Date: 5/15/24 11:50 am From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Martinez birds yesterday
Pam L and I visited McNabney Marsh yesterday looking for possible Red-necked Phalaropes. It was windier and cooler than we expected. No phalaropes there for us. We drove around the hill and checked the Waterbird Way pond. No phalaropes there, either, though we did find a Cinnamon Teal pair.
We looked at the heron rookery in the trees overlooking Mococo pond. There did not seem to be any evidence of nesting. Has this rookery been abandoned? Albert, maybe you will know. Because this pond was a little more sheltered from the wind, we thought maybe phalaropes here? It was not to be.
We did not walk out the Transmontaigne Pipeline trail, often misnamed the Point Edit Trail. We could see water out there from the hill above the north McNabney parking lot. It was too windy and though we did have some nice birds for our efforts, we headed home. There were more than forty Mute Swans in McNabney.
And today I had a male Western Tanager in Heather Farm Park-Walnut Creek.
Date: 5/14/24 6:04 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Finally found an Orange-crowned Warbler
Armed with my Nikon and Merlin on my iPhone I finally got some photos of an Orange-crowned Warbler out along the Lower Packrat Trail in Tilden. On several earlier trips there, Merlin and I heard the Orange-crowned Warblers, but they failed to show themselves. The same can be said for Wrentits, Black-headed Grossbeaks and some other small birds.
One complication this morning was at least three school buses full of elementary kids enjoying the outdoors while I was there.
Anyway, along with the Orange-crowned Warbler, I got photos of a Wilson’s Warbler and a Hutton’s Vireo. Three yellowish birds in one day!
These and photos of an Acorn Woodpecker and Red-tailed Hawk from Saturday are in a Flickr album—
Date: 5/14/24 5:36 pm From: Amy Dawson via groups.io <dawson.amy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
I once saw a video of a pelican downing a pigeon! (a long time ago...) Maybe they are being forced to look beyond the usual food sources....
Amy DawsonOakland
On Monday, May 13, 2024 at 11:11:11 AM PDT, Matt Tarlach <mtar925...> wrote:
On May 2 and 3 I had a lone Brown Pelican at Waterbird Regional Preserve, (aka McNabney Marsh). To my eye the same 1st-year bird on both dates. I think McNabney is technically brackish but FWIW Ebird tagged the bird as red-dot "Unreported." On both visits I saw the pelican feeding, on what I don't know.
--
----
Matt Tarlach
Walnut Creek
Date: 5/14/24 11:57 am From: Sharon Jue via groups.io <sljue1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] High Number of California Brown Pelicans Show Signs of Sickness
Be on the lookout for other displaced seabirds; I saw a rather
lethargic-looking Common Murre near Berkeley Marina yesterday.
On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:53 AM Gerry McChesney via groups.io
<gerry.mcchesney...> wrote:
Date: 5/13/24 11:11 am From: Matt Tarlach via groups.io <mtar925...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
On May 2 and 3 I had a lone Brown Pelican at Waterbird Regional Preserve, (aka McNabney Marsh). To my eye the same 1st-year bird on both dates. I think McNabney is technically brackish but FWIW Ebird tagged the bird as red-dot "Unreported." On both visits I saw the pelican feeding, on what I don't know.
--
----
Matt Tarlach
Walnut Creek
Date: 5/13/24 10:53 am From: Gerry McChesney via groups.io <gerry.mcchesney...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] High Number of California Brown Pelicans Show Signs of Sickness
Date: 5/13/24 10:28 am From: Lyla Arum via groups.io <lyla.arum...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
Hello Zac, et. al.,
Last week an immature Brown Pelican was found laying down on the sidewalk
path at Lake Merritt. Luckily, with the help of many in the community, we
were able to rescue and transport it immediately to International Bird
Rescue in Fairfield, CA. It was the 30th pelican received that day with 40
more expected the next day from other rescue facilities.
If you are able to, please donate to International Bird Rescue. The cost to
feed so many pelicans all at once is staggering.
Best,
Lyla
On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:11 AM Dawn Lemoine via groups.io <lemonbirder=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi Zac.
> I, too, have had a recent unusual Brown Pelican sighting. On Sun 5-May,
> Karen Kenney and I observed a Brown Pelican flying over Patterson Pass Rd
> and the surrounding hills! We also wondered if it had anything to do with
> the current crisis.
>
> Dawn
>
> On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:02 AM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> During this morning's regular sky watch from my house (near the
>> Albany Library), I was watching circling groups of California Gulls move
>> past, as they often do on breezy days, mostly heading N or NW. But in one
>> group of Callies, I was surprised to see a much bigger bird, wheeling in
>> close formation with a northbound gull flock, an adult Brown Pelican!
>>
>> I live in a tightly packed residential neighborhood, just under a mile
>> from the closest open bay at Albany Mudflats, with Albany Hill lying
>> between the water and my house. So it's rare to see a Brown Pelican
>> anywhere further from the bay than Highway 80 / the western foot of Albany
>> Hill.
>>
>> In the almost 20 years I've lived here (with 4 years of regular sky
>> watching and close to 450 ebird house/yard lists), I've never seen a Brown
>> Pelican. I've even tried scoping over the shoulder of Albany Hill (.6 miles
>> away), trying to catch a bird swinging a bit wide from the open water.
>>
>> Given the current mass starvation event that's going on with Brown
>> Pelicans, and with emaciated birds packing rescue centers or exhibiting
>> unusual behaviors, it did make me wonder whether this might be related in
>> some way? I suppose there's no way to know.
>> But I'd be curious if anyone else is seeing Brown Pelicans further from
>> the salt water than is usual?
>>
>> Of course, my neighborhood offers no opportunities to plunge-dive for
>> fish. I have no idea whether a desperate pelican might follow gulls hoping
>> to be led to a food source, whether the bird was making for
>> the Carquinez Straights, or just taking a wander.
>>
>> A low quality photo of today’s bird is included below.
>>
>> Zac Denning
>> Albany
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
Date: 5/13/24 10:25 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
Hi Dawn,
Wow, that's amazing! Thanks for sharing. Patterson Pass is truly a
long way from the bay, and far more surprising than my report! I'll be
curious if there are more inland reports from others.
Zac
On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:11 AM Dawn Lemoine <lemonbirder...> wrote:
> Hi Zac.
> I, too, have had a recent unusual Brown Pelican sighting. On Sun 5-May,
> Karen Kenney and I observed a Brown Pelican flying over Patterson Pass Rd
> and the surrounding hills! We also wondered if it had anything to do with
> the current crisis.
>
> Dawn
>
> On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:02 AM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> During this morning's regular sky watch from my house (near the
>> Albany Library), I was watching circling groups of California Gulls move
>> past, as they often do on breezy days, mostly heading N or NW. But in one
>> group of Callies, I was surprised to see a much bigger bird, wheeling in
>> close formation with a northbound gull flock, an adult Brown Pelican!
>>
>> I live in a tightly packed residential neighborhood, just under a mile
>> from the closest open bay at Albany Mudflats, with Albany Hill lying
>> between the water and my house. So it's rare to see a Brown Pelican
>> anywhere further from the bay than Highway 80 / the western foot of Albany
>> Hill.
>>
>> In the almost 20 years I've lived here (with 4 years of regular sky
>> watching and close to 450 ebird house/yard lists), I've never seen a Brown
>> Pelican. I've even tried scoping over the shoulder of Albany Hill (.6 miles
>> away), trying to catch a bird swinging a bit wide from the open water.
>>
>> Given the current mass starvation event that's going on with Brown
>> Pelicans, and with emaciated birds packing rescue centers or exhibiting
>> unusual behaviors, it did make me wonder whether this might be related in
>> some way? I suppose there's no way to know.
>> But I'd be curious if anyone else is seeing Brown Pelicans further from
>> the salt water than is usual?
>>
>> Of course, my neighborhood offers no opportunities to plunge-dive for
>> fish. I have no idea whether a desperate pelican might follow gulls hoping
>> to be led to a food source, whether the bird was making for
>> the Carquinez Straights, or just taking a wander.
>>
>> A low quality photo of today’s bird is included below.
>>
>> Zac Denning
>> Albany
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
Date: 5/13/24 10:15 am From: Maureen Lahiff via groups.io <MLahiff...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
Malnourished, hungry, in-bad-shape Brown Pelicans are showing up in Bay Area in unusual places.
Food shortage somewhere, I think.
I heard a news item on KQED this morning about this.
Maureen LahiffOakland
On Monday, May 13, 2024, 10:11 AM, Dawn Lemoine <lemonbirder...> wrote:
Hi Zac.I, too, have had a recent unusual Brown Pelican sighting. On Sun 5-May, Karen Kenney and I observed a Brown Pelican flying over Patterson Pass Rd and the surrounding hills! We also wondered if it had anything to do with the current crisis.
Dawn
On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:02 AM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> wrote:
During this morning's regular sky watch from my house (near the Albany Library), I was watching circling groups of California Gulls move past, as they often do on breezy days, mostly heading N or NW. But in one group of Callies, I was surprised to see a much bigger bird, wheeling in close formation with a northbound gull flock, an adult Brown Pelican!
I live in a tightly packed residential neighborhood, just under a mile from the closest open bay at Albany Mudflats, with Albany Hill lying between the water and my house. So it's rare to see a Brown Pelican anywhere further from the bay than Highway 80 / the western foot of Albany Hill.
In the almost 20 years I've lived here (with 4 years of regular sky watching and close to 450 ebird house/yard lists), I've never seen a Brown Pelican. I've even tried scoping over the shoulder of Albany Hill (.6 miles away), trying to catch a bird swinging a bit wide from the open water.
Given the current mass starvation event that's going on with Brown Pelicans, and with emaciated birds packing rescue centers or exhibiting unusual behaviors, it did make me wonder whether this might be related in some way? I suppose there's no way to know. But I'd be curious if anyone else is seeing Brown Pelicans further from the salt water than is usual?
Of course, my neighborhood offers no opportunities to plunge-dive for fish. I have no idea whether a desperate pelican might follow gulls hoping to be led to a food source, whether the bird was making for the Carquinez Straights, or just taking a wander.
A low quality photo of today’s bird is included below.
Zac DenningAlbany
Date: 5/13/24 10:11 am From: Dawn Lemoine via groups.io <lemonbirder...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
Hi Zac.
I, too, have had a recent unusual Brown Pelican sighting. On Sun 5-May,
Karen Kenney and I observed a Brown Pelican flying over Patterson Pass Rd
and the surrounding hills! We also wondered if it had anything to do with
the current crisis.
Dawn
On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:02 AM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> During this morning's regular sky watch from my house (near the
> Albany Library), I was watching circling groups of California Gulls move
> past, as they often do on breezy days, mostly heading N or NW. But in one
> group of Callies, I was surprised to see a much bigger bird, wheeling in
> close formation with a northbound gull flock, an adult Brown Pelican!
>
> I live in a tightly packed residential neighborhood, just under a mile
> from the closest open bay at Albany Mudflats, with Albany Hill lying
> between the water and my house. So it's rare to see a Brown Pelican
> anywhere further from the bay than Highway 80 / the western foot of Albany
> Hill.
>
> In the almost 20 years I've lived here (with 4 years of regular sky
> watching and close to 450 ebird house/yard lists), I've never seen a Brown
> Pelican. I've even tried scoping over the shoulder of Albany Hill (.6 miles
> away), trying to catch a bird swinging a bit wide from the open water.
>
> Given the current mass starvation event that's going on with Brown
> Pelicans, and with emaciated birds packing rescue centers or exhibiting
> unusual behaviors, it did make me wonder whether this might be related in
> some way? I suppose there's no way to know.
> But I'd be curious if anyone else is seeing Brown Pelicans further from
> the salt water than is usual?
>
> Of course, my neighborhood offers no opportunities to plunge-dive for
> fish. I have no idea whether a desperate pelican might follow gulls hoping
> to be led to a food source, whether the bird was making for
> the Carquinez Straights, or just taking a wander.
>
> A low quality photo of today’s bird is included below.
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/13/24 10:02 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Local Interest: Brown Pelican over inland Albany
During this morning's regular sky watch from my house (near the
Albany Library), I was watching circling groups of California Gulls move
past, as they often do on breezy days, mostly heading N or NW. But in one
group of Callies, I was surprised to see a much bigger bird, wheeling in
close formation with a northbound gull flock, an adult Brown Pelican!
I live in a tightly packed residential neighborhood, just under a mile from
the closest open bay at Albany Mudflats, with Albany Hill lying between the
water and my house. So it's rare to see a Brown Pelican anywhere further
from the bay than Highway 80 / the western foot of Albany Hill.
In the almost 20 years I've lived here (with 4 years of regular sky
watching and close to 450 ebird house/yard lists), I've never seen a Brown
Pelican. I've even tried scoping over the shoulder of Albany Hill (.6 miles
away), trying to catch a bird swinging a bit wide from the open water.
