 meters, and then turned around and came back looping over the island and landing somewhere on the north side. I saw it several times after that as I was working my way around the island. But never so clear and unobstructed as that first view. All-in-all, it looked a lot like a shrunken version of a Green Heron with a dark top and very light sides. I've seen the GRHE before, and saw another one again this morning (Monday, July 12th). So I'm pretty sure that it wasn't one of them. I think the white back stripe and the light patch on the wing is pretty convincing. BUT, I am relatively NEW to this, so my sightings should always be taken with either a few grains of salt or beers...(:-)! == San Jose, California, Monday, July 12th, Vasona Lake == We returned to Vasona Lake early this AM to both beat the heat, and try to determine the state of the GBHE nestlings. While we saw no nestlings on the northern most nest yesterday noon, I did observe one fledgling standing near the nest. It would appear that the young have left the actual nest and are moving around in the proximal area. *BUT* it is not possible to get a clear view into the lowest area of the nest site. It is still possible that one chick is below my sight-line. We were able to observe the GBHE 3 nestlings in the southern most nest easily from the nearby lakefront trail. Although often standing on the edge, they appear to not yet have left the nest. In addition, two of the SNEG nests still seem to be occupied. Counting both wandering and nested young, we came up with 15 individuals this morning. We did not see any GBHE feeding episodes on this trip. We did observe several feeding episodes of the SNEG chicks. It's pretty amazing to see the SNEG young gather together and begin to congregate even before the adult reaches the nest site. We also observed the feeding of a Black Crowned Night Heron chick. It was pretty funny the way the young one beat and battered adult to get it to relinquish the food. All the while bobbing on swaying bamboo stalks. I spent considerable time scanning the interior and edges of the island, and the adjoining lake shoreline for any sign of the least Bittern. Only a Green Heron and assorted ducks were found. End report. For me, estimating size is always a problem. As you observe the rookery--even from a distance, the SNEG seem to be 4 feet tall. But when you approach them closely, they seem to shrink to the size of jay's. I guess it's the bright high contrast white that makes them seem so large from a distance. Up close, they're such delicate, slender, diminutive, and elegant creatures... Best regards, Dusty Bleher ========================================================================== 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 Jul 12 13:39:49 1999 Subject: [SBB] Calif. Quail I have received a reference question about late and/or missing Cailf quail fledglings. I have searched Joe Morlan's website and the SBB site (searched the archives). Also found the Audubon Soc. listing of this species on their "Watch List" for 1999 as well as Louis Botsford's work on population dynamics of CQ. I am appealing to readers of this list to let me know their feel for this year's crop of CQ fledglings...less, more, later than normal? Please reply off-list to Tina Peterson [[email protected]] Thank you, Tina Peterson -- Christina A. Peterson Science Librarian San Jose State University California [[email protected]] 408-924-2727 (voicemail) 408-924-2701 (fax) Visit the Library without Walls! http://library.sjsu.edu/staff/peterson/peterson.htm ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 12 16:04:13 1999 Subject: [SBB] Long Ridge OSP Hi Everyone-- I took a hike through Long Ridge OSP on Saturday afternoon, walking the Hickory Oak and James Creek Trails out to the Grizzly Flat parking area, then back via Skyline Boulevard. The Hickory Oak parking area is in Santa Clara County, the Grizzly Flat parking area is in San Mateo County, and the border is somewhere in the woods near the north end of the James Creek Trail). On the way I saw and heard 14 LAZULI BUNTINGS, the INDIGO BUNTING (singing from the twin Douglas Firs and the line of oaks at 2:45PM about 0.2 miles from the Grizzly Flat Trailhead--a blue light bulb in the harsh afternoon sun, and the song seemed slower, less buzzy at the end, and more apt to stick to a phrase than the LAZB), a pair of HAIRY WOODPECKERS, several PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, flocks of CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES with begging young, the three vireo species, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (heard only), a pair of WRENTITS, a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER along Skyline Boulevard in Santa Clara County, a flock of newly-fledged ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, a WILSON'S WARBLER, and 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS. For butterflies, I can claim Northern Checkerspot, California Sister (one of which spent some time in the car with me while I ate lunch), Lorquin's Admiral (they're noticeably smaller than the sisters), Common Buckeye, something that looked like a Common Checkered-Skipper, a mystery blue, a gray hairstreak (the small black spots below and seeming lack of tail at close range suggested Sylvan), and lots of black things where oaks meet grass with 2 small eyespots on the underside (nothing in the new Peterson book fits). 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 Jul 12 17:45:58 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] Long Ridge OSP Oops: That was Peters Creek, not James Creek. Mark > -----Original Message----- > From: Miller, Mark C [SMTP:[[email protected]]] > Sent: Monday, July 12, 1999 4:04 PM > To: Peninsula Birds (E-mail); South Bay Birds (E-mail) > Subject: [SBB] Long Ridge OSP > > Hi Everyone-- > > I took a hike through Long Ridge OSP on Saturday afternoon, walking the > Hickory Oak and James Creek Trails out to the Grizzly Flat parking area, > then back via Skyline Boulevard. The Hickory Oak parking area is in Santa > Clara County, the Grizzly Flat parking area is in San Mateo County, and > the > border is somewhere in the woods near the north end of the James Creek > Trail). On the way I saw and heard 14 LAZULI BUNTINGS, the INDIGO BUNTING > (singing from the twin Douglas Firs and the line of oaks at 2:45PM about > 0.2 > miles from the Grizzly Flat Trailhead--a blue light bulb in the harsh > afternoon sun, and the song seemed slower, less buzzy at the end, and more > apt to stick to a phrase than the LAZB), a pair of HAIRY WOODPECKERS, > several PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, flocks of CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES > with > begging young, the three vireo species, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (heard > only), a pair of WRENTITS, a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER along Skyline > Boulevard in Santa Clara County, a flock of newly-fledged ORANGE-CROWNED > WARBLERS, a WILSON'S WARBLER, and 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS. For butterflies, I > can claim Northern Checkerspot, California Sister (one of which spent some > time in the car with me while I ate lunch), Lorquin's Admiral (they're > noticeably smaller than the sisters), Common Buckeye, something that > looked > like a Common Checkered-Skipper, a mystery blue, a gray hairstreak (the > small black spots below and seeming lack of tail at close range suggested > Sylvan), and lots of black things where oaks meet grass with 2 small > eyespots on the underside (nothing in the new Peterson book fits). > > 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Jul 12 18:50:20 1999 Subject: [SBB] Elegant Tern in Ireland (and CA) Would someone like to take a shot at this? Thanks, Vivek PS: please cc: me on it, unless you are replying to SBB. Thanks. ------- Forwarded Message >From: "Millington/BIS" <[[email protected]]> To: "Tiwari Vivek" <[[email protected]]> Subject: elegant tern Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 23:40:37 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Hi Vivek, I am e-mailing several birders in California in the hopes someone can help. We have an Elegant Tern in Ireland (County Wexford) presently, and it appears to be in full winter plumage, in that it has entirely white lores and a white fore-crown. Hopefully this is not too unusual for the time of year, but the best way to check is to ask someone in California... Exactly what plumage are the Elegant Terns showing in California now? Are there any post-breeding individuals moving north currently? Do you know of anyone currently seeing them that can ascertain their exact state of head-moult at this date? I can e-mail jpegs of the Irish bird in the near future, but it would help to know the answer to the above questions soonest... Also, if you could pass this enquiry on to anyone you can think of who can help further, I'd be very grateful. I'll be happy to receive e-mails direct. cheers, Richard Richard Millington [[email protected]] Birding World, Stonerunner, Coast Road, Cley next the Sea, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7RZ, UK >Birding World, >Stonerunner, >Coast Road, >Cley next the Sea, >Holt, >Norfolk, >NR25 7RZ, UK > ------- End of Forwarded Message ========================================================================== 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 Jul 13 09:03:17 1999 Subject: [SBB] shorebirds Since shorebird migration is starting to get underway, I guess that I should mention some other birds I had on Sunday, 11 Jul 99. At the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin there was a flock of about 30 dowitchers. Migration timing would suggest that these are SHORT-BILLED, and plumage characteristics seemed to support this. They were alternate-plumaged adults with a lot of white on the belly and undertail coverts, and nothing much to speak of in the way of barring on the breast. They did not vocalize for any confirmation. At the mouth of the Palo Alto Estuary, there was a flock of roosting shorebirds as well. The dowitchers here did vocalize as SHORT-BILLED. There was also a smattering of MARBLED GODWITS and LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, with two WHIMBRELS thrown in for good measure. As a side note, I haven't seen the White-fronted Goose at the Palo Alto Duck Pond in a few months. I guess he finally got up the nerve to go breed. 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 Jul 13 09:26:20 1999 Subject: [SBB] Salt Ponds A1 and A2W Folks: On my bike commute this morning, 7/13/1999, I counted 99 AM. WHITE PELICANS foraging on Salt Pond A1. Ten to 20 or so have been around since late May, but this count suggests the first of the _wintering_ flock. Also on A1 was the first ardeid concentration I've seen this season: 30+ GREAT EGRETS and 44+ SNOWY EGRETS. Some summers and falls we have massive fish blooms with egrets in the hundred at some of the ponds. Surprising to me was a tight flock of 160 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS in Salt Pond A2W. These are probably not our local birds, so this species may be on the move as well. 