Date: 4/19/25 10:28 pm From: Michael Mammoser via groups.io <mmammoser...> Subject: [southbaybirds] SCVBA Birdathon
OnSaturday, 19 Apr 2025, I participated in the SCVBA Birdathon, joined for mostof the day by Janet Hanson.
Westarted at Coyote Lake County Park, visiting the dam. Unfortunately, theweather was fairly brisk with a good amount of fog, though the ground levelviewing was passable. For the seventh time this year, the Canyon Wren that hadbeen reported at the dam, stood me up. We had to settle for a Rock Wreninstead. Ducks were rather scarce on the reservoir this day.
Wethen worked our way up Gilroy Hot Springs Road, traveling slowly with carwindows down to hear anything we could along the way. After turning around tohead back to Canada Road, we got the surprise of the day. Janet spotted an interesting-lookingbird over the car and we stopped and jumped out. We were astounded to see animmature CALIFORNIA CONDOR soaring with a TURKEY VULTURE. After a coupleminutes, it soared high enough to disappear into the fog. This was about a halfmile past the Hunting Hollow entrance to Henry Coe State Park.
Wethen headed up Canada Road and turned on to Jameison Road to look for grasslandbirds. At one point Janet spotted a group of LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES in withsome LESSERS; a nice addition to the day list. Then it was off to San FelipeRoad.
Westopped in the parking lot for the fruit stand at the corner of San Felipe andHwy 152, scanning the skies for any sign of Swainson’s Hawk. Unfortunately,they didn’t seem to be flying this day. So, we went down to the eucalyptustrees to look for kingbirds. We sat there for some time hoping for a sight orsound of these birds. Finally, a CASSIN’S KINGBIRD called from the middleeucalyptus, saving us from an embarrassing miss. We left going south, insteadof back to the highway, and were rewarded with a kingbird lineup on the fenceat the south end of the vineyard. It was WESTERN, CASSIN’S, WESTERN givinggreat comparison views.
Weworked our way over to Bloomfield Ave, and at its intersection with FrazierLake Road, we lucked into a couple of SWAINSON’S HAWKS foraging over a fieldthere. This was another target bird and we were glad not to have missed it, afterleaving San Felipe Road without it.
Afterdropping Janet off, I headed back out to continue birding by myself. Afterchecking out Calero Reservoir, I headed up McKean Rd towards Chesbro Reservoirand was rewarded with an OSPREY heading down McKean in the opposite direction.On Old Oak Glen Ave, I found some WOOD DUCKS and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on thefeeder creek into the reservoir.
Finally,at the end of the day, I sat at the Stile Ranch Trailhead into Santa TeresaCounty Park listening to a COMMON POORWILL calling up the hillside. My lastbird of the day was a BARN OWL coursing over this same hillside, giving me 85species for the day.
Michael Mammoser
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
