From [[email protected]] Mon May 01 09:42:16 2000 Subject: [SBB] Pinnacles birds -------- All: Apart the LEOW, I didn't do any birding in the county this weekend. On a family comping trip to the E. Pinnacles, I saw a male Costa's Hummingbird. Some other birders reported a Yellow-breasted Chat (at the same location I had one singing last year), but I failed to refind it in a brief search. There were a number of migrant warblers around, although most were only heard singing. I saw at least 4 W. Tanagers. 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 May 01 13:42:54 2000 Subject: [SBB] Speaking of Chats (out of area birding) -------- In regard to the recent question about places in California to see Chats, I happened to be at Sepulveda Basin in LA County this Sunday, as part of an attempt to see migrants in the southern Calif. area. Heard two Yellow-Breated Chats, one of which was incredibly cooperative and perched out in the open singing for about 15 minutes. They are breeding every year at this site according to my friends who cover this area. Other odds and ends of the trip included an adult Zone-Tailed Hawk at the Kern River Preserve, plus the usual expected breeding birds (e.g., Summer Tanager) on Friday. The hawk was found about a month ago but has only been seen a couple of times since. Butterbread Springs in Kern County was also very good for migrants on Friday, with multiple Gray, Hammond's, and Dusky Flycatchers, in addition to Western Wood Pewees and Pacific Slope Flycatchers. It was like an Empid clinic. We saw all the expected migrant warblers with the exception of Hermit. A few of the Mountain Quail were also pretty cooperative, and allowed us to view them for a few minutes by scope. Also went to the Orange County area on Saturday but found few migrants. Highlights included a Black Throated Sparrow at the Newport Beach Back Bay, and a beautiful male California Gnatcatcher at Crystal Cove Park. - Dave Lewis Division of Immunology/Transplantation Biology Room H-307 Stanford University School of Medicine 300 Pasteur Drive Stanford, CA 94305-5208 Tel: (650)498-4189 FAX:(650) 498-6077 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 01 14:19:48 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Speaking of Chats (out of area birding) -------- I also had an out of county Yellow-breasted Chat (is that like an out of body experience?). I took my birding class to Bethel Is./Piper's Slough on Saturday. We had one heard-only YBCH in the willow thickets along the Slough. Also saw 1 or 2 male Blue Grosbeak along the levee. A male Black- chinned Hummingbird was stationed at the north end of Bethel Is. Rd. Also found 2 Western Tanagers and a Selasphorus hummingbird in this location. If you're after these species, this is not a bad area to visit. While you're there, you can check out the area surrounding the town of Byron, which is where land is supposedly being purchased by San Jose in mitigation for the elimination of South Bay Burrowing Owl habitat. There seemed to be a good number of Burrowing Owls there. Of course, our local owl population will probably die out. At Round Valley Regional Park, near Marsh Creek Reservoir, we saw a male Phainopepla. This area is on the "backside" (east) of Mt. Diablo. Les Chibana -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 01 17:10:20 2000 Subject: [SBB] Some birding -------- All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I went to Matadero Creek. We found lots of fresh human trails out to and among the coyote bushes but no Long-eared Owl. We then went to Coyote Creek Field Station (CCFS). The first pond on the left (and the one behind it) was belly deep in thousands of dowitchers, a few black-bellied Dunlin, lots of "peeps" and American Avocets. The pond across from the banding trailers had several Bonaparte's Gulls. The "Waterbird Pond" was almost dry (!!!!!!) but had hundreds of "peeps" in it. We then went to the large tidal mud flat to the west of the "Waterbird Pond" where we found an overall whitish Thayer's Gull with white primaries and tertials and an essentially all black bill (among the hundreds of gulls there). On our way out to the mud flat an adult male Ring-necked Pheasant had run ahead of us until it wisely decided to fly for it. At Arzino Ranch, in one field, we had a single Cattle Egret and at least six actively feeding Burrowing Owls. Just before we left two Peregrine Falcons, an adult and a juvenile, flew over us. Take care, Bob Reiling, 5:11 PM, 5/1/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 01 17:53:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Saturday birdathon -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, On Sat., April 29th, Ann Verdi, Amy Hajduk, Jim Danzenbaker, and I did a birdathon in the Almaden Valley area, only covering sites south of Blossom Hill Road (and only as far south as Chesbro Reservoir). We started in New Almaden at 4 am, and ended late in the afternoon at the Stile Ranch Trail, with a final count of 114 species. Waterfowl and raptors proved elusive, but we did really well on owls and passerines. Best mammal sighting was a close view of a very relaxed Bobcat on the Fortini Trail. Worst miss: Golden Eagle. Amy provided the following list of bird species for the day, which I've added some notes to: Pied-billed Grebe - With young at Almaden Lake. Clark's Grebe - 1 at Calero Reservoir. Western Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Black-crowned Night Heron -Carrying material to nest sites at Almaden Lake. Green Heron Snowy Egret Great Egret Great Blue Heron Canada Goose - With broods of young at Almaden Lake & Guadalupe River. Wood Duck - At Almaden Reservoir and Chesbron Reservoir. Mallard Gadwall Common Merganser - Almaden and Chesbro Reservoirs, Alamitos Creek Trail. Ruddy Duck - 1 male at the SCVWD pond. Turkey Vulture Osprey - 1 soaring along McKean Rd. near Calero Reservoir. White-tailed Kite Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Wild Turkey - 11 along the Stile Ranch Trail, 2 along the Fortini Trail. California Quail Common Moorhen - 1 at Almaden Lake. American Coot Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs - Chesbro Reservoir. Spotted Sandpiper - Calero Reservoir, SCVWD Pond. Ring-billed Gull California Gull Caspian Tern Forster's Tern Band-tailed Pigeon Rock Dove Mourning Dove Barn Owl - Heard at New Almaden Post Office. Great Horned Owl - New Almaden, Hicks Rd. Western Screech Owl - Heard at points along Hicks Rd. Northern Pygmy Owl - Heard along Hicks Rd. near Guadalupe Reservoir. Common Poorwill - Heard along Hicks Rd. near Guadalupe Reservoir. Vaux's Swift - 1 near Mt. Umunhum. White-throated Swift - Fortini Trail (Santa Teresa Hills). Anna's Hummingbird Selasphorus sp. Belted Kingfisher Acorn Woodpecker Northern Flicker Nuttall's Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker - Near Chesbro Reservoir. Olive-sided Flycatcher - New Almaden, Twin Creeks, and Alamitos Creek Trail. Western Wood-Pewee - Twin Creeks. Pacific-slope Flycatcher Black Phoebe Ash-throated Flycatcher Western Kingbird - McKean Rd., Chesbro Res., Fortini Trail, Alamitos Creek. Hutton's Vireo Cassin's Vireo - Twin Creeks and upstream from Guadalupe Reservoir. Warbling Vireo Steller's Jay Western Scrub-Jay Yellow-billed Magpie American Crow Horned Lark - Singing in flight above the Stile Ranch Trail. Tree Swallow - Calero Reservoir, Stile Ranch Trail. Violet-green Swallow Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Wrentit Oak Titmouse Chestnut-backed Chickadee Bushtit White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Bewick's Wren Rock Wren - Singing along the Stile Ranch Trail. American Dipper - Upstream from Twin Creeks. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Western Bluebird Swainson's Thrush - Near Mt. Umunhum (heard only--"whup" call) Hermit Thrush --Near Mt. Umunhum (heard only) American Robin Northern Mockingbird California Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler - Singing at trailhead parking area in New Almaden. Black-throated Gray Warbler - Mt. Umunhum Rd. Yellow Warbler - 7+ singing males at points along Alamitos Creek. Wilson's Warbler - Guadalupe Creek, Twin Creeks, Mt. Umunhum, Chesbro. Common Yellowthroat - Pair at the SCVWD pond, female carrying food. Yellow-breasted Chat - Singing on private property near Chesbro Reservoir. Western Tanager - Trail to Bald Mountain. California Towhee Spotted Towhee Rufous-crowned Sparrow - Carrying food along the Stile Ranch Trail. Lincoln's Sparrow - Chesbro Reservoir and Stile Ranch Trail. Song Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting - Mt. Umunhum Rd. Western Meadowlark Red-winged Blackbird Tricolored Blackbird - Small flock in a field along McKean Rd. Brewer's Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Hooded Oriole - 3 along the Alamitos Creek Trail. Bullock's Oriole Purple Finch - Mt. Umunhum Rd. House Finch Lesser Goldfinch House Sparrow John Mariani [[email protected]] www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 01 18:46:51 2000 Subject: [SBB] More weekend birding, Mt. Hamilton, San Antonio Valley, and Del Puerto Canyon -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, On Sunday I took my MetroED class on a field trip to Mt. Hamilton, San Antonio Valley, and Del Puerto Canyon. It was a great day, and we saw lots of birds and wildflowers. Worst miss: Golden Eagle! Here are some highlights: Smith Creek Fire Station - A CHIPPING SPARROW was singing inside the fence. At the edge of the meadow behind the fire station, in pine-oak woodland, we saw ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, and TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, also LAZULI BUNTINGS. Along the creek we heard HAIRY WOODPECKER and saw WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, HUTTON'S VIREO, BROWN CREEPER, HOUSE WREN, and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. Pine-oak woodland about 2 miles east of the summit of Mt. Hamilton - Watched WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES bringing food to their nest. In this area we also saw a WESTERN TANAGER, PURPLE FINCHES, and a gorgeous male HERMIT WARBLER. San Antonio Valley Road between Mt. Hamilton and San Antonio Valley - We saw 1 male WOOD DUCK at a stock pond, and 2 singing SAGE SPARROWS in chaparral. In San Antonio Valley we counted 3-4 LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS. At first the woodpeckers were frustratingly far away, flying up into the stratosphere, but one kept coming closer and closer, and finally alighted close in front of us. Late in the day, while getting a cold drink at San Antone Junction, we had excellent close views of a pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES right next to the store. Many ANNA"S HUMMINGBIRDS were slurping at the store's feeders, but that was the only species we saw there. Along Del Puerto Canyon Rd., where there is a sheer cliff face on the right, about 5 miles east of Frank Raines County Park (Stanislaus Co.), we saw a male COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, CANYON WRENS, LARK and RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS, and LAZULI BUNTINGS. The Costa's Hummingbird was frustratingly hard to see--we repeatedly heard its "bullet zings," but just couldn't get a view of it. Finally it was spotted by Erin Ulrich atop a distant cottonwood. A COMMON RAVEN was sitting on its nest upon the cliff face there. For information about MetroED classes go to http://www.metroed.org/cip.htm. The next birding class will run from June 13th thru July 25th. John Mariani [[email protected]] www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 01 21:46:15 2000 Subject: [SBB] Henry Coe State Park, 4/28 - 5/1 -------- My wife and I have just returned from a 4 day backpacking trip in Henry Coe State Park. I was able to squeeze some birding in too, and tallied over 50 species. Some of the highlights: - wild turkeys (numerous) - golden eagle (2 different sightings) - greater roadrunner (near Arnold Horse Camp) - blue-gray gnatcatcher(numerous) - Lazuli bunting (2 different sightings, both near Poverty Flat) - Lark sparrow Bullock's Orioles and Black-headed grosbeaks were everywhere. I also believe I had a fly-by Lewis' Woodpecker but could not confirm the ID. On this subject, can anyone direct me to places inside Henry Coe where the American dipper has been seen? Thanks David Armstrong __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 02 13:03:10 2000 Subject: [SBB] Turkeys -------- I read recently in a book review by Steve Howell some discussion of native vs. non-native populations of Wild Turkeys in this country. Are the Wild Turkeys that people see in the south bay native or are they introduced? What about other populations near the Bay Area? Andrew R. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 02 14:11:08 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Turkeys -------- The Turkey populations locally are all introduced, which I believe is true of all CA populations. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 02 15:53:02 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Turkeys -------- True, historically there were no turkeys in California, but Sage Grouse were much more widespread before the cattle and pigs were turned loose in the late 1700s. Very hard on conspicuous ground-nesting birds. As were gun hunters. No RN Pheasants in California historically either, of course. Starlings were unusual in Bay Area until the 1950s BTW. ------------ Previous Message from [[email protected]] on 05/02/2000 02:11:08 PM ---------- To: Andrew Rush <[[email protected]]> cc: [[email protected]] Subject: Re: [SBB] Turkeys The Turkey populations locally are all introduced, which I believe is true of all CA populations. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus 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]] Tue May 02 17:22:39 2000 Subject: [SBB] Babies -------- A belated note from Saturday (April 29): at the salt pond just north of the Environmental Education Center (pond A16?), the area around the closest nesting island already had three families of Avocets with one to four very small chicks -- some looked no more than a few days old, but were swimming with their parent(s). It was also a good day for Burrowing Owls: in addition to two at the usual Disk Drive location, there were 6 individuals spread out over the corner of the Alviso Ranch easily visible from the north end of the Jubilee Church parking lot. Most were perched up/hunting; one made a brief flight back to another which was on the ground a couple of hundred yards away (perhaps with food?). 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 May 02 17:32:00 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Turkeys -------- Wild Turkey populations in California are introduced, mainly for sport hunting. The ones we see in the bay area( and elsewere in the lower areas of California) are the Rio Grande subspecies. It was first intoduced into California from Texas. The Merriams subspecies is being introduced to higher areas of the state. The turkeys on the Tejon Ranch in S. Cal are of this subspecies. Merriams can also be found in a few areas of the Sierra Nevada. The Eastern subspecies has been introduced in far northwestern California. The Merriams and Rios can and do hybridize in areas of overlap and one can find hybrids in several areas of the state. Screech. Andrew Rush wrote: > I read recently in a book review by Steve Howell some discussion of native > vs. non-native populations of Wild Turkeys in this country. Are the Wild > Turkeys that people see in the south bay native or are they introduced? What > about other populations near the Bay Area? > Andrew R. > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > > -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== > This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list > server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the > message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] -- Paul L. Noble "Screechowl" [[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]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 03 09:08:39 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Turkeys -------- All, I'm not sure that I know why the original question as to whether Turkeys in the bay area are introduced was asked. House Sparrows and European Starlings, to name a conspicuous pair, are introduced (to the entire United States). If one is interested as to whether the Wild Turkeys in the eastern foothills of the bay area are countable, introduced or not, I would suggest that they may be less dependent on human aid (than the other two) and seem to be sustaining (or even increasing) the size of their populations. The WITU populations in the eastern foothills have been wild (on their own) for many years. I even recently read that WITU from the bay area were being used to establish populations in Monterey County. Each person's list is their own (I personally don't count the birds that I see in cages at the zoo) but I do count the WITU (a native American bird) seen in the eastern foothills. Let's face it, one of these days we may be overrun with Nutmeg Mannikins, Orange Bishops, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Eurasian Tree Sparrows and parrots that seem to do well in various parts of the United States. Human intervention is natural (and it seems unavoidable). The main thing is to keep records of where, when, etc., that you see a (any) bird so that subsequent questions asked by various organizations for various reasons may be answered. It's only when comparing lists that it's important that you use the same criteria. Take care, Bob Reiling, 9:04 AM, 5/3/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 03 11:09:33 2000 Subject: [SBB] Western Tanager -------- We spotted a WESTERN TANAGER at Vasona Lake this morning in the trees to the right of the old snack shack building now being used as ranger offices. There are BARN SWALLOWS nesting underneath the fishing dock on the far side of the lake. 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]] Wed May 03 15:15:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] Ed Levin--BLGR -------- I went to the sycamore gully above Sandy Wool Lake in Ed Levin County Park this morning. About 10:30, after two hours of standing around trying to photograph orioles, I saw a pair of BLUE GROSBEAKS in the sycamore below the trail. They had sneaked past me to the water just downslope from the tree, and the male was drying himself and preening. After a few minutes they both flew back across the trail and up the gully. All the other "usual suspects" were there as well. --Pete ------------------------------------------------------ Peter LaTourrette Bird Photography: http://www.birdphotography.com/ Bird Photo Gallery: http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 03 20:28:01 2000 Subject: [SBB] San Antonio Valley Birds -------- Hi Birders- Around noon today, near the junction in San Antonio Valley, Ed Frost and I had two LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS a quarter mile south of the junction, a PHAINOPEPLA and a GREATER ROADRUNNER between the junction and the cattle guard north of the junction, a SAGE SPARROW singing at the cattle guard, a LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH behind the store, and a three foot, brown and white banded snake with white spots around the mouth crossing the road below the cattle guard. We would like to put a name to this reptile if there are any herpetologists out there. At the rock cut at about the ten mile marker on Del Puerto Canyon Road there was a female COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD in the tree tobacco above our car as we arrived, and two CANYON WRENS were in the vicinity. At the last rock cut before the grasslands at about mile four, there were two GOLDEN EAGLES seen briefly before they disappeared over the hill. One was a sub-adult. A mile from I-5 a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was on the fence line. Jack Cole ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 03 21:07:13 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] San Antonio Valley Birds -------- Hi Jack, > and a three foot, brown and white > banded snake with white spots around the mouth crossing the road below the > cattle guard. We would like to put a name to this reptile if there are any > herpetologists out there. The most likely species is California Kingsnake. There's an outside chance it was the harder-to-find Western Long-nosed Snake. If you got a good look at the nose (which is hard to do without picking up the snake), this is diagnostic. Cheers, J.D. Phillips -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 04 14:34:57 2000 Subject: [SBB] Blue Grosbeak, Grasshopper Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting & R-Crowned Sparrow -------- All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I birded the hill above Sandy Wool Lake in Ed Levin Park. On the knoll just past the "green Gate" we had distant views of one to two Rufous-crowned Sparrows singing on the ridgeline. Twenty feet further on we had fairly good looks at a Grasshopper Sparrow that was just below the ridgeline and about 20 feet north of the RCSP. Another 20-30 feet further on and we flushed a breeding plumage adult male Blue Grosbeak (a hint of rufous on the nape of the neck) from dried brush on the left edge of the trail. It flew away from us to the Sycamores giving several "chink" calls. A few feet further on and an early, first-spring male Blue Grosbeak was found in the tall yellow weeds (Mustard?) on the right side of the trail. This male looked like a female BLGR except that it had a bluish face. The BLGRs (both) were seen several times in the Sycamores, along the edges of the trail, in the "Mustard" below the trail on both sides of the Sycamores and above the trail on the lake side of the Sycamores. About the time that we found the first-spring BLGR an adult male Lazuli Bunting was heard and seen singing from the top of the Sycamore on the right side of the trail. A LABU (the same one?) was also later seen singing from bushes further up the hill, north of the trees. It is notable that all five of these birds were seen before we were half way between the knoll (the high spot beyond the "green gate") and the Sycamores! (A distance of about 100 feet.) Always take your time when birding this area. Other good birds included White-throated Swifts, Western Kingbirds and Bullock's Orioles (many, including a first-spring male). We later found a Barn Owl in a Fan Palm (lots of nice pellets at the base of the tree). Take care, Bob Reiling, 2:33 PM, 5/4/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 04 16:39:56 2000 Subject: [SBB] Yellow Warblers -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, Just started a new job at a site off of Santa Teresa near Bernal. For the past 4 days 1-2 YELLOW WARBLERS have been singing constantly (hear them every time I go outside) near the front of the building where I'm working. Today I saw a pair copulating there. The habitat is typical business park with cement, lawns, and shade trees around the building. Could they be attempting to nest in this habitat? Is suppose the rows of deciduous shade trees might substitute for the linear woodland of a riparian corridor. Possible? This morning there was also a WESTERN TANAGER calling from one of the trees. Driving home along McKean Road I saw an adult GOLDEN EAGLE land on one of the towers near last year's nest site. John Mariani [[email protected]] www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu May 04 17:39:03 2000 Subject: [SBB] birds -------- A few birding tidbits: On Sunday, 30 Apr 00, there was quite a bit of activity at the TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD colony at Ogier Ponds. Hundreds of birds were flying in and out. In 5 minutes of watching I saw 8 instances of females carrying nesting material into the reeds. There was a GREEN HERON here as well. At the Riverside Golf Course, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER was working the rock cascade in the pond outside the main building. I've been seeing a pair of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS gathering nesting material in my front yard on recent days. I don't know where they would be nesting; the nearest bridge that might provide nest holes is about a mile away. The last two days there was an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER singing in my back yard and acting territorial. This is certainly marginal habitat at best. Mike Mammoser -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu May 04 21:53:40 2000 Subject: [SBB] Santa Clara Birds -------- For the third year in a row, a Red-Tailed Hawk is nesting on the same power tower in north Santa Clara. The power tower is easily seen just north of Agnew Road at Lakeshore Drive, near the West Agnews Campus. Also at the nearby Ulistac Natural Area alongside Lick Mill Road between Tasman and Hope Drive, I've seen the following birds during lunchtime walks this week: Green Heron White-Tailed Kite Red-shouldered Hawk California Quail Common Moorhen Cedar Waxwings, at least 40 Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Western Tanager Bullock's Oriole Brown-Headed Cowbird -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 05 09:58:27 2000 Subject: [SBB] truncated messages? -------- 3 or 4 messages from this list this week have arrived w/ subject and header intact, but nothing in the body of the message (see below). Is this just my email problem or are others experiencing this issue? David Armstrong --- John Mariani <[[email protected]]> wrote: > From: "John Mariani" <[[email protected]]> > To: "South-bay-birds" > <[[email protected]]> > Subject: [SBB] Yellow Warblers > Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 16:39:56 -0700 > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 05 10:41:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] exotic -------- Outside my front door (SF, 47/Anza) in my street tree (a euc without flowers) this morning was a strong-lunged, clear-voiced singer that I had never heard before. He had completely frazzled the House Sparrows nesting under our roof tiles. They stared in amazement, so did my wife & I. Here's the description: Size: =European Starling Body shape: thrush-like, short, blunt, broad tail... but not fan-shaped or tapered Plumage: Generally a lime green, the back very iridescent, the belly a matte green...the under side of wings and tail a soft tan... a dark face mask very similar in shape and proportion to that of a Hooded Oriole with the dark running along front of head from eyes down around the beak and across throat...this patch was mostly glossly black plus light blue handlebar mustachios inside this black field. There is also a patch of golden just above the beak and on the bird's forehead. There were also faint hints of light blue speckels ( like the rust seen on the cxhest of Yellow Warbler) on the bird;s chest when the angle of the sunlight wasjust right...these might not be visible in a field guide illustration but should be mentioned in a written description Eyes: no eye ring, eyes jet black Beak: dull jet black, about 2" long, curved downward noticeably but less acutely than say the Iiwi of Hawaii, more like the Amakihi's beak... sharply pointed like a nectar eater or bird that picks insects from flowers or under loose bark Voice: carries very well, strong & clear, call is a couple or three sharp notes with a second or two in between (about the same pitch as a Robin's whinny call), then a faster series of complex notes (all at same moderate pitch) all alike...reminiscent of some Bullock Oriole sounds Could this be somebody's escaped tropical troupial? An Oriole or cousin? Any ideas? All my bird books are at home and I'm outta town until Saturday night, suggestions would be apppreciated. Skutch probably has one of these guys in his front yard. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 05 11:04:35 2000 Subject: [SBB] BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS -------- This morning at Vasona Lake, we spotted (2) BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS in the Eucalyptus trees behind the boating dock parking lot. There was another in the fields with house finches near the new large kiosk. We also saw four WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (two males and two females) in the open grassy areas about a 1/4 mile into the park from Blossom Hill Road. 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]] Fri May 05 11:37:52 2000 Subject: [SBB] [open-space] Commision Packet -------- This is our second revision of the packet we want to send the commissions.We haven't formatted it yet, so it is a bit long but font and spacing may be able to take care of that. Any feedback, both positive and negative would be great. There will be two or three letters and a map attached. Paul and Jan: Let us know where you want to go from here. If you want to take it from here that is fine, we can concentrate on other things. If you want us to continue with this that is fine also. We are getting more letters from city council today and will have approval and copies soon. As for logistics of printing and distribution, let us know. Thanks David __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ -------- Attachment A River Park for Rivermark.doc A River Park for Rivermark.doc 27.1 KBytes -------- From [[email protected]] Fri May 05 12:01:19 2000 Subject: [SBB] test-please disregard -------- -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 05 15:48:21 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] [open-space] Commision Packet -------- I have no idea what the post referred to in my title is about, or why it belongs on south-bay-birds. Given that the text is very vague, this is a particularly bad time to be opening EMail attachments from unknown (at least to me) sources. If this was a real post about a real topic relevant to south-bay-birds, I apologize. But caution is certainly advisable. 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]] Sat May 06 10:21:04 2000 Subject: [SBB] Wild Turkeys (more) -------- Folks: As many have noted, Wild Turkeys are an introduced bird in California and, compared to such old introductions as Ring-necked Pheasant, are recent. My best information (which does not tap into DF&G records) for the nine Bay area counties is as follows. Successfully introduced in 1970s, Sonoma County (Burridge, B. 1995. Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas). Precocial young, Long Ridge OSP, San Mateo County, 8 Jul 1997 (Peter J. Metropulos). Breeding at least since 1972, Santa Clara County (Am. Birds 27:814). Introduced in Arroyo Mocho area, Alameda County, prior to 1965 (Howard L. Cogswell). Probable nesting, Contra Costa County, since early 1990s (Steven A. Glover). Nest with eggs, Green Valley near Wild Horse Creek, Solano County, 15 May 1983 (fide Robin Leong). Fledged young, Silverado Trail, Napa County, 22 Jun 1986 (fide William T. Grummer). If anyone knows of breeding evidence for specific locations and dates in any of these counties, I would appreciate it if you would provide me the information. 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]] Sat May 06 16:01:12 2000 Subject: [SBB] Play nests? -------- Has anyone heard of "play nests" in Western Scrub Jays? This year a WESJ pair constructed a nest just outside our window where we could watch the goings on at close range. After the nest was completed, a jay sat on the nest for more than 2 weeks (possibly as much as 3). About the time when we thought there should be young soon, the jays disappeared. When we looked at the nest, it was perfect, undamaged in any way, but there were no eggs or young inside. There are no cats or other egg predators nearby as far as we have ever seen. Suggestions? Ruth Troetschler 184 Lockhart Lane Los Altos, CA 94022 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]] Sat May 06 18:30:30 2000 Subject: [SBB] LAGO and BLGR -------- All, At Ed Levin Park this afternoon the BLUE GROSBEAK continues in the small sycamore grove on the hillside above the lake. The bird was first seen below the trail in the fennel and then moved up into the sycamores before going back down the slope. As well there were at least four LAZULI BUNTINGS present. WHITE-THROATED SWIFT appeared briefly among the many swallows. Two SELASPHORUS hummers buzzed through the eucalyptus trees near the horse corral. At Joseph D. Grant Regional Park earlier in the day our Palo Alto Adult School Beginning Birding group had a pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES and many of the expected land birds. The LAGOs were drinking in small stream near the dribble pond next to the farmhouse. YELLOW, WILSON'S, ORANGE-CROWNED and a single YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER were also among the willows in the same area. BULLOCK'S ORIOLES abounded! WESTERN TANAGER, LAZULI BUNTINGS, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS and WESTERN KINGBIRD (by the lake) were also seen. A full report of this trip and many of our group's previous trips can be found at the following url: http://www.birdguy.net/trip_report.html Matthew Dodder http://www.birdguy.net -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 06 19:37:58 2000 Subject: [SBB] Yellow Warblers, Rancho del Oso -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, Yesterday (Fri.) the male YELLOW WARBLER continued his constant serenading at my job site on San Ignacio near Bernal. Does anyone out there know if they are ever found nesting in non-riparian situations such as a landscaped "business park"? These birds have been here for at least 5 days singing, copulating, and generally acting like a breeding pair. Today we had a MetroED class field trip to Rancho del Oso, and walked the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail inland as far as Camp Herbert. No Pileated Woodpeckers, but we saw and heard lots of other species. The highlight was a singing MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER that posed for us in a willow near the nature center. Along the Marsh Trail we also had nice looks at CASSIN'S VIREO and SWAINSON'S THRUSH. The thrushes were calling frequently but only a couple were heard singing during our hike. As usual, WILSON'S WARBLERS were abundant along Waddell Creek. Their breeding density there is probably as high as it gets. John Mariani [[email protected]] www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun May 07 09:03:11 2000 Subject: [SBB] Ed R Levin & Vasona -------- We finally got to see the BLUE GROSBEAK that's been reported at the Sycamore clump past the "green gate" above the lake. We only netted a rather pathetic 35 birds for the day. Besides the usual list of suspects and the "first spring" BLGB, we got an apparently solitary WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, a WESTERN TANAGER pair, a nesting pair of LESSER GOLDFINCHES. Lots of WESTERN KINGBIRDS and BULLOCKS ORIOLES were also evident. We were not able to find the Lazuli Buntings, nor the Selasphorus hummers reported to be near the stables. Our nest box trail in the park is doing well with CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, TREE SWALLOWS, and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS about to fledge. The nest boxes are 50% occupied at the moment. If all continues to go well, we should fledge some 35 birds over the next two weeks. On a sadder note; Penny and I are also doing the Vasona Lake rookery reports. It seems that one of our adult GREAT EGRETs seems to have suffered an unexpected demise in the tree on the south side of the island. 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]] Sun May 07 16:56:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] Stilt Sandpiper at CCFS -------- I visited CCFS this afternoon, and found an alternate-plumaged Stilt Sandpiper with Dowitchers (Long-Billed, at least) and Dunlin in the first (southmost) pond along the levee road. Afterwards I ran into a bander who told me Nick (Lethaby, I assume) had seen one (presumably the same) yesterday; but since it's not yet been announced to the EMail list I thought I would put it out. Of course, you have to be an SFBBO member (or a guest of one) to gain access. Another pond here had about 95 Bonaparte's Gulls, only a few of them in alternate plumage. AL Eisner -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun May 07 20:33:17 2000 Subject: [SBB] migrants -------- Today, Sunday, while walking the dog in the mists, I saw two Solitary Vireos and two female Western Tanagers in the Frenchman Road triangle area on the Stanford campus. - dave David B. Lewis Division of Immunology/Transplantation Biology, Room H-307 Stanford University School of Medicine 300 Pasteur Drive Stanford, CA 94305-5208 Tel: (650) 498-4189 FAX: (650) 498-6077 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 08 08:11:05 2000 Subject: [SBB] Coyote Ridge, May 6 -------- Hello All - On Saturday, May 6, Clysta Seney and I joined members of CNPS (Calif Native Plant Society) for a scouting trip to Coyote Ridge located east of Hwy 101 near the Kirby Canyon landfill (opposite side of the highway from the Ogier Ponds). This location is on non-accessable property, but I wanted to report on the birds seen and heard there. Not too many birds were seen or heard on this cool windy day on the short-grass serpentine ridge: however, we came up with 27 species. Of greatest interest were the sparrow species, and we saw LARK SPARROW, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, SAGE SPARROW, and one member of the party reported a heard-only GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Other birds seen/heard include Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Mallard (in a holding pond), Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, N. Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Rock Wren, Horned Lark, American Crow, Common Raven (pair), W. Scrub Jay, Oak Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Kingbird, Lazuli Bunting, Calif Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Brewer's Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch. Ann -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 08 11:12:32 2000 Subject: [SBB] Cooper's Hawk in DeAnza Park -------- Yesterday at dusk Joan and I saw a pair of Cooper's Hawks in DeAnza Park (in Sunnyvale, near Remington and Mary). They were interacting as though there is a nest, but it was too dark to tell. Cooper's Hawks raised two young in the park two years ago. I'll check them out further in the next few days. Charles Coston ___________________________________________________________________ Get your free, permanent e-mail @www.com, the original Net address! - http://www.com/freemail Listen to your favorite music while you work! - http://www.com/radio -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 08 11:14:20 2000 Subject: [SBB] Sunday Birds -------- Hello All: On Sunday May 7, I birded Steven's Canyon for all the arriving summer species. The light rain kept everybody singing the entire morning. The winter birds are all gone but I saw 50 species total. The highlights were a winter-plumaged PACIFIC LOON (some gray feathers coming in on the neck) and a CASPIAN TERN at the reservoir; a GREAT-BLUE HERON at Camp Castonoan; 10 singing YELLOW WARBLERS (I saw 3 of the females as well), 3 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS (Eucalyptus), 4 singing CASSIN'S VIREOS, 1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH, all along the lower creek; a DOWNY WOODPECKER feeding young near the group picnic area; no Dippers and not many other warblers. Steve Miller -------- Attachment 2.6 KBytes -------- From [[email protected]] Mon May 08 11:40:08 2000 Subject: [SBB] SCVAS Mines Road trip -------- I had never been on Mines Road, or anywhere in the area of this SCVAS trip. We began at the Highway #5 Patterson Road exit on Saturday, May 6 at 8:30AM. At .2 miles we had a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW sitting on a fencepost along the road with an adult and immature GOLDEN EAGLE soaring in the valley behind it. At .7 miles we stopped because a BURROWING OWL flew in front of us. It landed on a fence post, next to a second one. Then I noticed a couple of "different" birds sitting on a fence closer to us. They were lifers for me, BLUE GROSBEAKS, a male and a female. They flew to the thistle behind the fence the owls were sitting on. Then on another post, between the grosbeaks and the owls was an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER. Birds were within perhaps 20 feet of each other. Definately a sight to behold. We saw LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES at several locations and the LEWIS WOODPECKER where it had been reported sighted. A BARN OWL was inside a hole in some high rocks...easy to detect due to the whiteness below the hole. Had wonderful views of COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRDS at 2 different locations. A pair of NORTHERN-ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were nesting in the bank next to the road. A pair of CANYON WRENS appeared to be nesting. Altogether we had 6 GOLDEN EAGLES. A pair of PHAINOPELPLA were at the last stop on our trip. I saw 64 species...if you add to that birds I missed or birds heard, the trip list was probably 80. A delightful day with perfect weather. Gloria LeBlanc "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 08 15:00:15 2000 Subject: [SBB] Mines Rd., San Antonio Valley, Del Puerto Cyn. -------- Hi all, [Sorry for the cross posting duplicates that some of you may get.] On Sat., 5/6/00, I took part of my birding class on our spring run down the Mines Rd. route, starting in Alameda County, into Santa Clara County, finishing in Stanislaus County. Alameda County: At the Murrietta Wells Winery stop, we found a very vocal pair of AMERICAN KESTREL visiting one of the nest boxes along the creek. They were both going in and out the box, and I don't think any carrying of food or nesting material was noticed. About 40 feet downstream, at the next box, a female WOOD DUCK was checking out the accommodations; she eventually entered this box. Her mate was perched nearby on a snag over the creek. These boxes are the obvious ones on the west bank about 100 yds. north of the winery access road and are easily viewed from the edge of the vineyards on the east side. Directly west of this point, sighting along and on the northside of the telephone lines crossing the creek, is a grove of tall eucalyptus. A dark morph RED-TAILED HAWK was perched here above a nest with 3 visible, fuzzy nestlings. No Great Horned Owl nest was seen this year in this area. Along Mines Rd. just past the fork to Del Valle Reservoir, we saw 4 GOLDEN EAGLEs. 2 were subadults. At the bridge near MP 4.7, a male PHAINOPEPLA appeared to be going to a nest above the home on the west side of the road. There was a WESTERN KINGBIRD nest in this tree also. Near MP 5.5 before the sharp bend with a lot of sticky monkey flowers, we pulled over because the Mt. Diablo Audubon was stopped at the higher turnout. This proved to be fortuitous for us as we had two singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS in the sage below the road. Santa Clara County: We didn't stop, but the creek area around Ruthie's Treasures n' Trash was quiet and the riparian vegetation was thin and low. It wasn't as thick as a couple of years ago, when Yellow-breasted Chat was found. A pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH made a showing at the Junction, going to the fiddleneck at the edge of the parking lot. A female selasphorus hummingbird was among the crowd of ANNA'S at the Junction. WESTERN BLUEBIRD and EUROPEAN STARLING were nesting in the trees above the picnic tables. These oaks were THICK with some kind of lepidoptera larva; they were crawling over several tables and up your legs if you set your feet on the ground. More LAGO were seen at the firestation. About .25 mi. south of the Junction, 2 LEWIS'S WOODPECKER were seen apparently carrying food to a nest. About 4.5 mi. south of the Junction we found CHIPPING and LARK SPARROW. Stanislaus County: At the turnout at MP 10.4(?), we had CANYON WREN, a distant male COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, and another hummer that appeared to be an immature Costa's, but I don't know if a fledgling would be expected at this time. It looked like a Costa's in shape and size, it was a bit dusky on the flanks and the bill looked proportionately long and curved, compared to Anna's. I supposed a young Black-chinned is also a possibility. It it didn't seem white enough on the undersides to be a female BCHU. A COMMON RAVEN nest is above the turnout in road cut. A SAY'S PHOEBE was seen along the road further east. At the popular Costa's Hummer spot east of the grafitti rocks, we had another gorgeous male COSTA'S. The only warbler seen was a singing WILSON'S. BULLOCK'S ORIOLEs were easily the most abundant bird of the day; they seemed unusually plentiful. No Sage Sparrows at the cattle guard, not even a peep of a song. No Lazuli Buntings. No Grasshopper Sparrows, no Burrowing Owls. 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 May 08 17:25:18 2000 Subject: [SBB] birds -------- Some birding highlights from this weekend: On Saturday, 6 May 00, I went to Almaden Reservoir and birded Alamitos Road at the feeder creek end. It was quite birdy here, with lots of singing. A female YELLOW WARBLER was carrying nesting material high into an oak along the road. A female selasphorus hummingbird was foraging through the trees in a manner that indicated she was looking for insects or nesting material (no flowers), and I assume she is a resident ALLEN'S. A pair of WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES was present, with the female checking out nest sites. PURPLE FINCHES were singing and feasting on willow catkins. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was singing from the top of a nearby eucalyptus. A female COMMON MERGANSER was in the creek in front of the O'Day's residence. On Sunday I birded along the Bay edge. Nothing too fantastic. I had a flock of about 25 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in the impoundment north of Alviso Marina. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON was along the entrance road into the EEC. 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 May 09 04:47:24 2000 Subject: [SBB] Weekend birds -------- On Saturday, I checked out CCFS in the morning. The was a mostly summer-plumaged Stilt Sandpiper in with the many dowitchers. There were also 105 Dunlin, but not much else, although I found 6 Red-necked Phalaropes in quick check in the afternoon. Later that morning I headed up to Loma Prieta. I found a singing Black-chinned Sparrow there, past where the paving ends (the road is paved further than it used to be). Other highlights included Lazuli Bunting, California Thrasher, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. A quick check of the impoundment N of the Alviso marina turned up disappointingly few shorebirds. On Sunday, I had time for a quick of CCFS again. In addition to the Stilt Sandpiper, I found 2 Western Kingbirds and a Warbling Vireo, although the swarms of mosquitos deterred me from a serious look for passerine migrants. 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]] Tue May 09 09:02:21 2000 Subject: [SBB] CEWA -------- Yesterday, 8 May 00, I had a flock of 15-18 CEDAR WAXWINGS along Coyote Creek south of Hellyer. It should be getting towards the end of their winter stay in the area. 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 May 09 09:25:16 2000 Subject: [SBB] WHPE -------- Folks: There were seven AM. WHITE PELICANS in the North Pond at the Palo Alto FCB this morning, 5/9/2000. I saw only two BLACK SKIMMERS on the small island in the SE corner of Salt Pond A1. 