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]] Tue Jul 13 14:22:09 1999 Subject: [SBB] Climate data for birders? Hello Sn. Mateo and Sta. Clara birders: Well, I don't have the answer to the question and wondered if you could help. This question came up because I was trying to figure out when our last drought took place, but since I didn't live here and didn't experience it it is unclear to me how I can get this information. What is the offical start and end of the early 1990s drought? Anyone have a good answer? Also, is there any good site where one can find historical climatological data for our region? Info I need includes average rainfall levels, average temperatures, extreme temperatures etc. If anyone could point me in the right direction I would be very appreciative. Back to the drought. Any obvious patterns noted in the bird life pre, during and post drought? I welcome any informal observations and will check the SFBBO (CCRS banding site) data to see if they fit your predicted patterns. Heat and cicadas- Its been hot on the coast the last few days and I have heard a few cicadas. Last year I heard a cicada and found it strange as I had not ever heard one on the coast. Are they common on the coast and I have just overlooked them, or is this a strage situation? Are any of you birders on the other side of the hill hearing cicadas, and is this normal at this time of year in your locality? Had a beautiful Ring-necked Snake at Burleigh Murray State Park, inland from Half Moon Bay on Sunday. Lovely creature! Birds were not nearly as exciting. thanks, Al Alvaro Jaramillo Wildlife Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 [[email protected]] Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds 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]] Tue Jul 13 15:14:04 1999 Subject: [SBB] Pileated Woodpeckers on Table Mountain A tardy report on a pair of PIWO found on Table Mtn Sunday July 11 at about 08:20. The male was drumming near the top of a tall dead douglas fir about 150 meters past the wye in the road where the Bicyclists uphill sign is posted. The tree is about 10 meters to the right of the road on the left branch of the wye. The bord was very relaxed and remained on the tree for the 45 minutes I was there. The female was very flighty and moved around at lower elevations in the trees over a 300 meter circle, but did perch on the tree with the male twice, once above and once below him. The male appeared to ingore her both times. I had excellant looks at both very black birds with my scope. Great Birding! John Arnold ========================================================================== 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 Jul 13 16:03:26 1999 Subject: [SBB] GOEA at Anderson Lake This morning (7/13/99) we observed an adult GOLDEN EAGLE carrying a juvenile plumage White-tailed Kite in its talons with an adult WTKI harassing it. I would have liked to have seen what led up to that!!! Nothing else unusual at Anderson. good birding, 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]] Tue Jul 13 18:40:51 1999 Subject: [SBB] Bunch o' Ravens Yesterday evening, 7/12/99, at about 8:00p, 23 COMMON RAVENS flew south over Skyline Blvd. from the Monte Bello OSP area over Long Ridge OSP. The group seems to get a bit larger everytime I see them. They seem to have a night roost on the coastal side of the Santa Cruz Mtns. 1 feral pig was in Long Ridge and a MROSD trail monitor said that he saw 3. A friend reported seeing piglets with adults over the weekend. People visiting the preserves in the area should be aware of their presence and be careful. One apparently charged a group of evening hikers at Russian Ridge a few weeks ago. The one that I saw last night was of fairly good size and it had impressive tusks. It ran away when it saw me. Soap Root were in evening bloom. Farewell-to-spring (Godetia) were plentiful with a few Mariposa Lilies hanging on. Les ========================================== Les Chibana, Palo Alto [[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 Jul 14 09:52:02 1999 Subject: [SBB] RE: feral pigs, was Bunch o' Ravens REPLY RE: feral pigs, was Bunch o' Ravens I found out last night that the report of the pig "charging a group of evening hikers" was blown out of proportion. There is concern, however, that they are losing their fear of people. The South Skyline Community is concerned about their presence and have been appealing to local = agencies for help. Les Les Chibana wrote: >1 feral pig was in Long Ridge and a MROSD trail monitor said >that he saw 3. A friend reported seeing piglets with adults = >over the weekend. People visiting the preserves in the area = >should be aware of their presence and be careful. One = >apparently charged a group of evening hikers at Russian = >Ridge a few weeks ago. The one that I saw last night was of >fairly good size and it had impressive tusks. It ran away >when it saw me. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 14 10:48:38 1999 Subject: [SBB] Vasona Lake GBHE & SNEG rookery report Hello folks; We visited the Vasona Lake GBHE and SNEG rookery again early this morning. It was a nice cool 62F for a change. Here's my report: == Vasona Lake, Los Gatos, Ca., Wednesday, July 14th == The morning was quiet and cool. At first glance it became apparent that there were far less SNEGs visible then on previous days. Please see earlier reports for a detailed description of the location of the Vasona Lake rookery. Time and duration of visit: 0600 for about 1 hour. Both of the nestlings at the northern most GBHE nest were found to still be at their nest site. Although it took a while for them to rise to be counted, the southern nest continues to host 3 GBHE nestlings. We did not see any GBHE feeding episodes. Total GBHE counted: 5 chicks, 0 adults. Of the SNEG nests, only the south most nest still seems to be occupied by chicks. Although difficult to be absolutely certain, we're pretty sure that we both saw all 3 nestlings. Counting both wandering and nested young, we came up with 9 individuals this morning--3 short of yesterday. At least 2 young flew to and from the adjoining lake shore. We observed no SNEG feedings. Total SNEG counted: 6 fully fledged and mobile chicks, 3 nestlings, and at least 0 adults. Other notes: * With 2 exceptions, the SNEG fledglings seem to be congregated along the island shore closest to the trail (SW side). Independent feeding activity continues to be observed. * 3 relatively inactive Black Crowned Night Heron chicks were seen on the tree laying in the water on the lake shore just past the end of the trail. No feeding or other activity was noted. * I spent considerable time scanning the interior and edges of the island, and the adjoining lake shoreline for any sign of my Least Bittern. Only assorted ducks, coots, grebes, and crows were found. * Heard, but did not see, a Red-shouldered Hawk calling. * Observed a male Anna's Hummingbird doing one of his territorial/mating displays. End report. Best regards, Dusty Bleher Campbell, Ca. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 15 14:01:00 1999 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting All, Just got back after three weeks vacation in Portugal so Frank Vanslager took me to see the adult male INBU that has been in the Long Ridge OSP near Skyline Blvd (in San Mateo County). We were there about 45 minutes before we heard (and saw) the bird in the top of a tree (small oak?) across the meadow from the "twin" Douglas Firs. Frank said that the bird seemed to be covering the same areas as when he had seen the bird earlier. When last seen the INBU was flying up the canyon south of the "twins". We saw lots of Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Barn Swallows, a Sharp-shinned Hawk (carrying a mouse?), a Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warblers and a female Black-throated Gray Warbler (we had no Lazuli Buntings). We also had some calling goldfinches we did not try for. God Bless America and take care, Bob Reiling, 2:06 PM, 7/15/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 16 07:32:50 1999 Subject: [SBB] First year not an adult male INBU All, I am once again reminded of the true value of our birding e-mail lists when truely skilled birders are willing and able, in a gracious manner, to take the time to discuss our missed ID's. Such was the case with the INBU I reported yesterday. It's still a gorgeous bird, it's just not an adult. Take care, Bob Reiling, 7:35 AM, 7/16/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 16 10:04:19 1999 Subject: [SBB] Shorebirds I checked the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin yesterday afternoon (July 15) not long after high tide, and then the old Palo Alto yacht basin as the mud- flats there started to become exposed. Both spots were dominated by Dowitchers (perhaps even the same birds), with Western Sandpipers only in the dozens. There were no real rarities, but some stuff worth noting: PAFCB: 3 LESSER YELLOWLEGS; only 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS noted (I didn't go deep into the FCB); a few LEAST SANDPIPERs; at least 450 DOWITCHERs (I believe of both species, although the ones close enough and clean enough to identify were SHORT-BILLED); 1 CASPIAN TERN. Baylands: 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs (all in winter plumage); 9 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs (the first I've seen this season); 1 WHIMBREL; small numbers of LEAST SANDPIPERs; plus the aforementioned DOWITCHERs. Cheers, Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 16 12:29:24 1999 Subject: [SBB] Quail fledglings. I apologize for not having the address of the person inquiring last week about young quail. My response at that time was that I had not observed any young quail as yet. A few minutes ago I had 20+ quail feeding in my backyard. There appear to be two adult pair, and the rest are varying sizes of young, none of which are pudgy youngsters as I first observed last October. Barbara Harkleroad Almaden Area ========================================================================== 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 Jul 16 13:17:06 1999 Subject: [SBB] Long Ridge 7/15/99 Last evening, I walked through part of Long Ridge OSP. Of note were 2 SWAINSON'S THRUSH giving their "whit" call near each other. I was able to see one of them and it was carrying food. I know that the few SCL breeding records are along the Santa Cruz Mtn. ridgeline. While not within SCL, this area is probably in an edge block. The location was along Peters Creek about .25 mi. upstream from the bridge across the creeknear the area that the Indigo Bunting has been hanging out. I've heard SWTH singing from this area in recent weeks. (There's also what appears to be some unspotted Spotted Coralroot along the trail near here.) Further downstream, near where the trail ascends the valley side and approaches Portola Heights Road (a private road), a single dark swift zipped by me about 15 above the ground. I feel that it was a BLACK SWIFT because of its dark under- sides and size, noticeably larger than a couple of BARN SWALLOWS flying in the area. The swift flew directly to the west toward the rising fog in Devils Canyon. Les ========================================== Les Chibana, Palo Alto [[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 Jul 16 13:25:34 1999 Subject: [SBB] Some birds All, Today Frank Vanslager and I had one Lesser Yellowlegs and four Greater Yellowlegs with a flock of dowitchers (Short-billed ?) in the water bird pond at CCRS. At the Environmental Education Center we had one each breeding plumage female and male Red-necked Phalarope with many hundreds of Wilson's Phalaropes. Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:17 PM, 7/16/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 17 12:28:26 1999 Subject: [SBB] Banded Bird I found what I think was an American Kestrel carcass that a Cooper's Hawk had been feeding on. The only thing left was half of the body, one wing with 2 primaries still attached. The feet appeared to be raptor-like with talons. What was left of the shoulder was brownish tan, as were the primaries. I figure the wingspan to be about 20 inches. Anywise, it had a band marked CCRS with a sideways 99 and the number 88. I think this might be one of CCRS's bands from this year. Could someone please pass along the information. The bird was found in the middle of Modesto below a Cooper's Hawk nest. Jim Gain Modesto, CA ========================================================================== 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 Jul 17 18:31:58 1999 Subject: [SBB] Over the top Since things are a bit slow now, and I've rarely if ever visted the San Antonio Valley at this time of year, I headed over there today. It turned out to be pleasant (not too hot) but rather unexciting -- pretty much the expected mix, with some of the more secretive species not showing (I probably arrived too late in the morning); and I didn't run into a Lewis's Woodpecker at all. The one place which was a hotbed of activity (of course, I got there earlier) was the Smith Creek Fire Station. I only checked around the Fire Station itself, but found the following, among other species: - Cassin's Vireo: 1 singing (the only incessantly singing bird of any type I heard or saw), with another adult nearby, and a probably glimpse of a fledgeling (if I can use wing-fluttering as a mark). - Warbling Vireo: family group, with at least one fledgeling being fed. - Chipping Sparrow: one adult carrying food, evidently for a concealed fledgeling, since it was calling. - Lawrence's Goldfinch: family of 4, with the two fledgelings being fed by the two adults. At the pond at approx. mile 10.5 east of Mt. Hamilton there was a concentration of at least 12 adult Killdeer, although I didn't pick out any young. On the way home, a stop at the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin didn't turn up any different shorebirds, but a Black Skimmer flying by in hunting mode was nice to see. Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun Jul 18 11:05:37 1999 Subject: [SBB] least bittern This morning 7/18 at 10am I spotted a juvenile least bittern resting on one of the pond filters at the east end of the Sunnyvale Community Center pond. ( corner nearest Remington at Michelangelo in Sunnyvale) I rushed home to get my digital camera, thinking I'd post a photo, but unfortunately the bird had flown by the time I got back. The bird looked very similar in color and markings to the picture in the National Geographic field guide. There's no question that it is a least bittern. Isn't this species rare in this area? I've only seen them in Florida. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 19 09:43:25 1999 Subject: [SBB] A Brant look-alike? Sunday late afternoon at the 2nd pond east of the pump station near San Antonio Rd I observed a Brant with almost a complete white collar at mid-neck. I haven't seen very many Brant, is this 'ringneck' unusual?? ========================================================================== 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 Jul 19 10:14:06 1999 Subject: [SBB] Television Forgive me for posting a non-local-birding item here, but I thought it might be of interest. David Attenborough's series "Life of Birds" starts this week on public television. It has received some considerable advance praise - I don't know how reliable, but some of this past series have been impressive. It is scheduled for Tuesday evenings on KQED and Friday evenings on KCSM. (Times are either 8 or 9, I've forgotten which is which; and I don't know if channel 54 will carry it.) It may well be worth checking out. [Note: "this past series" above should read "his past series".] Regards, Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 19 10:18:59 1999 Subject: [SBB] Television (corrected version) Forgive me for posting a non-local-birding item here, but I thought it might be of interest. David Attenborough's series "Life of Birds" starts this week on public television. It has received some considerable advance praise - I don't know how reliable, but some of his past series have been impressive. It is scheduled for Tuesday evenings on KQED (8 or 9 PM, I've forgotten which) and Saturday evenings at 9 on KCSM. (I misspoke in my previous message about that day.) I don't know if channel 54 will carry it. It may well be worth checking out. Regards, Al ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 19 11:46:37 1999 Subject: [SBB] Clarification -- Brant In an earlier message today - the pond I referred to was near the pump house near the San Antonio Ave (not road) entrance at Shoreline. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 19 13:49:23 1999 Subject: [SBB] birds On Saturday, 17 Jul 99, I stopped at the Ogier Ponds, where I found an adult PEREGRINE FALCON of the race anatum. It was dozing on one of the power towers. At least 2 GREEN HERONS flushed while I was there, and one of them was an immature. Three WOOD DUCKS were on the large pond just north of the entrance road. Near the entrance to the Riverside Golf Course I had a family of PIED-BILLED GREBES on Coyote Creek. On Sunday, 18 Jul 99, I took a drive up Metcalf, San Felipe, and Las Animas Roads. At the entrance to the United Technologies plant on Metcalf, I had a family group of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, NUTALL'S WOODPECKERS, and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS. I also had independent immatures of SPOTTED TOWHEE and LARK SPARROW. Here as well was a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, which I believe is unreported in this block. Along Las Animas Road I had a family of CALIFORNIA QUAIL and a NORTHERN FLICKER feeding young. A HUTTON'S VIREO here is also unreported for this block. I had a dark-morph RED-TAILED HAWK in San Felipe Valley, and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS feeding young, which is a new confirmation for this block. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 19 15:40:53 1999 Subject: [SBB] Least Bittern info All, Since we are getting some reports of Least Bitterns of late, including a report of a juvenile that "looked very similar in color and markings to the picture in the National Geographic field guide", I thought that the following post to calbird by Mitch Heindel of southern CA may be of interest to our group. Reply-To: "D. Mitchell Heindel" <[[email protected]]> Hi Calbirders This a.m. (7/11), I briefly joined the Palos Verdes/South Bay Aud.Soc. monthly walk at Ken Malloy Harbor Reg.Pk., mostly around the dam at the south end of the park. A couple of interesting things were noted. The Least Bitterns have young out of the nest and are feeding them, which is the easiest time of year to detect them. Both male and female were seen coming into (feeding) the group of down covered juveniles clamboring about the tules and provided excellent views of this usually difficult to see species. They were in the tules north of and near the east end of the spillway, before the water crosses it, and would seem to currently be in the ‘can’t miss’ category. Hopefully some of the experts who did the Nat Geo field guide will get down there. They obviously don’t have a clue what a juvenile LEBI wing looks like (they’re broadly edged pale, and scaly as a Baird’s Sppr). In a week or two when the down is gone you’ll be able to see what the juvenile really looks like. I’d have rather they left the wing white with a question mark in it, than staple/paste an adults wing on a juv. bird. There is no resemblence! Another good example of how we perpetuate misinformation through a lack of knowledge. I expect more from the most modern up-to-date expert guide. Three editions, and we can’t get it right? sorry to vent on this long-time sore subject..... Mitch Heindel [[email protected]] Torrance, CA ===================================================================== Indeed the NGS plate is not that detailed - nor are illustrations in many other US field guides. For those who do not already have it, consider purchasing "A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe" by Lewington, Alstrom and Colston. Our regular birds are vagrants in Britain, and it seems they take more care and provide better detail for many species in this guide than we do over here. In any event, they have excellent color figures of male, female, and juvenile female Least Bitterns as well as adult and juvenile Green Herons on plate 5 (page 201). The text states that juvenile males lack the "dark triangular markings on the centres of the lesser and median coverts", so perhaps this is what the NGS guide is portraying. "Rare Birds" also has a nice comparison to the Little Bittern of Europe and a comparison of American and (Eurasian) Bitterns - now how often do you check for that vagrant?! Also excellent color figures of many other tough ID problems, many relevant to US birding (also some ID issues for real California rarities such as Mongolian Plover vs Greater Sand Plover). Well worth the money! 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 Jul 20 13:18:49 1999 Subject: [SBB] birds Yesterday, 19 Jul 99, as I was leaving work I saw an adult WESTERN KINGBIRD feeding 2 recently-fledged young across Hellyer Road from work. Today, 20 Jul 99, as I was walking outside work, I saw an adult LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE with a recently-fledged young bird that was doing a begging display. 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 Jul 20 15:02:00 1999 Subject: [SBB] Odd RUDU & swallows I observed an odd looking Ruddy Duck today, unfortunately its on restricted property. But I thought I might share the description, because it may turn up elsewhere and I was wondering if others have seen anything like it? It was a male with a blue bill, the body and wings were a solid, deep ruddy color. However, its head was entirely black. It was a real attention grabber. The head feathers were black (not just mud), but all other body feathers and the birds shape were perfect for a male Ruddy Duck. I wonder if this is an odd molt, or a melanistic bird? In reportable areas, I observed adult and juvenile TRSW, VGSW, NRWS, CLSW, and BASW among several adult and juvenile Forster's Tern today at Coyote Percolation Pond (Metcalf & Monterey Hwy). Its a great opportunity to study both adult and juvenile plumages of all species. Tom Ryan ========================================================================== 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 Jul 20 16:11:55 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Odd RUDU & swallows Tom Ryan wrote: > > I observed an odd looking Ruddy Duck today, unfortunately its on > restricted property. But I thought I might share the description, > because it may turn up elsewhere and I was wondering if others have seen > anything like it? It was a male with a blue bill, the body and wings > were a solid, deep ruddy color. However, its head was entirely black. > It was a real attention grabber. The head feathers were black (not just > mud), but all other body feathers and the birds shape were perfect for a > male Ruddy Duck. I wonder if this is an odd molt, or a melanistic bird? > Tom, Did you get enough detail on the bird to rule out MASKED DUCK? Mark -- Mark Eaton 1524 36th Avenue mailto:[[email protected]] San Francisco, CA, 94122-3123 http://www.best.com/~eaton http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org "It's like typing on a watermelon." - One of my coworkers on the ergonomic keyboards that are becoming prevalent on PCs. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 20 17:03:38 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] Odd RUDU & swallows I had an excellent view from all angles in good light at about 50-100 m in a good scope. I am confident that it is not a Masked Duck, I am familiar with the species from Mexico, the reasons are that it did not have the correct body & head shape and the body feathers were a solid dark-ruddy color, not the browner colored scalloped pattern seen on a MADU, additionally the head was a solid black, on a MADU, the ruddy color runs up the back of the head. It really looks like the bird has a mask on an otherwise ruddy head. Additionally, it was on an open pond with no vegetation among 50+ other RUDU. MADU prefer heavily vegetated ponds. I must admit that in the first moments before I got my binoculars on it, the possibility flashed through my brain. Although given our geographic location, I suspect if it were indeed a MADU, some captive breeder would be asking themselves, "where is that darn Masked Duck?" Tom > Tom, > > Did you get enough detail on the bird to rule out MASKED DUCK? > > Mark > -- > Mark Eaton 1524 36th Avenue > mailto:[[email protected]] San Francisco, CA, 94122-3123 > http://www.best.com/~eaton http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org > > "It's like typing on a watermelon." > - One of my coworkers on the ergonomic keyboards that are becoming > prevalent > on PCs. > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 20 18:42:07 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Odd RUDU & swallows Tom, How does it compare to my August 1998 Mystery Bird? See: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/aug.htm On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 17:03:38 -0700, Tom Ryan <[[email protected]]> wrote: >I had an excellent view from all angles in good light at about 50-100 m >in a good scope. I am confident that it is not a Masked Duck, I am >familiar with the species from Mexico, the reasons are that it did not >have the correct body & head shape and the body feathers were a solid >dark-ruddy color, not the browner colored scalloped pattern seen on a >MADU, additionally the head was a solid black, on a MADU, the ruddy >color runs up the back of the head. It really looks like the bird has a >mask on an otherwise ruddy head. Additionally, it was on an open pond >with no vegetation among 50+ other RUDU. MADU prefer heavily vegetated >ponds. > >I must admit that in the first moments before I got my binoculars on it, >the possibility flashed through my brain. Although given our geographic >location, I suspect if it were indeed a MADU, some captive breeder would >be asking themselves, "where is that darn Masked Duck?" > >Tom > >> Tom, >> >> Did you get enough detail on the bird to rule out MASKED DUCK? >> >> Mark >> -- >> Mark Eaton 1524 36th Avenue >> mailto:[[email protected]] San Francisco, CA, 94122-3123 >> http://www.best.com/~eaton http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org >> >> "It's like typing on a watermelon." >> - One of my coworkers on the ergonomic keyboards that are becoming >> prevalent >> on PCs. >> >========================================================================== >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]] -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044: [[email protected]] Fall Birding Classes begin Sept 7: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/ ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Jul 21 10:19:56 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Odd RUDU & swallows At 03:02 PM 7/20/99 -0700, Tom Ryan wrote: >I observed an odd looking Ruddy Duck today, unfortunately its on >restricted property. But I thought I might share the description, >because it may turn up elsewhere and I was wondering if others have seen >anything like it? It was a male with a blue bill, the body and wings >were a solid, deep ruddy color. However, its head was entirely black. >It was a real attention grabber. The head feathers were black (not just >mud), but all other body feathers and the birds shape were perfect for a >male Ruddy Duck. I wonder if this is an odd molt, or a melanistic bird? Tom, Another option is that its one of the following two ducks: Andean Duck (Oxyura andina) or Lake Duck (Oxyura vittata). The two are 'ruddy' ducks in the general sense. Andean Duck is sometimes lumped with Ruddy Duck. The Lake Duck is a different species without any doubt. The two live in southern South America and males look very much alike. Basically they look exactly as you describe you bird, they are chestnut, with blue bills and black heads. The Lake Duck is noticeably smaller than an Andean Duck (and therefore smaller than a Ruddy Duck?) and has the black of the head extending down on the foreneck, while on the Andean the neck is entirely chestnut. It is not impossible for a melanistic Ruddy Duck to look exactly like an Andean Duck but I have seen Lake/Andean ducks in captivity in North America (not around here though). cheers, Al Alvaro Jaramillo Wildlife Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 [[email protected]] Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds 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 Jul 21 12:02:13 1999 Subject: [SBB] Birds and bands. Birders: Yesterday I saw a colour banded Western Sandpiper at the waterbird pond. The green above red flag suggests that it was banded in Ecuador. This was an adult heading south, so presumably at least one year old. The person who most likely banded this bird in Ecuador is Ben Haase. He works the salt ponds near the town of Salinas, which is west of Guayaquil. This is the same guy who first found nesting Kelp Gulls in Ecuador and who published on the first Chatham Albatross seen in the Humboldt Current. So apart from doing biology he is an ardent birder. Keep your eyes peeled for colour banded shorebirds. Make sure you note down the colours, the order, which leg they are on and if they are above or below the leg joint. Another, albeit less spectacular, recovery made was of a Song Sparrow banded at the Coyote Creek site May 1996 which was recovered in Milpitas June 1999. cheers, Al Alvaro Jaramillo Wildlife Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 [[email protected]] Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds 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 Jul 21 12:27:28 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Birds and bands. On Wed, 21 Jul 1999 12:02:13 -0700, Alvaro Jaramillo <[[email protected]]> wrote: >The green above red flag suggests that it was banded in Ecuador. Al, Do you know a web site or other source for the Pan American Shorebird Project flag codes? Thanks. -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044: [[email protected]] Fall Birding Classes begin Sept 7: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/ California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/ ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed Jul 21 13:20:36 1999 Subject: [SBB] Purple Martins All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I saw an adult or nearly adult male PUMA and a female/immature PUMA flying fairly low overhead where the paving ends on Loma Prieta Rd. We had two fairly good observations of what appeared to be the same two birds in a 30-45 minute period. We had arrived there late (about 9:15 AM) and saw no PUMA perched in the large dead tree where they are usually seen. We also saw a single White-throated Swift, Tree Swallows, Northern rough-winged Swallows and at least one Cliff Swallow. Other birds included Olive-sided Flycatchers (doing it's Pip-Pip-Pip call in addition to the Quick-Three-Beers call), Ash-throated Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Band-tailed Pigeons, both jays, Acorn Woodpeckers, Purple & House Finches, Bewick's Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, a Red-tailed Hawk, some Turkey Vultures and House Sparrows. We saw no warblers or Black-chinned Sparrows. It seemed as though the insect count was low as compared to our last trip to Loma Prieta but, of course, I have no idea as to what is normal. Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:27 PM, 7/21/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 22 09:03:54 1999 Subject: [SBB] SCVAS Query Folks, What do the bird initials HETH and HEWA stand for? Craig ========================================================================== 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 Jul 22 17:07:13 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] SCVAS Query REPLY RE: [SBB] SCVAS Query Craig, In Bird Banding Lab code, HETH =3D Hermit Thrush HEWA =3D Hermit Warbler Les Sa Clara Valley Audubon Society wrote: >Folks, > > What do the bird initials HETH and HEWA stand for? > >Craig > > >=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]]ord.= edu > > >RFC822 header >----------------------------------- > > RECEIVED: from SF_Database by POP_Mailbox_-1279459600 ; 22 JUL 99 17:01:= 36 UT > Received: from LISTS.STANFORD.EDU by mail.auc.com > with SMTP (QuickMail Pro Server for MacOS 1.1.1r1); 22 JUL 99 17:01:= 34 UT > Received: (from daemon@localhost) by lists.Stanford.EDU (8.8.5/8.7.1) id = >QAA07959 for south-bay-birds-out506152; Thu, 22 Jul 1999 16:58:51 -0700 (= PDT) > Received: from proxy3.ba.best.com (proxy3.ba.best.com [206.184.139.14]) = by = >lists.Stanford.EDU (8.8.5/8.7.1) with ESMTP id QAA07953 for = ><[[email protected]]>; Thu, 22 Jul 1999 16:58:49 -0700 (= PDT) > Received: from [209.157.114.29] (dynamic1.pm02.san-jose.best.com = >[209.24.164.65]) > by proxy3.ba.best.com (8.9.3/8.9.2/best.out) with ESMTP id QAA07586 > for <[[email protected]]>; Thu, 22 Jul 1999 16:57:44 -= 0700 = >(PDT) > X-Sender: [[email protected]] > Message-Id: > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii" > Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 17:03:54 +0100 > To: [[email protected]] > From: Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society <[[email protected]]> > Subject: [SBB] SCVAS Query > 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 Jul 23 09:01:22 1999 Subject: [SBB] Closure of Russian Ridge Open Space for controlled burn/Purisma Creek for trail maint. Hi All, I just received this information on temporary closing of Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve for a controlled burn and Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve for weekdays for trail/road maintenance. Sorry it is not directly bird related. Controlled burn scheduled on 145 acre section of Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve adjacent to Skyline Blvd. to take place over a one or two day period between July 26 and August 6th. The actual date of the burn is dependent on the immediate weather, fuel conditions, and availability of fire suppression equipment. Only be confirmed one day prior to the burn. Beginning on July 19th significant portions of the Purisma Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve on Skyline Blvd. will be closed weekdays through mid-September. Weekday entrance to the preserve during this period will be limited to the North Ridge parking lot on Skyline Blvd. The only trails to remain open during this time are the North Ridge, Whittemore Gulch and Harkins Ridge trails. Hope this helps - happy birding. Karen To: SOUTH-BAY-BIRDS@LISTS cc: ML.KAH(Karen.Hoyt) ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 09:50:26 1999 Subject: [SBB] Least Terns Folks: On my bike commute this morning, 7/23/1999, I saw two LEAST TERNS foraging at the southwest corner of Salt Pond A2W in the medium size flock of AM. WHITE PELICANS, GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, and FORSTER'S TERNS that were congregated there. One bird was successful and flew towards Salt Pond A2E, carrying a good size fish (for a Least Tern). I assume that both adults and juveniles are staging somewhere in that area, as they have in past years. The North Pond in the Palo Alto FCB had a larger foraging flock of pelicans, egrets, and terns, although I don't think any species reached a hundred birds. 