Given the current mass starvation event that's going on with Brown
Pelicans, and with emaciated birds packing rescue centers or exhibiting
unusual behaviors, it did make me wonder whether this might be related in
some way? I suppose there's no way to know.
But I'd be curious if anyone else is seeing Brown Pelicans further from the
salt water than is usual?
Of course, my neighborhood offers no opportunities to plunge-dive for fish.
I have no idea whether a desperate pelican might follow gulls hoping to be
led to a food source, whether the bird was making for
the Carquinez Straights, or just taking a wander.
A low quality photo of today’s bird is included below.
Date: 5/12/24 10:09 am From: Mark Rauzon via groups.io <mjrauz...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Local little day in Sausal Creek watershed-Oakland
Yesterday was a global effort to monitor birds so I took the opportunity to focus on a local mini-big day in the watershed, just to see what's May has brought. I ended up with a modest 52 species for 7am to noon with 4 stops in the Sausal Creek Watershed at our traditional monitoring sites (20 years ongoing: we had 63 spp. with all the stops in April's monitoring w/ 6 younger pairs of eyes & ears).
May 11 really began with the aurora at midnight, with our crazy mockingbird still sounding off. At 7:00 Fern Ravine in Joaquin Miller Park had some migrants like western tanager, warbling vireo, siskin, and nesting violet green swallows in the dead tree; lots of purple finch; Wilson's warblers and juncos feeding chicks. At Joaquin Miller Ct. next to Hgwy 13, our traditional black-headed grosbeak spot, 2 pair were gathering nesting material and a Swainson's thrush was singing. At Wm. Wood Park, below Hgwy 580, our traditional hooded oriole spot, made me work but 4 showed up, Onto the estuary at the Fruitvale Bridge where the creek enters the bay, I spied a blue banded pelican. It was a rehab bird injured by fishing gear in 2021 and now loafing on the low tide sand bar. The male peregrine was present. It was noon and I headed home. As I was relaxing at 3:30 after a grueling day, A BALD EAGLE flew over my house carrying a trout, second sighting in a week carrying food! Something is fishy is going here! Mark RauzonGlenview near Park Blvd. on the southeast side of Piedmont
Date: 5/12/24 7:58 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] for the sake of completeness
I was going to write a post with flight results from Thursday/Friday, and
that is still below, but first: I made a quick jaunt up Vollmer this
morning before a Mother’s Day outing to what ended up being a sky island.
It was very warm up there and quite birdy, a multitude of Townsend’s and
Hermit Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Tanagers, etc. There was an Empidonax
flycatcher singing occasionally from the coyote brush by the rancher’s gate
(I’ve also heard portagee gate for these) next to the intersection of the
main road and the trail up to summit that I could not see. I don’t really
believe in retrospective ID, so I won’t call it anything, but it would be
great if someone could take a look. It was not a Western, Hammond’s, or
Willow.
Thursday I saw the weather for flight looked good, and normally that would
send me to a spot bayside. But considering my project on Mt. Diablo, I went
there instead and hoped for a good showing on Grapevine Ridge. The flight
was fast and furious from about 7-8, but was completely concluded by 820 or
so! On the coast it seems birds were moving until well into the morning,
and this probably reflects the large easterly component to the wind pushing
the migrants bay/oceanside. Some counts were:
Rufous Hummingbird: 5 ad. Males
2 Pewee
3 Hammond’s/Dusky (one I believe gave a whit upon landing)
8 Kingbird
6 Warbling Vireo
Cliff Swallow: 7
Swainson’s Thrush: 6
Catharus sp.: 1 one thrush that landed briefly looked to me much like the
Hermit Thrush that you see moving through the Great Basin during the month
of May—large, gray, cold, and blank-faced. They really are quite different
looking birds, but the look just too brief.
Waxwing: 97
Siskin: 42
O-c Warbler: 8
Yellow Warbler: 8
Audubon’s: 6
B.t.-gray: 5
Townsend’s: 119
Hermit Warbler: 35
Wilson’s Warbler: 78
Tanager: 148
Grosbeak: 9
Lazuli Bunting: 108
And approx.. 400-500 “passerine sp.”
I made a return visit Friday. Some misc. counts:
Swift sp.: intersected my binoculars while I was watching a Townsend’s
Warbler and then was promptly lost. It looked like a Black, but I let it
go.
Rufous Hummingbird: 5
Olive-sided Flycatcher: 3
Pewee: 2
Kingbird: 1
W. Vireo: 4
Swainson’s Thrush: 1
Cedar Waxwing: 89
Siskin: 48
Lawrence’s Goldfinch: 14! All pairs or singles westbound
Bullock’s: 1
Yellow Warbler: 12
Audubon’s: 3
Myrtle Warbler: 1 was late and well studied
Townsend’s Warbler: 37
Hermit Warbler: 26
Wilson’s Warbler: 21
Tanager: 64
Lazuli Bunting: 109
And a few hundred “passerine sp.”
I then walked out to Devil’s Pulpit, where it became clear that a serious
number of migrants had been deposited on the mountain, including a calling
but unseen Gray/Dusky Flycatcher here, but I was running out of time to
bird! I made a quick stop at Blue Oak Campground on the way down which far
and away exceeded all of my expectations. Walking no more than 200 feet, I
counted:
1 well-studied, whitting Willow Flycatcher was my first for upper Mt.
Diablo, and is on the early side. There has been an early wave of this
species into NorCal this spring it seems.
Hammond’s: 1
Western Flycatcher: 2
Warbling Vireo: 4+
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 2 singing birds. I believe the late date for the
county is two Emilie Strauss had 5/25 at Lake Anza a decade or two ago, so
we have a while yet if we are talking about records, but this is still
quite late.
R-b Nuthatch: 1 sad lethargic bird.
Swainson’s Thrush: 1
Cedar Waxwing: 2
Siskin: 1
Lawrence’s Goldfinch: 1
O-c Warbler: 2, including one so gray-headed it looked like it was going to
be a Tennessee!
Yellow Warbler: 1
Audubon’s Warbler: 1
Myrtle Warbler: 1, carefully studied: seen and heard.
Black-throated Gray Warbler: 1
Townsend’s Warbler: 12
Hermit Warbler: 5
Wilson’s Warbler: 2
Tanager: 2
Bunting: 3
Yesterday 5/11 was not going to be a part of this post, but while I am
here:
At Piper Slough there was a Phainopepla!! And a Black Tern cruised by with
a squadron of alternate Bonaparte’s Gulls. Good numbers (40) of this
species are still over Frank’s Tract and fewer (15) over Little Frank’s.
Srikant Char found a Snowy Plover at Clifton that was still there
yesterday, just past the parking lot, and on Bethel Island in the tradt’l
shorebird field a duetting pair of Virginia Rail could be attributable to a
breeding attempt or lateish migrants.
Date: 5/11/24 12:45 pm From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Follow-up on Walnut Creek Toucan from last year
Not being on that side of town very often, I stopped at the Petticoat Lane dentist office yesterday which last year sort of hosted a Keel-billed Toucan. The receptionist had not worked there long and did not know about the bird. In the parking lot I found one of the dental hygienists who said that one of her co-workers had fed the bird papaya. A friend and I several times took papaya to the office to lend a hand in that effort.
This hygienist did not know what finally happened with that particular bird. It is hard to say what was the outcome. Using Google I am finding either pay-walls or somewhat incomplete stories. A bird was captured, but it seems to be a second Toucan which was in loose Lafayette.
It was cool to see the Toucan at the time and kudos to the ladies in Walnut Creek Dental Studio.
Date: 5/10/24 1:53 pm From: Alan Krakauer via groups.io <Alan.krakauer...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Jewel Lake
The Chatapaloosa continues. I had one Friday morning (5/10) near the Alvarado Park staging area on the north end of Wildcat Canyon. Heard only. It was in the coyote brush on the south/east side of the Bonita Trail at the lower gate, just a couple hundred feet from the main Wildcat Creek Trail.
Yesterday I visited Alvarado Park and it was chock-a-block full of Western Tanagers, easily the most common species there that morning. Also had a MacGillivray's Warbler (heard, and seen as a skulky shadow in some dense vegetation).
Alan Krakauer Richmond CA www.AlanKrakauerPhotography.com instagram: @alan_krakauer_photo
Date: 5/9/24 8:42 pm From: Edward Vine via groups.io <elvine...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Jewel Lake
I also "saw" a Yellow-breasted Chat" at Albany Bulb today. Actually, Merlin
heard it and I compared it to the sounds on iBird Pro (I am not a "Chat
expert"). Unfortunately, I did not see it. Coordinates were: 37.88943° N,
122.32510° W - in the brush near the big Oak tree.
Also, there were two Black Scoters (one definite male) on the North side of
the point of Albany Bulb, just west of the two large antenna towers,
swimming East towards Point Pinole.
Enjoy the birds, Ed
On Thu, May 9, 2024 at 6:31 PM Melani King via groups.io <melani=
<king2d3d.com...> wrote:
> This morning I birded Jewel Lake in Tilden to avoid the wind. While trying
> to get a better look at a Cassin's Vireo I suddenly heard some chatter and
> realized it was a Yellow-breasted Chat. I was only able to glimpse a quick
> view of the yellow underside of the bird as it was very skulky. I did
> manage to get a recording though. Swainson's Thrush are back but not
> singing yet. They were only vocalizing the single 'drip' call but they did
> fly in front of me on several occasions. Lot's of baby bird sounds and and
> begging going on.
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S173122995 >
> -Melani King
> Pt. Richmond
>
>
>
--
Edward Vine
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Building 90R2002
Berkeley, CA 94720-8136
Date: 5/9/24 6:31 pm From: Melani King via groups.io <melani...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Jewel Lake
This morning I birded Jewel Lake in Tilden to avoid the wind. While trying to get a better look at a Cassin's Vireo I suddenly heard some chatter and realized it was a Yellow-breasted Chat. I was only able to glimpse a quick view of the yellow underside of the bird as it was very skulky. I did manage to get a recording though. Swainson's Thrush are back but not singing yet. They were only vocalizing the single 'drip' call but they did fly in front of me on several occasions. Lot's of baby bird sounds and and begging going on.
Date: 5/9/24 5:37 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Big migrant flight on Vollmer Peak (incl. Gray Flycatcher & more)
Jack Hayden and I went up to Vollmer Peak early this morning, and were able to witness a truly epic pulse of migrants today! We were fortunate to be able to time our visit with the second day of strong NE winds and warming temperatures (Dominic had helpfully pointed out to me yesterday, that these are optimal conditions for Spring migrants at peaks and sea watches).
Jack and I arrived at 6am, and after climbing to the top, we started seeing big movements of migrants around 6:20 or 6:30. For about 2-3.5 hours, we were witness to a steady and at times almost overwhelming flow of migrants, all heading NE, into the wind. I estimated that 5-7 warblers, 5-10 Western Tanagers, with sprinklings of other birds, were coming in roughly every 45 seconds (and at moments as close as 15-20 seconds apart), continuously for the first roughly 2.5 hours, with the volume gradually diminishing from about 8:45 until 10am.
We were impressed by movements of common migrants including an estimated *626 Cedar Waxwings *and *174 Band-tailed Pigeons*. In addition, we tallied: *196 Western Tanagers*, *85 Townsend's Warblers*, *25 Warbling Vireos*, *19 Lazuli Buntings, *at least *15 Violet-green Swallows*, *14 Western Wood-pewees*, *6 Bullock's Orioles*, *5 Black-headed Grosbeaks*, *5 Yellow Warblers*, *4 Swainson's Thrushes*, *3 Barn Swallows*, *3 Pygmy Nuthatches * and* 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches*. Another 200 additional passerines, at least, were unidentified. A number of species were singing.
*Highlights - less common to rare birds for the locale/season:*
- A* *Gray Flycatcher** flew in at about 7:40, doing downward tail dips and calling periodically for about 15 minutes, offering nice early sunlit views for 15 minutes or so before moving on! - *3 Hammond's Flycatchers* - *1 Purple Martin* - *9 Hermit Warblers* (some singing) - *1* *Black-throated Gray Warbler* - *14 Vaux's Swifts* - *15 Pine Siskins* - *5 Western Kingbirds* - *3 Selasphorus Sp.* females which we suspected 2 at least were likely Calliope, but we didn't count
All in all, this was a breathtaking experience, with hours on end of more birds around us than we could possibly look at or ID. The counts of HAFL and HEWA in particular, were the most I've seen in one outing. We both got a lot of practice at ID'ing more common birds rapidly on the fly, sometimes saving binocular views only for the most intriguing birds, so as not to miss anything interesting as well as to appreciate the spectacle.