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 May 09 10:28:28 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- I've still been seeing Cedar Waxwings in many places. Just this morning, a small flock flew by my office near the Forebay. We saw them along Mines Rd. this weekend. I recall that Steve Rottenborn noted that they often linger into June. >From your subject line, I honestly thought that you had found a Cerulean Warbler! Les Chibana On Tuesday, May 9, 2000, Mike Mammoser <[[email protected]]> wrote: >Yesterday, 8 May 00, I had a flock of 15-18 CEDAR WAXWINGS along Coyote >Creek south of Hellyer. It should be getting towards the end of their >winter stay in the area. > >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 May 09 10:52:42 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re:SF fallout -------- In San Francisco Sunday and yesterday morning we experienced an unusual spring migrant fallout...several places that were birded produced high denisity of northbound migrants: Lobos Dunes, field west of LIncoln Park Golf Course, North Lake in Golden Gate Park, Mt. Davidson, Glen Canyon. Today conditions were back to normal. In addition to very large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, species included: Bul Or B-H Gros Laz Bunting GC Sparrow Wilson Warblers Town Warb Herm Warb OC Warb Yel Warb at least one Macgil Warb and one Chat Sw Thrush PS and OS Flyc and a Hammond's Flyc Warb Vireo and Sol Vireo...also two Spotted Sandpipers in unusual locales It is likely that the low pressure, very low fog and steady, unseasonal rain combined to force more migrants to stop in the city where in normal years they would have kept flying the few more miles to more open spaces...and once down they needed to eat and the acres of cement forced them into the slices of habitat that afforded feed All of species were those that regularly migrate along West Coast, but the density was extraordinary...I saw probably 60 individual Wilson Warblers in a limited space in less than an hour Monday morning, other birders out Monday reported similar unusual densities of some species At one point mid-day Sunday I witnessed what I can only call a stream of OC Warblers, feeding frantically and flying along a field near the VA Hospital, certainly over a hundred birds seen in fifteen minutes, and due to very low fog and heavy rain those more than fifty feet overhead would have been invisible...there were a few other birds in with them, but it was nearly a pure OC Warbler flock...it was the kind of thing you see at Cape May in the fall...sadly I think the birds were in dire straits, hungry, fog-bound and driven north by the hormones in bad weather....hope they made it across the Golden Gate. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 11:11:01 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- It's my experience too that they will stay into early June. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 12:50:10 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- Waxwings into the first week of June are normal for the central coast region. But it has been my impression that in May and June we do not so much have lingering birds as we have a passage of migrants. On many occasions I've seen strong north-bound flights involving many flocks, and (at least in Santa Cruz County) it is not unusual for overall numbers to increase quite a bit in May versus late winter and early spring. David Suddjian, Capitola [[email protected]] -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 09 14:47:40 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- I would agree, based on observations at my apartment complex, that Waxwings actually get commoner in spring. I almost liken to the influxes of Evening Grosbreaks that occur in Portland (and the Willamette Valley) in OR in April/May. Perhaps there is some food source the waxwings like right now. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 09 14:53:32 2000 Subject: [SBB] Some county birds -------- All, This morning during a quick check of Alum Rock Park (North Rim Trail and the Todd L. Quick Loop Trail) Frank Vanslager and I saw a singing Canyon Wren (on stacks of wood in a fenced-off area just past the east end of the parking lot), Lazuli Buntings (a few seen but several more heard singing), Rufous-crowned Sparrows (a few seen, one singing), a pair of Western Kingbirds, at least one silent Olive-sided Flycatcher, at least one Western Wood Pewee (one seen another heard calling), several Ash-throated Flycatchers, many Bullock's Orioles (including first spring adult males), Black-headed Gosbeaks and male selasphorous hummingbirds. A Hutton's Vireo was easily heard in the valley and a Western Tanager was heard doing it's two note call but we were unable to find it. We then went to CCFS to try and find the Stilt Sandpiper. Unfortunately the first pond (in which it was found) was essentially empty, the pond near the trailers had perhaps a hundred dowitchers, two Dunlin and two Marbled Godwit (Black-necked Stilts & avocets). White-throated Swifts and Tree Swallows flew low overhead. We then checked out the "Waterbird Pond" which is now over full, compared to a week ago when it was nearly dry. The pond was so full that, after circling several times, gulls would not land (it was apparent that they wanted to land). The pond did have a few ducks including a Northern Pintail and Cinnamon Teal. Take care, Bob Reiling, 2:48 PM, 5/9/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 15:05:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] Stilt Sandpiper -------- The STILT SANDPIPER was at the first pond to the left of the road at CCFS at about 9:30 this morning. It was with a large flock of Dowitchers and about 30 DUNLIN. Kathy P. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 16:06:26 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- At 2:47 PM -0700 5/9/00, [[email protected]] wrote: > Perhaps there is some food source the waxwings like right now. ------------------------------------------------ They seem to feast on privet berries in spring in my neighborhood. Other berry sources are long gone. Ruth Troetschler 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]] Tue May 09 18:00:23 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- In a message dated 5/9/00 2:46:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [[email protected]] writes: << Perhaps there is some food source the waxwings like right now. >> An abundant natural food source that waxwings favor in spring are flowers of madrone trees, common in the Santa Cruz Mountains. David -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 18:19:41 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- Just to add to the thread, I've had a flock of Cedar Waxwings at my apartment complex next to Sunnyvale Community Center nearly every morning for about 2 weeks. Michael Wienholt -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 18:44:04 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: CEWA -------- To put my two cents worth in.... In my neighborhood, there is a flock of CEWA that show up every year about mid-March and strip the local holly trees and pyracantha bushes. They roost in my neighbor's Chinese Elm tree. It usually takes them about 2 weeks and then they leave. This year, they didn't show up until Apr. 17, and I last saw them Sunday. Every tree and bush is now bare of berries. Kathy P. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 19:10:36 2000 Subject: [SBB] CEDW vs. CEWA -------- People-- The list I have gives the code for Cedar Waxwing as CEDW. Cerulean Warbler is CERW. I don't know what CEWA is. --Pete ------------------------------------------------------ Peter LaTourrette Bird Photography: http://www.birdphotography.com/ Bird Photo Gallery: http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 09 21:41:19 2000 Subject: [SBB] Poorwills, owls, etc. -------- All, I spent the night out at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills on Weds. 5/3/2000, in part to check into old but persistent reports of poorwills in the area in previous seasons. Sure enough, at least two Common Poorwills began calling energetically between 2 and 3 am before they were drowned out by dogs and roosters. Two or more were heard again calling as late as 5:30 AM on 5/4 as I sought them out on the trail proceeding upslope from the youth hostel. I was not able to locate the birds visually. Owls heard on the same night included at least one Western Screech Owl (heard throughout the night at various locations), a Barn Owl calling in flight, and a duet between two Great Horned Owls. A walk at first light on 5/4 up into the ridgeline chaparral yielded only one Lazuli Bunting and several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (other than the routine "unmentionables"). On the early morning of 5/5 I stopped in at Monte Bello OSP to see if there were any unusual sparrows about. None were encountered in the vicinity of the main parking lot, but a couple more Lazuli Buntings were actively chasing each other around the Los Trancos OSP parking area just across the road. At least two Western Tanagers continued at Hidden Villa through 5/4; one was seen and heard today (5/9) as well. Purple Finches were especially vocal at numerous locations at the farm today. At least 15 butterfly species are currently flying at Hidden Villa (details available on request.) It is the richest butterfly viewing area I've encountered in the Bay Area to date, due in large part, I suspect, to the nutrient-rich leavings of the farm animals there. --Garth Harwood -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 10 09:35:29 2000 Subject: [SBB] Cedar Waxwings. -------- Birders: My vote is that these May influxes of waxwings are migratory movements. This species is a late migrant throughout its range, the fact that they are nomadic makes them a bit harder to pin down. It would be interesting to find out how far south these birds are coming from! One point that has not been mentioned is that waxwings are diurnal migrants and they flock, therefore they are much more likely to be noticed than are other migrants. Most of these flocks you see going over are in active migration, if you pay close attention to the general direction they are moving in you will find that most are going north right now. Any place where you see lots of migrating flocks of waxwings at this time of year are spots to check reguarly for other diurnal migrants (Western Kingbirds, swallows, robins, blackbirds, bluebirds, Purple and House Finches, pipits etc.). I think that we have not yet discovered the good places to look for diurnal migrants, particularly in the Peninsula and San Francisco, where these birds are more likely to be concentrated. Speaking of diurnal migrants, there were 5 Western Kingbirds at CCFS yesterday. All on the fence bordering the levee. They were joined, by a fence perching Ash-throated Flycatcher! No Stilt Sandpiper seen amongst the Long-billed Dowitchers and Dunlin. cheers, Alvaro Alvaro Jaramillo Senior Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 (408)-946-6548 http://www.sfbbo.org/ Home of the California Fall Challenge!! [[email protected]] Birds of Chile and 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 May 10 11:00:19 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Cedar Waxwings -------- Alvaro wrote: > My vote is that these May influxes of waxwings are migratory movements. > This species is a late migrant throughout its range, the fact that they are > nomadic makes them a bit harder to pin down. It would be interesting to > find out how far south these birds are coming from! One point that has not > been mentioned is that waxwings are diurnal migrants and they flock, > therefore they are much more likely to be noticed than are other migrants. > Most of these flocks you see going over are in active migration, if you pay > close attention to the general direction they are moving in you will find > that most are going north right now. Any place where you see lots of > migrating flocks of waxwings at this time of year are spots to check > reguarly for other diurnal migrants (Western Kingbirds, swallows, robins, > blackbirds, bluebirds, Purple and House Finches, pipits etc.). I think that > we have not yet discovered the good places to look for diurnal migrants, > particularly in the Peninsula and San Francisco, where these birds are more > likely to be concentrated. About a week ago (sorry, I don't recall the precise date) I had up to 180 Waxwings in several flocks along Stevens Creek north of L'Avenida. And yes, their general direction of movement was north, toward the Bay (although they were certainly taking their time about it, mainly feeding). But I didn't see much in the way of other migrants on Alvaro's list -- well, lots of House Finches, but how do I know if they are migrants? [Not much in the way of nocturnal migrants, either -- a bunch of Wilson's Warblers and a Warbling Vireo.] By the way, I can't resist noting that the one professional ornithologist to post on this thread has used the full species name. How many list members did we lose by heart attack at the thought of a Cerulean Warbler somewhere out there to be found (before they ever read the clarifying text)? Just another pitch for speaking in English.... 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]] Wed May 10 11:32:37 2000 Subject: [SBB] Lazuli Bunting -------- We spotted a LAZULI BUNTING over at Oka Ponds this morning. He was over in the back of the most southerly perc pond next to the freeway. We also saw a few CASPIAN TERNS among the many FORSTER'S TERNS fishing in the ponds that are on the other side of the foot bridge. 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]] Wed May 10 12:44:45 2000 Subject: [SBB] migrants along Summit Road -------- Hello SBB, Continuing the CEDAR WAXWING thread, I was at Summit Road along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains this morning (4 to 5 miles northwest of junction with Mt. Madonna Road) and saw about 900 waxwings flying north and northwest along the ridge. They were in numerous flocks, mostly 20-40 per flock. These sorts of numbers are not unusual along the ridgelines in May. Also noted going northwest along the crest were 12 BLACK SWIFTS which passed by in flocks of 1-4 birds, and about 40 VAUX'S SWIFTS. Nocturnal migrants in the knobcone pine forest included at least 12 HERMIT WARBLERS, 45-50 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, about 15 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, about 20 WESTERN TANAGERS and small numbers of other assorted species. I walked down the road at Croy Ridge off Summit Road and had a male and female PURPLE MARTIN flying around about 0.5 miles from Summit Road. I have found martins nesting in this area in the past. David Suddjian, Capitola [[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 May 10 12:53:04 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Cedar Waxwings. -------- In a message dated 5/10/00 10:19:26 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [[email protected]] writes: << I think that we have not yet discovered the good places to look for diurnal migrants, particularly in the Peninsula and San Francisco, where these birds are more likely to be concentrated. >> Well, one good place is in Santa Cruz County at the head of the San Lorenzo River watershed at a spot called Summit Meadows. It is the grassland area along the upper section of Highway 9, within the bounds of Castle Rock State Park. Northbound diurnal and noctural migrants funnel up the upper San Lorenzo canyon and shoot over the ridge into the upper Pescadero watershed or continue along the main ridge of the mountains. Here I have seen impressive numbers of many species in late April and early May, including diurnal migrants (waxwings, swifts, hummers, kingbirds, even a Lewis's Woodpecker once!) and nocturnal migrants still on the move in the early morning hours (warblers, buntings, tanagers, grosbeaks, etc.). I haven't checked the spot at the peak of migration often enough to know how frequently there are good flights there, but out of some 8-10 visits over the last 12 years I remember impressive bird numbers on at least 4 mornings. Other times had nothing too special. David Suddjian, Capitola [[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 May 10 13:47:44 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Cedar Waxwings -------- [[email protected]] wrote: > By the way, I can't resist noting that the one professional ornithologist to > post on this thread has used the full species name. How many list members > did we lose by heart attack at the thought of a Cerulean Warbler somewhere > out there to be found (before they ever read the clarifying text)? Just > another pitch for speaking in English.... The old AOU code (or was it ABA?) for Cedar Waxwing was CEWA1, while the code for Cerulean Warbler was CEWA2. Now admittedly, Pyle has updated these codes in his book to rid them of the clarifying numbers at the end and to make them true four letter codes. I have no doubt that other organizations have probably adopted them as well. I just figured that the message body would explain it all. I apologize for forgetting how little it takes to provide grist for the "frivolous" mill. For those who would have a heart attack at the thought of a Cerulean Warbler in the area, my advice is to find another avocation, because one's going to show up eventually and we wouldn't want to lose you. Mike Mammoser -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 10 14:12:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Cedar Waxwings -------- Mike Mammoser wrote: > I apologize for forgetting how little it takes to provide grist for the > "frivolous" mill. I don't know why it is frivolous to suggest that EMail subject lines (which are, after all, what are seen in lists of saved mail messages), when they refer to specific species, do so in a way which will be generally intelligible to all recipients. I have neither the desire nor the power to insist on this; it is just a suggestion, which some may take and others are likely to ignore. I'll make do either way. But it is not frivolous ("unworthy of serious attention" in the dictonary closest to hand), even with some feeble attempt at humor added to reinforce the point. Since this is one post too many without something about actual birds, I apologize for that, and will leave it here. 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]] Wed May 10 15:03:22 2000 Subject: [SBB] Cerulean Warbler vs. Cedar waxwing -------- Just to save SBBer's from heart attacks, I looked up the correct (if South Bay Birders Unltd.'s website is correct) 4-letter abbreviation for Cedar Waxwing and Cerulean Warbler. Cedar Waxwing is CEDW and Cerulean Warbler is CERW and there is no CEWA at all. Upon further investigation, I found the abbreviation CEDW is the Bird Banding Lab's code and CWAX is the code for the Breeding Bird Survey. I presume it is this way because of the "collision" of the two possible abbreviations using their rules. The more I read, the more code lists I found. So no wonder everyone's confused and in cardiac arrest! Another code list avoids the whole problem and uses 6-letter abbreviations (used for Christmas Bird Count data). If you have nothing better to do, follow the links on SBBUnltd.'s website starting at the "Birders Use Four-letter Words" link http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ From [[email protected]] Wed May 10 19:13:38 2000 Subject: [SBB] San Francisquito Creek -------- Birders, On a nice lunch time stroll along the San Francisquito Creek in Menlo Park today I came across a large flock of about 30 CEDAR WAXWINGS. (I thought I would make my contribution to the thread...) There was also a BELTED KINGFISHER, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a BEWICK'S WREN, VIOLET-GREEN and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS. A singing male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, which was the target bird for my lunch hour, made a brief appearance in the buckeye tree as well. The area is located at the corner of University Drive and Creek Drive on the north side of the creek; just across from the Stanford Shopping Center parking lot. A trail leads down to the water. Matthew http://www.birdguy.net/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 11 07:37:54 2000 Subject: [SBB] Bird codes -------- All, In the interest of good health I would like to suggest that when posting to SBB that the first time a bird is mentioned (especially in the Subject line) that it's name be spelled out. (None of us are so tired, lazy or efficient that we can't type out the name at least once, especially if it's a truly rare bird.) Even if one uses the right code some people without "lists" (and there are lots of different lists) will not know what bird is being talked about. Even with lists a long line of codes can make for difficult reading. I remember once giving up and asking the author of a post what SPDO stood for (I know that you all know that it's Spotted Dove). Finally the six letter code used on one Birdwest post without clarification (and they've even added a seventh space) has caused me to stop reading it. Just how much effort is being saved with this code? Take care, Bob Reiling, 7:34 AM, 5/11/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 11 08:26:29 2000 Subject: [SBB] Ode to a Code :-) -------- Just for fun. Go to the webpage of ODE TO A CODE by Eric V. Johnson in "San Luis Obispo County Birds" http://www.calpoly.edu/~mstiles/code.html 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]] Thu May 11 08:43:10 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Bird codes -------- All: I think the codes are OK when it's a common bird, but for real rarities the subject should contain the full name or an obvious abbreviation (e.g R-N Stint). Nick [[email protected]] Sent by: To: [[email protected]] [[email protected]] cc: anford.EDU Subject: [SBB] Bird codes 05/11/00 07:37 AM All, In the interest of good health I would like to suggest that when posting to SBB that the first time a bird is mentioned (especially in the Subject line) that it's name be spelled out. (None of us are so tired, lazy or efficient that we can't type out the name at least once, especially if it's a truly rare bird.) Even if one uses the right code some people without "lists" (and there are lots of different lists) will not know what bird is being talked about. Even with lists a long line of codes can make for difficult reading. I remember once giving up and asking the author of a post what SPDO stood for (I know that you all know that it's Spotted Dove). Finally the six letter code used on one Birdwest post without clarification (and they've even added a seventh space) has caused me to stop reading it. Just how much effort is being saved with this code? Take care, Bob Reiling, 7:34 AM, 5/11/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus 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 May 11 09:21:54 2000 Subject: [SBB] WHPE, BLSK -------- Folks: This morning, 5/11/2000, I counted 26 AM. WHITE PELICANS in Salt Pond A1. It seems likely that these birds are oversummering in the South Bay. Two BLACK SKIMMERS were on the island in the SE corner of A1. 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]] Thu May 11 09:50:33 2000 Subject: [SBB] S.C.2000 Bird List Update -------- Bill Bousman Has updated the Santa Clara County Bird List as of April 30, 2000. The complete information can be found on: South Bay Birders Unlimited (SBBU) http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/ Here is the summary: Before corrections the March 2000 tally was 209 species for Santa Clara County. I've done a little clean-up, and the following six records are changes from my previous summary. Five are new while the House Wren is a date change. 42 Wood Duck 1/12/00 TRy 3 160 Glaucous Gull 1/28/00 AJ 5 266 House Wren 3/19/00 JY, AL 2 320 Wilson's Warbler 3/10/00 MJM 1 324 Western Tanager 3/27/00 KPa 3 367 Hooded Oriole 3/21/00 LY 3 This brings the total to 214 for March. April is, of course, the rush of returning birds, and we've added 27 species, including one "6", a Broad-winged Hawk, for a total of 241. 