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 Jul 23 10:31:56 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Least Terns Bill & all-- How can I get a map of all or some of the places mentioned in these e-mails? e.g. I have no idea where Salt Pond A2W or Salt Pond A2E are located. Does anyone know how I can get this information? Ruth Troetschler ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----At 8:50 AM 7/23/99, [[email protected]] wrote: >Folks: > > On my bike commute this morning, 7/23/1999, I saw two LEAST TERNS >foraging at the southwest corner of Salt Pond A2W in the medium size flock of >AM. WHITE PELICANS, GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, and FORSTER'S TERNS that were >congregated there. One bird was successful and flew towards Salt Pond A2E, >carrying a good size fish (for a Least Tern). I assume that both adults and >juveniles are staging somewhere in that area, as they have in past years. > > The North Pond in the Palo Alto FCB had a larger foraging flock of >pelicans, egrets, and terns, although I don't think any species reached a >hundred birds. > > 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]] Ruth Troetschler ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 11:17:58 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Least Terns I am another local birder who has wished for several years that the AVOCET would print, once every ten years, a description (ideally with a map) so one can know where the numbered ponds are located. Hope this can be done some day before too long. Happy birding! ----------------------------------------------------------------- On Fri, 23 Jul 1999 10:31:56 -0700 Ruth Troetschler <[[email protected]]> wrote: > Bill & all-- > > How can I get a map of all or some of the places mentioned in these > e-mails? e.g. I have no idea where Salt Pond A2W or Salt Pond A2E are > located. Does anyone know how I can get this information? > > Ruth Troetschler > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----At 8:50 AM 7/23/99, [[email protected]] wrote: > > > > On my bike commute this morning, 7/23/1999, I saw two LEAST TERNS > >foraging at the southwest corner of Salt Pond A2W in the medium size flock of > >AM. WHITE PELICANS, GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, and FORSTER'S TERNS that were > >congregated there. One bird was successful and flew towards Salt Pond A2E, > >carrying a good size fish (for a Least Tern). I assume that both adults and > >juveniles are staging somewhere in that area, as they have in past years. > > > > The North Pond in the Palo Alto FCB had a larger foraging flock of > >pelicans, egrets, and terns, although I don't think any species reached a > >hundred 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 Jul 23 11:19:03 1999 Subject: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps and 4-Letter Codes (HETH) Try a visit to the website http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ to see maps of local salt ponds and an explanation of the four-letter codes used for bird species, e.g. HETH. This is a great site! TPeterson "David C. Weber" wrote: > I am another local birder who has wished for several years that the AVOCET > would print, once every ten years, a description (ideally with a map) so one > can know where the numbered ponds are located. Hope this can be done some day > before too long. Happy birding! > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > On Fri, 23 Jul 1999 10:31:56 -0700 Ruth Troetschler <[[email protected]]> > wrote: > > Bill & all-- > > > > How can I get a map of all or some of the places mentioned in these > > e-mails? e.g. I have no idea where Salt Pond A2W or Salt Pond A2E are > > located. Does anyone know how I can get this information? > > > > Ruth Troetschler > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ----At 8:50 AM 7/23/99, [[email protected]] wrote: > > > > > > On my bike commute this morning, 7/23/1999, I saw two LEAST TERNS > > >foraging at the southwest corner of Salt Pond A2W in the medium size flock of > > >AM. WHITE PELICANS, GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, and FORSTER'S TERNS that were > > >congregated there. One bird was successful and flew towards Salt Pond A2E, > > >carrying a good size fish (for a Least Tern). I assume that both adults and > > >juveniles are staging somewhere in that area, as they have in past years. > > > > > > The North Pond in the Palo Alto FCB had a larger foraging flock of > > >pelicans, egrets, and terns, although I don't think any species reached a > > >hundred 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]] -- Christina A. Peterson Science Librarian San Jose State University California [[email protected]] 408-924-2727 (voicemail) 408-924-2701 (fax) Visit the Library without Walls! http://library.sjsu.edu/staff/peterson/peterson.htm ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 23 11:26:05 1999 Subject: [SBB] Re: Salt pond maps, Was Least Terns REPLY Re: Salt pond maps, Was Least Terns All, As Bill pointed out, Kendric's SBBU Web site has the Salt Pond Maps. = As a graphic artist/birding instructor who has been intending to = produce some kind of guide to some of our less known birding = locations, I can tell you that it's not all that simple to do good = maps to these areas. A nice map was recently produced for the = Palo Alto Baylands, and I understand that the same people are = producing one for the Shoreline area. However, I doubt that the = salt ponds will be labeled. Since a good local site guide already exists, perhaps this will be = in a future update. Les ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 11:44:18 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps The site below works for those birders who have ready access to the Internet. But that leaves out many. That is a pity. At the least, perhaps The Avocet can include a small item calling attention to Prof. Smith's site. On Fri, 23 Jul 1999 11:08:58 -0800 (PST) [[email protected]] wrote: > Folks: > > Please check out Kendric Smith's South Bay Birders Unlimited > web site: http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ The salt pond maps > have been there for a number of years. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 12:08:58 1999 Subject: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps Folks: Please check out Kendric Smith's South Bay Birders Unlimited web site: http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ The salt pond maps have been there for a number of years. 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 Jul 23 12:32:58 1999 Subject: [SBB] Non-Internet Salt Pond Maps Folks: The salt pond maps on Kendric's site were originally generated as ASCII files. I will be glad to send these files to anyone who wishes them. Please request offline. 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 Jul 23 12:39:52 1999 Subject: [SBB] Least Terns All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I saw 100+ LETE in Salt Ponds A2E and AB1. On one scope pass of LETE perched on a pier on Salt Pond A2E I counted 63 birds and there were 30 - 40 more LETE perched and actively feeding in Salt Pond AB1. Salt Pond AB1 is heavily covered with "scum" and the LETE would swoop toward the scum apparently feeding on insects on or about the scum. (Least Sandpipers were also seen walking on and feeding on the scum.) Forester's Terns in the area apparently only dove for fish. Many LETE were also seen to fly off toward the northeast. (I understand that there is a breeding colony in Alameda County?) Take Shoreline Blvd north toward the bay from Hwy 101 in Mountain View, turn right on Crittenden Lane and park on the west dike for Stevens Creek. Cross over the creek and go left (north). The first partially dried-up pond is Crittenden Marsh, the next pond is A2E and the third pond is AB1. Good luck and take care, Bob Reiling, 12:43 PM, 7/23/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 13:22:28 1999 Subject: [SBB] Re: search engines/blowflies/screened bottoms [This is a re-send to all, after I clicked on the *wrong* button] Hello Keith! Tnx for the note about the bickering over Fread's retort on the search engine usage. I too felt it was time to tell folks to "cool it". But as a newbie, I was reluctant to jump in without having enough experience at the dynamics of this otherwise very pleasant and knowledgeable group. In my own interactions with others on Usenet I too am unfortunately guilty of being known for having an acerbic tongue. Trust me, compared to me, Fread's a pussy cat! I don't flaunt or exercise it on purpose, and rarely realize that I've done so until the complaints come pouring in. At the moment of my writing in that "style", *I* think that I'm being a bit 'tongue-in-cheek' and sort of 'wise-guy-ish' while trying to maintain a somewhat distant yet placid demeanor. So to all of my new friends on this group, please let me apologize in advance in case I make that egregious transgression again... Please be sure to understand that if I ever wanted to criticize or chastise you, I would always and only do it via private eMail. Good natured fun and poking, however, is always to be expected...(:-)! As for the blow fly debate: To some degree, I think I precipitated that because I couldn't find any info on them. Well, askjeves.com strikes again. For some pictures try: http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/entomol/images/blowflies/blowflies.htm (thanks, Fread). With those pictures, I now know what you all are referring to when you say "blow fly". Having grown up in a German household, I always knew them by their literal translation as, "dead meat fly" (or just "meat fly" to me...). And yes, Linda, unfortunately we *do* have them here in California. They're just not as prevalent in the valleys and desert areas. Probably due to the dry air. Dead things tend to mummify quickly. And those guys need moist rotting meat... As to Keith's idea about doing something pro-active to see what helps. I'm willing to make a couple of boxes with a screen and removable opaque trap at the bottom so that we can determine if there is a problem. How many do you think it'll take, Keith? Six? More? What size the screen? 3/8's or 1/2 inch hardware cloth should do, don't ya think? As to writing about the results...I'm willing. Anybody care to chime in? Best regards all, Dusty San Jose, Ca. > -----Original Message----- > From: [[email protected]] > [mailto:[[email protected]]]On Behalf Of Keith & > Sandy Kridler > Sent: Friday, July 23, 1999 6:58 AM > To: BLUEBIRD-L > Subject: search engines/blowflies/screened bottoms > > > Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas > Search engines: We need to move on from bickering and blame > the last few > days on the heat! Most have seemed to miss the point about > Fread's postings > WWW.askjeeves.com works for all computers no matter what the > cost! I read > his post 10 times, he simply gave (was the teacher) precise > instructions on > reaching 200+ sites using this tool to find the answers to a > question NO ONE > else (165+ people on this list) has bothered to even comment on! > If he had been a librarian would it have been rude of him > when asked > this same question to have gone to the trouble of picking out > 200 books on > insulation and then been "hung in effigy" for not reading > them for us and > writing a thesis on cool birdhouses 101? > If anyone was rude it was I. I have worked with bluebirds > in the Texas > heat for over 30 years now and have lost more eggs and young > than anyone > ever has in the history of bluebird conservation so now I am > an expert on > heat! I have posted over 10 different times to this list on > heat research > and ways to build a cool box . The long term members of this > list are sick > of me and my "heat"! When Fread made his post I uttered a > loud "Bless you > Fread" and went to work. I was shocked at the responses! Following his > instructions I found 38 web pages on chat line etiquette and > 42 support > groups for people with brain injuries total time of under 2 > minutes for all. > If we had an archive list the newcomers would have been able > to search back > on Freads posting for the past six months and see that he has > been one of > the strongest