Unfortunately, the winds are supposed to settle down and shift to West winds tomorrow, so the conditions may not be as promising for a big migrant pulse (though who knows?). But Vollmer Peak is gorgeous at dawn, and even without huge migrant flights, the birding should still be excellent if anyone wants to check it out. Besides, you may prefer to just relax and sip what Spring has to offer, rather than to drink from the firehose!
Date: 5/9/24 12:06 pm From: Idell Weydemeyer via groups.io <iwgarden...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] western tanagers
On May 9th, 8 western tanagers in my El Sobrante garden from before 8:00 am- first flying around near a low sprinkler then perching in pineapple guava and bottle bush flowers and oaks and a pine. Still here at noon. Last two years 1-2 were around very briefly on 15th & 17th of May and 5-6 years ago, 1-3 came thru briefly at the end of April and 4th of May.
Date: 5/9/24 10:45 am From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] we are empty nesters
The Chickadee family which was in our patio bird house has moved on. The adult(s) continue to come looking for meal worms. They sometimes perch and seem to look in the window to attract our attention.
The meal worms also present a problem because an Oak Titmouse, sometimes two, have also learned about the worms. They and the Chickadees chase each other away at times.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek
Date: 5/9/24 6:32 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Flight this morning
For anyone who didn’t happen to check recent sightings from yesterday there is a very good flight of migrants coming through our area right now. Elevated positions with a hood wide view of the sky should be productive on both sides of SFBay.
Date: 5/8/24 3:00 pm From: ebuhrmann via groups.io <ebuhrmann...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Vollmer Peak Wednesday May 8
Today a group of us birded Vollmer Peak. Highlights were an ash-throated flycatcher and an olive-sided flycatcher, both seen from the upper parking lot near the steam trains. Both were perched on tree tops. The most common bird seen was Anna's hummingbird,
often paired or displaying. Erica Buhrmann
See ebird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S172880710
Since the pandemic, I’ve made a habit of spending 45 minutes or so many
mornings standing in front of my house in Albany, sky watching and
listening.
Today, unsurprisingly, was slow with few birds in the air or singing amid
the wind gusts. But things picked up with 3 Western Tanagers moving NNE
from tree to tree, first a male with a female, then another female 15
minutes later. With heightened alertness, I was excited to see a group of 7
northbound Vaux’s Swifts rapidly winging by, for yard bird #91!
I heard this morning that there were significant numbers of Western
Tanagers, a Black Swift and other goodies at Vollmer Peak - so keep your
eyes peeled! Stuff is happening today.
My recommendation for more urban/yard birding:
I live in Albany, in a densely packed (and not super birdy)
residential-urban neighborhood near the Albany library. Despite that, I’ve
been able to find a surprising number of birds that pass through
residential trees, fly overhead or vocalize, just by being outside and
aware.
This morning sky-watch & listen session has become a personal reset, an urban
birding mindfulness exercise to start my day. It can seem boring and
pointless when I first step out, but even a unique behavior by a common
bird or an uncommon-for-my-neighborhood Eurasian Collared Dove flyby, a
passing cormorant or Caspian Tern on its way to inland reservoirs, can make
it feel rewarding. I’ve also learned to pick out more distant birds than
I’d previously thought possible, such as a perched Merlin on Albany Hill,
or distant ravens over the Berkeley Hills. And this has been a great way to
know my neighbors better.
I’ve learned in particular, that storm or high wind days tend to bring
surprises (past weather-related surprises have included from-the-house Bald
Eagles, a flock of Common Mergansers in a torrential rainstorm, and
others). Today’s swifts were another example.
Even on calm days, I occasionally witness something totally unexpected,
like a low-flying, loudly vocalizing Long-billed Curlew, following my
street northward, or a flyby Say’s Phoebe last year. Nashville and
Black-throated Gray warblers have passed through my tiny backyard.
So I’d advocate for everyone to bird their neighborhoods more, no matter
how seemingly unbirdy.
Date: 5/8/24 12:07 pm From: Alan Krakauer via groups.io <Alan.krakauer...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat, Kensington
I just had a heard-only encounter with a Yellow-breasted Chat at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley in Kensington (the church is off of Terrace which is the uphill extension of Moeser Lane past Arlington Ave).
We heard it from the fire trail along the south side of the building, about here (37.91760, -122.2822) and it was somewhere in the short oaks south of there.
I played back one song and did not get a response, but the song in the Sibley App was very similar.
I was told the grounds there are open to the public. There are other nesting species in the area that I am not publicly mentioning here and I hope other birders will do the same.
Good Birding, Alan Krakauer Richmond, California www.alankrakauerphotography.com Instagram: @alan_krakauer_photo
Date: 5/7/24 6:06 pm From: Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bonaparte's Gulls on the Landfill Loop.
I was at Landfill Loop this morning and counted over 100 Bonopart's.
Jim RoetheOrinda
In a message dated 5/7/2024 5:03:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time, <cmlyneis...> writes:
Thanks to the tip from Alan Krakauer yesterday, I was able to find and photograph Bonaparte’s Gulls out at Landfill Loop in Richmond. Except for a couple of other birders the area was inhabited by only birds and some refuge trucks across the way on Garbage Hill Here are a few photos of the Gulls, which are quite beautiful. On Flickr https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBpo7A Claude <Lyneiscmlyneis...>://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodadFlickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P
Date: 5/7/24 5:03 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bonaparte's Gulls on the Landfill Loop.
Thanks to the tip from Alan Krakauer yesterday, I was able to find and photograph Bonaparte’s Gulls out at Landfill Loop in Richmond. Except for a couple of other birders the area was inhabited by only birds and some refuge trucks across the way on Garbage Hill
Date: 5/7/24 2:44 pm From: David Yeamans via groups.io <davidralphyeamans...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Del Valle
2024-05-07 0930 hours 62 meters (+-) N of main bridge west abutment along upper asphalt trail, I was sneaking along the trail, stopping my e-bke every few feet to observe and I heard an old familiar racket. that wandered and stuttered and caterwauled along for several minutes. Wouldn't my old bird friend ever shut up? The joy of the sound took my memory to the Green River wilderness, to camping beside the Dolores River, to White Rock Canyon in New Mexico. There was no mistaking it, not even if there had been northern mockingbirds in the area. I stalked it for a while but wasn't able to see it. ************************* Dave Yeamans, Livermore
Date: 5/7/24 1:43 pm From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebirds and my edjukashun--no sightings
I seem to be learning just how correct my dad was when he used to tell us, "Your education has been sadly neglected."
A few weeks ago I started seeing eBird rarity reports of Wilson's Snipe. This surprised me as they were being found in perfectly good Snipe habitat as far as I knew. So first I looked in Grinnell and Miller the Distribution of Birds in California (1946). I have a reprint copy from Mono Lake Committee; it is Wilson Snipe (not possessive). They say, "Occurs all year in one part of the State or another; but seasonal status varies with latitude and altitude: present as a rule only in summer in elevated northern and northeastern areas; only in fall, winter and spring (August to April) in west-central and southern California, below level of hard-freezing winter; and at migration times in these areas and everywhere else that suitable habitat offers. As to numbers, common. Serious reduction by hunting in earlier years has been followed (1944) by evidence of recovery.
I have since looked in the Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlases. No entries for Snipes in either book. I also took a look at Shorebirds An Identification Guide (Houghton Mifflin). This book has one listing for Wilson's and Common Snipe, so before that split. The map shows them breeding in northern parts of the Lower 48 and much of Canada. But there are still entries for eighteen species of Snipe worldwide.
Sunday Rosita and I drove to Marin County and looked at Red-necked Phalaropes in breeding plumage at Rush Creek Marsh along Hwy 101 near Novato. Again, I had no idea they went so far north until looking in the Shorebird guide. Grinnell and Miller call it Northern Phalarope, and I now know why. "Whole length of the State; most abundant coastwise, but also passes through interior; appears at times plentifully on larger lakes. The birds seem to keep to seacoast most closely in spring migration; majority of inland records are for return migration, in August and September. Waters along seacoast, both open ocean and bays, and of inland ponds and lakes, whether fresh or strongly alkaline. Typically forages while swimming and spinning on surface of water, shallow or deep. Also takes insects on the wing over water surface."
The Shorebird Guide only lists three Stilt species but has plenty of illustrations of various what they call races. I wrote to a birder high school classmate in Idaho and he wrote back sending me this link: http://www.waderquest.org/2013/07/the-world-of-stilts.html?m=1 How much I never knew, or is it gnu? Thanks, dad.
Date: 5/6/24 7:48 pm From: Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Pelicans next to the sidewalk at Marina Bay
Hi there,
Reports are coming in that pelicans are showing up ill, from what I gather starving. Mainly in southern California but they are now showing up in Monterey. So I would keep an eye on that flock. Something IS going on, not clear what it is yet.
From: <EBB-Sightings...> <EBB-Sightings...> On Behalf Of Janet Johnson
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 7:33 PM
To: East Bay Birds <ebb-sightings...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pelicans next to the sidewalk at Marina Bay
Around 6:30 this afternoon there were half a dozen pelicans on the rocks next to the Marina Bay boat basin, one right next to the sidewalk only a couple of feet from where people were walking their dogs. None of the pelicans appeared injured or in distress. They were preening and stretching their wings in the late afternoon sun.
I've been walking there for years and have never seen this. For several days there have been pelicans feeding along the Marina Bay shoreline at this time of day, both on the boat basin side and west of Shimada Park.
Date: 5/6/24 7:33 pm From: Janet Johnson via groups.io <electricista545...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pelicans next to the sidewalk at Marina Bay
Around 6:30 this afternoon there were half a dozen pelicans on the rocks next to the Marina Bay boat basin, one right next to the sidewalk only a couple of feet from where people were walking their dogs. None of the pelicans appeared injured or in distress. They were preening and stretching their wings in the late afternoon sun. I've been walking there for years and have never seen this. For several days there have been pelicans feeding along the Marina Bay shoreline at this time of day, both on the boat basin side and west of Shimada Park. Any idea what gives? ~j
Date: 5/6/24 3:22 pm From: Alan Krakauer via groups.io <Alan.krakauer...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bonaparte's Gulls at Landfill Loop
This may be common knowledge to Richmond birders but I'd never seen this here. The south segment of Landfill Loop where the trail runs next to the tidal ponds was lousy with Bonaparte's gulls this morning, conservatively 100 or more, maybe 1/3 or more in summer/breeding plumage. They were actively foraging, some scooting on the surface like slow phalaropes, and some more tern-like flying along the channels then wheeling down to pick something from the water. In some places you could stand on the trail and they'd fly by not too far away. Pretty cool!
Good Birding, Alan Krakauer Richmond CA www.AlanKrakauerPhotography.com Instagram: @Alan_Krakauer_Photo
Date: 5/6/24 9:57 am From: David Yeamans via groups.io <davidralphyeamans...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Greater roadrunner behavior question
The roadrunner and the corvid deserve each other. hahahahahaha I find the behavior of my totem animals hilariously self deprecating. ************************* Dave Yeamans, Livermore, CA
Last Friday when Susan Greef, Chris Carmichael, and I stopped at mile marker 6.4 in Del Puerto Canyon we were drawn by a loud yellow-billed magpie commotion in the big oaks up slope. The foliage there is very dense; all we could see was the occasional black tail or wing and we figured attempted nest predation was in progress. That one glimpsed tail was brown rather than black was explained when a greater roadrunner glided down from the oaks to the grass near the road. We were transfixed. In fact there were two roadrunners moving around the open area just above the road, coming surprisingly close. Presently one of them tried again, apparently running up the slope for their approach to the oak in which the magpies were nesting, then gliding down again. Eventually they each moved off. It was an absolutely fascinating episode.
Is predating nests of birds the size of yellow-billed magpies far up in big trees common behavior for greater roadrunners? Thank you!
Date: 5/5/24 11:25 am From: don_quixote72 via groups.io <dmsmith72...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Western Tanager Valle Vista
Fairly slow overall this morning. No Eagle
Kestrel near the corral in the trees on the water side
Highlight was a clear but brief view of a brightly colored western tanager in the trees on the way back from the bridge
Date: 5/3/24 10:04 pm From: Rod Freeland via groups.io <mandorod...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Peregrine falcons on UC campus
Thank you, Johan ( & Mary Malec), for your helpful and timely suggestions. I now have a very good idea where to go on campus for premium falcon watching!
Rod Freeland
Date: 5/3/24 10:25 am From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Peregrine Web-cams
Not only is the family on the Campanile on a web-cam, but a daughter from 2018 has her own family and web-cam on Alcatraz. Joe Bob says check 'em out.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nvCVS2TRRk
Date: 5/3/24 9:52 am From: Johan Langewis via groups.io <jlangewis...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Peregrine falcons on UC campus
From watching the live cam I determined that between 11AM and noon was a reliable time to see one or both falcons with a prey item. So I went there a few days ago at 10:50AM and within 5 minutes I heard screeching from the nest site and saw the second falcon fly in with a prey item. Instead of bringing it to the nest it ate it out on the ledge in full view. The nest is on the west side of the Campanile, I was viewing it from South Hall Road between the Bancroft Library and South Annex Hall. Have fun,
Johan Langewis
> On May 2, 2024, at 5:44 PM, Rod Freeland via groups.io <mandorod...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone have favorite spot for viewing the campus peregines on or close to campus if one has a spotting scope? I do have a scope and live in Berkeley but have rather limited mobility. It would be nice to know where I could park (near campus) then walk a modest bit and set up the scope for an extended viewing session.