6 Common Loon 4/15/00 DLSu 4 29 Cattle Egret 4/22/00 AME 5 78 Broad-winged Hawk 4/20/00 MMR 6 79 Swainson's Hawk 4/22/00 MJM 5 112 Solitary Sandpiper 4/25/00 KPa 5 134 Stilt Sandpiper 4/16/00 PJM 5 163 Caspian Tern 4/3/00 TRy 2 186 Long-eared Owl 4/26/00 MDo 5 191 Common Poorwill 4/3/00 JMa 3 194 Vaux's Swift 4/15/00 DLSu 4 199 Calliope Hummingbird 4/6/00 RCo 5 215 Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/14/00 JMa 2 216 Western Wood-Pewee 4/23/00 JMa, MJM 2 219 Hammond's Flycatcher 4/9/00 MMR 5 226 Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/14/00 DL 2 236 Cassin's Vireo 4/2/00 JY, AL 2 253 Bank Swallow 4/23/00 PJM 5 275 Townsend's Solitaire 4/20/00 DE, CV 5 276 Swainson's Thrush 4/29/00 m.ob. 2 293 Nashville Warbler 4/9/00 MMR 4 301 Black-throated Gray Warbler 4/9/00 m.ob. 3 317 MacGillivray's Warbler 4/23/00 AV 4 321 Yellow-breasted Chat 4/29/00 m.ob. 5 330 Chipping Sparrow 4/2/00 JY, AL 3 355 Blue Grosbeak 4/30/00 DG 5 356 Lazuli Bunting 4/15/00 GHa 2 377 Lawrence's Goldfinch 4/9/00 MMR 3 As of the end of April we have all the "1's" and are missing only two "2's": Wilson's and Red-necked Phalarope. Early May has already erased Red-necked Phalarope, and we'll certainly see Wilson's next month if not in May. All the "3's" are in except Brown Pelican, which will show up in summer. Thus all the easy birds have been found. The rest of the year will be a struggle as we try to make 300 species. ----------------------------------------- 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]] Thu May 11 11:36:54 2000 Subject: [SBB] Smith's Creek etc. -------- All, Early this morning 5/11/00, I spent 2 hours birding the Smith's Creek Ranger Station area of Grant Ranch County Park. As expected for early May, the place was loaded with migrants. Unfortunately the variety, especially of the less common species, was limited. Totals for the area included 34 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, 21 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 13 LAZULI BUNTINGS, 9+ WESTERN TANAGERS, 4+ PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 2 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, 2 HERMIT WARBLERS (1 male and 1 female), and 1 or 2 very late GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. At least 4 CHIPPING SPARROWS were near the buildings, along with two pairs of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES (another pair of LAGO was upslope from here). Also singing near here were an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, 2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, and at least 1 CASSIN'S VIREO. A quick check of the Canal Trail down near Grant Lake failed to turn up any chats, but there were 8 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 6 YELLOW WARBLERS, 5 LAZULI BUNTINGS, 4 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, and a SWAINSON'S THRUSH in the riparian and 4 VAUX'S SWIFTS with swallows over Grant Lake. Also another WESTERN TANAGER singing from the eucalyptus grove. Most surprising was a singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW on the fenceline right where the trail comes out at the road near McCreery Lake - I haven't had them here before. 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]] Thu May 11 15:04:02 2000 Subject: [SBB] Owl -------- Western Screech Owl site will be updated over the week-end. Four babies alive and growing. For directions to Owl open house reply to me. Tuesday, May 16 7-7:25 PM if you want to check out my backyard, you can...not too much exciting...will probably see Band-tailed Pigeons, California Quail and some LBJ's. California Thrasher tends to be gone by that time of day as well as Hooded Orioles. 7:30 PM PROMPT caravan to owl house at owl house we will see abut a 20 minute video from clips recorded this year...infrared camera has provided some great shots at night...besides the video we will watch on their big screen TV what is happening right then in the nest box...including audio. she's left box as early as 8:15 pm...he's been there as early as 8:30 pm...no guaranteers, obviously. the idea that once she leaves we can see babies in box even better, and see in real life at least one of the parents. probably can leave by 9 pm at latest. but, as you know the owls don't know MY schedule! those that have already RSVP'd and I've confirmed...don't respond again. Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos off Quito "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu May 11 16:36:23 2000 Subject: [SBB] Redwood Shores Surprises -------- While surveying Heron/Egret/Cormorant nests at Redwood Shores (I know, not SCCO)the past two days I had three surprise birds: American Goldfinch pair (no habitat for them there); Horned Lark pair; Blue-winged Teal (migratory or very late?). The AMGO and BUTE are new, the HOLA only one prior in 10 years of regular visits. ___________________________________________________________________ Get your free, permanent e-mail @www.com, the original Net address! - http://www.com/freemail Listen to your favorite music while you work! - http://www.com/radio -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 11 22:05:14 2000 Subject: [SBB] Santa Teresa Co. Park 5/11/2000 -------- All, A midafternoon check of the Stile Ranch Trail at the western edge of Santa Teresa County Park today (5/11/2000) yielded several singing Rufous-crowned Sparrows. A minimum of 3 individuals were seen, two of which were attending vocal young about 1/4 mile from the trailhead in sage-dominated chapparal. A single Western Kingbird was near the trailhead, as were at least 3 Yellow-billed Magpies (the latter may be of interest due to this rather westerly location for YBMA). A surprise find was a single, very pale Horned Lark with very worn plumage sitting in the trail about 1/2 mile from the trailhead in true grassland. One Grasshopper Sparrow was heard singing faintly nearby. Butterflies included Acmon Blue and California Ringlet (1 each) and plenty of Buckeyes. --Garth Harwood -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 12 09:45:34 2000 Subject: [SBB] lost falcon -------- Please flame gently if this message is inappropriate for the list. The bird described below was seen last night near the Crittenden Lane trailhead of Stevens Creek trail. It looks a bit like a Prairie Falcon (brownish) but with little streaking on the breast. See also the notice posted on the board at the trailhead. >March 21, 2000 @ noon - Ray Pena (visiting falconer from N.Y.) lost >in Sunnyvale, at Bayland Park in the Mountain View Area, his adult >male Lanner x White Gyrfalcon Hybrid. He uses a M&S 20 260 MgH >Receiver and can locate the signal strongest at "062 1/2". Altough >the transmitter is suppose to work on "064" He says you can pick it >up anywhere from, "062 - 064" using a M&S 10 receiver. >The bird is wearing a name tag, with a N.Y. Phone number on it (914 >area code). The bird will respond to a lure. But it also will not >hesitate to take a duck for dinner! If found, contact Ray at >904-679-4265. Or contact Patti Castle 916-987-8338 >([[email protected]]) or Bill Murphy 408-722-6890, both of these >people are in contact with Ray regularly. -- Lennie Stovel, doing a favor (I hope) for a fellow who is spending his day looking for this bird -- maybe one of you sharp-eyed Stevens Creek regulars will spot it and let him know 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 May 12 10:37:58 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Pescadero field trip -------- For anyone who might have been contemplating participating in tomorrow's SCVAS field trip to the Pescadero area, but stopped reading when he or she saw the starting time, I just wanted to point out that there is an optional late-arrival time (50 minutes later) in the text of the field trip announce- ment in the Avocet. I can't make any predictions for the trip, but I hope to see at least a few of you there. 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 May 12 10:40:40 2000 Subject: [SBB] Borrowing Owl Mtg! -------- Folks, Tuesday afternoon, May 16 at 1:30 p.m. the San Jose City Council will be looking at their proposed Burrowing Owl Habitat Conservation strategy (could also just be called a Burrowing Owl protection plan). All San Jose Residents Are Encouraged to Attend!!!!! Here's the basics. The Plan calls for 1500 acres to be set aside for the owls between now and the year 2020. They get credit for about 300 acres at SJ Airport, and they can buy 250 acres outside the city; the other 900 or so acres must be found within the city. It will primarily be city owned land, but some developments may contribute land as well (e.g. Legacy in Alviso just set aside about 25 acres for the owls). The plan will be funded by a $5000 per acre fee on all development above about an acre in SJ. This would be the first Habitat Conservation Plan in the Nation that is driven by a non-listed species. You can encourage the city to do something that would set a model for other urban areas. Signals I get look worrying. The Home Builders Association has weighed in against us, as have several developers and proerty owners. The Council may try to use some excuse like "there's not enough good science here" to kill the plan. I could really use your help. Please do one or more of the following things. 1) Show up on Tuesday afternoon, 801 North First Street, San Jose, just south of HWY 880 near HWY 101 interchange. The meeting will start at 1:30. 2) Fax a letter in support of the plan to Mayor Ron Gonzales and Council Members 801 North First Street San Jose, California 95110 Fax # is 277-5192 The Fax needs to get there Monday, or Tuesday morning at the latest. You're letter can be very short, just support the plan and urge them to move forward quickly. 3) Call the Mayor's office. Ask him what his position on the plan is and urge him to support it and move forward. Mayor Ron Gonzales' number is 277-4237. 4) If you live in San Jose, Please call your City Council person, ask them what their position is on the issue, and tell them you want the Council to support the plan and move forward. Thanks!! If you manage to help, you might want to let me know, just so I can keep tabs on things. Please forward this email to friends and family, so long as they aren't part of the San Jose military industrial complex. Thanks again, 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]] Fri May 12 11:15:19 2000 Subject: [SBB] Where have all the hummers gone? -------- First my apologies to all those who got an "away message" from my machine each time they posted to SBB. I had to fly out to South AFrica to see my Dad who was evry ill (he passed away while I was there), and had to leave in such a rush that I forgot to unsubscribe for my time away. Now returned, I have to ask- what has happened to all the hummingbirds? There were plenty around throughout winter, in fact one raised two chicks successfully right outside my office winter in January, but now they seem to have disappeared. I have none coming to the feeders in my garden, either- this time last year it was "hummer war" Any ideas? Dave Muir Dr David G Muir, Scientific Desk Editor, Immunological Reviews. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 12 11:36:26 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Where have all the hummers gone? -------- Interesting you should mention this. They've been pretty scarce in my Palo Alto yard, too and I've been wondering as well... Nancy Teater At 11:15 AM 5/12/2000 -0700, David G Muir wrote: >First my apologies to all those who got an "away message" from my machine >each time they posted to SBB. I had to fly out to South AFrica to see my >Dad who was evry ill (he passed away while I was there), and had to leave >in such a rush that I forgot to unsubscribe for my time away. > >Now returned, I have to ask- what has happened to all the hummingbirds? >There were plenty around throughout winter, in fact one raised two chicks >successfully right outside my office winter in January, but now they seem >to have disappeared. I have none coming to the feeders in my garden, >either- this time last year it was "hummer war" > >Any ideas? > >Dave Muir > >Dr David G Muir, >Scientific Desk Editor, >Immunological Reviews. > > >-++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== >This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list >server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the >message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] -- Nancy R. Teater Hamilton Communications phone: +1 650 321 0252 [[email protected]] http://web.hamilton.com fax: +1 650 327 4660 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 12 11:55:51 2000 Subject: [SBB] WARBLING VIREO -------- Yesterday, while walking in Guadalupe Oak Grove Park I had a good look at my first WARBLING VIREO. I had met up with another birder by accident and we confirmed the sighting in the Nat'l Geo. Guide. She had earlier seen two WESTERN TANAGERS. I still haven't been able to refind the BROWN NUTALL. The RED SHOULDERED HAWK makes itself very visible and audible! My backyard QUAIL have dwindled to two. The male stands guard while the female indulges in the seed. He frequently stands on the fence and makes a singular call note, rather than the CHICAGO sound. I believe he is attempting to call her to him. Last year on July 16, I first noticed about 20 QUAIL in my yard, which appeared to be four adults and the rest were young of varying size. I can hardly wait! 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 May 12 12:02:14 2000 Subject: [SBB] Hummers -------- Having just read my "bird mail", I too, have been wondering about the Hummers. I refilled my feeder this morning, simply because the nectar was getting old due to lack of use. I have not had my yearly Orioles, either. 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 May 12 12:23:10 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Hummers -------- If you are used to seeing the hummingbirds mostly around feeders, the lull may just be a matter of changing priorities. The male Anna's who owns my feeder disappeared almost entirely for two months at the start of breeding season, but he's still in the area. Kathleen Lee -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 12 12:39:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] Hummers, Western Tanager -------- I've noticed no difference in the hummers in my yard...only have Anna's...I have one feeder in front, one in back and they are both in very frequent use by both male and female hummers. I've seen my male and female HOODED ORIOLES in the bottle bush in my yard, but only twice have seen them at a hummingbird feeder...and that was when they first arrived. Saw my first WESTERN TANAGER in my yard today. The red on its head was pretty splotchy. Also a male PURPLE FINCH. Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos off Quito "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 12 12:45:14 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Where have all the hummers gone? -------- I had lots of activity at my feeders on Skyline Blvd. (Allen's dominating Anna's, of all things) up until the cold weather systems arrived. In this narrow view, my impression is that the weather stopped further migration into our area and the ones that were present moved on to find clement weather conditions. I saw an Anna's at our feeders this morning. Last weekend, at the beginning of the last series of systems, the feeders at San Antonio Junction were jumping and the Costa's were active in Del Puerto Canyon. Les Chibana -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 12 14:03:22 2000 Subject: [SBB] Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Red-necked & Wilson's Phalaropes -------- All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I went to Coyote Creek Field Station (CCFS). There were a few dowitchers, two Dunlin and some "peeps" (mostly if not all Western Sandpipers) but no Stilt Sandpiper :-(. You snooze, you lose. A few Tree Swallows flew low overhead. We then checked out the "Waterbird Pond" which still has to much water in it. We had earlier noted that the banders were not in so we decided to bird along the creek where we saw two Black-chinned Hummingbirds (multiple good looks at one male and saw it chase another hummer, both had the same dry wing buzz), we heard (didn't see) Swainson's Thrush and singing Wilson's Warblers, we saw three Vaux's Swift flying down the creek, saw a Western Wood-Pewee (no eyering and the proximal half of the lower mandible was yellow but it eventually called ending our discussions), a juvenile Cooper's Hawk and a Warbling Vireo. When we got back to the car Mike Rogers was checking out the shorebirds in the pond near the banding trailers. He thought he had seen the Stilt Sandpiper with his binoculars but before he could get it in his scope the birds flew and we were subsequently unable to refind the bird (to make matters worse he had to leave for a meeting). We also left shortly thereafter seeing two, closely associating Loggerhead Shrikes on our way out. We decided on a quick stop in Alviso. There we found that the Environmental Education Center (EEC) was open so we thought we would check out Salt Pond A16. In the southeast corner of the pond we found a single (meaning one) alternate plumage female Red-necked Phalarope. Further west, near the second man-made island, was a single (same meaning) alternate plumage female Wilson's Phalarope. The only other "mentionables" were several alternate plumage Eared Grebes. Take care, Bob Reiling, 1:56 PM, 5/12/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 12 16:24:35 2000 Subject: [SBB] Office visitor -------- About an hour ago, my wife called my attention to an adult male WESTERN TANAGER visiting the pond outside my office. While we were enjoying this colorful visitor, a second tanager appeared. This one may have been a second year male, it had a not-so-bright red mask that appeared to be too extensive for a female. While seemingly odd to see these birds in this location/habitat, near the Mtn. View Forebay, I do recall seeing them along nearby Matadero Creek. There were two fledgling Black Phoebes being shown the ropes by their parents at the same pond. I think I saw the nestling Common Ravens exercising their wings on the nest edge recently. This is at the raven nest near the Forebay. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, 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 May 12 17:17:48 2000 Subject: [SBB] goslings.... -------- While taking my cocktoo down to the vet, I drove past the ponds on Winchester just south of San Tomas. Standing next to the pond were a proud pair of Canada Geese, showing off their three goslings -- still downy but wandering around. They were hiding again on my return about an hour later, but the goslings are clearly pre-flight, so they're nesting in there somewhere. -- Chuq Von Rospach - Plaidworks Consulting (mailto:[[email protected]]) Apple Mail List Gnome (mailto:[[email protected]]) And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar and say 'Man, what are you doing here?'" -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 12 17:32:00 2000 Subject: [SBB] WETA's -------- Had up to seven calling ( and some singing) Western Tanagers in a two block area ( maybe two acres) in residential Los Altos today (5/12). Also had one in the Eucalypts across the street from my home in Belmont this afternoon. Must be a wave going through. Screech. -- Paul L. Noble "Screechowl" [[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]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 12 18:56:02 2000 Subject: [SBB] Ed Levin -------- In deference to the ALEI (field marks described previously), I will refrain from using four-letter codes for birds seen. May 12 from 9:00-12:00 while on the road/trail by the sycamores above Sandy Wool Lake, I saw a male Blue Grosbeak, a male Western Tanager and several Lawrence's Goldfinches, as well as the regular species there. --Pete ------------------------------------------------------ Peter LaTourrette Bird Photography: http://www.birdphotography.com/ Bird Photo Gallery: http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 13 10:22:42 2000 Subject: [SBB] LAGOs at Arastradero, nestbox happenings -------- All, At least 3 Lawrence's Goldfinches were at the extreme SE corner of the Arastradero Preserve yesterday (5/12/00) at about 5PM, feeding with a few Lessers in the tall mustard patch bordered by fiddleneck seedheads (it was the fiddleneck, as usual, that they were actually feeding on). This location is accessed by going uphill along a skinny, unofficial dirt trail from the main Preserve parking lot. A few results from my weekly nestbox check up there: current occupants include one Tree Swallow nest with 6 eggs, 4 Western Bluebird nests with eggs or young, one White-breasted Nuthatch nest with 5 eggs under incubation, and an active House Finch nest with 4 eggs in a hanging nestbox. (This last is of potential interest because HOFI are almost never attracted to nestboxes; out of 6,000 nestbox reports collected across the state in '99, only 10 HOFI, representing just 2 or 3 broods, were produced.) At least 2 broods of House Wren are also underway in nestboxes on the Preserve, and I have one batch of Bewick's coming along nicely as well. An Ash-throated Flycatcher nest looks complete in another box, but lacks eggs at this date. Several Violet-green Swallow nests are under construction as well. Chestnut-backed Chickadees (1 brood) and Oak Titmice (3) are fledging this week. Speaking of chickadees and titmice, this is the time to do a head count (best conservative estimate will do) of young birds in any backyard SC County nestboxes you might have containing those species or any other. Please send your data to me with date & general location too. Thanks! --Garth Harwood -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 13 12:51:35 2000 Subject: [SBB] migrants in Mountain View 5/13 -------- Hi Everyone-- The feeder and adjacent trees at my apartment in Mountain View were busy this morning (Saturday 5/13). At least 6 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, both males and females (some, like my broken-billed male, are residents, but there seemed to be new ones here, too), a singing WESTERN TANAGER in the trees, a singing male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK that visited the feeder briefly, and quite the surprise, a silent female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK that came in around 10 AM and spent a good two minutes munching on my millet, then disappeared. There were heavy dark streaks on the sides, and no orangy wash on the chest. Clean white supercilium, white throat with a fine dark malar streak. What I could see of the wing linings was yellow, not pink, which just means it's not a male. If I see it again, I'll post as soon as possible (I'll be away from the computer on Sunday). If it doesn't come back, it could easily end up in the willows along Stevens Creek. Also, 4 newly-fledged CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES are in the shrubbery outside my apartment building (no nest box involved). Mark Miller -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 13 13:24:24 2000 Subject: [SBB] Oak Meadown/Vasona -------- In preparation of the SCVAS trip I am leading on June 10th at Oak Meadow/Vasona, I went birding there this morning. Had 4 nests with babies peeping where I watched the parents back and forth feeding. In Oak Meadow it was ACORN WOODPECKER. In Vasona it was 2 nests of CHICKADEES and a NUTTALL'S. While standing amidst some bushes a female ANNA'S approached me clicking. I stood still. She came within a couple of feet my face. It seemed like we were eyeball to eyeball and I wondered what she was thinking! It didn't appear as if I was near her nest. Saw a beautiful RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. Rookery had SNOWY EGRET, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GREAT BLUE AND DOUBLE-BREASTED CORMERANTS. Snack shack has hot dogs for $1.50 as well as other nibbles...so those who attend the field trip on June 10th won't have to bring food for lunch unless they want to.... Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 13 18:20:50 2000 Subject: [SBB] SCVAS Field Trip to Pescadero Area -------- Please excuse the cross-posting: this is a report of a Santa Clara Valley Audubon field trip to coastal San Mateo County. I'll submit a fuller (and more coherent) report later for the Avocet, but just hit some highlights here. Twelve birders enjoyed a fine day of birding on Saturday, May 13, with at least 81 bird species seen. Highlights, organized by locations visited: Pigeon Point - Pacific Loons dominated the northward migration. Also seen: - 1 Wandering Tattler (close to full alternate plumage) was quite cooperative at rocks just off Pigeon Point; - At least 8 Marbled Murrelets were in the water. Gazos Creek Road - We walked from Highway 1 up about 0.9 miles, and saw (or heard singing) just about all the expected species, including: - At least 1 Vaux's Swift was in the Swallow flock just beyond the pumphouse. - A pair of cooperative Swainson's Thrushes was seen; several more were heard calling and one was heard singing; - A male MacGillivray's Warbler sang in full view near the road for more than five minutes, providing superb views; another was heard singing. (This species is a regular nester here.) - One male Western Tanager was seen by several of us near the pumphouse; there were hints of 1 or 2 more farther upstream. - Two people saw a Snowy Plover at the beach. Pescadero Marsh - We looked over the lagoon and north marsh, and walked east along the trail from the north side of the Highway 1 Bridge. At the location where Ron Thorn had reported one Solitary and one Spotted Sandpiper 4 days earlier (I'd estimate about 2/3 mile along), we all saw the Spotted. Bob Reiling also saw a larger bird disappearing around the bend upstream which he believed was the Solitary, but it didn't reappear. Also: - A Wandering Tattler was at the Highway 1 bridge; - At least 81 Caspian Terns were at the lagoon. - One soaring adult Golden Eagle was being persistently harrassed by a couple of Red-Tailed Hawks. - A Yellow-Breasted Chat was singing along the trail just before it reached a small hillside (close to a mile along). Although it was fairly close, only two people were able to get brief looks; but the song was fully diagnostic. 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]] Sun May 14 00:41:51 2000 Subject: [SBB] Pescadero area -------- All, Our Palo Alto Adult School Beginning Birding Group had a great day in San Mateo county. Beginning with highlights at Phipp's Ranch we had at least 4 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, including one male sitting and singing while in the nest. A pair of WESTERN TANAGERS, WARBLING VIREOS, PURPLE FINCHES, YELLOW and WILSON'S WARBLERS, BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD and BELTED KINGFISHER. At Pigeon Point we had WADERING TATTLER, SURFBIRD and BLACK OYSTERCATCHER as well as SOOTY SHEARWATER, COMMON and PACIFIC LOON, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, CASSIN'S AUKLET, BLACK SCOTER and a small northbound flock of BRANT. The day's list is posted at: http://www.birdguy.net/trip_report.html Matthew Dodder -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 14 12:13:47 2000 Subject: [SBB] (no subject) -------- On Saturday, 13 May 00, I had a pretty good day birding Coyote Creek Field Station, where I had 10 species of warblers. In the riparian corridor north of the banding trailers I found 2 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS singing about 150 yards apart. Also in this area was a silent "HAMMOND'S" type flycatcher. On the trail south of the trailers I ran into a decent flock that consisted of 4-5 WARBLING VIREOS, 6 WILSON'S WARBLERS (numerous everywhere), 3 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a female HERMIT WARBLER, a NASHVILLE WARBLER, and 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS. Down at ground level was a male MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER. The warblers were rounded out by a couple of YELLOWS and numerous COMMON YELLOWTHROATS. The only normally-occurring species I missed was Yellow-rumped. There were also tons of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES (46 were banded this day), a couple WESTERN TANAGERS, a couple CASSIN'S VIREOS, a handful of PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, and an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER. At the heron rookery in the willows I saw 8 active GREAT BLUE HERON nests and 10 GREAT EGRET nests. There were 2 more GREAT EGRET nests in the adjacent cottonwood stand. Two broods of CANADA GEESE were at the waterbird pond. Elsewhere, I had 2 BURROWING OWLS at Arzino Ranch, and 50 EARED GREBES out front of the Environmental Education Center (one of which was still in basic plumage). On Sunday, 14 May, I went to Ed Levin to try and find the Blue Grosbeaks. I didn't have any luck with them, but there were 2-3 LAZULI BUNTINGS, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS, a few singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, a HOUSE WREN, many LESSER GOLDFINCHES, and a few pairs of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. One of the oriole nests was interesting in that it was being built from the bottom up and supported by the crotch of a branch, rather than being suspended. The branchlets coming from the crotch were vertical, so I imagine the birds will still produce a normal-looking nest, only with side and bottom support. A pair of WESTERN KINGBIRDS was building a nest in a eucalyptus down in the group picnic area. 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]] Sun May 14 12:31:26 2000 Subject: [SBB] "my Farm" -------- Amongst the wind and some sprinkles I birded "my farm" this morning. (La Rinconada Park) Perhaps 80-100 CEDAR WAXWINGS came into a live oak tree...in different groups...very noisy...and roosted. Saw an immature male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, the GREEN HERON was in Smith Creek. Nothing else noteworthy. Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos off Quito "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun May 14 16:18:51 2000 Subject: [SBB] Almaden-Quicksilver -------- A brief, wet pass through the park around noon today turned up a female Wild Turkey and Cassin's Vireo. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 14 16:54:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Palm Bird Checklist and Diary -------- I know it's rather nerdish, but I keep track of my life list on my Palm handheld. If you also use a Palm handheld, you might be interested in this checklist of over 900 North American birds from: http://naturegardens.com This is not a commercial site, it's just my personal homepage, but of course the Palm unit and associated database software are not free ;-( Regards, - Paul Websphere Development, IBM Phone 408-463-2403, Tieline 8-543-2403 [[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 May 14 18:18:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] Return of the Important Burrowing Owl Meeting in SJ -------- >Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 17:18:18 -0800 >To: Board_of_Directors, EAC, Santa_Clara_Open_Space, SFBBO, Volunteers, >Vicki_Moore, Trish_Mulvey, silvia_duran, Pete_LaTourrette, Les_Chibana, >kavane_michael, Kaminski_Gerold, Jerry_Towner, janis_buchanan, >[[email protected]], garth, Don_Mayall, Carl_Rand, >Bonnie_Bedford-White, Barry_Bolton, Annie_Belt, [[email protected]] >From: Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society <[[email protected]]> >Subject: Return of the Important Burrowing Owl Meeting in SJ >Cc: >Bcc: >X-Attachments: :Untitled:2:San Jose Plan ltr to Council: > >Folks, > > Some of you may know that last Tuesday's Burrowing Owl Plan meeting >in San Jose was cancelled, basically due to political controversy. They >are coming back this Tuesday afternoon, at 1:30, at San Jose City Hall. > > I want to concentrate on San Jose residents here; we need their >input. If you have friends in San Jose who may care about this issue, >please forward this email to them and give them a call if you can, asking >them to either attend the hearing or write a letter to their council >person. > > I am resending some of the same info as last week. Also, I have >attached my letter to the Council refuting several arguments I have heard >against the plan. You don't need it to register your opinion, but it >might help. Finally, Leda Beth compiled contact numbers for individual >council members. They might help SJ residents in calling their >representatives. > > > > This Tuesday afternoon, the San Jose City Council will be looking >at their proposed Burrowing Owl Habitat Conservation strategy (could also >just be called a Burrowing Owl protection plan). While they are not going >to be able to say "yes" to the plan yet, they may say "no." I know that >sounds odd, but this is a status check, to see if the Council wants their >staff to continue. I could use your help to see that the plan moves >forward. Sorry about the lateness of this message; I just found out about >the meeting mid last week. > > Here's the basics. The Plan calls for 1500 acres to be set aside >for the owls between now and the year 2020. They get credit for about 300 >acres at SJ Airport, and they can buy 250 acres outside the city; the >other 900 or so acres must be found within the city. It will primarily be >city owned land, but some developments may contribute land as well (e.g. >Legacy in Alviso just set aside about 25 acres for the owls; Cisco will >set aside another 25 in Alviso). > > The plan will be funded by a $5000 per acre fee on all development >above about an acre in SJ. See my attached letter for how little this is >compared to housing prices. > > This would be the first Habitat Conservation Plan in the Nation >that is driven by a non-listed species. You can encourage the city to do >something that would set a model for other urban areas. > > Signals I get look worrying. The Home Builders Association has >weighed in against us, as have several developers and property owners. >The Council may try to use some excuse like "there's not enough good >science here" to kill the plan. > > I could really use your help. Please do one or more of the >following things. > >1) Show up on Tuesday afternoon, 801 North First Street, San Jose, just >south of HWY 880 near HWY 101 interchange. The meeting will start at 1:30. > >2) Fax a letter in support of the plan to > >Mayor Ron Gonzales and Council Members >801 North First Street >San Jose, California 95110 > >Fax # is 277-5192 > >The Fax needs to get there Monday, or Tuesday morning at the latest. >You're letter can be very short, just support the plan and urge them to >move forward quickly. > >3) Call the Mayor's office. Ask him what his position on the plan is and >urge him to support it and move forward. Mayor Ron Gonzales' number is >277-4237. > >4) If you live in San Jose, Please call your City Council person, ask >them what their position is on the issue, and tell them you want the >Council to support the plan and move forward. > > Thanks!! If you manage to help, you might want to let me know, >just so I can keep tabs on things. > > Please forward this email to friends and family, so long as they >aren't part of the San Jose military industrial complex. > >Thanks again, > >Craig > >PS For South Bay Birders, please excuse the non-birding message, but as >I've mentioned before, I only do this rarely. > > >Contact List: > >Mayor of San Jose >Ron Gonzales > Phone: (408) 277-4237 > Fax: (408) 277-3868 > email > >District 1 >Linda J. LeZotte > Phone: (408) 277-5438 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 2 >Charlotte Powers > Phone: (408) 277-4282 > Fax: (408) 280-6562 > email > >District 3 >Cindy Chavez > Phone: (408) 277-5231 > Fax: (408) 271-9692 > email > >District 4 >Margie Matthews > Phone: (408) 277-5320 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 5 >Manny Diaz > Phone: (408) 277-5157 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 6 >Frank Fiscalini > Phone: (408) 277-5166 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 7 >George Shirakawa Jr. > Phone: (408) 277-5226 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > > >District 8 >Alice Woody > Phone: (408) 277-5242 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 9 >John Diquisto > Phone: (408) 277-5275 > Fax: (408) 277-5192 > email > >District 10 >Patricia Dando > Phone: (408) 277-5251 > Fax: (408) 271-9807 > email > > -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 14 19:45:18 2000 Subject: [SBB] Stanford bluebirds, tanagers -------- On Saturday, 13 May, a check of the Stanford Arboretum Nestbox trail installed by Garth Harwood and maintained by David Weber verified the first WESTERN BLUEBIRD nesting for this box trail. One box had 5 blue eggs, and a male WEBL was seen entering the box. Also at Stanford, mostly in landscaping along Quarry Road, was a flock of at least 8 WESTERN TANAGERS. - Dick Stovel -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 14 19:58:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Charleston Slough, 14 May -------- The field trip to Charleston slough Sunday morning was treated the following highlights: - an OSPREY passing over Shoreline Lake - a WESTERN KINGBIRD along the west edge of the lake - two GREEN HERONS flying around near the inlet to the Mountain View Forebay - an imm. male ORIOLE (HOODED?) in the trees at the northwest corner of the lake - small numbers of VAUX'S SWIFT among the many swallows - 2 BLACK SKIMMERS at their usual location on the island at the near end of Charleston Slough. These were actively skimming in the vicinity of the island. - 2 WESTERN GREBES in Charleston Slough seemed a little late to be hanging around - About 20 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were in the pond adjacent to Charleston Slough - the about-to-fledge COMMON RAVENs in the nest along the frontage road were testing their wings - Dick Stovel -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 15 06:45:44 2000 Subject: [SBB] recent sightings -------- There was a male MacGillivrays Warbler in the backyard of a private residence near Hwy. 880 and North First Street, San Jose, on both Friday and Saturday (05/12/2000 and 05/13/2000). Also, along with many pairs of Northern Rough-winged Swallows, there is one pair of White-throated Swifts using the Hedding Street over-pass over the Guadalupe River as a possible nesting site. I was not able to "stick around" long enough to confirm this nesting; nor will I have a chance in the near future to do so. So, if anyone is interested, the pair appears to be using the third of fourth hole (cannot remember :-( ) on the south side of the bridge right above the paved path. Eric Feuss ABTS Application Developer, Administrator ABTS Support Staff Adobe Systems Incorporated Mailstop: W06, 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 Phone: (408) 536-3050 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 15 08:57:57 2000 Subject: [SBB] Owl Night -------- Tomorrow night, Tuesday, is the Western Screech Owl open house. The owelets are getting feathers. Mama Owl left the nest box at 8:30 pm last night and was gone for the night. This is good because we will be able to see the babies better. Mama returned a couple of times in the first half hour of leaving to bring food to her youngsters. This is good too. We could see her fly. So, if tomorrow night goes like last night we should see Mama in real life and the owelets via live camera. For those that have directions, you are welcome to come anytime after 7 PM and we will caravan at 7:30 PM - sharp! - to see the owls. Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos off Quito "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 15 09:03:22 2000 Subject: [SBB] recent sightings -------- As a follow-up to ... There was a male MacGillivrays Warbler in the backyard of a private residence near Hwy. 880 and North First Street, San Jose, on both Friday and Saturday (05/12/2000 and 05/13/2000). and coming not as first-hand information.... The prior (above) mentioned MacGillivrays was not seen on Sunday (05/14/20000) - within the same yard. However, a second individual was seen - a distinctive second year bird (the first was a after second year bird) with intermediate plumage in terms of sexual differences, which made it difficult to ascertain whether it was a male or female. However, the overall impression, especially concerning the amount of brown wash within the hood, was that of a female. There was also a Swainson's Thrush seen in the yard. Eric Feuss ABTS Application Developer, Administrator ABTS Support Staff Adobe Systems Incorporated Mailstop: W06, 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 Phone: (408) 536-3050 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 15 09:05:12 2000 Subject: [SBB] Deciduous Oaks on Mt. Hamilton -------- Folks: I birded the Mt. Hamilton Road on Saturday, 5/13/2000, from the east slopes of Halls Valley to the helipad, but spent most of my time at Smiths Creek. The vistas from above Smiths Creek were curious for a May day as there were great swathes of deciduous oaks without leaves, mostly blue oaks--it really was a winter view. Many of the black oaks were partially leaved, but a few of these were stripped as well. On the blue oaks without leaves, every branch was laden with 1.5 to 2 inch long caterpillars. These were hairy caterpillars with rufous backs, and blue 'windows' on their segments. Perhaps they are related to larvae of the oak leaf moth I see in the live oak-valley oak parklands on the valley floor. If so, this summer will provide an unsettling nighttime drive on Mt. Hamilton when these moths are out in the billions. Such a feast for migrants, but how are they to know? I encountered only one migrant patch, at M.P. 20.0, with mostly black oaks, partially eaten. Here I counted an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, two YELLOW WARBLERS, a female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, nine TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS (mostly female or imm. male), and seven WESTERN TANAGERS. I watched the two latter species beating the heck out of a couple of full-sized larvae, before gobbling them down. Except for trees already ill or overstressed, most of these oaks will releaf in the next month. Smiths Creek was lovely, with all the typical summer residents. The HOUSE WRENS had a two-hour duel at the bridge with the two males about 15 feet apart, continuously countersinging to demonstrate their fitness. Of interest was a male WOOD DUCK along the creek and three pairs of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES at various locations in the meadow and around the conifers at the CDF station. Bill -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 15 10:13:06 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Deciduous Oaks on Mt. Hamilton -------- At 8:05 AM -0800 5/15/00, [[email protected]] wrote: >Folks: > > On the blue oaks without leaves, every branch was laden with >1.5 to 2 inch long caterpillars. These were hairy caterpillars with >rufous backs, and blue 'windows' on their segments. Perhaps they >are related to larvae of the oak leaf moth I see in the live >oak-valley oak parklands on the valley floor. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Bill >Was the rufous the color of the hairs or the skin> Likewise, were >the 'windows' part of the hair color, or the epidermal color? How >dense were the hairs. Were these like tussock moths or wooly bears? Ruth Troetschler 184 Lockhart Lane Los Altos, CA 94022 Ruth Troetschler -------- At 8:05 AM -0800 5/15/00, [[email protected]] wrote: Folks: On the blue oaks without leaves, every branch was laden with 1.5 to 2 inch long caterpillars. These were hairy caterpillars with rufous backs, and blue 'windows' on their segments. Perhaps they are related to larvae of the oak leaf moth I see in the live oak-valley oak parklands on the valley floor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Was the rufous the color of the hairs or the skin> Likewise, were the 'windows' part of the hair color, or the epidermal color? How dense were the hairs. Were these like tussock moths or wooly bears? Ruth Troetschler 184 Lockhart Lane Los Altos, CA 94022 Ruth Troetschler From [[email protected]] Mon May 15 10:22:28 2000 Subject: [SBB] To: [[email protected]] -------- All: Early Sunday morning I headed up to the Loma Prieta area to look for diurnal migration. Once I got there, the howling winds and clouds made conditions pretty miserable. I spent about 25 minutes scanning from different spots without seeing any evidence of diurnal migrants (not surprising given the conditions!). I then made my work back via Hecker Pass to CCFS. By then the winds had picked up there too. There were only a few shorebirds around, but I did find 7 Western Kingbirds along the fence line. Unfortunately I couldn't go birding on Saturday because of family commitments. Nick Lethaby Product Manager, ARC Cores Inc. Tel: 408 360 2131 e-mail: Nick.Lethaby@arccores -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 15 13:02:58 2000 Subject: [SBB] Almaden Lake -------- Hello all, The nesting Egrets were busy this morning at Almaden Lake in San Jose. I was monitoring (for SFBBO) the colony of mostly SNOWY EGRETS and GREAT EGRETS in the thick reeds on the small island there. One individual GREAT EGRET made repeated trips to the shore near me, east of the nesting island, to gather sticks (usually about 2 feet long) and carry them back to its mate on the nest. Some BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS are active flying in and out of the reeds on the island. CASPIAN TERNS and FORSTERS TERNS were present. There were also lots of CEDAR WAXWINGS apparently eating the small fuit of Pepper Trees (?) near the restrooms here. A pair of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES have a nest in a eucalyptas tree, and an ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER was foraging in a tree near ther lake edge. Hundreds of CLIFF SWALLOWS were gathering mud for the many nests under the eaves of the condo's east of the lake. Alan W. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 15 13:23:06 2000 Subject: [SBB] (no subject) -------- I forgot to report an adult GOLDEN EAGLE on Sunday at Ed Levin Park. 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 May 15 13:45:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] more migration in Mountain View 5/15 -------- Hi Everyone-- All the grosbeaks appear to have left; however, new arrivals this morning include a WILSON'S WARBLER, 3 singing YELLOW WARBLERS, a male NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, and at least 30 CEDAR WAXWINGS. 