and most varied of all writers to this list! > Since January I > have saved over 45 of his best postings that I often forward > on to others > with very technical questions. Folks we have hung an innocent > man simply on > a perceived tone of voice when history shows a so different picture! > > Blowflies:It wouldn't be that hard to count out 10 Blowflies > and place them > in a bluebird nest and see if they diminish the number. I > doubt if they do > eat them in the nest. Bluebirds don't spend that much time in > the nest only > to stuff a mouth and pickup a fecal sack and off they go. > Blowflies attack > from the nest and feed on the young and the maggot looks > similar to the > nesting material! They often don't even pick up all the > grasshoppers that > the young drop in the nest while feeding. Bluebirds used to > getting meal > worms from a dish and then getting a different colored worm > in the same dish > and eating that are not the same as them searching for this > in a nest. This > would be a good experiment though! > > A screened bottom: if you did this you would still need to > place some > sort of container under the box that the blow flies couldn't > climb back out > of and count to see how many and how old of larva went > through the screen > and "fell out" of the box. If only mature larva fell out on > their way to go > pupate then you are not saving the bluebirds from these blood > feeders. In > the south (we have very few blow flies) these pupa would die > a quick death > to the ever present fire ant, up north I don't know how many > would die to > ground based insect predators but "experts" recommend > throwing the nests "in > the woods" to save the jewel wasps (Parasite of blow flies) so I would > assume the blow flies would also survive being on the ground! > I have tried to get someone "up North" with a blow fly > problem for 15 > years to work on this theory. MANY complain about blow fly > but NO one will > actually do the research (or write about it if they did)! I > guess they are > waiting for someone to do it for them! If you attached a dark plastic > container directly to the box bottom then you would not have > to use a piece > of masonite to "cover" the wire since the bottom would be > dark and simply > feel rough to the bluebird! It is still not to late to build > research boxes > and move infested nests into the test box! Lets see if > members of this list > are better than "concerned NABS members" have been over the > past 15 years! > (I am a long time NABS member so they know I am only poking > fun at them!) KK > > > > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 14:05:26 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] Re: search engines/blowflies/screened bottoms Oops! Sorry yet again! First I forget to post this note to my list. Then I post it to the wrong list! So sorry to all of you at [SBB] for this stupid oversight on my part... Dusty Bleher San Jose, Ca. > -----Original Message----- > From: [[email protected]] > [mailto:[[email protected]]]On Behalf Of Dusty > Bleher > Sent: Friday, July 23, 1999 1:22 PM > To: SBB list (E-mail) > Subject: [SBB] Re: search engines/blowflies/screened bottoms ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 14:36:42 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps Uummm, is it just me, or do those of us that read this list and would, could, or did respond to that query already have access to the web? And, if they don't have web access at all, how would having the web eddress printed in a booklet help? Perhaps a better solution for our non-connected brethren would be for us to be able to provide a printed map(s)? That, or hunt them rascals down and get 'em connected! On the issue of maps and lists...I've set for myself the task of making a list of birds that could be found in our local country parks, starting with the 28 in Santa Clara county. I had found out from the rangers that I've been working with, that there's no complete comprehensive list that covers each of the different riparian areas served by our local parks system. I'd like to put those lists on-line--after I have them reviewed by some of the experts we're blessed with on this group--for all to use when they visit our parks. In addition to that, I'm working with the parks folks to get each list made available at each park entrance for those birders willing to take one and do a tally while they're visiting... Hopefully, we'll begin to get enough of them returned to begin to use them to collect valid distribution data. Does anybody know of any such work already in progress? Or perhaps you know of a current list that I might be able to use to fill out my own research? I've found a few ill prepared ad-hoc paper lists. I'm looking for any good on-line lists. Any help would be appreciated... Later, Dusty > -----Original Message----- > From: [[email protected]] > [mailto:[[email protected]]]On Behalf Of David C. > Weber > Sent: Friday, July 23, 1999 11:44 AM > To: [[email protected]] > Cc: [[email protected]]; [[email protected]] > Subject: Re: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps > > > The site below works for those birders who have ready access > to the Internet. > But that leaves out many. That is a pity. At the least, > perhaps The Avocet > can include a small item calling attention to Prof. Smith's site. > > On Fri, 23 Jul 1999 11:08:58 -0800 (PST) > [[email protected]] wrote: > > Folks: > > > > Please check out Kendric Smith's South Bay Birders Unlimited > > web site: http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ The salt > pond maps > > have been there for a number of years. > > > ============================================================== > ============ > 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]] Fri Jul 23 15:02:39 1999 Subject: [SBB] Salt Pond Maps All, A suggestion on Salt Pond Maps for what it's worth (If you can't get the ASCII maps that Bill mentioned downloaded and/or printed properly). The Thomas Guide for Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has excellent maps of the salt ponds. I reproduced the relevant eight pages and taped them together into one map containing all of the Santa Clara County salt ponds from Milpitas to Menlo park. You can then mark the ponds as they are referenced in your e-mail, from the referenced web-site etc. As a last resort e-mail me. By the way Salt Pond AB1 should be just B1. I have had bad information, for years, but I have never referenced nor have I heard a reference to this pond before. Bill Bousman was good enough to inform me as to the correct ID. I hope this helps, Bob Reiling, 3:09 PM, 7/23/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 15:10:43 1999 Subject: [SBB] Band codes It would be helpful if the first use of a band code in a were accompanied by the name of the bird - for example - BARS (Barn Swallow) or CLSW (Cliff Swallow). Sheila Junge ========================================================================== 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 Jul 23 18:07:54 1999 Subject: [SBB] Santa Clara Valley Birding Web Sites Dear SBB People: Either we have a lot of new members to the SBB Bird List, or a lot of people have forgotten, but there are TWO web pages with a lot of information for Santa Clara County Birders (Salt Pond Maps, Bird Codes, PA Tides, SC Co Year Lists,etc., etc., etc.) South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU) http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ The TABLE OF CONTENTS is reproduced below. Birding Web Sites (Lots of good URLs) Bay Area Birding Calendar Merlie the Merlin Audubon Watch Lists SBB Mailing List Archives Search Engines & Directories Palo Alto Baylands Map Mnemonic Bird Songs Index, 3rd Ed. of NGS Birds of N. A. (Printable)) Salt Pond Maps (Printable) Santa Clara Co.Year Lists Birders Use 4-Letter Words (Bird Codes) Miscellaneous Bird Lists Backyard Bird Lists High Tides of Palo Alto Birding Documents for PalmIII Magic Trick: Can You Figure It Out? (Just for fun) ------------- Also, don't forget about the great web site for the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (SCVAS), created and maintained by Peter LaTourrette. http://www.scvas.org Cheers, Kendric ----------------------------------------- Kendric C. Smith, Ph.D. 927 Mears Court Stanford, CA 94305-1041 (650) 493-7210 (voice or fax) [[email protected]] http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/ ------------------------------------------ ========================================================================== 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 Jul 24 18:01:00 1999 Subject: [SBB] DICKCISSEL, BWWA, BKSW, LETE All, Not wanting to jump on the shorebird bandwagon, I opted to check the riparian corridor along the Guadalupe River between Montague and Trimble for post-breeding dispersants this morning 7/24/99. This proved to be a very good decision. I started on the east side of the creek just south of Montague and began working my way south, working the huge HOUSE FINCH flocks (which also held many HOUSE SPARROWS, some SONG SPARROWS and a few LESSER GOLDFINCH) for unusual finches (was hoping for Indigo Bunting or Blue Grosbeak) and the riparian corridor for warblers (thinking that if I was super lucky I could get an American Redstart). The first great bird of the day was under the lone eucalyptus a few hundred meters south of Montague. My pishing had successfully brought in a family of CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES and a female BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD. I was just about to leave when a male BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER dropped in. I got to enjoy this bird from close range for about a minute before it disappeared. The bird was in heavy molt and looked pretty mangy. Only the outer two (mostly white) tail feathers remained, all the others having been lost. The black throat and streaked flanks showed a few white spots in them that were presumably also molt related. Despite the mangy plumage, the white median crown stripe was clearly visible, eliminating the other black-and-white warbler species. Figuring that I had already gotten my fair share of rarities for the day, I was surprised when just a little over an hour later I flushed up an adult male DICKCISSEL in the overflow channel. This is only the second county record of this species, the first being one photographed at a Mountain View feeder, present from 5/28/96 to 5/30/96. Unlike the warbler, this bird was immaculate. The bright rust median and lesser coverts were easily visible, both while the bird perched for four minutes at eye level and then when it flew off into the riparian corridor. The bird was slightly larger and heavier than the nearby HOUSE FINCHES and had a larger light blue bill (with a small black tip). The crown and auriculars were gray, separated by a yellow supercilium that paled rearwards. The malar area below the auriculars was also yellow. Below the pale throat was a solid black bib, most of the time scrunched into a pretty horizontal mark because of the bird's posture. The breast below this was yellow and the yellow extended down the midline of the belly (even brighter here) between the gray flanks. After finding this bird I marked the spot with a line of brush along the lower levee road and quickly headed to a payphone on Trimble Road, where I made a few calls (inluding to the Bird Box). Afterwards, I returned to the Dickcissel spot (just before 11:00am) to continue my way south along the creek. I did not see the bird, but Steve Rottenborn left a note on my car saying that he had refound it at the same spot at about 11:45am - so it may be hanging around. Other birds of interest on the south-bound trek included 2 juvenile HOUSE WRENS (likely dispersants), 3 female-plumaged COMMON MERGANSERS, 1-2 BELTED