>
>
Date: 5/2/24 5:44 pm From: Rod Freeland via groups.io <mandorod...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Peregrine falcons on UC campus
Does anyone have favorite spot for viewing the campus peregines on or close to campus if one has a spotting scope? I do have a scope and live in Berkeley but have rather limited mobility. It would be nice to know where I could park (near campus) then walk a modest bit and set up the scope for an extended viewing session.
I was the photographer and I was asking if it was a thrasher since it looked like it but I wasn’t sure. But now I’m positive it was a Sage Thrasher after reviewing the pics. The picture of the larger bird in the marsh was an American Bittern so there were a couple of these out there in the taller marsh. I’ve included pics of the Cassin’s Vireo and Black-throated Gray Warbler as well.
On May 1, 2024, at 2:23 PM, Erica via groups.io <ihearwaxwings...> wrote:
This morning while birding the Quarry parking lot marsh at Coyote Hills, a photographer turned around and asked "what's that?" I did not see the bird but he showed me a photo and it was a Sage Thrasher. Not sure if it is the same bird that was present during January and February of this year or a different bird but if you missed seeing it then, you may have another opportunity. The bird was in a small tree in the lawn area overlooking the marsh but flew towards the planted hillside.
This morning while birding the Quarry parking lot marsh at Coyote Hills, a photographer turned around and asked "what's that?" I did not see the bird but he showed me a photo and it was a Sage Thrasher. Not sure if it is the same bird that was present during January and February of this year or a different bird but if you missed seeing it then, you may have another opportunity. The bird was in a small tree in the lawn area overlooking the marsh but flew towards the planted hillside.
Date: 5/1/24 9:00 am From: Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] The annual question Purple Finch or House Finch?
Purple Finch for sure! One more field mark, and it's definitive: the bars on the wings are red instead of white. Everything else has a shadow of "is it enough?" Straight enough, far enough... but red-or-white tells the tale.
On 4/30/2024 10:20 PM, Claude Lyneis wrote: > A very colorful Finch showed up today and appears to me to be a Purple > Finch. Maybe it will sing and Merlin will help. In past years, what > I thought was a Purple Finch turned out to be a House Finch. Anyway, > the mandible of this one is straight, the red color goes down the back > of the head and covers more of the underside than most House Finches. > It also looks a little too stout for a House Finch. > > On Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2pNuHhh > > And https://flic.kr/p/2pNuLup > > > > Claude Lyneis > <cmlyneis...> > https://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodad > Flickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
-- -- ~ Hilary Powers <-Hilary...> - Oakland CA ~ ~www.salamanderfeltworks.com;www.Etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks ~ ~ Now a member of the the Oakland Cottage Industry Collective! ~ ~ Needle Felted Sculpture - Real and Fantasy Creatures ~
Date: 5/1/24 6:34 am From: Teale Fristoe via groups.io <fristoe...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] The annual question Purple Finch or House Finch?
Hi Claude,
This is indeed a Purple Finch. Two key features to notice here are the
belly and the wing coverts. The belly shows a nice pink wash and lacks the
brown streaking shown by House Finch. The wing coverts have pink edging,
giving the bird pinkish wingbars. House Finches have whitish edging to
their wing coverts, giving them weak whitish wingbars.
Happy spring,
Teale Fristoe
Albany
On Tue, Apr 30, 2024 at 10:21 PM Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> A very colorful Finch showed up today and appears to me to be a Purple
> Finch. Maybe it will sing and Merlin will help. In past years, what I
> thought was a Purple Finch turned out to be a House Finch. Anyway, the
> mandible of this one is straight, the red color goes down the back of the
> head and covers more of the underside than most House Finches. It also
> looks a little too stout for a House Finch.
>
> On Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2pNuHhh >
> And https://flic.kr/p/2pNuLup >
>
>
> Claude Lyneis
> <cmlyneis...>
> https://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodad > Flickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 4/30/24 10:21 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] The annual question Purple Finch or House Finch?
A very colorful Finch showed up today and appears to me to be a Purple Finch. Maybe it will sing and Merlin will help. In past years, what I thought was a Purple Finch turned out to be a House Finch. Anyway, the mandible of this one is straight, the red color goes down the back of the head and covers more of the underside than most House Finches. It also looks a little too stout for a House Finch.
Date: 4/29/24 7:43 pm From: Bruce Mast via groups.io <cathrasher4...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Mount Diablo miscellaneous-part 2
Hello East Bay Birders,
To follow up on my scouting report from Saturday, yesterday was my long-anticipated Mount Diablo Hiking Big Day as part of Golden Gate Bird Alliance's Birdathon fundraiser, which I completed in the company of my friends Margot Bezrutczyk and Leif Magnuson. Special thanks to my wife Juliet for dropping me off at Mitchell Canyon at 4:15 in the morning and then picking us up at Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area that evening.
I started with some early morning owling, which netted me a calling Great Horned Owl, multiple calling Poorwills and a Poorwill on the road in my flashlight beam 10 feet away. At daybreak, I was eventually able to track down some displaying Calliope Humingbirds but no Rufous. I met Margot and Leif at 8:30 and we had a great morning of birding in Mitchell Canyon, with highlights including a surprise White-tailed Kite, Nashville and Hermit Warblers, a soaring Golden Eagle, and a Hammond's Flycatcher.
In the afternoon, we hiked up and over to Pine Canyon, enjoying the wildflowers along the way. We picked up more nice birds in Pine Canyon, including singing Brown Creeper and Bullock's Orioles but we missed the nesting Peregrines.
By the time we got to the upper parking lot, my legs were rubber but I realized that we would have to keep walking to the lower lot to find Juliet. The bonus was that we got to walk past the horse stables, which gave us bonus Rock Pigeons, Eurasian Collared Doves, a Starling, and a small flock of Brewer's Blackbirds. Margot also spotted a flock of Barn Swallows hunting insects low over the hills beyond the stables, for species #72.
Date: 4/29/24 4:51 pm From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] lots of misc.
Below are some sightings from the last few days, in roughly reverse
chronological order:
4/29 I birded Mt. Diablo, primarily Green Ranch Rd. but some stops
elsewhere. Interesting to me, today and the last couple of times I have
been up there, I have recorded a few different strange sounding
Golden-crowned Sparrows singing song variants I have only heard once or
twice before. I did a bit of research (check out this cool article!
https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/133/3/520/5149229) and the birds I
have recorded are apparently song types 3 and 5 (
https://ebird.org/checklist/S171041596). I wonder where these spend the
winter? Otherwise, it was very windy, but American Goldfinch are moving
through up there and have been present in decent numbers the last week or
so. Hermit Warblers have been frequent as expected at this season—I have
not even come close to missing this species in the last two weeks.
Hammond’s Flycatchers, on the other hand, I’ve really struggled to find
this year. I’ve only seen a handful when normally by this point in the
season we should have had several days where they are just… around. To me
it seems a distinctly poor year for this species? Looking at eBird, counts
at Mitchell Canyon seem somewhat lower than typical? At the kiosk on N.
Gate Rd. there continues to be a singing Say’s Phoebe. Presumably this bird
is nesting—Say’s seem to be reasonably common as breeders in all of Mt.
Diablo’s foothills now.
Speaking of Say’s, another pair was territorial and all at a house on
Armstrong Rd. in Byron 4/28. There was also a large flock of 100 Tricolored
Blackbirds foraging here, but I could not figure out where they might be
breeding. Also on 4/28 some Tricolored Blackbirds held down their annual
puny colony in a golf course in suburban Brentwood. 3 pair of Loggerhead
Shrikes on Armstrong were nice to see.The same date on nearby Holey Rd.,, I
was shocked to see a Ferruginous Hawk foraging with a couple Swainson’s,
Golden Eagles, and Red-tails! This is late! And is a strong contender for
record late, I’d think.
The evening of 4/28 I moseyed over to Bethel Island to stare out into the
delta at a couple places: and off Russo’s Marina with 15 Forster’s Terns
and 30 Bonaparte’s Gulls was a Black Tern! Finally! It hung out and foraged
for the entire 20 minutes I was there. A bittern was singing from the weedy
median here, and a bittern has also been singing from a flooded, swampy
pasture off Bethel Isl. Rd. since 4/21. Stilts have successfully nested
this year off Bethel Isl. Rd.
4/27 were my last two R-c Kinglets of the season, chattering on Green Ranch
Rd. Later a trip over to Richmond produced two singing Grackles at Landfill
Loop, a nice surprise right after my first-for-Richmond Grackle earlier
this month. 30 Brant Geese were lingering on Brooks Isl, and 60 Elegant
Terns were on the sand spit among ~150 breeding Caspians. Scanning from
Vincent Park (where the parking lot was full!) I found a flock of 22 female
Buffleheads in the lee of Brooks Isl. (seems late to me for numbers like
this?), and some Bonaparte’s Gulls were scattered from here through 51st
St. at several locations. It is NOT unusual to encounter this species over
the bay here in spring or fall migrations, in contrast to some wisdom
recently espoused on some local chat groups .
I have not had a confirmed Cassin’s Finch on Diablo since my last report
the 22nd, but I had a fairly convincing although brief encounter with a
candidate the 28th.
Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that they are always welcome to reach
out and ask to see my documentation for any of my sightings. If you are
skeptical, or even just for the hell of it. Most makes it on eBird, but
oftentimes there is a delay—sometimes because I am just taking my sweet
time, but sometimes there are property issues or permit stipulations that
keep my lists delayed. So, if you want to see something, just ask!
Date: 4/27/24 8:30 pm From: Bruce Mast via groups.io <cathrasher4...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Mount Diablo miscellaneous
Hello birders, I spent today scouting for a Mount Diablo Hiking Big Day I'm doing tomorrow, as part of Golden Gate Bird Alliance's spring Birdathon fundraiser. I birded the morning in Castle Rock Recreational Rec Area and the afternoon along Green Ranch Road. The highlight of my Castle Rock walk was a Warbling Vireo singing its lungs out while sitting in its nest. (See nest photo at https://ebird.org/checklist/S170573484). Migrants were scarce.
Hiking back from Green Ranch along the Oak Knoll trail, I ran into a small mixed flock feasting on a termite hatch. The flock included 3 cute little Chipping Sparrows. Overhead a cluster of 5 Vaux's Swifts flew in, accompanied by a couple Violet-Green Swallows. Later at Rock City, I saw a couple more Vaux's migrating with a small Violet-Green Swallow Flock. https://ebird.org/checklist/S170641478
Bird on,
Bruce Mast Oakland
PS, if you would like to support Golden Gate Bird Alliance and spur me on tomorrow, please consider donating to my fundraising page at https://charity.pledgeit.org/f/EPzPrjTh2i. Thank you!
Date: 4/26/24 12:23 pm From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] home and birding by computer
Rosita and I came home with Covid from an Alvaro's Adventures Hawaii trip with Mandy Talpas. So I am mostly birding by computer now. National Audubon Society, too bad for those of you who do not like this name, sent an email with a whole bunch of links to various stories. One story is about Buntings and our own Aaron Maizlish has a photo there of an Orange-breasted Bunting. See it in this link: https://www.audubon.org/news/why-are-buntings-all-so-good We bought a copy of a small White Tern book at Iolani Palace. The author, Susan Scott, has a citation for Mark Rauzon in the bibliography. Kind of cool to see local names in far away places.
Our chickadee family is feeding babies in the patio bird house, but has not yet found the meal worms I placed there. They have been using the seed and peanut feeders.
If you have not been paying attention, the Peregrines in Berkeley have four chicks as of Wednesday: Watch them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nvCVS2TRRk I have seen Mom(?) feed several times, but could not tell what the menu item was.
Date: 4/24/24 3:59 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] San Ramon/Danville area Earth Day weekend birds and a new hotspot/birding site
On 4/22 Megan and I explored a new portion of Las Trampas Regional Wilderness hiking up from Remington Loop in southwest Danville. This is the quickest way to get to the east side of Trampas ridge and allows one access to some ephemeral ponds with great potential (solitary sand. etc)
of note here:
Violet-green Swallows - exploring roof soffit vents for nest site in house at Remington Loop trailhead
Savannah Sparrow - this species not known to nest in the interior grasslands of the county, likely a lingering wintering bird
Rufous-crowned Sparrow - calling in rocky sage scrub patch in the middle of the grassland above the main pond, el ~1100'(330m), first time I've noted this species on Trampas ridge but they most certainly as regular in spots as they are on Rocky Ridge
Later that morning I checked the South portion of Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve between Tassajara and Crow Canyon Roads on the border of Danville and San Ramon. This site is accessed off Northview Ct. via Woodranch Rd./Cir.