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 May 15 15:45:11 2000 Subject: [SBB] Saturday - Mines Rd. etc. -------- [Sorry for any duplicates that you may receive from my cross-posting.] I took another group from my birding class on the Mines Rd. route, starting in Alameda County at the Murietta Wells Winery, continuing down Mines Rd. into Santa Clara County past the San Antonio Junction about 3 - 4 mi., then back to the Junction and east into Stanislaus County. ALAMEDA COUNTY Best bird of the day was a BREWER'S SPARROW at the house just south of the bridge between MP 4.7 - 4.8. This small sparrow with an unstreaked breast flew in to the fench at roadside and paused for about 15-25 sec. The forecrown showed fine, dark streaking across the width of the crown (no median crown stripe). The facial pattern was reminiscent of a Savannah Sparrow but not as contrasting in markings and lacking any yellow in the lores. The bill was pinkish-yellow. I did not see the back or the face in profile. There was a slight impression of a light collar on the side of the neck. The bird was last seen flying back toward the rear of the house in the direction of the creek. I welcome any questions on this bird and suggestions of possible alternatives. [My apologies to the county listers for not getting the word out sooner on this bird. I understand that it's casual in the fall and not expected in spring in the area.] Also seen in a sycamore above this house was a pair of PHAINOPEPLA apparently going to a nest, a WESTERN KINGBIRD near its nest, and HOUSE FINCHes at yet another nest. We started at the Murietta Wells Winery, where the dark-morph RED- TAILED HAWK stood watch over its nestlings. The activity at the nest boxes were not in evidence as on the previous weekend (Am. Kestrel and Wood Ducks). >From the road between the Del Valle turnoff and a mile south, we found another prob. Red-tailed Hawk nest in a eucalyptus high over the road. RED-SHOULDERED HAWKs were active here and one was chased off by a Red-tailed. Near MP 5.5, just north of the sharp turn with the abundant sticky monkey flowers, we had one LAZULI BUNTING, a ROCK WREN high upslope, and excellent views of several singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS just below the road. SANTA CLARA COUNTY On San Antonio Valley Rd., at the cattle guard north of the firestation, we saw two SAGE SPARROWS but many more were heard singing. This was a bit after noon, it was warm and the sun had begun to burn past the overcast. At the firestation and the Junction, we had many good views of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHes coming to fiddleneck. Coming to nesting cavities in the oak moth larva-laden trees at the Juntion were European Starling, Western Bluebird, and possibly Violet-green Swallow. .25 mi. south of the Junction on San Antonio Valley Rd. just north of a gated driveway was a pair of LEWIS'S WOODPECKERs coming to a nest. This is the same pair we saw a week ago. 3.5 mi. south of the Junction, about 100 yds. south of the YL Ranch entrance, we saw another 4 LEWIS'S. STANISLAUS COUNTY At MP 10.4 on Del Puerto Canyon Rd., the creek snakes and there is a wide turnout on the south side. Here we found the male COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD far across the creek. A CANYON WREN was singing and hanging out on the steep cut on the north side of the road above the bridge. We watch two Common Ravens at the nest above the turnout. At MP 3.3 just east of the graffiti-ed rocks, we once again located the trusty male COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD for a close-up view. Approx. 2.5 mi. west of I-5, we found a ROCK WREN on a steep slope north of the road. At first cattle guard west of I-5, there were 2 BURROWING OWLS on the fence on the south side of the road. .25 mi. west of I-5, there were many active TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS and one flyby BLUE GROSBEAK. Overall, this weekend, the Western Kingbirds seemed the most plentiful species with Bullock's Oriole in close second. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, 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 May 15 16:01:06 2000 Subject: [SBB] SASP, GRSP and flowers -------- Folks: My wife and I stopped by Russian Ridge OSP on Friday afternoon and walked from Vista Point down to Alpine Pond and back. Eleven SAVANNAH SPARROWS were in the grasslands including seven singing males and one bird carrying food for young. A distant singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was the only one encountered. Having got the birds out of the way, I come to the real purpose of this note to comment that the wildflowers here are the best display we've ever seen. There were swathes of blue-and-white lupines, owls' clover, California poppies and tidy tips intermixed in different areas to give mixtures of color. At one place Indian paintbrush brought in a vibrant red. Mules ears, California buttercup, red maids, blue-eyed grass, blue dicks were also intermixed. This was an amazing show and should last a while. However, this is an intensively managed grassland. Parts have been burned twice in the last two years while another part has been burned once. Herbicides have been combined with seeding of wildflowers. The show is very impressive even if it is probably not sustainable over the long term. Bill -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Mon May 15 17:16:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Brown Pelican -------- While at Redwood Shores checking Heron/Egret nests on Saturday 5/13 a Brown Pelican flew north up the bay. Charles Coston ___________________________________________________________________ Get your free, permanent e-mail @www.com, the original Net address! - http://www.com/freemail Listen to your favorite music while you work! - http://www.com/radio -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 15 18:49:09 2000 Subject: [SBB] Yellow Warblers, MetroED field trip -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, The pair of YELLOW WARBLERS continue at the business park along San Ignacio (near Santa Teresa and Bernal). Last friday I observed them foraging together in the shrubbery next to one of the buildings. I notice that the trees here are a kind of eucalyptus that superficially resembles a willow (dark rough bark, similar shape to leaves and tree in general). Possibly the birds have been fooled into thinking they are in riparian habitat. Yesterday (Sun.) a male was also singing at my parent's house at the base of the Santa Teresa Hills. Sunday my MetroED class and I birded Carmel Valley and Chews Ridge in Monterey County. We saw over 70 species. Highlights: prolonged looks at a male MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER near milepost 14.8 on Carmel Valley Road; lots of LAZULI BUNTINGS and LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES at the usual spots along Carmel Valley Road; a dust-bathing MOUNTAIN QUAIL and a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL along the road below China Camp; and a COMMON POORWILL that landed on the road at dusk about a mile past China Camp. The brushy area near the saddle at Chews Ridge, where we usually get Dusky Flycatcher, has been burned, unfortunately. Gnat swarms made the birding a little less enjoyable up in the mountains-- John Mariani [[email protected]] http://www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 16 11:42:07 2000 Subject: [SBB] CCFS birds -------- ALL: I checked CCFS this morning, looking over the sewage ponds and spending about half an hour along the W side of the reveg zone. The ponds were pretty dead although 10 Marbled Godwits was a high count. There were no special numbers of swifts or swallows. Although bird song was low, it did appear that were plently of migrants in the reveg zone. I saw 4 Swainson's Thrushes (+ heard at least as many again), 3 Warbling Vireos, 5 Wilson's Warblers, and 2-3 Yellow Warblers. Also a couple of bedraggled wet birds I couldn't id, but one looked like an Orange-crowned type. I imagine a thorough check of all the riparian zone would get a lot of birds (and mosquitoes!). Nick Lethaby Product Manager, ARC Cores Inc. Tel: 408 360 2131 e-mail: Nick.Lethaby@arccores -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 16 14:31:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] CCFS -------- All, Hoping that the weather may have downed some migrants, I checked out CCFS (along the creek south of the trailers) over lunch today 5/16/00. As expected for mid-May, the scene was dominated by SWAINSON'S THRUSHES (16) and WILSON'S WARBLERS (9). Other birds of interest included a singing male MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER (just south of net 9515), 1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (net 9385), 1 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, 3 WARBLING VIREOS, 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and a male BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD. A pair of WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS was mobbing an immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK perched on a post near the trailer. Among the swallows were 3 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS foraging at eye-level. Only shorebirds of note were 6 MARBLED GODWITS and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. 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 May 16 14:56:42 2000 Subject: [SBB] (no subject) -------- Along Coyote Creek south of Hellyer today, I pinpointed a nesting burrow of BELTED KINGFISHER, watching a pair entering and leaving. It was about 150 yards from hwy 101on the side away from Hellyer Park. A male WOOD DUCK was along the creek as well, and 2 juvenile WHITE-TAILED KITES have fledged from the nest I have been watching. 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 May 16 17:00:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] Letter to the Editor, Los Gatos Weekly -------- Letter to the Editor: Thank You, Los Gatos Park Commission I walk through La Rinconada Park as part of my 3-mile walk most days I'm in town. I developed a list of 80 bird species I had seen in the park. Since people would ask me about birds when I was in the park with my binoculars, I decided to try to provide residents with useful information. I approached the Los Gatos Park Commission with the idea of "Birds of La Rinconada Park." They voted to let me test the idea for 2 months. I did and the results were amazing. In a tiny park like this one, 147 bird lists were taken in January and February despite the rain. I also did a write-up on Acorn Woodpeckers, since there are 2 colonies in the park. Due to the removal of oak trees, Acorn Woodpeckers are in major decline in our county. In May the Los Gatos Park Commission voted to take over the distribution of the "Birds of La Rinconada Park" with the Acorn Woodpecker story on one side and the 80 species I've seen there on the other. I've also been asked me to put together a list for Oak Meadow Park since it is the largest of the 17 town parks. I will be leading a field trip for Santa Clara Valley Audubon on Saturday, June 10 to help create such a list. If you would like to join us, meet at the corner of Blossom Hill and University at 8 AM. Thank you, Los Gatos Park Commission! It's nice to live in a town where a person with an idea can be heard and have the idea used! Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 09:19:31 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Pelicans -------- Wow! That's really surprising. I've watched the white pelicans for years, and mostly haven't seen any until July. Don't they prefer warmer weather/water? Nancy Teater ----------------- At 08:22 AM 5/17/2000 -0800, you wrote: >Folks: > > This morning, 5/17/2000, I counted 162 AM. WHITE PELICANS on Salt Pond >A1 in Mountain View. The build up in numbers here is typical for late >June of >early July, but not for May. With my binoculars I could count at least 13 >abandoned eggs on the small island at the SE corner of A1. They seemed too >large to me to be avocets, more likely Forster's Terns. So why were they >abandoned? A few avocets and terns still appear to be incubating on the >island. > > Bill -- Nancy R. Teater Hamilton Communications phone: +1 650 321 0252 [[email protected]] http://web.hamilton.com fax: +1 650 327 4660 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 09:22:51 2000 -------- Folks: This morning, 5/17/2000, I counted 162 AM. WHITE PELICANS on Salt Pond A1 in Mountain View. The build up in numbers here is typical for late June of early July, but not for May. With my binoculars I could count at least 13 abandoned eggs on the small island at the SE corner of A1. They seemed too large to me to be avocets, more likely Forster's Terns. So why were they abandoned? A few avocets and terns still appear to be incubating on the island. 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 May 17 12:35:49 2000 Subject: [SBB] San Jose City Council Votes NO on Burrowing Owls -------- South-Bay-Birders: Last night the San Jose City Council has rejected a proposal for Burrowing Owl Habitat protection. I'm really surprised I have seen no mention of this sad development over South-Bay-Birds. Any comment, anyone? -- Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, [[email protected]] -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 14:49:32 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] San Jose City Council Votes NO on Burrowing Owls -------- Mike and other SBBers, See Craig Breon's message of 5/14. He and others from SCVAS were furiously trying to generate support for the Burrowing Owl Plan, asking San Jose residents to call or write their district's city council member. Now we need SJ residents to contact their councilmember representatives to bring the issue up again and ask them to reconsider. If you don't know your district or representative, see http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/council/council.html Burrowing Owls are likely to become extinct in the County if we don't have some sort of organized effort to set aside land for them. San Jose was on sort of the right track but then voted to abort the planning process. This puts us back to fighting with individual developers on a project by project basis to preserve small pieces of Burrowing Owl habitat, not a very effective method. With the fast pace of development in the City, San Jose is going to crowd out most of the remaining owls unless there is a plan to protect them. SCVAS Environmental Action Committee will be considering strategies to get San Jose back on track next Wednesday the 24th, 7:30 at McClellan Ranch, if anyone wants to join us. We could use your help and ideas. Please contact me if you have any questions about what SCVAS is doing. Leda Beth Gray Chair, SCVAS Environmental Action Committee. > From: Mike Feighner <[[email protected]]> > Reply-To: [[email protected]] > Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 12:35:49 -0700 > To: South-Bay-Birds <[[email protected]]> > Subject: [SBB] San Jose City Council Votes NO on Burrowing Owls > > South-Bay-Birders: > > Last night the San Jose City Council has rejected a proposal for > Burrowing Owl Habitat protection. I'm really surprised I have seen no > mention of this sad development over South-Bay-Birds. Any comment, > anyone? > > -- > 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]] > -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 17 14:56:42 2000 Subject: [SBB] Ed Levin CP -------- All, Today 5/17/00 I made a lunch time trip to Ed Levin CP, hiking up to the sycamores above Sandy Wool Lake to look for Blue Grosbeaks. On the way up I bumped into Al Eisner, who reported having seen two BLUE GROSBEAKS 45 minutes earlier - but these birds were last seen heading upslope. When I got to the sycamores there were no BLGR to be found, so I continued on along the trail. Just past the beige water tank (where a side trail continues up to the wind sock) I found a singing male BLUE GROSBEAK in an oak above some buckeyes. If the birds are nesting here this year it might explain why they have been less dependable near the sycamores. Also in the area were 3 adult male LAZULI BUNTINGS, 6 RUFOUS- CROWNED SPARROWS, and 4 singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS. Lots of breeding activity up here now, with WESTERN MEADOWLARK and RUFOUS- CROWNED SPARROWS carrying food for young, an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD gathering spider webs for a nest, and plenty of fledgling EUROPEAN STARLINGS near the parking lot. Only migrants in this area of the park were 2 singing YELLOW WARBLERS. Also of interest was a day-roosting GREAT HORNED OWL in the drainage above the sycamores. Mike Rogers -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 15:08:09 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Flowers and Lazuli Buntings -------- Birders We went to see the flowers and the birds this AM,. Savannah Sparrows (none seen) were replaced with LABU singing everywhere. We also heard Grasshopper Sparrows, but they were not seen. In the oak woodland we saw a flock of Purple Finches and a pair of of House Wrens. Ash Throated Flycatchers finished up the more unusual species. Ruth Troetschler ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------A At 3:01 PM -0800 5/15/00, [[email protected]] wrote: >Folks: > > My wife and I stopped by Russian Ridge OSP on Friday afternoon and >walked from Vista Point down to Alpine Pond and back. Eleven SAVANNAH >SPARROWS were in the grasslands including seven singing males and one bird >carrying food for young. A distant singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was the only >one encountered. Ruth Troetschler -------- Birders We went to see the flowers and the birds this AM,. Savannah Sparrows (none seen) were replaced with LABU singing everywhere. We also heard Grasshopper Sparrows, but they were not seen. In the oak woodland we saw a flock of Purple Finches and a pair of of House Wrens. Ash Throated Flycatchers finished up the more unusual species. Ruth Troetschler --------------------------------------------------------------------------------A At 3:01 PM -0800 5/15/00, [[email protected]] wrote: Folks: My wife and I stopped by Russian Ridge OSP on Friday afternoon and walked from Vista Point down to Alpine Pond and back. Eleven SAVANNAH SPARROWS were in the grasslands including seven singing males and one bird carrying food for young. A distant singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was the only one encountered. Ruth Troetschler From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 16:17:24 2000 Subject: [SBB] CCFS birds -------- All, This morning Frank Vanslager and I checked out the ponds near the Coyote Creek Field Station. The Waterbird Pond water level is still to high but is rapidly improving. Gulls are now using the pond (mostly California Gulls), there were also two Western Sandpipers, a small group of dowitchers (Long-billed), a small group of Marbled Godwits and four Wilson's Phalaropes (three alternate plumage females and a juvenile). The pond across from the banding trailer (there's only one trailer now) had a small flock of dowitchers and sixteen Marbled Godwits. As we started to bird the riparian corridor north of the CCFS trailer, Kathy Parker drove up and informed us that the MacGillivray's Warbler was still near net 9515 and singing up a storm. Shortly thereafter we had great views of the bird (a nice male). Other birds seen included an Orange-crowned Warbler (with a mixed flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Bushtits), a male Wilson's Warbler, a Warbling Vireo, Red-shouldered Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, lots of Swainson's Thrush, Bullock's Orioles, at least four Western Kingbirds and a male Ring-necked Pheasant perched on the top of the fence near the large Coyote Creek tidal mud flat. Take care, Bob Reiling, 4;19 PM, 5/17/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 17 16:52:59 2000 Subject: [SBB] "Owl open house," nesting birds -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, Thanks again to the Parkers, who let a huge mob of us into their home last night to see their wonderful live action footage of nesting WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS, and live action actual screech-owls too. Gloria LeBlanc also deserves credit for setting this event up. Today I saw a downy baby RED-SHOULDERED HAWK peering down from a nest at my parent's house in south San Jose (Santa Teresa Hills). I'm still tracking that pair of business park YELLOW WARBLERS at my job site off San Ignacio. I think I know the general whereabouts of the nest site, which is possibly in one of the hedges. The eucalyptus here look a lot like willows, and they are planted in roughly linear fashion along a paved walkway (stream substitute?)-- John Mariani [[email protected]] http://www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 17 21:08:59 2000 Subject: [SBB] Re: Ed Levin Park -------- Mike Rogers wrote: > Today 5/17/00 I made a lunch time trip to Ed Levin CP, hiking up > to the sycamores above Sandy Wool Lake to look for Blue Grosbeaks. > On the way up I bumped into Al Eisner, who reported having seen > two BLUE GROSBEAKS 45 minutes earlier - but these birds were last > seen heading upslope. When I got to the sycamores there were no > BLGR to be found, so I continued on along the trail. Just past > the beige water tank (where a side trail continues up to the wind > sock) I found a singing male BLUE GROSBEAK in an oak above some > buckeyes. If the birds are nesting here this year it might explain > why they have been less dependable near the sycamores. I had an adult male at the sycamores at 11:30, when I arrived there. A very probably female-type was with it, but by the time I got my eyeglasses unfogged, it was gone, so I didn't have a careful look. The male headed upslope a minute later. I earlier checked out the area near the Elms picnic area, which had a few migrants: Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, a couple of Western Tanagers, etc. A Chestnut-Backed Chickadee was carrying food to noisy young in a nest box on one of the euc's by the fence-line. 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]] Wed May 17 22:08:28 2000 Subject: [SBB] more CCFS area birds. -------- Birders: Today I noted some of the same birds that Bob Reiling mentioned. In addition, inside the water pollution control plant there was a leucistic Black-necked Stilt. This bird is largely white with dusky near the head and some on the upper back. Diane Kodama mentioned seeing this, or a similar bird, at the waterbird pond last year sometime. Quite a striking bird! good birding, Al Alvaro Jaramillo Senior Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 (408)-946-6548 http://www.sfbbo.org/ Home of the California Fall Challenge!! [[email protected]] Birds of Chile and 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]] Thu May 18 09:20:50 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Re: Ed Levin Park -------- I have got to learn to go with you guys! We did our mid-week nest box monitoring a couple hours after Mike and Al passed through. We always count and log all birds we see when we do our trail (kinda like an impromptu mini-CBC). Each days count, since mid-March, has been increasingly dismal. We don't even have a good array of water fowl to add to the list anymore. We left around 1930 with an all time low of 19 birds (species). The CBCH's Al had mentioned, should be fledging on the 20th. Yesterdays check--their last--found all 5 of them healthy and well. Back by the Spring Valley horse trail, near the top of the hill, We found several newly empty nest boxes. After our disappointing Saturday visit, these guys all looked like they fledged successfully. Best of all, a pair of ATFL's were inspecting one of the newly available boxes. Best regards, Dusty Bleher Campbell, Ca. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[[email protected]]> To: <[[email protected]]> Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 21:08 Subject: [SBB] Re: Ed Levin Park > Mike Rogers wrote: > > > Today 5/17/00 I made a lunch time trip to Ed Levin CP, hiking up > > to the sycamores above Sandy Wool Lake to look for Blue Grosbeaks. > > On the way up I bumped into Al Eisner, who reported having seen > > two BLUE GROSBEAKS 45 minutes earlier - but these birds were last > > seen heading upslope. When I got to the sycamores there were no > > BLGR to be found, so I continued on along the trail. Just past > > the beige water tank (where a side trail continues up to the wind > > sock) I found a singing male BLUE GROSBEAK in an oak above some > > buckeyes. If the birds are nesting here this year it might explain > > why they have been less dependable near the sycamores. > > I had an adult male at the sycamores at 11:30, when I arrived there. A > very probably female-type was with it, but by the time I got my eyeglasses > unfogged, it was gone, so I didn't have a careful look. The male headed > upslope a minute later. > > I earlier checked out the area near the Elms picnic area, which had a few > migrants: Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, a couple of Western > Tanagers, etc. A Chestnut-Backed Chickadee was carrying food to noisy young > in a nest box on one of the euc's by the fence-line. > 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]] > -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 18 11:37:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] Loma Prieta -------- All, Early this morning 5/18/00, I headed up to Loma Prieta, hoping for swifts, martins, and unusual sparrows. Ended up with none of these, although together with Bob Reiling and Frank Vanslager I found quite a few migrants. Warblers dominated the scene, with 18+ TOWNSEND'S (both counties), 3 "AUDUBON'S" YELLOW-RUMPED (all in SCZ, including a singing adult male), 3 WILSON'S, 1 or 2 YELLOW, 1 female HERMIT (south of the summit in SCL), and a possible (heard-only) singing MacGillivray's (in SCZ). At least 20 LAZULI BUNTINGS (mostly singing males) scattered about probably included at least some migrants, but it is less clear which, if any, of the 4 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, 2 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, and 2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES may have been just passing through. All the many HUMMINGBIRDS appeared to ANNA'S. Unusual was a MOUNTAIN QUAIL calling from south of the summit (below the four-road junction). I heard one here last year as well, but the species was apparently not noted from this area prior to that. 