KINGFISHERS, 7 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS (including an agitated adult female with 2 juveniles), 1 mangy molting WILSON'S WARBLER with all the tail feathers only about 1/3 grown in, 1-2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 4 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, 3 HOODED ORIOLES, 5 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS (including a singing adult male with two recently fledged young), 8+ BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, a group of four COMMON RAVENS, and 4 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS. The trip back north up the west side of the river was less productive since the clouds had burned off and the day was heating up. Highlights included a WARBLING VIREO behind the Viking Truck Yard and a few more (same ones?) of the above-listed species (including an adult male HOODED ORIOLE at an apparent nest site in a fan palm west of the levee). Breeding activity included adults feeding young of HOUSE FINCH, SONG SPARROW, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, and WESTERN SCRUB-JAY. I decided to quickly check Crittenden Marsh and the nearby Salt Ponds for Least Terns before calling it quits. Twenty-two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and over twice as many LEAST SANDPIPERS lined the southern edge of the marsh. A single LEAST TERN foraged over the marsh and up to 16 were perched on the wooden catwalk in Salt Pond A2E. Upon reaching the northwest corner of the marsh I noted an adult BROWN PELICAN in Salt Pond A2E (a dozen or so AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were around too). Sudddenly I noted a BANK SWALLOW fly by. It circled a few times and landed with some fledgling CLIFF SWALLOWS on the fence and wooden structure in the corner of the marsh here. After enjoying scope-filling views of this juvenile bird (pale fringes to the tertials, coverts, scapulars, and uppertail coverts gave it a real scaly look!) for twenty minutes I again headed back to a phone to call Mike Mammoser (who still needs this for a county bird) and the Bird Box. I returned with my camera 45 minutes later and the bird was still there! Got a few pictures. This bird was notably smaller and daintier than the young Cliff Swallows and had a smaller bill as well. It was gleaming white below, with unmarked white underatil coverts that extended quite far towards the tail tip (CLSWs had dusky tips to these feathers). Across the chest was a broad brown band with a brown spike pointing down towards the belly. When the bird lifted its wings I could see that the brown from this band extended down the sides to the flanks. The white throat above the breast band folded notably up behind the auriculars. The mouth lining was orange yellow, and some of this pale color could still be seen at the gape, again indicating immaturity. Continuing on out along Stevens Creek, I had only 7 LEAST TERNS in Salt Pond A2E, but had 54+ more in Salt Pond B1 to the north for a minimum of 61 birds out there today. Thousands of WESTERN SANDPIPERS and many hundreds of several other species were at the mouth of Stevens Creek (also 44+ BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS). A great day of birding, especially for July! Mike Rogers 7/24/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 24 18:39:00 1999 Subject: [SBB] Clapper Rail chicks Hi everyone, I led a canoe trip at the Palo Alto Baylands this morning and while we were getting the canoes ready, we saw two Clapper Rail chicks with two adults. They were very active on the edge of the cordgrass by the sailing station. As many years as I've worked out here, I don't get this opportunity very much, it was quite a treat! By the way, I lead canoe trips for the public and this is a great way to get a different view of the birds, contact me on my e-mail if you're interested. Deb Bartens ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 26 10:10:03 1999 Subject: [SBB] RFI: Black-and-White Warbler and Dickcissel South-Bay-Birders: Just got back early this mornming from birding in Siskiyou County. Has anyone tried for the Black-and-White Warbler and Dickcissel Mike Rogers had found on Saturday, 7-24-99? The last I heard was that the Dickcissel was still around for Steve Rottenborn to refind before 11:30 AM. -- 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]] Mon Jul 26 10:31:39 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Least Terns A week ago Sunday, July 18, Jeanne and I observed one adult Least Tern diving in the southwest corner of pond B1. We could not see any others within binocular range. - Chris ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 10:59:17 1999 Subject: [SBB] Monte Bello Saturday, 7/24/99, I participated in a geology hike at Monte Bello OSP. We walked the Canyon Trail, Bella Vista Trail, Old Ranch Trail to the Black Mtn. Campground, then down Indian Creek Trail, Canyon Trail, and up the Stevens Creek Nature Trail. A dense morning fog cleared by late morning. Some highlights: -A WHITE-TAILED KITE at the old(?) nest site near the parking area. Another kite hunted over Black Mtn. -WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS over the campground and Indian Creek Trail -Adult ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER feeding young by the sag pond. -PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS called along Stevens Creek Nat. Trail. -Adult with young VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS at the campground. CLIFF and BARN SWALLOWS also were seen. -3-4 LAZULI BUNTINGS; another birder coming out on Canyon Trail as we started, reported seeing 12. I saw a pair fly into the short grass just off the Bella Vista Trail about half way up to the ridge. There was a small patch of California Fuschia with a few blooms (no hummers, tho') just off the Bella Vista Trail. Les ========================================== Les Chibana, Palo Alto [[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 Jul 26 11:24:26 1999 Subject: [SBB] birds On Saturday, 24 Jul 99, I stopped at the Coyote Creek Waterbird Pond to check for shorebirds. The tide was still out but a number of dowitchers were present with some GREATER YELLOWLEGS mixed in, and a flock of 10 WHIMBRELS came and went rather quickly. Small flocks of adult WESTERN SANDPIPERS, averaging about 15 birds per, were coming and going, so I wasn't expecting too much from them. But, as luck would have it, one of those flocks contained an adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Some of the GREAT BLUE HERON nests still had fully-grown young standing in them. I couldn't see any Great Egrets at all in the nest trees. I went to Calabazas Marsh, where the pond furthest from 237 had quite a bit of shorebird activity. However, the only birds of note were 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and an alternate-plumaged SPOTTED SANDPIPER. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS have begun staging by the Bay, as I had 20 or so sitting on wires. A stop at Crittenden Marsh produced 7 LEAST TERNS foraging over the marsh, with 14 more on the boardwalk of salt pond A2E. This salt pond also had 18 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS and 1 BROWN PELICAN. On Sunday, 25 Jul 99, I went to the Guadalupe River, and after an hour and a half was rewarded with a look at the adult male DICKCISSEL that had been found the previous day by Mike Rogers. Also of note here was a family of HOODED ORIOLES with begging young. Another stop at Crittenden Marsh failed to turn up any Bank Swallow. Mike Mammoser ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon Jul 26 12:00:49 1999 Subject: [SBB] HOODED ORIOLES We have a family of HOODED ORIOLES that show up at our humming bird and oriole feeders last Thursday and they have been making daily appearance every since. The three juveniles seem to alternate between begging and feeding from the feeders. These are the first HOODED ORIOLES I have seen in the neighborhood this year. I assume that they are heading south and just stopping by to feed & fatten up for a few days. Do they breed locally? What is their preferred breeding habitat? Grant Webb South San Jose ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 12:01:30 1999 Subject: [SBB] HOODED ORIOLES We have a family of HOODED ORIOLES that show up at our humming bird and oriole feeders last Thursday and they have been making daily appearance every since. The three juveniles seem to alternate between begging and feeding from the feeders. These are the first HOODED ORIOLES I have seen in the neighborhood this year. I assume that they are heading south and just stopping by to feed & fatten up for a few days. Do they breed locally? What is their preferred breeding habitat? Grant Webb South San Jose Message I sent to the birding mail list. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 12:27:05 1999 Subject: [SBB] CCRS Access? With shorebird season fast approaching, this seems appropriate: What's the status of access to CCRS for SFBBO members? Apologies if this has been posted previously, Mark -- Mark Eaton 1524 36th Avenue mailto:[[email protected]] San Francisco, CA, 94122-3123 http://www.best.com/~eaton http://goldengate.ca.audubon.org "It's like typing on a watermelon." - One of my coworkers on the ergonomic keyboards that are becoming prevalent on PCs. ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 13:02:03 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] CCRS Access? REPLY RE: [SBB] CCRS Access? Mark and others, My understanding is that access is even more limited now than before. With the change in status of CCRS, there are unresolved issues. When things change, I'm sure Al Jaramillo will update us all. We should, in the mean time, take the reports from CCRS as merely indications of what might be present in similar habitat. Les Chibana Mark W. Eaton wrote: >With shorebird season fast approaching, this seems appropriate: > >What's the status of access to CCRS for SFBBO members? > >Apologies if this has been posted previously, >Mark ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 13:50:25 1999 Subject: [SBB] DICK Still Present This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. --Boundary_(ID_HgMX20unwdGQrZC0ai/66g) Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hello Everyone: I, Mark, and two visiting birders refound the DICKCISSEL today (7/26) in the same vicinity as the initial discovery. It perched on a one of the dead bushes on the west bank of the overflow channel for an amazing 20 minutes (12:25 - 12:45), giving scope-filling views (from the dike on the east bank). Steve Miller --Boundary_(ID_HgMX20unwdGQrZC0ai/66g) Content-type: application/ms-tnef Content-transfer-encoding: BASE64 Comments: Conversion error: (No formatted text for errno = 0) eJ8+Ih4UAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAEIgAcAGAAA AElQTS5NaWNyb3NvZnQgTWFpbC5Ob3RlADEIAQWAAwAOAAAAzwcHABoADQAyABkA AQBQAQEggAMADgAAAM8HBwAaAA0AMgAbAAEAUgEBCYABACEAAABGODE1NjAzQTdD NDNEMzExODAwRTAwQzA0RjU3NTlFNAD1BgEEgAEAEwAAAERJQ0sgU3RpbGwgUHJl c2VudABEBgENgAQAAgAAAAIAAgABA5AGAJAIAAAcAAAAQAA5AAA4THyo174BHgBw AAEAAAATAAAARElDSyBTdGlsbCBQcmVzZW50AAACAXEAAQAAABYAAAABvtepB0w6 YBX7Q3wR04AOAMBPV1nkAAAeADFAAQAAAAkAAABTRU1JTExFUgAAAAADABpAAAAA AB4AMEABAAAACQAAAFNFTUlMTEVSAAAAAAMAGUAAAAAAAgEJEAEAAADOBQAAygUA AGUNAABMWkZ1BuCaigMACgByY3BnMTI1cjIMYGMxAzABBwtgbpEOEDAzMw8WZmUP kk8B9wKkA2MCAGNoCsBzhGV0AtFwcnEyAACSKgqhbm8SUCAwAdCFAdA2D6AwNTA0 FCHzAdAUEDR9B20CgwBQA9T7Ef8TC2IT4RRQE7IY9BTQGwcTAoM0D8ARnTIzOEUX VCAHbSBDRRoENE8afxRAG68ctXlyGgQ2uRGOMTYWMR7/A4JHCdHqaxoENyDvNg5Q Ii8Dc95UCHAaBBuRIQ04INEln7UDgkIHQHQN4BoEORZO/xt4BxMdBhQwKv8etyyV IFXfDkEWXSHoLJQjiDUaYTBO9yVmLJQm5jUdkTBNKJcslFcqJgKRCOY7CW8wOL9l /Q4wNTnqOwE6vzvJOdQ78n86Xz4vPe09bzufOe8QYDL+OEO6RNFEj0WZOdRFwkQv 30f/R71HP0VvSTQ5DlBMhA9N4UYDTeACgnN0eWw1B5BoCeB0AAAD8GRjjHRsCrEA