Fun observations here:
Golden Eagle - fly-over adult
Northern Harrier - male, a california species of special concern, perhaps nesting here which would be notable considering all the appropriate habitat lost to development in this part of the county
Say's Phoebe - adult attending three recently fledged juveniles at trailhead corral/Northview Ct.
Grasshopper Sparrow - a minimum count of 5 singing males +1 (apparent pair)
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) - on ridge, obvious migrant
Western Meadowlark - 4+ including a breeding confirmation via a a food carrying adult flying into a grass thicket
In the late afternoon I paid a visit to the Canyon Lakes Golf Course/subdivision. Among the fun sightings here were :
Rufous Hummingbirds - male and female, obvious migrants fighting for feeding spots in blooming eukes along east edge of course just south of the solar panel array
Lesser Goldfinch - a first of season fledgling in redwood row near entrance along Crow Canyon.
Ethan is unavailable at the moment. I think he’s taking a long and
necessary rest after reading Logan’s maniacal account of the big day ,but
he gave me his blessing to respond to your question.
While possibilities of extralimital breeding always exist to some level The
best bet is that these finches are overwintering and haven’t departed yet.
There is no documentation of Cassens Finch nesting in the Diablo range or
any of the coastal foothills of central California. Their closest breeding
stronghold is in the Sierra Nevada.
I think the closest they come to nesting near the coast in Northern
California is maybe the highest reaches of Lake/Mendocino county. But I
could be off by a mountain range or two.
Happy spring birding,
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
On Tue, Apr 23, 2024 at 16:45 Erica via groups.io <ihearwaxwings=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Thank you for sharing these observations Ethan. Do you suspect that they
> may be breeding locally? Also a question about access. The park technically
> opens at 8:00 am. Are you able to enter earlier than the posted time? If
> so, is it fairly reliable to be able to do so?
>
> Many thanks and congratulations. I hope we'll see your photo at some
> point.
>
> Best, Erica
>
>
>
Thank you for sharing these observations Ethan. Do you suspect that they may be breeding locally? Also a question about access. The park technically opens at 8:00 am. Are you able to enter earlier than the posted time? If so, is it fairly reliable to be able to do so?
Many thanks and congratulations. I hope we'll see your photo at some point.
Date: 4/23/24 7:06 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cassin’s, again.
About 640AM on Monday morning, I finally saw and photographed a female Cassins Finch on Mt. Diablo in foothill pines along summit road between Grapevine Picnic Area and Juniper Campground (this is the dense ravine filled with foothill pine and what might be canyon live oak or something just a quarter mile or so before juniper if you are driving up towards the summit). I actually suspect there might be two Cassins involved…
Sunday evening there were four Greater Scaup and a Sanderling at Clifton Court Forebay. 102 Whimbrel and ~190 ibis flew over.
Date: 4/23/24 2:11 am From: Logan Kahle via groups.io <logan...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Alameda County Big Day 4/21, 200 species (!!!) (long) Calliope Hummingbird, Dusky Flycatchers, Gray Flycatchers, continuing Costa's Hummingbird, etc
Hi all,
As those who have done a healthy number of big days learn, some days things just line up. There are days where everything seems to go like clockwork, and every spot produces more than you anticipate. Yesterday was one of those days.
At midnight of 4/21, Alex Henry, Dessi Sieburth, Lucas Stephenson and I undertook an all-out Alameda Big Day, starting at midnight and ending shortly after 8pm. We drove 210 miles. With Alex's incredible understanding of the ins and outs of Alameda, Dessi's ever-present eyes, Lucas's enthusiasm, and my ability to drive past the intended pullouts on Mines road, we were setup well from the start. Over the course of the day, we saw an amazing 200 species, breaking the previous record of 173 set by myself and Alex on Friday 4/19, which in turn broke the record set on 4/22/2011 of 172 species by Zach Baer, Dominik Mosur and Michael Park.
We started off the day at 11:25pm, dropping a car in Piedmont before continuing down redwood road for Owling. Sometimes the owls can take a while here, so we started listening at 11:45. At a little after 11:50, a Saw-whet started calling away, but promptly shut up before the day. We waited, and held our breath, unsure if it would start up again. Then, at 12:01, the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL started hooting away, our first bird of the day. Ideal. While we were leaving, Dessi heard a WESTERN FLYCATCHER.
We blasted off to the bayshore to look for shorebirds. A couple days prior, I scouted out to see if I could find any true high tide roosts at night and, well, I couldnt! But I did have some scattered. So, we headed to Garretson Point at a place Alex knew that shorebirds roost along the bayshore. It was largely quiet, but we added the first few bay birds of the day: a calling DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and, importantly, a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. While we would hear several at night, we never did hear one in the daytime. As we were leaving a GREAT HORNED OWL, astoundingly one of only two all day (!) was perched on a lightpost.
Heading on to Arrowhead Marsh, we added a diversity of waterbirds, including WESTERN GREBE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, MARBLED GODWIT, a night-flying BARN SWALLOW (presumably kicked up from a nest?) and the main target, a cacophony of RIDGWAY'S RAILS. As we were leaving, a lone BARN OWL winged its way overhead. Driving briefly to Elsie Rohmer we added few birds, but among them BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPER.
We then went to the cornerstone spot of the night, where we were hoping to find most of our nocturnal highlights: Coyote Hills. Arriving to the region around 1:35, a parking fumble cost us about 20 minutes. Regardless, we arrived at our desired location in the marsh a while later, and eventually heard the "kikidoo" of one of the BLACK RAILS Alex and I had staked out in scouting. Continuing down the trail we stopped briefly at a specific slough and happily added a calling COMMON GALLINULE. Farther down the trail, several VIRGINIA RAILS and a single SORA, different from the one we'd staked out, sounded off. The sound of pumping AMERICAN BITTERNS echoed all around us. As we were walking around the trail, an odd night-singing RING-NECKED PHEASANT bellowed its bizarre croak. We heard more when we returned in the evening, but it was great to get out of the way early. We then had to make a decision. We could either try for snipe, in the dark, now, or wait for later. We knew we'd probably see them but also wanted some real time to try for our unscouted Grasshopper Sparrows after. After about 5 minutes of restless deliberation we ran out into the field that had had almost 10 snipe on Friday and, sure enough, a WILSON'S SNIPE kicked up.
Continuing on to Garin Regional Park, we were ready to try for an unscouted Grasshopper, partially encouraged by team DMZ's strategy back in 2011. Alex claimed it was "just a bit up the hill" and "it would probably take about 10 minutes". I'd scouted enough with him to be leery of such statements, but nonetheless we started running up the hills here. After what seemed like an eternity we crossed a gate and were apparently near the spot. Well, it was only 9 minutes after all. We got to the area and started listening. Silence. I had to peel off for a second and walked a little ways away from the group. As I waited, a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW started sounding off. I ran over to get the group, and as luck would have it it stayed singing for a while longer. We were off.
During scouting Alex had brought up a very reliable Pygmy-Owl spot in Sunol. We tried during scouting and did find Pygmy-Owls, so we decided to give it a shot before going to Mines. Also in scouting, we'd found poorwill on the road in. So, we pulled off on Calaveras road, and in the distant sage-covered slopes we heard a lone COMMON POORWILL. At Welch Creek road, we quickly added a single WESTERN SCREECH-OWL. We rolled up to the Pygmy-Owl spot and listened. Nothing. We played a few toots. Nothing. Just the rushing of the river. We moved to a slightly quieter vantage. After a bit of waiting, the chiming of a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL echoed through the hills. Perfect. We were off.
We arrived at Mines road somewhat earlier than we needed to, around 5:25. While we drove up, I stopped along the road in residential livermore and heard our first dawn singer: a single DARK-EYED JUNCO. The idea with mines was that we would try for Hermit Thrush first thing, but that we would ideally score the singing Say's Phoebe even before that. Well, we blasted by the Say's Phoebe road without thinking. But stopping at some sagebrush patches for Hermit Thrush at 5:30 did net us some more Common Poorwills. Then, we were ready to really try for Hermit Thrush (which often sound off at this kind of late date in the early early morning and not later). We got to one patch. Nothing. Tried another. Nada. Then after a few month I heard the chupping of a HERMIT THRUSH!! We were giddy. Nearby, dawn chorus had started, and a cacauphony of birds like ACORN WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAYS and many others had started to form. Nearby, a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW sang away. We had a select list of species we were hoping to see before leaving Mines (and possibly returning, which we hadn't decided yet), and we set off to see as many as possible. Down the canyon, a WILD TURKEY called, and our initial spurt of birds like CALIFORNIA QUAIL, NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, OAK TITMOUSE and WHITE- and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, among others, made their presence known. We pulled up to a certain house and quickly found the breeding SAY'S PHOEBE. At a nearby patch of chaparral a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER sounded off, and we heard another Hermit Thrush.
We rolled up to a flowering patch of Mimulus that had been loaded with Rufous Hummingbirds all through scouting. As expected, oodles of Rufous Hummingbirds, including a couple nice males, whirred all around us. Lucas soon called out "Calliope!". We all scrambled trying to get on the hummer, and quickly Dessi also got a good view. Alex and I were both coming up dry, but after a while Alex spotted the beautiful female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD perched on a snag. We were starting to have seen almost everything we really wanted to on Mines. Birds like BAND-TAILED PIGEONS and PINE SISKINS flew by overhead, and we were still adding some new birds on the ground too. But the only serious issue bird was Phainopepla. We tried at several areas that looked good and came up dry. Then, on a ridge surrounded by valley oaks loaded with mistletoe, a single PHAINOPEPLA sounded off. We found a few others at a consistent area down the road, but we were just relieved to have one in the bag. The last bird we were really missing now was MacGillivray's Warbler. Earlier in the morning, Dessi and I heard what sounded perfect for Mac in an area that looked perfect but the bird only called a few times but it just wasn't conclusive enough and it wouldn't call more. So, we decided to head to Mendenhall for migrants.
We got to Mendenhall later than hoped, around 7am, which I knew would be bad for looking specifically for macs. Nonetheless, migrants were instantly apparent. In one of the first patches of oaks, we found several WESTERN TANAGERS, a small ground of CHIPPING SPARROWS, a CASSIN'S VIREO, and a reclusive HERMIT WARBLER. Farther down the road, we scored our second COOPER'S HAWK of the morning, along with a calling HAIRY WOODPECKER. Cooper's was one I was genuinely very worried about, but we ended up seeing 5 through the day! At the next major patch of oaks we found another group of migrants, this including our first of 6-7 (!) HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS on this road, as well as a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE. Overhead, a GOLDEN EAGLE cruised by and landed in a dead oak and a LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH called overhead. Our only real migrant we still needed was Townsend's Warbler and we were frantically trying to turn one up. We heard a singing Townsend's/Hermit and looked around until, lo and behold, a male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER popped into view. We were ready to roll.
We'd done so well on Mines that we saw no need to go back. We pivoted over to Lake Del Valle to add a few birds we needed in that region. As we rolled up, we could see part of the lake from the hill above and easily noticed a group of COMMON MERGANSERS along the shore. We stopped at the bridge, quickly adding CLIFF SWALLOWS, a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and a flyover AMERICAN KESTREL (one of only two for the day!!). The great author Ed Yong had reported Wood Ducks from this spot so we looked upstream and found nothing. But downstream, sure enough, a male WOOD DUCK was perched surreptitiously at the edge of the stream. Score! Saved us a jaunt to Shadow Cliffs. Proceeding on to the main lake we quickly added the local GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. We proceeded to a willow riparian belt and found our scouted DOWNY WOODPECKER, a remarkably tricky bird on Bay Area big days. Walking around the shore of the lake some more, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK started calling. On the lake we found birds like BUFFLEHEAD and PIED-BILLED GREBE (along with a couple more flyby Wood Ducks) but no hoped-for Green Herons.
Rolling on down mines we had some stakeout American Goldfinches in Livermore. On our drive we were hoping for Lark Sparrows. As we drove by Dessi and Lucas thought they heard some Goldfinches so we whipped around and got out. We found no Goldfinches there but did have a single LARK SPARROW! Continuing up the road to Livermore Stockton Loop National Forest Riparian Preserve we gleefully added several AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES that have been lingering in this area.
As we were driving Lucas and I started grilling Alex about Cassin's Kingbirds in the area. It seemed like they might be reasonable a ways down the road on Tesla road, but as we were nearing Cross road Alex said that this was a good region too. Lucas shouted that he had a kingbird so we slowed down. Lucas jumped out of the car and yelled "Its a Cassin's! Oh there are two! They have a nest!!" Sure enough in a big eucalyptus there was a Cassin's Kingbird nest. Amazing.