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]] Fri May 19 09:53:42 2000 Subject: [SBB] Song Sparrow subspecies? -------- Birders: I am a bit confused on what to call the upland nesting Song Sparrows in the county. For a paper reporting survival rates of sparrows at Coyote Creek I need to give the sparrows a name. They are not the salt marsh nesting _pusillula_. In the past the upland birds have been called _santaecrucis_ (for example in Grinnell and Miller) but were lumped with _gouldi_ in the AOU 1957 checklist, the last to detail all of the subspecies of birds in the continent. This form _gouldi_ extends north of SF Bay to Mendocino or so. The papers in the 1940s by Joe T. Marshall also use _gouldi_ instead of _santaecrucis_. However, recently I have seen (but can't remember where) _santaecrucis_ being used. Unfortunately, I can't get my hands on a paper (Marshall and Dedrick 1994. Endemic Song Sparrows and Yellowthroats of San Francisco Bay. Studies in Avian Biology 15: 316-327) any time soon which could answer the question. Any ideas out there as to which subspecies is the currently "accepted" one for the uplands in the county? thanks for any help. Al Alvaro Jaramillo Senior Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 (408)-946-6548 http://www.sfbbo.org/ Home of the California Fall Challenge!! [[email protected]] Birds of Chile and 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]] Fri May 19 16:37:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Two Ospreys -------- Hi all, I went on a lunchtime walk today to look for the Lazuli Bunting sighted by Pat Curtis and company in Los Gatos Creek Park. I never saw the bunting and, except for a drake Hooded Merganser in the creek, it was a pretty ho-hum walk until I spotted an Osprey flying over the second of the three large ponds off of Dell Ave. I had great views and was thinking to myself, "How lucky can you get?" Then another Osprey flew into view, harrassed by a Forster's Tern. For a moment, both Ospreys were in my binoculars at once! Don Ganton [[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 May 19 20:19:23 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Song Sparrow subspecies? -------- Oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to decipher binomial nomenclature. Screech. Alvaro Jaramillo wrote: > Birders: > > I am a bit confused on what to call the upland nesting Song Sparrows in > the county. For a paper reporting survival rates of sparrows at Coyote > Creek I need to give the sparrows a name. They are not the salt marsh > nesting _pusillula_. In the past the upland birds have been called > _santaecrucis_ (for example in Grinnell and Miller) but were lumped with > _gouldi_ in the AOU 1957 checklist, the last to detail all of the > subspecies of birds in the continent. This form _gouldi_ extends north of > SF Bay to Mendocino or so. The papers in the 1940s by Joe T. Marshall also > use _gouldi_ instead of _santaecrucis_. However, recently I have seen (but > can't remember where) _santaecrucis_ being used. Unfortunately, I can't get > my hands on a paper (Marshall and Dedrick 1994. Endemic Song Sparrows and > Yellowthroats of San Francisco Bay. Studies in Avian Biology 15: 316-327) > any time soon which could answer the question. Any ideas out there as to > which subspecies is the currently "accepted" one for the uplands in the > county? > > thanks for any help. > > Al > > Alvaro Jaramillo > Senior Biologist > San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory > P.O. Box 247 > Alviso, CA 95002 > (408)-946-6548 > > http://www.sfbbo.org/ > Home of the California Fall Challenge!! > > [[email protected]] > > Birds of Chile and > 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]] -- Paul L. Noble "Screechowl" [[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]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 20 15:30:59 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Song Sparrow subspecies? -------- Hello all, Looking at the paper Al refers to, the authors do not recognize santaecrucis. They specifically state that "At Coyote Creek Riparian Station, also near Alviso and 2.2 miles upstream from the salt marsh, Song Sparrows being banded are the plain, brown of East Bay santaecrusis but, and I initially found this confusing, they also state "Our scientific trinomials apply to field-identifiable subspecies (Marshall 1964) except that for convenience we also recognize the Santa Cruz Song Sparrow (M.m. santaecrucis), easily identified in the hand during banding operations. I do not have Marshall's 1964 paper as it was in the Auk, but I guess this means that they don't believe them to be seperate but they treat them that way because they are easily separable. I do have Marshall's paper in the Condor (2 parts in 9-10/1948 and 11-12/1948) entitled "Ecologic Races of Song Sparrows in the San Francisco Bay Region." In it Marshall states that "there are 30 geographic races, counting all well-differentiated forms (thus omitting mailli ardi and santaecrucis of California)" In the second part he states "...the subspecies santaecrucis described from the Peninsula population is here combined with gouldii because less than 40% of the birds from it's range can be distinguished from typical gouldii, and its characteristic of reddish-brown back with light gray edges is an intermediate coloration between gouldii to the north and cooperi to the south." In the appendix he recommends the lumping of the two. So I guess the answer to Al's question is that at least as recently as 1994 Marshall did not believe the two to be seperate. I would assume that since he is the expert on San Francisco Bay Song Sparrows that the aou defers to him on the subject. Al, if you would like a photocopy of the article I would be happy to photocopy you one and mail it out. For anyone interested, my copy of the article is in "A Century of Avifaunal Change in Western North America", Joseph R. Jehl and Ned K. Johnson, Editors, published by Cooper Ornithological Society, 1994. Hope this interests someone, the rest of you can wake up now. Steve Glover Dublin, CA [[email protected]] _______________________________________________________________________ When an Anglican bishop asked the famous biologist J.B.S. Haldane what biology had shown him about the designs and predilections of the Creator, Haldane is purported to have replied, "An inordinate fondness for beetles." -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 20 18:16:36 2000 Subject: [SBB] Backyard birds -------- This morning, 5/20/00, while my wife and I were working in our flower garden, we observed a Green Heron (GRHE), fly overhead about 7:15 AM. Then about 8:00 AM we saw it perched on a neighbors TV antenna. Soon an American Crow (AMCR) landed on the antenna and began attempting to chase the GrHE from the antenna. The GRHE held its won, but the AMCR kept up a steady stream of calls. Soon a pair of AMCR's arrived and helped chase the GRHE away. Sitting next to the AMCR, the GRHE appeared smaller than I anticipated. The crows did not return to the antenna after successfully chasing away the heron. Also observed in this suburban area near Santa Teresa High School in south San Jose (just north of the Santa Teresa Hills) were a Nuttall's Woodpecker, several pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds, a Hooded Oriole (first time this spring) and a pair of Black-headed Grosbeak (BHGR)(a backyard first). The female BHGR returned several times to feed at our feeders. Regular and frequent visitor's in our yard is a pair of California Towhee, sometimes collecting long dog hairs from my Siberian Husky. Cheers, _______________________________________________________ Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite Visit http://freelane.excite.com/freeisp -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 20 20:43:13 2000 Subject: [SBB] Yosemite -------- I plan to pass through Yosemite in late May/early June. I used to see the Great Gray Owls at Crane Flat, but I have not had any luck the last few tiimes. Does anyone have information about recent likely spots to see them? Thanks for the help. Rob Colwell ([[email protected]]) -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 20 23:27:42 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Yosemite -------- Rob: Peregoy (sp.?) Meadow accross from Bridaveil campground. This meadow is a bit higher in elevation than Chevron Meadows at Crane Flat. I have seen Great Gray at both locations. Peregroy seems to have more sightings in the last five years or so. Back in the early 1980's Great Gray was rather reliable at Crane Flat. My first sighting was on 5/9/81 at Crane Flat which was a low snowfall year. The smaller meadows around Bridaveil also worth checking out. Golden Gate Audubon has annual trips to Yosemite and may have more information. Doug Shaw, Santa Rosa, CA [[email protected]] ----- Original Message ----- From: Rita and Rob Colwell <[[email protected]]> To: <[[email protected]]> Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2000 8:43 PM Subject: [SBB] Yosemite > I plan to pass through Yosemite in late May/early June. I used to see > the Great Gray Owls at Crane Flat, but I have not had any luck the last > few tiimes. Does anyone have information about recent likely spots to > see them? > > Thanks for the help. > > Rob Colwell ([[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]] Sun May 21 16:13:04 2000 Subject: [SBB] Sunday at Ed Levin Park, Charleston Slough -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, Today Amy Hajduk and I visited Ed Levin Park and walked the trail up to the sycamore gulch, watertank, and beyond. It was late morning/early afternoon and it was HOT. No Blue Grosbeaks, but we did have at least 5 LAZULI BUNTINGS singing at various points along the trail, a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW at the sycamore gulch, an unseen GRASSHOPPER SPARROW singing along the trail past the watertank, and lots of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. A spectacular flock of about 120 AM. WHITE PELICANS was circling over the valley below us, and later came over the hills not far from where we were walking. Allergy attack made it hard for me to see much on the hike back. Lingering ducks At Charleston Slough included a lone CANVASBACK. Didn't see any Black Skimmers at the tern island just north of the forebay. John Mariani [[email protected]] http://www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun May 21 21:45:06 2000 Subject: [SBB] Fremont Peak State Park (out of county) -------- SBB, I took my birding class to Fremont Peak State Park in San Benito County on the edge of Monterey Co. on Sat., 5/20/00. The campground, picnic and peak areas were very active with lots of song, nest-building and -sitting, and food carrying. About 12 BLACK SWIFTS were seen flying over the peak from west to east (from Monterey Co. into San Benito Co.). A pair of LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHes have a nest at the campground closest to the road on the right as you reach the self-pay parking area. There was lots of activity from OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERs, WESTERN WOOD- PEWEEs, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, and LAZULI BUNTINGs. A CANYON WREN carried food to a fissure in the small gorge-like formation near the small footbridge at the peak area. Several TOWNSEND'S WARBLERs were singing and foraging in the picnic area. I don't know if they're typically found here at this time of year. Also had ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW, and WILSON'S WARBLERs. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, CA home: [[email protected]] work: [[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 May 22 08:41:56 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Yosemite - Great Gray Owl -------- Attachment 2.3 KBytes -------- From [[email protected]] Tue May 23 20:55:52 2000 Subject: [SBB] Nesting tanagers etc. -------- All, For the second straight year there is a breeding confirmation for Western Tanagers at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills. Today I saw a pair of tanagers in and around a very large Douglas-fir tree outside by the tiny duck pond beside the White Barn (consult HV map, available at the visitors' center, if you'd like to find these birds). The male was carrying a cranefly. Tanagers have been a constant in this tree and the adjacent huge Bigleaf Maple for the past couple of weeks. Better yet, a second pair seems to be nesting very close to where a nest was located last summer. The male of this pair is clearly distinct from the other, as it has much less of the fiery red on its head/neck, as reported earlier. Today the male was acting as though in territorial defense as I walked a little-used trail through its area close to the Visitor's Welcome Center, landing on a branch a few feet over our heads and calling loudly and pointedly at us until we left. WETA have been noted converging on this spot in a grove of Bay trees for a couple of weeks. I have not yet located any WETA nests this season. Nuttall's Woodpeckers fledged at HV last weekend, and Black Phoebes, Calif. Towhees, and Lesser Goldfinches are all feeding juveniles outside the nest as of this date (5/23/00). Ash-throated Flycatchers began nest-building at HV this week, and Violet-green Swallows started laying eggs in nestboxes there in the middle of last week. An unseen warbler that sounded like a late Yellow-rumped was singing by the HV front entrance today. --Garth Harwood -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 24 15:54:26 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting,Wednesday Field Trip -------- The Wednesday SCVAS field trip at Montebello started off on a high note with the sighting of a male Indigo Bunting perched on a utility wire just outside the preserve parking lot and west of the entrance road. This bird was easily seen by all participants at about 8 am and was still (or again) present at noon. At about the same times ( 8 and 12 ) a singing Grasshopper Sparrow was present in the grasslands just below the parking area. Other species, out of 44 seen, included a Peregrine Falcon, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Pacific Slope Flycatchers, Western Bluebird, Hutton's and Warbling Vireos, Orange-crowned and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and lots of Lazuli Buntings. We did not find either Chipping or Black-chinned Sparrows. Rosalie Lefkowitz -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Thu May 25 20:18:01 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting at Monte Bello -------- I was driving by Monte Bello OSP this afternoon at around 3:30. Because of Rosalie's message, I checked out the phone lines in the area. I paused to look at a small bird perched on the line that crosses the road near the Los Trancos parking lot. Sure enough, it was a male INDIGO BUNTING. It was just off the road on the north side and it flew down to the shrubs below the phoneline. >From what I can tell on my USGS map, the county line jogs north at this spot and the bird was seen in Santa Clara County. Nice bird! Les Chibana Palo Alto, CA [[email protected]] [[email protected]] -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Fri May 26 09:03:03 2000 Subject: [SBB] Breeding Bird Survey -------- All, Yesterday morning 5/25/00, I censused my Breeding Bird Survey route, starting at Las Animas Road east of Metcalf Road at 5:14am and finishing up along Guadalupe Reservoir 4.5 hours later. Despite doing this survey before June this year, I did not detect any birds that were probably migrants rather than breeders. Two WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS and a GREAT HORNED OWL were vocal at the first stop, along with the first of two singing LAZULI BUNTINGS for the day (the second being just west of the motorcycle park). The grasslands along Metcalf Road only yielded a single GRASSHOPPER SPARROW this year, down from years past. Parkway Lakes had 2 CASPIAN TERNS and a brood of CANADA GEESE. A real surprise along Bailey Road was a gobbling male WILD TURKEY within half a mile of Santa Teresa Blvd - a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT heard across the road was also interesting. Calero Reservoir had 4 CASPIAN TERNS, 2 courting FORSTER'S TERNS and a few EGRETS besides a single AECHMOPHORUS GREBE that was too distant to positively identify (no scope with me). A GOLDEN EAGLE was perched one tower west of the nest west of the reservoir. A total of six WHITE-TAILED KITES between Parkway Lakes and Harry Road seemed like a good number. The New Almaden/Hick's Road area added an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, 2 CASSIN'S VIREOS, 2 to 3 WESTERN TANAGERS, and a pair of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS (near the turnoff to Mt Umunhum). Four female COMMON MERGANSERS at Almaden Reservoir (near the dam) were supplemented by at least 3 precocial young, whereas a pair of AMERICAN COOT escorted a downy young bird at the upper end. Plenty of nesting activity all along the route, with RUFOUS-CROWNED and SONG SPARROWS and RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS carrying food for young, plenty of active CLIFF SWALLOW nests, and recently fledged young of WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, EUROPEAN STARLING, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. Interesting mammals included a family of WILD BOAR just west of the Metcalf motorcycle park and a Coyote along the edge of Almaden Reservoir. 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]] Fri May 26 14:31:09 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting still at Los Trancos OSP -------- All-- I saw the INBU several times between 11:00 and noon today (Friday). Just hang around the parking lot long enough and eventually you should see/hear it. --Pete ------------------------------------------------------ Peter LaTourrette Bird Photography: http://www.birdphotography.com/ Bird Photo Gallery: http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 26 23:13:37 2000 Subject: [SBB] Hudsonian Godwit. -------- Birders: There was a first spring Hudsonian Gowith at CCFS today. It was using the sewage pond immediately across from the banding trailers. There was also a White-faced Ibis there. Note that this bird is very dull in colour, having almost no red on the underparts. It is not easy to pick out, except that it looks longer and slimmer than a Marbled Godwit. Access to CCFS is restricted to members that have signed the access agreement. Do e-mail me if you need the agreement and want to go throught the process. Good luck. Al Alvaro Jaramillo Senior Biologist San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory P.O. Box 247 Alviso, CA 95002 (408)-946-6548 http://www.sfbbo.org/ Home of the California Fall Challenge!! [[email protected]] Birds of Chile and 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]] Sat May 27 13:04:31 2000 Subject: [SBB] Scott's Oriole @ LAH? -------- Is this possible? I caught a glimpse of a large (i.e. bigger than a finch) lemon yellow bird with black foreparts flying over my house just now. I immediately thought of an oriole but the only one that fits that description is Scott's. I notice that Hooded may be yellowish but this bird was definitely very yellow. I guess that Meadowlark is also a possibility but even with my brief look I'm sure I would have noticed the yellow chin. Any other ideas? Andy. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 27 17:24:37 2000 Subject: [SBB] Monte Bello -------- I led a bird walk for the Open Space District at Monte Bello today, 5/27/00. The INDIGO BUNTING over at the Los Trancos OSP parking lot was being well-viewed when we started out. Its rounds takes it into San Mateo County. Just beyond the third drainage along the Bella Vista Trail (.5 mi. before Monte Bello Road) we had our first GRASSHOPPER SPARROW singing way up on the ridge. Then I heard a BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW also singing from way up the ridge. We never did see it but the song was very clear (I've seen them further up the ridge in the past). BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERs were heard but not seen along the Bella Vista Trail. We saw another 2-3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs (great views, I might add) along the Old Ranch Trail, a quarter of a mile before the campground. More BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERs were heard-only at the campground in the vicinity of a nesting observation from last year. No Black-chinned Sparrows were detected along the upper portion of Indian Creek Trail where they were usually seen. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERs were finally seen on the lower portion of this trail. LAZULI BUNTINGs were one of the most abundant species seen with 13 seen and another 14 heard. We took care to not double-count birds. Reptiles: 2 California Whiptails (lizard), a California Whipsnake, and a Western Rattlesnake. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, CA [[email protected]] -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sat May 27 23:08:18 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting at Los Trancos -------- Late this afternoon, 5/27/00, I spent some quality time with the INDIGO BUNTING (INBU hereafter; Lazuli Bunting = LAZB). I thought that I had figured out its cycle after a short time earlier this afternoon. But an hour's wait crouched on a trail proved me wrong. Just as I was about to give up, it cruised into view in full song. I had some great views in low afternoon sunlight as it perched facing me then turned to face away. In that angle of light, the belly showed a hint of iridescence with tints of green and lighter blue. The lower back and rump, with wings slightly spread, appeared to be a lighter blue, almost of the same hue as a LAZB. I started to consider that this might be a hybrid, but it didn't show the apparently typical hybrid markings of wingbars or a light belly. I couldn't see any brownish feathering that might indicate that this was a second year bird. While walking back to the parking lot, I found the INBU alternately perched on the overhead wires and ardently chasing a male LAZB through the coyote brush. They both did a similar "spit" call as they chased. There was a velvet ant on the trail near the parking area. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, CA [[email protected]] [[email protected]] -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Sun May 28 08:32:52 2000 Subject: [SBB] Skyline and Russian Ridge sightings -------- Sightings (short list) during the Santa Cruz Bird Club trip to Skyline Ridge and Russian Ridge Open Space Preserves. Included (of course :-)) Los Trancos sightings as well. Saratoga Gap Adult (appeared to be after second year) male Audubon's Warbler - seen at almost 7:00 AM sharp at the Saratoga Gap parking area, singing his heart out from the top of a Douglas Fir on the western side of 35 - Skyline Blvd. The bird was in full breeding plumage with very dark, almost jet black flight feathers (both wing and tail), wing coverts, scapular, and head feathers where appropriate - which made the yellow plumaged areas (crown, throat, sides, rump) all that more impressive - no signs of a more indicative lighter, more mottled fist alternate plumage. Los Trancos Indigo Bunting - Seen from main parking lot around 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM - very cooperative, providing great views from various perches - was present the whole time. Lazuli Buntings (numerous) California Thrasher Bewicks Wren Western Kingbird White-tailed Kites (displaying active courtship - mid-air tumbles, etc.) Anna's Hummingbirds (also numerous) Skyline Ridge Black-throated Gray Warblers (singing along trail between Horseshoe and Alpine Ponds) MacGillivray's Warbler (singing - Horseshoe Pond) Common Yellowthroat (singing - Horseshoe and Alpine Pond) Hutton's Vireos (Horseshoe and Alpine Ponds - one pair exhaustingly feeding mobile young at Apline) Ash-throated Flycatcher (Apline Pond) Bewicks Wrens (everywhere) Chipping Sparrows (everywhere) Oregon Juncos (everywhere) Spotted Towhees (everywhere) Black-headed Grosbeaks (everywhere) Lesser Goldfinch (everywhere) Russian Ridge - west of Skyline Blvd., Meadow Trail - added great views of singing Grasshopper Sparrows. Eric Feuss Eric Feuss ABTS Application Developer, Administrator ABTS Support Staff Adobe Systems Incorporated Mailstop: W06, 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 Phone: (408) 536-3050 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 28 09:08:18 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Indigo Bunting at Los Trancos -------- In regards to Les Chibana posting on the Indigo Bunting, Sightings of this bird during the Santa Cruz Bird Club trip, which I previously forgot to mention was May 27, were had up-close (typically varying from 25 to 40 meters, maximum 60 meters) and were had through a high-end Leica (telarite sp? - flourite ?) scope and a Baush and Laub (sp?), Discoverer 60 mm zoom scope under great to good light conditions (7:30 to 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM). As Les noted ... >...the belly showed a hint of iridescence with tints of green and lighter >blue. The lower back and rump, with wings slightly spread, appeared to be >a lighter blue, almost of the same hue as a LAZB. .....[there was no >indication of] any brownish feathering that might indicate that this was a >second year bird. We saw the same. To me, this bird in no way appeared to be a hybrid (with Lazuli) or a second year male. To me, it clearly appeared to be one of the many variable plumages of an after second year male. We had many and great views of this bird - filling the whole scope - while singing its heart out. One could even watch the tongue action. Well, that was until the California Thrasher decided to show the Indigo Bunting how really to sing and successfully drowned out every last note of the Indigo Bunting's song....for the next half hour or so. Two sighting from around the Apline Pond / Russian Ridge parking area that I forgot to mention in my earlier post were that of a very vocal Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Western Wood Pewee. Eric Feuss -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 28 12:26:28 2000 Subject: [SBB] BCSP -------- All, On a Del Puerto Canyon Road yesterday, at the summit (about MP 10.0 in Santa Clara County) I had a singing BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW quite close to the road. Other birds of interest along Mine's Road were CASSIN'S VIREO, PHAINOPEPLA, ROCK WREN, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, and LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. Matthew Dodder http://www.birdguy.net/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 28 13:02:05 2000 Subject: [SBB] PASBC -------- All, I meant to include this invitation in my last post, but forgot... The Palo Alto Summer Bird Count is coming up on June 3 and I still need some help covering Region 7--the Skyline, Russian Ridge, Windy Hill area. There are several areas still unaccounted on the count, but more importantly some additional eyes for existing teams would be helpful! If any of you are interested in participating, please contact me via email [[email protected]] and I will let you know where I could use your help. The sooner you respond the faster I will be able to get you the name of your team leader and you can arrange with him/her when and where to meet. Thank you all, Matthew Dodder http://www.birdguy.net/ -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 28 17:51:59 2000 Subject: [SBB] More birds in the hills... -------- Many thanks to those who responded to my putative Scott's Oriole. It sounds as though a yellow Hooded Oriole is the most likely explanation. I caught up with the Indigo Bunting at Los Trancos this morning. I may or may not have seen a Western Wood-Peewee too (aren't these flycatchers difficult?). Later on at the Russian Ridge parking lot I heard a very distinctive call, which my CDs identified as the three-beers part of the Olive-sided Flycatcher's song. What happened to the quick bit? Is it usual for it to be missing? There were tons of Lazuli Buntings, some Black-headed Grosbeaks and a few Chipping Sparrows -- nice to see them again. And it was hot, but still cooler than at lower elevations. Andy. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 28 19:34:57 2000 Subject: [SBB] A couple good county birds -------- All, This morning prior to, during and after the SCVAS field trip to Monte Bello OSP the adult male Indigo Bunting was in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The bird would alternately appear on the power lines crossing Page Mill Road and on various bushes and trees east, north and west of the Los Trancos OSP parking lot. After the trip and another look at the gorgeous bunting, Frank Vanslager and I went to Coyote Creek Field Station (CCFS) where the Hudsonian Godwit was much easier to find than was anticipated in the pond across from the banding trailer. When we first arrived the small, short, dark godwit opened it's wings showing Frank it's black axillaries and underwing coverts, it's blackish tail and white uppertail coverts. I was not so fortunate. I watched the bird for over an hour and only once did most of the birds in the pond fly (the HUGO, unfortunately, only briefly stopped feeding for a quick look around). I never even got good looks at the upper wing with just fleeting glimpses of a whitish band near the outer wing while preening. I did get good looks at the white edged blackish tail with a white terminal band. The base of the tail feathers and the uppertail coverts were white. The scapulars were blackish centered with very light (almost white) edges. The front of the bird (chest and upper belly) and the flanks were dark (I could not detect any red from the distance I was viewing the bird) with broad blackish vertical bars on the flanks. Under the same viewing conditions the right side of the bird was darker than the left side with the whitish underbelly showing more on that side. The lower belly to the dark edged lower tail was light (whitish). The face was light with a dark crown (the supercilious was not well seen). The long, slightly upturned bill appeared to be darker than that on the nearby Marbled Godwits (the proximal half may have been muddy?). We were immediately struck by the overall small, thin shape of the bird. The larger MAGO making it look very small indeed (the HUGO being darker would accentuate this difference). We also noted that the legs were shorter than on any of the MAGO present (most of this appeared to be the result of a shorter upper leg). In any case, when feeding, the belly of the HUGO was very near to or touching the surface of the pond while the MAGO had at least one to one and a half inches of clearance (with birds near each other in the same depth of "water"). The HUGO always seemed to be standing in a hole. At about 2 PM the HUGO preened briefly (more good looks at that tail) and went to sleep standing on it's right leg. I also gave in to hunger and fatigue. The HUGO seems to be a male showing a mixture of juvenile characteristics (white edged tail with a whitish terminal band, whitish lower belly and undertail coverts) and adult characteristics (black centered, whitish [not buffy] edged scapulars and dark chest and flanks with heavy vertical barring). I have no knowledge of the molt pattern (this is a life bird for me) and as such am unable to age the bird. Take care, Bob Reiling, 7:37 PM, 5/28/00 -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 29 15:58:38 2000 Subject: [SBB] Hudsonian Godwit -------- Hi Birders - The HUDSONIAN GODWIT that was found on Friday is still present today in the pond across the road from Coyote Creek Field Station. During my visit, it spent the entire time near the far end of the pond, so even scope views were not completely satisfying. Maybe it will be closer when you go. Membership in San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is mandatory unless you go with someone that is a member and has signed the waiver. Steve Rovell [[email protected]] -------- Attachment 640 bytes -------- From [[email protected]] Mon May 29 20:01:12 2000 Subject: Re: [SBB] Hudsonian Godwit -------- Dear Birders: Please let me clarify entry to CCFS. EVERYONE must sign the waiver, regardless of who you go with. Yes, we encourage you to become a member - we need all the support we can get. But the main issue here is one of liability and our agreements with the property owners. Please help SFBBO uphold its agreements and earn their trust, to ensure CCFS's continued existance at the site. Feel free to make copies of the blank waiver. Either mail or drop off signed copies to SFBBO in Alviso. But please don't go without doing that first. Viewing rarities is NOT part of the CCFS banding program so please bird/tread lightly and responsibly. Thanks guys and enjoy the HUGO! The Access Police (darn, someone has to do it!) aka Janet Hanson, ED SFBBO P.O. Box 247, Alviso, CA 95002 -----Original Message----- From: Steve Rovell <[[email protected]]> To: SBB <[[email protected]]> Date: Monday, May 29, 2000 3:56 PM Subject: [SBB] Hudsonian Godwit Hi Birders - The HUDSONIAN GODWIT that was found on Friday is still present today in the pond across the road from Coyote Creek Field Station. During my visit, it spent the entire time near the far end of the pond, so even scope views were not completely satisfying. Maybe it will be closer when you go. Membership in San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is mandatory unless you go with someone that is a member and has signed the waiver. Steve Rovell [[email protected]] -------- Attachment 2.6 KBytes -------- From [[email protected]] Mon May 29 21:04:36 2000 Subject: [SBB] Mines Road -------- Having read all the previous trip lists from this area, I decided to go and fill my boots. Er, not quite. I certainly got Lawrence's Goldfinches although they resolutely would not turn around to give me a frontal view. I got yet another yellow-looking oriole -- Bullock's this time. Maybe I'm having trouble with orange and yellow? One flycatcher could have been either a Willow or a Peewee; I'm gonna have to learn the calls for this lot! Western Bluebirds were escorting their young around and I was surprised by a very vocal Killdeer at one river crossing. But I was even more surprised by an Osprey preening itself along San Antonio Valley Road -- about as arid a habitat as you could get. It had found a pond but I bet there weren't any fish in it. And that was it. Personally I found the no loitering signs pretty offensive. Does birding count as loitering? I expect it does to some redneck with an itchy trigger finger. I was certainly fascinated by the number of bullet-holes in the road signs. -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 29 21:05:58 2000 Subject: [SBB] BCSP -------- All, My apologies, the BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW of Saturday was not on Del Puerto Canyon road but rather San Antonio Valley Road. Art Edwards' itinerary describes this as the summit, MP 10.0, and definately within Santa Clara County. A portion of our long day was also along Del Puerto, but the most significant bird was indeed within county. Again, sorry for the confusion, Matthew Dodder -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 29 22:21:16 2000 Subject: [SBB] Hudsonian Godwit at CCFS -------- I was able to get down to Coyote Creek Field Station this afternoon, to look for the Hudsonian Godwit. I scanned the settling pond opposite the banding trailers finding about 30 Marbled Godwits in the far half of the pond. The light was not optimum, the sun being overhead and slightly west, between the birds and me. The contrast was high and heat shimmer rendered the 60X end of my scope viewing rather useless. None of the godwits "jumped out" in appearance; about half were roosting with bills tucked into their scapulars. I settled on one lone roosting godwit that seemed to be a bit smaller than the others. It was facing away and didn't offer much in the way of fieldmarks. 2 Marbled Godwits foraged nearby and appeared to be a bit larger and lighter in the upperparts than the snoozing godwit. I studied what I could see of this bird which amounted to the undertail coverts and flanks. The belly and undertail coverts were light, not white, lighter than the corresponding areas on the Marbled Godwits. The flanks had the same light background color but with some dark barring that seemed to be reddish-brown, but I couldn't be confident about this given the lighting conditions. There was a faint bar across the vent that appeared to be composed of more reddish barring. I could see a light supercillium and dark eye-line, but none of the bill was exposed. Then some nearby activity startled the bird and it dipped its wings revealing a mostly black tail with white base and thin terminal band. The bird preened and showed its tail again. At this time, it appeared that the uppertail coverts and lower edge of the rump were also white but I must have been mistaken about this. A gust of wind caused the bird to lose its balance and open its wings to regain balance. The black axillaries and underwing coverts were seen clearly. It then flew back a few yards and landed in the middle of the godwit flock flashing a white bar on the upperwing that ran from the middle of the primaries to the middle of the secondaries. The bar appeared to form along the base of the remiges (flight feathers) but could have included the edges of the greater coverts. I glanced away when some avocets became alarmed and the bird moved from my scope view. 10 minutes later, I refound it foraging alone. It once again flew back into the group of godwits, then made its way to the edge of the group to forage. The breast was dark in the same tone as the flanks. It appeared to be a bit darker on its right side. Although the slightly smaller size and darker appearance were apparent when standing next to the Marbled Godwits, these features didn't offer much help when the bird was alone, which it was for half the time I watched it (1.75 hrs.). What seemed to distinguish it was the contrast of the light undertail and belly to the flanks and breast. The Marbled Godwits appeared more evenly toned. While the relative contour of the settling pond bottom is unknown, the Hudsonian often seemed to be standing in water that just touched its belly, while the Marbled Godwits showed a couple of inches of leg, often in water up to the tibio-tarsal joint. I estimate that the bird was about 150-200 yds. away and I was viewing it with a Kowa TSN823 set at about 40-45X. Morning light is probably best to see more side and underside detail. Look for a godwit with a darker breast than the Marbled Godwits, and flanks that contrast with the undertail and belly. It may be roosting or foraging alone. Wait for it to preen, lift its wings, or fly. As previously advertised, access to this area is limited to SFBBO members who have signed the access agreement mentioned by Al Jaramillo. Contact Al <[[email protected]]> for an e-mail copy of the agreement. Les Chibana, Palo Alto, 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 May 29 23:37:55 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting at Los Trancos -------- Debbie and I went to Los Trancos Open Space this afternoon, and the Indigo Bunting was still present and very obliging, giving us views and singing from two different trees and overhead electrical wires. We heard the call first for several minutes and then located the bird with the help of a very nice birder on a mountain bike. We also had nice looks at a singing Lazuli Bunting and a very vocal California Thrasher. Hugh McDevitt -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 30 01:39:11 2000 Subject: [SBB] Monday birding -------- Howdy South-bay-birders, On Monday I made a few birding stops in southern Santa Clara County. Along Pole Line Road in Mt. Madonna Co. Park, across the road from the entrance kiosk at the campground, I heard a HERMIT THRUSH singing--don't know how unusual this is. Walking the gated road from the south side of Hwy 152, about 1.8 miles west of Sprig Lake, I found HAIRY WOODPECKER, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, PYGMY NUTHATCH, an abundance of BROWN CREEPERS, and several singing WILSON'S WARBLERS. At Chictactac-Adams Heritage County Park, on Watsonville Road (between Uvas Road and Hwy 152), I heard OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, WARBLING VIREO, and SWAINSON'S THRUSH. John Mariani [[email protected]] http://www.birdswest.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Tue May 30 10:11:43 2000 -------- Folks: On Friday, 5/26/2000, I watched a female BLACK SKIMMER incubating on the SE island on Salt Pond A1. At one point she got up and went over to the nearby male and they engaged in some courtship bowing and bill-clacking, and then the male mounted her. Then she went back to the scrape and settled on the egg that was readily visible. Today, 5/20/2000, I saw one skimmer here, but no egg and no incubation. As I've mentioned previously, sometime between 5/11 and 5/17, 13+ eggs were abandoned/dumped about the island. Although size can fool you, it seemed to me they were larger than avocet eggs (Tom Ryan has suggested the possibility of California Gull dumping). The possibility remains, however, that the incubation I noted on Friday, was false incubation by the female of one of the previously dumped eggs--I know nothing about the nesting practices of this species. A pair nested here in 1995 and fledged two young. This morning I counted 220+ AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS on Salt Pond A1. 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 May 30 10:22:53 2000 Subject: [SBB] Indigo Bunting at Long Ridge OSP -------- On Saturday, in Long Ridge OSP... there was a singing male Indigo Bunting about .4 miles down the trail that starts across the street from the Stevens Creek parking lot. - Paul -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 30 10:37:36 2000 Subject: [SBB] Mourning Dove Behavior -------- While relaxing in the chaise lounge in my back yard yesterday, enjoying all the beautiful flowers, and watching the bird and squirrel activity, I noticed something unusual happen. One of the black squirrels that frequent our feeders had just come down a tree, jumped to the fence and headed toward the platform feeder mounted there. When he got to within about two feed, a Mourning Dove which had been feeding, suddenly raised and fully extended both wings straight up over its back, making it look twice as large. The squirrel stopped and watched. The dove lowered its wings and resumed eating. When the squirrel began to advance, the wings went up again, and the squirrel stopped. After a third attempt to approach the feeder, with the same results, the squirrel gave up, retreated up the tree and sat for a few minutes. He then tried again to approach the feeder, and the Dove did exactly the same thing. This hungry squirrel was definitely intimidated by the dove, and grudgingly gave in, coming down to the ground, and eating at a lower platform feeder on the patio. In the five or so years we've been feeding birds and squirrels, this is the first time I have seen this behavior. Usually the birds, including the doves, all scatter when the squirrels hit the feeders. I'd like to know if any of you other back yard bird feeders have witnessed this, or if any of you birding experts know if this is a normal dove behavior. I've read articles about squirrels killing and eating birds, and I know they'll raid birds nests. I suppose this particular bird could have a super eqo, or was maybe pumped up on steroids, but I'm guessing it's a normal behavior that I've just never seen before. Any informative comments will be appreciated. -------- Attachment 2.2 KBytes -------- From [[email protected]] Tue May 30 20:27:45 2000 Subject: [SBB] Update on lard/peanut butter feeder behavior -------- Folks-- Our feeder is still going strong. Chestnut-backed Chickadees are bringing 2-3 fledglings to be fed, White-breasted Nuthatches are there with 2 fledglings. The most interesting development, are the new skills shown by a California Thrasher who has now figured the whole thing out. It's comical to see him or her sitting on the suet feeder selecting divots with the long bill. So far, only the California Towhees are still gathering crumbs on the ground, though that's the major method of the Spotted Towhees as well. Mourning Doves and House Finches stick to grain and show no interest in this mixture. 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]] Tue May 30 23:58:45 2000 Subject: [SBB] OUT OF AREA/TROPICAL BIRDING. Belize, Trinidad/Tobago, St. Lucia, Florida -------- My apology for clogging up the lists, but if you are thinking of going to Trinidad, Tobago or Belize and like narrative trip reports, with links to tropical bird pictures, you're invited to go to: http://home.earthlink.net/~blutman/tropics2000/trop2000_frontpage.html and click on the first report for the area you might be interested in: Belize, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, or even Florida (the least interesting). 24 reports describe a tropical vacation Sharon and I recently took from April 7 to May 14, 2000. Cheers, Bob Lutman -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. 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 May 31 09:48:05 2000 Subject: [SBB] Owelets -------- If you can imagine a 8x8 inch bird box with 4 Western Screech Owl babies ready to fledge, that was the crammed scene on the camera yesterday. This morning there was an empty box. Since I just got back from Alaska late last night, I can only surmise they waited until my return to fledge :-) Gloria LeBlanc Los Gatos "We can't change the financial winds, but we can adjust the sails" http://www.lgsia.com http://www.wallstreetgifts.com -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message body of "unsubscribe south-bay-birds" to [[email protected]] From [[email protected]] Wed May 31 10:47:14 2000 Subject: [SBB] CCFS 5/31 -------- Hi Everyone-- The HUDSONIAN GODWIT is still at the CCFS ponds this morning (at 10:15, I had to leave it). The flank barring and long black primaries make it pretty easy to separate from Marbled, but it has a way of melting into the background. There were 7 WHIMBREL in the same pond (the one across from the trailers), and 4 WILSON'S PHALAROPES in the second setting pond as you come in (there's hardly any water in it). An Anise Swallowtail flew by while I was there, too. 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]]