YGRqdU9QuQUQZ2gFQhYyDAFjCcDDUCADMHNuZXgXMAewFwWwAMACc3MAUHNiMksU UE9AYRPwXGsJ4HBfC5BQGAhgUFALgGVPgHb/VcABQFC7DDBRhBuQVGAEoE0LgGdF 0VIGYmEXEGQ/AiBSwFJmT7BQsFfxIDH/TxMOUFO/VM9V0wBRVlwAoP9RjljfWeZP BA/AWu9b/1XT3w5QVk9er1+/WhMzAoITEH5jU4BmgVCwWhAqUFXwIJJEARBhdSpA IFAKwIJhCcBhcGggRgIho1NEQyBmaS0PkDgBQNdVkGsTUBhiCyByCVBscrMWoGxy dzRDIRcAcAHQ/2hSUN9lf2aGarBpcAUQAjBWLWoQA2E6KRBvcdBTKHViagWQdHHQ RGH4dGU6U0Qg0Wr/bA9tH/9uLE+gWgMOIWaBVxYOUG+PzXCeUlXhFwEgSFnxBJD/ U0QkMXOvdL91z1Vfdw8PgcuCEAjQYgqwdDhk2g9UP2GweR96JoKgezALUHkv72og dhALEXulc1NEG5F8r/99v37Pbi9vP4TPhdlx8nGU33LJKuBQH4s0glM5i3+Mj+GR wERvY3UHgAIwBdDnaeA34Y/yb3eQMIkxAYD+bnJQAGAJ8GiAlCACAVMAXXeyZQDw lCBPYHA8YFzSdgiQd2sLgGQdkJfC/wTwB0AQYQFADgCJAlnimSW9AhBvBUIXIRLy cuBtC1GjcuAdADpcXHEgb2nB3m1qEAMQB5Cb0E0N4ANg5HNvAYAgTwEgDeCXEFpc nYZFAMADEC5mUHTflPAXEJAwUkGAEngBQJYh3m5PsDjQnyRpFGMDIBLz8wCABZBs dl1BYnAOcFMA/6GyAZAAIKJCmBGUYQHBobE/FuAPcAAAYnAM0AGQIC7/N/KhqA5Q omIqQFCQot+j73+k/w/AYnAFgaafp6+ov2y7HZBicGymX6sfrCUppSyPQyCp/67f rBRiICgCkf+v/6HzINCtr7Jvs3+0j6Ig/yQwtdKir7c/uE+lLBuQtd//u1+8b71/ oiAq4Lpfv+/A/7/CBAr5AzCQD4s/UjF7e7DSbAkAIEV7UXkCIHLwkwqFCoVJLJSR cmvL4PMAcFJAdHfKQJfAAJAqUNlaMWJpCyB7YSA40AIQDnXMck+waPBJQ0tDYElT U0VMzJAEcGECecFwNy8yNikg38dhznJh8AeAzNFjC4BooH/PoGYgzmPRIiyyWhAE 8G+5ynIuIMvABUCXgHIW0P0JgCACIMxQ09ETgJ1AzmP/AQDIQM1gyHBPsAQg0+HO cs53B5AFQGYQbmvUZtKyqw9AlUAgFtFugDEglpG3zFHMUADAemDTUsBtC4Drf/AH kSgOIDoOMAMwliFfZiBqAFpQ2fCKECnL4GfvaMBaItKRl4Ath3DKIFoi75hjwXAD UtSUaWJA1ZZZ8HnWNSkuyvzGxMePyJV7flNy4GjRnODKIASQ34Z9AgDjQAAAAwDx PwkEAAADAP0/5AQAAAMAJgAAAAAAAwA2AAAAAAACAUcAAQAAADYAAABjPVVTO2E9 QVRUTUFJTDtwPUxNQ087bD1FTVNTMDFNMTYtOTkwNzI2MjA1MDI1Wi04MDA4NQAA AB4AOEABAAAACQAAAFNFTUlMTEVSAAAAAB4AOUABAAAACQAAAFNFTUlMTEVSAAAA AEAABzAAOEx8qNe+AUAACDCgIIt9qNe+AR4APQABAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAeAB0OAQAA ABMAAABESUNLIFN0aWxsIFByZXNlbnQAAB4ANRABAAAAQgAAADw4MDAyRkM5NzU1 MjlEMjExQTNBRTAwMDBGOEJEQzQ2MzAyMjM0NTExQGVtc3MwMW0xNi5lbXMubG1j by5jb20+AAAACwApAAAAAAALACMAAAAAAAMABhBIeeW4AwAHEA4BAAADABAQAAAA AAMAERAAAAAAHgAIEAEAAABlAAAASEVMTE9FVkVSWU9ORTpJLE1BUkssQU5EVFdP VklTSVRJTkdCSVJERVJTUkVGT1VORFRIRURJQ0tDSVNTRUxUT0RBWSg3LzI2KUlO VEhFU0FNRVZJQ0lOSVRZQVNUSEVJTklUSQAAAAACAX8AAQAAAEIAAAA8ODAwMkZD OTc1NTI5RDIxMUEzQUUwMDAwRjhCREM0NjMwMjIzNDUxMUBlbXNzMDFtMTYuZW1z LmxtY28uY29tPgAAAOHH --Boundary_(ID_HgMX20unwdGQrZC0ai/66g)-- ========================================================================== 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 Jul 26 14:26:05 1999 Subject: [SBB] Dickcissel and Bank Swallow All. At 9 :15 AM Frank Vanslager and I had the adult male Dickcissel on the east side of the eastern dike in the top of a tree bordering a volleyball court 100-150 feet upstream (south) of Mike Rogers mark (on the lower trail). After about 30-40 seconds the bird flew east over the businesses bordering the creek and curved back toward the creek and landed about 1/4 mile downstream (as far as we could determine). We were unable to relocated the bird. We then went to the where the fence is across the dike that goes between Crittenden Marsh and Salt Pond A2E where at about 11:45 AM we saw the immature Bank Swallow. After about 14 minutes all of the perched swallows flew. The Bank Swallow returned at 12:14 PM only to leave again, with the rest of the swallows, at 12:19 PM. When we arrived at the "fence" 4-5 Least Terns were flying near the western edge of Salt Pond A2E with several more were further out over Crittenden Marsh. Along the Guadalupe creek south of Montague, in addition to the Dickcissel, we had 4-5 Black-headed Grosbeaks (one of which was seen feeding two begging young), 3-4 House Wrens (a "pair" seen together at one point), at least 3 adult male Brown-head Blackbirds plus an immature that seemed to be following a flock of House Finches (it was however, never seen to beg from or be fed by the HOFI), we had two different Orange-crowned Warblers, a pair of Band-tailed Pigeons and a female Bullock's Oriole feeding a young male and a young female BUOR (we were initially taken back by the short, relatively unpointed bills of the two young birds). Take care, Bob Reiling, 2:27 PM, 7/26/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 27 12:49:08 1999 Subject: [SBB] New Species and new behavior All, Apparently a note I sent out yesterday regarding these subjects went into the great void. 1. The brown-headed black birds that we saw were in fact Cowbirds and not a some new species. 2. While Frank and I were in the northeast corner of Crittenden Marsh I saw an American Pipit hopping/walking on the scum and eating insects thereon. I have seen Least Sandpipers and even Western Sandpipers doing this but never an AMPI. At no time during several minutes of observation did the AMPI bob it's tail as it normally would on land. Comments? Bob Reiling, 12:53 PM, 7/27/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 27 13:58:22 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] Pipit Records Nine days ago I saw two birds doing this same thing in the same area. I assumed that they were AMPI, but on closer examination they turned out to be Savannah Sparrows. - Chris Salander >From: [[email protected]] >Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 13:10:33 -0800 (PST) >Subject: [SBB] Pipit Records > >Folks: > > I have no records of American Pipit in Santa Clara County >between mid-May and late-September. Sounds like we need a really >good description. > ========================================================================== 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 Jul 27 14:10:33 1999 Subject: [SBB] Pipit Records Folks: I have no records of American Pipit in Santa Clara County between mid-May and late-September. Sounds like we need a really good description. 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]] Tue Jul 27 16:59:10 1999 Subject: [SBB] Crittenden Marsh South-Bay-Birders: At noon today I walked out to Crittenden Marsh in the hopes of tracking down that Bank Swallow. At the end of the first pond I checked the small fences on both side of the trail and saw nothing. So, I continued on down the trail only to be stopped by a Cargal Employee who asked me if I had seen the "No Trespassing" sign. No, I saw no sign. but I returned back to the first pond to view the tiny 4 inch x 4 inch Stop Sign that says "Stop Private Property Ahead". What is going on here? I looked back and watched 4 joggers pass right by that tiny sign. No sign of the bank swallow or much else except for only two of the 100 or more Least Terns. Mike Feighner: [[email protected]], [[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]] Wed Jul 28 12:23:46 1999 Subject: [SBB] DICK-not Folks: I tried Mike Roger's hay pile on Guadalupe above Montague this morning from about 9:30 to 10:30 am without a sighting of the Dicksissel he found Saturday. Claire Wolfe was there as well and maybe she got lucky after I left. Some dispersants here included a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, a male LAZULI BUNTING, and a couple of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. 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]] Wed Jul 28 17:23:40 1999 Subject: RE: [SBB] DICK-not Actually that was my sister Chris who went to look for the Dickcissel today, but she didn't have any luck either, despite looking for about 2 hours. Claire Wolfe [[email protected]] -----Original Message----- From: [[email protected]] [mailto:[[email protected]]] Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 12:24 PM To: [[email protected]] Cc: [[email protected]] Subject: [SBB] DICK-not Folks: I tried Mike Roger's hay pile on Guadalupe above Montague this morning from about 9:30 to 10:30 am without a sighting of the Dicksissel he found Saturday. Claire Wolfe was there as well and maybe she got lucky after I left. Some dispersants here included a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, a male LAZULI BUNTING, and a couple of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. 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]] ========================================================================== 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 Jul 29 17:25:04 1999 Subject: [SBB] SESA, SAND All, Steve Rottenborn found 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS (1 adult and 1 early juvenile) on the northern Calabazas Pond yesterday 7/29/99, so I headed out on a late lunch break to try and refind them. Right along the dike at the western edge of the northern pond I had 2 juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, the only juvenile peeps around. Most of the shorebirds were at the eastern end of the pond (it is drying up rapidly), so I headed along the northern dike, finding an interesting shorebird with a warm orangey head. Although larger than some nearby WESTERN SANDPIPERS, it appeared no larger than several of the larger WESAa, so I tried to turn it into a Red-necked Stint. Closer views in better light from the southern edge of the pond confirmed that the bird was just a faded, mostly alternate plumaged SANDERLING :( - still a good bird though. Mike Rogers 7/29/99 ========================================================================== 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 Jul 30 11:27:04 1999 Subject: [SBB] RFI - Salton Sea YF Gull, Yosemite GG Owl Hi Birders, We're planning a trip to see the Yellow-footed Gull at the Salton Sea September 24 and 25. Before we leave, does anybody know if they'll be there then so a person could find one? Any tips on location? Likewise to Yosemite for the Great Gray Owl September 28 through October 1. In an SFBBO owling class taught by Paul Noble, he said he has seen them around three specific meadows in Yosemite in late spring when snow was still on the meadows. My question is, are they just EASIER to see then but they are there year-round? Or will they be elsewhere that time of year? Thanks for the help. Good birding, Bob Lutman [[email protected]] ========================================================================== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri Jul 30 16:47:26 1999 Subject: Re: [SBB] RFI - Salton Sea YF Gull, Yosemite GG Owl [[email protected]] wrote: > Hi Birders, > > We're planning a trip to see the Yellow-footed Gull at the Salton Sea > September 24 and 25. Before we leave, does anybody know if they'll be there > then so a person could find one? Any tips on location? > I have seen them most consistently at Salton City on the west shore of the sea. Late summer is a good time of year to find them as they have dispersed from their Mexican breeding colonies. Other places might include Salton Sea Beach Resort and Harbor, also on the west shore (north of Salton City) on Hwy 86. > Likewise to Yosemite for the Great Gray Owl September 28 through October 1. > In an SFBBO owling class taught by Paul Noble, he said he has seen them > around three specific meadows in Yosemite in late spring when snow was still > on the meadows. My question is, are they just EASIER to see then but they > are there year-round? Or will they be elsewhere that time of year? > Late summer is not the easiest time to see these birds, but I would concentrate at Crane Flat Meadows. Alternately, try McGurk, Peregoy and Westphal meadows along Glacier Point road. Try in the early morning or late afternoon/evening.Good Luck. Screech. > Thanks for the help. Good birding, > > Bob Lutman > [[email protected]] > ========================================================================== > This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list > server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the > message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] -- Paul L. Noble [[email protected]] ^ ^ @ @ ( v ) ( ) / \ m m ========================================================================== 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]]