We continued down Cross road and had a bizarre flock of Band-tailed Pigeons in some trees in the grasslands. Good sign of movement. Alex had mentioned in scouting that on days at Patterson Pass where he was seeing grosbeaks and buntings in the grasslands at the base of the road it was a good sign that the main willows east of the crest would be great. Well, we got to the base and there were grosbeaks and stuff flying around. Good sign.... We detoured west slightly to visit the Tricolored Blackbird colony that had set up shop in the last few days. Dependably, the dozens of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS were flying around and making noise. Nearby, a pair of LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were sitting on the wires.
We proceeded to the main part of Patterson Pass which was maybe the craziest part of the entire day. As we rolled up to the upper willow patch, Lucas spotted a female HOODED ORIOLE in with a group of Bullock's. While we had one later in the day, too, this helped us not stressing about stakeouts earlier in the route. In the willows, we quickly picked up on a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH hopping around the trees, the only one of the day! (Though we consequently didn't try for the ones in the hills). There was also an out-of-place White-breasted Nuthatch, presumably a migrant. Nearby, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW sounded off, and another Hermit Thrush called in the willows. As we were looking for migrants, we heard a whitting Empid!! Eager to see what species it would be, we chased after it to find a GRAY FLYCATCHER! Then while it was calling, ANOTHER whitting empid started counter-calling! It took a while, but we tracked this one down too--an obvious DUSKY FLYCATCHER!! Not only are Duskies rare here, but this is at the very early end of their expected timeframe in the Bay Area, rarely being recorded before April 20th. Nearby, there was a vocal Hammond's, and at one point the Dusky, the Gray, and the Hammonds were all in the same binocular view!! That is something I may never again see in the Bay Area. We continued working the same patch of willows and it just kept popping up new birds. Not long after, Lucas picked out a male YELLOW WARBLER, and slightly later we found another Gray Flycatcher down the same patch! Lucas also got on a Hummingbird that was almost surely a Black-chinned but the rest of us couldn't get on it so we left it off. As we were birding the willows, a couple HORNED LARKS started singing from above, and a ROCK WREN sounded off on the hillside. There were a few other birds in the willows, such as a few Lark Sparrows and an assortment of other migrants.We went to the lower patch of Patterson Pass and had quite a few more migrants, including ANOTHER whitting Dusky Flycatcher!
Unable to believe our luck on this day, we continued to the bottom of the road, where Alex had staked out a Swainson's Hawk nest in a pepper tree in scouting. We pulled up and the nest was....vacant. Uuuuh. Hmmm. We all started looking around and Lucas called out "its right on the post!" Sure enough, the SWAINSON'S HAWK was perched out in the field. Lets roll! We then engaged in one of my least favorite big day maneuvers, leaving the county. And, sure enough, in the 2 minutes we were in San Joaquin we saw a Northern Harrier, a bird we hadn't seen yet on the day. Ugh.
Driving down 580 Dessi spotted another Swainson's Hawk circling around overhead. As we were driving down, Alex yelled "Big white things circling to the left!! They might be pelicans!!" Sure enough, a flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS was circling south of the freeway. Our luck was strong.
We made a brief stop at Frick Lake, adding LESSER SCAUP, a lone GREATER SCAUP, AMERICAN WIGEON, and GREAT EGRET. Continuing to Marlin Pound Wetlands, we found our hoped-for WHITE-TAILED KITE along with the BLUE-WINGED TEAL and CINNAMON TEAL I'd had during scouting.
The next stop was actually a 15 minute detour that had nothing to do with birds: our back window was busted and wouldnt roll up, and we were not nearly brave enough to bird the Alameda Bayshore with an open window. So after switching over to Alex's car, we continued on to Joaquin Miller. As we got there, we decided to look for Allen's Hummingbirds, as they had been a pain for me. Looking for Allen's on big days is one of my least favorite things, as they need to be an adult male to officially count, and you can't just hear them (which you often do with Selasphorus). So, while we did add PURPLE FINCH and PYGMY NUTHATCH along with hearing a calling Hooded Oriole across the street, we left for the forest after 5 minutes after hearing many selasphorus but confirming none as Allen's. Ugh. In the forest, we quickly added a singing BROWN CREEPER. We went up to where Dessi had pinned down a Pacific Wren in a Redwood-lined Canyon and played a couple songs. After a while, the PACIFIC WREN popped up and started singing. We were back to Hummingbird Hell, and I went to a tree I'd seen one midday a few days prior. After about 3 more long horrible minutes, I spotted a male way up, but it wouldnt show its back. After a while, we were all able to get on it and it turned its back--an ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD. Onwards!
We only had one real target in the hills left so we headed down Redwood road. Hutton's Vireos had been common in scouting, but I still had made a point to drop a pin for each and every one--I'd imagined exactly this scenario happening. So we went to one pin. Nothing. Another. Northing. Another. A Western Wood-Pewee sounded off but still nothing. Finally, we at the last marked pin that I cared to go to, one sounded off, distantly. We checked on a Ring-necked Duck I'd seen a few days prior but no dice.
We blasted to Lake Temescal, a horrible big day spot but we felt compelled nonetheless. We had two targets here, but neither would be easy. After combating parking hell, we started by running around the lake. this seemed like it would give us a good shot at Green Heron. When we got to the northern shore, Alex spotted one of the nesting BALD EAGLES, remarkably well hidden (for an eagle!) in a pine. As we got back to the car Alex had to split off briefly and while he did Dessi noticed a GREEN HERON perched on the shore of the lake right as Alex was getting back! Amazed at our success, we shimmied out.
We headed upslope to Claremont Canyon, where Dessi had been what turned out to be our most troublesome Berkeley Hills breeder. We arrived the pullout and almost immediately were greeted by a singing OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Lets jam!
Rolling down the hill through Berkeley I realized we were heading by the UC Berkeley Campus. "Hell, lets try for the Peregrines!" We knew where the nest was but it still felt like a long shot. As we rolled up, it was clear the birds were not on the nest. We started looking around randomly when Dessi said "its up in the sky!" We all were treated to good views of the Peregrine soaring around east of campus. We were off.
Proceeding into Berkeley we decided to look for the Costa's Hummingbird reported continuously for many months. As we got to the spot Alex pointed out which house it liked. Within minutes, the COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD flew up and perched on the telephone wire.
Rolling out to the Bayshore, we briefly checked Cesar Chavez Park. In the cove there, we added CLARK'S GREBE, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL nad FORSTER'S TERN along with more Greater Scaup and another Green Heron! Nearby at Seabreeze we found a group of BLACK TURNSTONES and our only WHIMBREL of the day!
Continuing to Emeryville, the shorebird roost was nowhere to be seen (too low tide or maybe they'd been flushed?), but we still added a PELAGIC CORMORANT, BROWN PELICAN and BLACK OYSTERCATCHER on the nearby docks, and to the south on the flats we found a few CASPIAN TERNS and a flock of ELEGANT TERNS. Elegants being a regular sight in spring on the shore of SF Bay is a pattern it will take me a while to get used to!
We continued on to Seaplane Lagoon, where a number of Red-necked Grebes had wintered and been present up until a week ago, but were absent for Alex and I on Friday. On Friday, however, we'd seen a Common Loon. We started scanning the breakwater for cormorants and it took longer than usual to locate a BRANDT'S CORMORANT. We'd seen most of the other targets so were frantically scanning for a Loon or a Spotted Sandpiper. After a while, with no dice on either, we bailed.
At Ballena Bay, we scanned the area where 7 scoters had been for Alex and I on Friday. Today, however, we only found 2 lingering SURF SCOTERS. But all you need is one! We went to the main harbor where we'd staked out Grebes and Red-throated Loons on friday. Nothing. We continued scanning. I walked a little ways down the edge of the harbor and sure enough two RED-THROATED LOONS popped up. No Horned or Eared Grebes though. Hmm. I thought the huge number of people including on kayaks didnt help our cause. Eventually, we helped out, grebeless. I decided to make a quick stop along the east-west shoreline to look for grebes and loons some more. As we got out of the car, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER presented itself on the riprap!
We next went to Elsie Roemer. One of the most frustrating moments of the day was dealing with all the cars and people and stuff here. It was awful. But eventually we arrived in the vicinity of the platform and started scanning. We had basically one target. After about 5 minutes Alex said that he'd found the three RED KNOTS we'd had in scouting. Perfect.
Just down the road we were driving and Alex slammed on the breaks and screamed "PINTAIL!!!!!!!" as a male pintail rocketed over the car. If we thought luck wasn't on our side this was just another confirmation. We detoured briefly to a small park where a Snow Goose had been recently seen, and there was the SNOW GOOSE in a flock of Canadas. Heading down MLK shoreline we detoured to another small park with another resident flock of geese, this one that includes a resident BRANT, which was foraging on the lawn with the geese. This saved us going to Arrowhead Marsh, but we still drove to the fields on the road up to look for Gulls. As we pulled in it seems the prospects were low, but luckily soon Dessi spotted the continuing MEW GULL along the shore of the pond. Score!!
Rolling south, we briefly looked for Cackling Goose at Tony Lema Golf Course before heading to San Lorenzo Creek. Though we had to run out to the spot, we were enticed by a number of potential additions. As we got to the mouth, Alex quickly spotted a LONG-BILLED CURLEW with the mix of other shorebirds out there. In quick succession, a RUDDY TURNSTONE appeared in the group. We were stressed for time, so we rolled out of there quickly. As we were running back to the car, Lucas spotted the evasive GREEN-WINGED TEAL, our last really glaring general bayshore target.
We next visited the Winton Avenue pond. I was praying that we would find the Eared Grebe we'd seen during scouting here, so we wouldnt have to go out to the main Winton Avenue Ponds. Shortly after we got out of the car, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT started singing. After a few minutes, Dessi picked out the EARED GREBE actively diving in the pond. We were off!
Our next stop was another treat from team DMZ figuring this stuff out over a decade ago. We went to Enterprise avenue in Hayward and, after a couple minutes wait, a BONEPARTE'S GULL flew over to go to the WTP.
We proceeded south to Eden's Landing. After a little walk out to an overlook, we tried for a Eurasian Wigeon Alex had scouted out. We'd hoped for an American Pipit too, but we were not seeing any of the ones we'd seen in scouting. Then, after a short while, a lone AMERICAN PIPIT turned up along the road. Farther down, we located the SNOWY PLOVERS Alex had scouted out. We got into better lighting for the duck flock and, sure enough, the male EURASIAN WIGEON was still present. We were off.
We were rolling up to Coyote Hills with plenty more time than we actually needed. But, as we got towards the area we were passing a Goose flock and Dessi and Lucas noted a smaller goose in with the flock. We screeched on the breaks and ran back to find a single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE with the flock! We couldn't believe our luck. Rolling up to Coyote Hills we still needed two easy birds: Northern Harrier and Common Goldeneye, and we had plenty of time (it was just before 7). Within minutes of rolling up, we saw a single NORTHERN HARRIER coursing over the marsh. We ran out to the goldeneye spot but found nothing. Arex mentioned that we still had options, and that he'd go scout ahead to see if there were any on another pond. So while Alex ran in front of us, the rest of us jogged behind him. About a minute later, Alex came back and said "I think theres one out there!" We all walked up and there was not one but FIVE COMMON GOLDENEYE on a small freshwater pond.
It was only 7:10 and we had to make a decision: stick it out at Coyote and wait til dusk here or try another spot. We didn't have any logical, obvious spots to check. Eventually, Alex mentioned the possibility of going to Coyote Creek Lagoon farther south to see if there were any lingering Herring Gulls. We were torn. No other option seemed more alluring, as even though birds like Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ibis, and Vaux's Swift were all /possible /at Coyote, none of them seemed at all likely. Ultimately, we decided to bomb to Coyote Creek Lagoon, arriving around 7:30. There were tons of birds here, and huge flocks of Dowitchers and peeps. We picked through to try to find something more spicy but ultimately failed. A Bald Eagle flew over and a Spotted Sandpiper was in the ditch, both of which felt like they could have been new additions, but weren't.
As the sunlight left the area, we counted up our total and were met with complete awe that we'd crossed what seemed to be an insurmountable number in the Bay Area. We ended the day with only 2 "dirty birds" (both seen by 3/4 team members), Northern Pintail and Hermit Warbler. I want to thank every member of the team for an incredible energy and Alex's incredible knowledge of the region. Also worth a shoutout to Zach Baer for pinning down certain random things with this route over 10 years ago that we gladly borrowed (e.g. Nocturnal Grasshopper Sparrows, Hayward Bonaparte's). This will certainly be one of the most memorable days for me in the Bay Area, and it would not have been possible without the amazing team I had with me.
While this record could be beatable, it seems rather unlikely given how many things lined up on the day, from stakeout rarities to amazing luck with migrants and residents alike.
Like any big day, we had our fair share of misses (about 7 of which Alex and I saw on 4/19 during scouting!) among them Cackling Goose, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Horned Grebe (a big miss), Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-necked Phalarope, Solitary Sandpiper, Surfbird (cleared out a while ago), Black Skimmer (the emeryville flock cleared out about a week before the day), Least Tern, White-faced Ibis, Vaux's Swift, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl, Prairie Falcon, Merlin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, MacGillivray's Warbler (I'd had 3-5 on almost every day of scouting on Mines from April 17-20 and almost certainly had one on the day, too), Fox Sparrow (almost none around this year), White-throated Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow (couldn't find any on route).
Date: 4/22/24 7:13 pm From: Richard Mix via groups.io <richardmix...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pileated at Berkeley's Tilden
About 17:30 today Ann Callaway called my attention to a potential flicker call, but when I got the glasses on the top of the dead pine at Lone Oak picnic table (at Loop Rd & Meadows Canyon trail) my first words were "Holy cow!" A Pileated male, to go by the very long red crest bordered by white, though we couldn't make out any red on the chin: it seemed to like the shady side of the trunk. Lifer for me.
Date: 4/22/24 5:36 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Eastern Alameda Co, Solitary Sandpiper
Mines Road:One nice bird on Sunday - a male Prairie Falcom with a fresh catch, circling low overhead.Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Aaron Maizlish via groups.io" <amm.birdlists...> Date: 4/22/24 4:28 PM (GMT-08:00) To: East Bay Birds <ebb-sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Eastern Alameda Co, Solitary Sandpiper Got a late start this morning and decided to head to Eastern Alameda County for the first time this year to see if I could pick up some of the reported goodies and catch spring arrivals. Arrived at Mines Road around 10:30 and it was already about 80°. Activity was low, as Jim Chiropolos reported yesterday. No Black Vulture to be found (I checked a lot of vultures), it could be anywhere by now. A dark juv Golden Eagle around MM 7 was a consolation. At MM 8.96 I got into a nice assortment of finches that included at least 2 Lawrence’s Goldfinch near the road. There were also small numbers of Lazuli Bunting, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and a single Phainopepla around there. Cross Road had a nice Swainson’s Hawk being mobbed by crows. Patterson Pass was a total bust. I drove back over the old Altamont Pass Road stopping several times at some of my old spots. Lots of puddles and ponds at various levels and I was cued in to look for migratory shorebirds. At the foot of Dyer Road I finally found a good mud puddle on the left about 1000’ up from Altamont Pass Road, and bingo there was a Solitary Sandpiper hiding out at the back of the pond, along with a very vocal Yellowlegs and several Killdeer. Unfortunately the Solitary Sandpiper flew off while I was sitting in my car trying to magnify my photo enough to get a solid ID. It headed up the valley toward the reservoir. It made a strong two-note flight call which I was not familiar with. I don’t know if it will be back but the pond was here (37.7444167, -121.6769763). There are lots of other puddles in the area in various stages of drying up and the time is right for more migratory goodies, so it might be worth a look. Aaron MaizlishSan Francisco
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Got a late start this morning and decided to head to Eastern Alameda County for the first time this year to see if I could pick up some of the reported goodies and catch spring arrivals. Arrived at Mines Road around 10:30 and it was already about 80°.
Activity was low, as Jim Chiropolos reported yesterday. No Black Vulture to be found (I checked a lot of vultures), it could be anywhere by now. A dark juv Golden Eagle around MM 7 was a consolation. At MM 8.96 I got into a nice assortment of finches that included at least 2 Lawrence’s Goldfinch near the road. There were also small numbers of Lazuli Bunting, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and a single Phainopepla around there.
Cross Road had a nice Swainson’s Hawk being mobbed by crows. Patterson Pass was a total bust.
I drove back over the old Altamont Pass Road stopping several times at some of my old spots. Lots of puddles and ponds at various levels and I was cued in to look for migratory shorebirds. At the foot of Dyer Road I finally found a good mud puddle on the left about 1000’ up from Altamont Pass Road, and bingo there was a Solitary Sandpiper hiding out at the back of the pond, along with a very vocal Yellowlegs and several Killdeer.
Unfortunately the Solitary Sandpiper flew off while I was sitting in my car trying to magnify my photo enough to get a solid ID. It headed up the valley toward the reservoir. It made a strong two-note flight call which I was not familiar with. I don’t know if it will be back but the pond was here (37.7444167, -121.6769763). There are lots of other puddles in the area in various stages of drying up and the time is right for more migratory goodies, so it might be worth a look.
Date: 4/21/24 8:05 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year)
I bikes Mines yesterday, and thought it was eerily quiet. Very few regulars...Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Jim Chiropolos via groups.io" <jnc...> Date: 4/21/24 6:55 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year) Mines Road Birding and Biking - Black Vulture! Today I birded and biked my Mines Road patch. For April 21, it was amazingly non- birdy at a time when migrant songbirds should be around. I think I only saw/heard 20 migrant songbirds with half being ash-throated flycatchers, about 6 house wrens and only 3 warblers over 20 miles to the county line. Not one gnatcatcher!
On the way back,hot and tired as it may have hit 80 degrees, I saw an odd dark raptor, flying north. My first impression was bald eagle as it appeared to have no head and tail - thinking it was the light, but the wings were too short and broad and it seemed too small. As I studied the bird, it indeed had a dark small head and a very short tail with broad wings. Bald eagle not! Red-tails, Turkey Vultures and a raven were all flying in the area and this raptor was very different in proportions with wings held horizontal and a steady flight. Smaller than the TVs - Wow - a black vulture!!!
My friend Aaron told me its the first black vulture sighting, maybe, in Alameda. It will not be the last! Several years ago, a black vulture hung around in Marin for several years, mostly centered over Pt. Reyes but I saw it flying over Mt. Tam summit. Look out for vultures!!! Hopefully, it sticks around and we get more sightings- and based on the Marin vulture, it may cover a large area.
Mines road has been very slow the three times I have birded it this year. I still have not seen a golden eagle off Mines this year,a bird that I usually see maybe 75% of the time. Yellow-billed magpie numbers seen low, I have only seen one this year off Mines - most years, every ride I see 4 or more in the first 5 miles. Phainopepla numbers also seem low- usually a reliable bird biking mines and today I saw my first over three rides. I used to see Roadrunners off Mines most years biking but I birdied it more the last several years and have not seen a roadrunner here the last 3 or 4 years.
I have also yet to see the Lawrence goldfinches at the coral (mile 17.65). Today looking for them at the coral area,I was 75 feet from my bike. As I watched, a pickup peeled into the dirt and parked 2 feet from my bike. As I walked towards my bike, the guys in the pick-up were debating who would get my bike. They then saw me, and as the pick-up spun onto Mines Road, the driver thinking fast, said “Are you OK”. I cannot get that far from my bike these days…. Crazy!
Date: 4/21/24 6:59 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture
ps- I saw the vulture at Mines Road mile marker 8. It was circling north. (The mile markers are painted onto the road and poles with milage are located every 1/4 mile).
Date: 4/21/24 6:55 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year)
Mines Road Birding and Biking - Black Vulture!
Today I birded and biked my Mines Road patch. For April 21, it was amazingly non- birdy at a time when migrant songbirds should be around. I think I only saw/heard 20 migrant songbirds with half being ash-throated flycatchers, about 6 house wrens and only 3 warblers over 20 miles to the county line. Not one gnatcatcher!
On the way back,hot and tired as it may have hit 80 degrees, I saw an odd dark raptor, flying north. My first impression was bald eagle as it appeared to have no head and tail - thinking it was the light, but the wings were too short and broad and it seemed too small. As I studied the bird, it indeed had a dark small head and a very short tail with broad wings. Bald eagle not! Red-tails, Turkey Vultures and a raven were all flying in the area and this raptor was very different in proportions with wings held horizontal and a steady flight. Smaller than the TVs - Wow - a black vulture!!!
My friend Aaron told me its the first black vulture sighting, maybe, in Alameda. It will not be the last! Several years ago, a black vulture hung around in Marin for several years, mostly centered over Pt. Reyes but I saw it flying over Mt. Tam summit. Look out for vultures!!! Hopefully, it sticks around and we get more sightings- and based on the Marin vulture, it may cover a large area.
Mines road has been very slow the three times I have birded it this year. I still have not seen a golden eagle off Mines this year,a bird that I usually see maybe 75% of the time. Yellow-billed magpie numbers seen low, I have only seen one this year off Mines - most years, every ride I see 4 or more in the first 5 miles. Phainopepla numbers also seem low- usually a reliable bird biking mines and today I saw my first over three rides. I used to see Roadrunners off Mines most years biking but I birdied it more the last several years and have not seen a roadrunner here the last 3 or 4 years.
I have also yet to see the Lawrence goldfinches at the coral (mile 17.65). Today looking for them at the coral area,I was 75 feet from my bike. As I watched, a pickup peeled into the dirt and parked 2 feet from my bike. As I walked towards my bike, the guys in the pick-up were debating who would get my bike. They then saw me, and as the pick-up spun onto Mines Road, the driver thinking fast, said “Are you OK”. I cannot get that far from my bike these days…. Crazy!
Date: 4/20/24 5:09 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Ash-throated Flycatcher at Creekside Park
Local interest:
There’s a ATFL at Creekside Park right now. Sitting quietly low in the
willows between
(37.8977507, -122.3034629) and the dead end. Stays still and hidden most of
the time, occasionally sallying out to catch a bee.
Date: 4/20/24 6:50 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Vollmer migration notes and reflections on Calliope hummingbirds
Jim, thank you for that lengthy and illustrious report. I always learn something new from reading other birders’ thoughts on migration timing, distribution, breeding behavior etc. etc. and your post encapsulated all these and so much more. Well done.
One quick note - the catkins you mention are not technically the seeds of the oak tree. These are male flowers laden with pollen and much sought after as a high nutrition food source by many spevies in the spring including pine siskins.
Just to put this out there , I will be leading a couple of birding excursions at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness outside San Ramon this spring. If anyone is interested please reach out off list.
Thank you and happy spring.
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
> On Apr 19, 2024, at 18:42, Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> wrote:
>
>
> Notes on Migration from vollmer peak and Calliope
> Like most birders, I look forward to spring migration. This has been a slower than usual spring borne out by analysis of my home patch ebird lists where I have probably only seen 40 percent of the “most interesting migrants” to date compared to previous years. Why? Some days the last week, 900,000 plus birds have been reported by BirdCast in contra costa county during the night so birds are moving. Some of my speculation is
> Many of the birds migrating in Birdcast daya are shorebirds or ducks as the numbers are not species specific.
> Many of the songbirds birds migrating in Birdcast may be birds flying out if the county. The 40 plus golden crowned sparrow flock has gone down to 10 or less birds the last week. Pine siskin numbers have similarly dropped (although I think this may be partly explained by siskins changing from feeders to feeding on oak seeds)- but maybe they are relocating in the night.
> The weather- until last night it has been blue skies- no weather event like fog to concentrate birds.
> Other….
> Historically- migration at my house is best when there is the right amount of fog - not too much,but enough to create a hole in the fog above my house at Vollmer Peaks east side. When the fog moves in from the west, it is blocked by the mass of Vollmer peak. My house at the east side of the peak is at 1,000 elevation and often is in an amazing fog hole - the last area to be covered by fog and the first area the fog moves away from - and when my house in in the sun, but the fog is all around the house -that is when migration gets good at the house. This morning was the first day of the year that happened, and that fog hole concentrates birds at my house.
>
> That is what we are all looking for in migration- a condition that creates an oasis that birds favor over other areas. It can be topography,(mt Diablo - a “sky “island) weather (fog and wind direction), water (why San Francisco is so good - birds will not fly over water), native plants (why I think the west side of the Berkeley hills is poor for migration - too many alien plants), and parks, or stands of trees near the coast in urban open areas (such as the poplar grove by my Emeryville office) or a combination of all of the above.
>
> Today, when I got out of the house at 7 am, I checked the backyard sage patch where I have planted sage covering 400 square feet or so. Bingo - a make Calliope Hummingbird was working the sage. I see one here most years. They are super shy, preferring to be low in the sage and very low profile compared to Annas or rufous and Allens. I got three looks over the next 20 minutes. At 7:22, suddenly a female Allens/rufous appeared saw the Calliope feeding - zoom - and it was time to bully. After that, the calliope was gone, not to be seen again. For the next hour, two female Allen/rufous types battled over the sage patch. It took them 20 minutes to decide they could both coexist on half the sage patch.
> Over the years, only once have I ever seen a calliope at the house hummingbird feeders. I think they are so small they are easy to bully by the bigger hummers, do they like to work the margins of flower patches, If you want a calliope hummer in your yard, plant lots of sage and then you must be there for that short time period when they grace your garden. In my yard, with all the cat walks , I get a good idea of whats moving around as I spend a lot of time in the yard. Its one if the top east bay data bases as I have birded it almost the same way almost every fay since I first started recording sightings on ebird in 2017.
>
> Enjoy migration - and now is when it really heats up.
>
> Jim Chiropolos
> Orinda below Vollmer
>
> PS - one more interesting bird observation. We have chickadees that nest in a hole below the roof soffit in our house. Today, every several minutes, the adults are carrying food to the hole. I think the chicks just hatched! I think this is the earliest date ever….
>
>
>
Date: 4/19/24 6:42 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Vollmer migration notes and reflections on Calliope hummingbirds
Notes on Migration from vollmer peak and Calliope
Like most birders, I look forward to spring migration. This has been a slower than usual spring borne out by analysis of my home patch ebird lists where I have probably only seen 40 percent of the “most interesting migrants” to date compared to previous years. Why? Some days the last week, 900,000 plus birds have been reported by BirdCast in contra costa county during the night so birds are moving. Some of my speculation is
* Many of the birds migrating in Birdcast daya are shorebirds or ducks as the numbers are not species specific.
* Many of the songbirds birds migrating in Birdcast may be birds flying out if the county. The 40 plus golden crowned sparrow flock has gone down to 10 or less birds the last week. Pine siskin numbers have similarly dropped (although I think this may be partly explained by siskins changing from feeders to feeding on oak seeds)- but maybe they are relocating in the night.
* The weather- until last night it has been blue skies- no weather event like fog to concentrate birds.
* Other….
Historically- migration at my house is best when there is the right amount of fog - not too much,but enough to create a hole in the fog above my house at Vollmer Peaks east side. When the fog moves in from the west, it is blocked by the mass of Vollmer peak. My house at the east side of the peak is at 1,000 elevation and often is in an amazing fog hole - the last area to be covered by fog and the first area the fog moves away from - and when my house in in the sun, but the fog is all around the house -that is when migration gets good at the house. This morning was the first day of the year that happened, and that fog hole concentrates birds at my house.
That is what we are all looking for in migration- a condition that creates an oasis that birds favor over other areas. It can be topography,(mt Diablo - a “sky “island) weather (fog and wind direction), water (why San Francisco is so good - birds will not fly over water), native plants (why I think the west side of the Berkeley hills is poor for migration - too many alien plants), and parks, or stands of trees near the coast in urban open areas (such as the poplar grove by my Emeryville office) or a combination of all of the above.
Today, when I got out of the house at 7 am, I checked the backyard sage patch where I have planted sage covering 400 square feet or so. Bingo - a make Calliope Hummingbird was working the sage. I see one here most years. They are super shy, preferring to be low in the sage and very low profile compared to Annas or rufous and Allens. I got three looks over the next 20 minutes. At 7:22, suddenly a female Allens/rufous appeared saw the Calliope feeding - zoom - and it was time to bully. After that, the calliope was gone, not to be seen again. For the next hour, two female Allen/rufous types battled over the sage patch. It took them 20 minutes to decide they could both coexist on half the sage patch.
Over the years, only once have I ever seen a calliope at the house hummingbird feeders. I think they are so small they are easy to bully by the bigger hummers, do they like to work the margins of flower patches, If you want a calliope hummer in your yard, plant lots of sage and then you must be there for that short time period when they grace your garden. In my yard, with all the cat walks , I get a good idea of whats moving around as I spend a lot of time in the yard. Its one if the top east bay data bases as I have birded it almost the same way almost every fay since I first started recording sightings on ebird in 2017.
Enjoy migration - and now is when it really heats up.
Jim Chiropolos
Orinda below Vollmer
PS - one more interesting bird observation. We have chickadees that nest in a hole below the roof soffit in our house. Today, every several minutes, the adults are carrying food to the hole. I think the chicks just hatched! I think this is the earliest date ever….
Date: 4/19/24 4:36 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Mitchel Canyon Today - Lewis Woodpeckers and reflections on birding canyon
Mitchell Canyon birding
I birded Mitchell canyon today. An interesting day there. Not super birdy low or along the creek, but the higher I walked (top of Red Road trail and to Deer Flat) the birding got much better with more warblers, tanagers and flycatchers high than low. If you ever bird Mitchell canyon and it doesn’t seem birdy low, walk higher - and the birding may get much better.
My highlight was 3 Lewis Woodpeckers high along red road trail. The first one I saw was backlit and I was confused- it wasn’t a crow, it wasn’t a flicker but in between. The habitat there was woodland (widely spaced trees with chaparral understory) do I didn’t even think Lewis for the ID. Another 100 feet of elevation gain and I had great looks at two Lewis Woodpeckers- one flew onto a perch 100 feet from trail. Wow. This was at about 10:30 an and I think they were migrating through as three other birders in area did not see them. I also did not see them again walking down Red Road 20 minutes later.
I then walked up to Deer Flat, a steep up for 2 1/2 miles but the higher I got, the better the birding. Multiple Townsends and Hermits with some tanagers etc. A high probability Dusky at Deer Flat - the area in contra costa county to see this difficult species!
It’s interesting how higher was better birding. My thought, and I could be wrong, is the trees higher have just leafed out. The trees chemical defenses are not present in high concentrations in the leaves so more insects are feeding and resultantly attracting more birds. The trees lower that are deciduous- are mostly evergreen so I think the leaves always have insect resistant chemicals….
It was interesting today seeing the elevation differences birding today. All Wilsons warblers and Pac-Slope flycatchers low. All Townsends/Hermit/ warblers tanagers high. Pine siskins have left peoples feeders and are now common high on the mountain feeding on oaks with the seed pods (calkins?).
More Hammonds Flycatchers seen today than Pac- slope. That rarely happens in bay area….
A note about birding Mitchell canyon. Today, the lower lot, except for the overflow lot was full by 9:30 am. The weekend will be much busier so plan accordingly. Car pool if possible so more people can park and to reduce the line at the entry kiosk where they collect $6.00 cash..
Date: 4/19/24 2:41 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Inspiration Point - High MacG Warbler count & more
P.S. Dominick Mosur helpfully informed me that April 18th would be well
before the earliest documented egg-laying date for MacGillivray's Warblers,
so my assumption that this was a food carry (to feed nestlings) was
probably hasty. This male (a first year bird I believe) was singing while
moving around with the caterpillar in his bill. Perhaps just a meal for
later. I wasn't able to find info on whether food might be used by this
species in attracting a mate or pair bonding.
On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 1:21 PM Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
> Yesterday, Jack Hayden and I went up to Inspiration Point. We were truly
> amazed to find 8 singing MacGillivray's Warblers - the most I've ever
> encountered in Tilden!
>
> Other highlights include 2 Black-throated Gray warblers and 1 Hermit
> Warbler (all close to the parking lot or within the first 1/2 - 3/4 mile)
> and a singing Western Tanager in the big Eucalyptus grove at about
> (37.9203491, -122.2549474). We saw and heard numerous gnatcatchers, singing
> thrashers, flyover GBH's, Caspian Tern and DC cormorants, plus some distant
> birds (including a white pelican) seen with our cameras on San Pablo
> Reservoir; 60 species in all. It was a beautiful warm day, and rewarding
> bird-wise. Among the few misses: we didn't find Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's
> Vireo, WT Swift and didn't see any harriers or kites.
>
> Starting at Inspiration Point, we walked on Nimitz Way as far as the
> Conlon Trail junction, explored the Conlon hilltop (which was quiet by that
> time), then backtracked, taking the Inspiration Trail through EBMUD land
> for part of the return.
>
> The 8 MacGillivray's Warblers were all at separate locations (except two
> that were counter-singing in one spot). Most were along Nimitz way, with
> one from the Inspiration Trail on EBMUD land. The closest MacG to the
> parking lot was toward the North end of the first pine grove from the
> parking lot (after the hill, at about 37.906470, -122.247537
> <https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ta5jzeAntWTsQEAv5>). I took some low quality
> photos of that bird carrying a caterpillar in its bill, so it appears to be
> feeding young. It's certainly possible that some of the other MacGs were
> migrants, singing en route.
>
> Here's an ebird list (including more info on locations, plus photos /
> audio for 5 of the 8 MACGs). https://ebird.org/checklist/S169210301 >
> For what it's worth, my wife reports today that Merlin suggested MACG
> (possibly a 9th bird), she heard singing on the Laurel Canyon fire road
> (just uphill from the junction with the spur trail that leads to the
> Wildcat Peak Trail/Nimitz junction). She's not a confident ear birder, but
> a 9th bird seems plausible at least, based on the numbers we encountered.
>
> Happy birding,
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
Date: 4/19/24 1:21 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Inspiration Point - High MacG Warbler count & more
Yesterday, Jack Hayden and I went up to Inspiration Point. We were truly amazed to find 8 singing MacGillivray's Warblers - the most I've ever encountered in Tilden!
Other highlights include 2 Black-throated Gray warblers and 1 Hermit Warbler (all close to the parking lot or within the first 1/2 - 3/4 mile) and a singing Western Tanager in the big Eucalyptus grove at about (37.9203491, -122.2549474). We saw and heard numerous gnatcatchers, singing thrashers, flyover GBH's, Caspian Tern and DC cormorants, plus some distant birds (including a white pelican) seen with our cameras on San Pablo Reservoir; 60 species in all. It was a beautiful warm day, and rewarding bird-wise. Among the few misses: we didn't find Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's Vireo, WT Swift and didn't see any harriers or kites.
Starting at Inspiration Point, we walked on Nimitz Way as far as the Conlon Trail junction, explored the Conlon hilltop (which was quiet by that time), then backtracked, taking the Inspiration Trail through EBMUD land for part of the return.
The 8 MacGillivray's Warblers were all at separate locations (except two that were counter-singing in one spot). Most were along Nimitz way, with one from the Inspiration Trail on EBMUD land. The closest MacG to the parking lot was toward the North end of the first pine grove from the parking lot (after the hill, at about 37.906470, -122.247537 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ta5jzeAntWTsQEAv5>). I took some low quality photos of that bird carrying a caterpillar in its bill, so it appears to be feeding young. It's certainly possible that some of the other MacGs were migrants, singing en route.
For what it's worth, my wife reports today that Merlin suggested MACG (possibly a 9th bird), she heard singing on the Laurel Canyon fire road (just uphill from the junction with the spur trail that leads to the Wildcat Peak Trail/Nimitz junction). She's not a confident ear birder, but a 9th bird seems plausible at least, based on the numbers we encountered.
Wednesday and Friday I spent the morning again on Mt. Diablo about a quarter mile east of Juniper Campground along Summit Rd. (“Grapevine Ridge”). Each day, between 8:30 and 8:40, just like on Monday, a single Cassin’s Finch flew over. You think once is a migrant, twice a fluke, but by time number three it seems to be a pattern… I’d guess this is a bird hanging around locally commuting over this site to somewhere else on the mountain. Very weird. In time I’ll get several audio recordings onto eBird.
After the finch this morning I walked over to the picnic area on Green Ranch Rd. where I encountered a whitting Empid. I chased it around in the chaparral for 30 minutes trying to decide Gray or Dusky (the timing is better for Gray, I think) but ended up tentatively calling it the more common, but slightly early, Dusky. Otherwise it was birdy up there, with decent numbers of Hermit, Townsend’s, Blk-thr Gray, Buntings and a couple Nashville. No Hammonds Flycatchers for me yet!!
Ethan Monk
> On Apr 15, 2024, at 10:39 AM, Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> wrote:
>
>
> This morning John Toldi and I audio recorded a Cassin's Finch on Summit Rd. on Mt. Diablo, about a quarter mile east of Juniper Campground. There are several previous spring records for the county, including one at the summit of Mt. Diablo on April 5th, 1995 (Kevin Hintsa). Otherwise it seems the night brought a decent pulse of Townsend's, Orange-crowned (on the mountain) and Wilson's Warblers (in Alamo). Lazuli Buntings and Ash-throated Flycatchers are now around.
>
> Best, Ethan Monk
>
>
>
On Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 05:44:39 PM PDT, Aaron Maizlish <amm.birdlists...> wrote:
Please send this message directly to the Golden Gate bird alliance. It is completely inappropriate for this list, which is about bird sightings.
Thank you,
Aaron Maizlish, moderator.
> On Apr 18, 2024, at 4:59 PM, mrkinch via groups.io <mrkinch...> wrote:
>
> I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
>
> marilyn
>
>
Please send this message directly to the Golden Gate bird alliance. It is completely inappropriate for this list, which is about bird sightings.
Thank you,
Aaron Maizlish, moderator.
> On Apr 18, 2024, at 4:59 PM, mrkinch via groups.io <mrkinch...> wrote:
>
> I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
>
> marilyn
>
>
I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
