2009 birdathon
For a time stamp, we've included this week's Palo Alto weekly; click here to compare the one I'm holding to the Apr 3 front page. Its as close as I could come to proof
The birding started auspiciously with a Red Shouldered Hawk (we saw its mate in a nest later). We followed that with a Blue Bird and then the birds just kept multiplying (it is mating season after all).
We then moved on to down town los gatos searching for the elusive American Dipper, not to mention coffee and bathrooms. The Dipper remained elusive, luckily the bathrooms did not.
We drove south to Sanborn County park off of Black Rd looking for the Winter Wren. We looked a lot, no wren. Bob did play the Winter Wren song about 50000 times. I still hear it my sleep. I've had nightmares of being attacked by giant blood thirsty Winter Wrens. We did hear lots of other birds though and even saw a few.
Driving back down the hill, we stopped at the pond at the end of Black Rd by Rt 17. While looking at the ducks we thought we heard a Kingfisher but it became a beautiful Green Heron with bright orange feet that flew by and landed in front of us. I wish I had the presence of mind to pick up my camera but I was too enthralled.
North to Oka Ponds where we expected the ever present Wilson's Snipe. It must have been hanging out with the Dippers and Winter Wrens; it wasn't there. Bob did spot a Blue Winged Teal. All of us poo poo'd his sighting, in the reeds in the shadow with a hint of a light area on it's head. But, as usual, Bob was right. It came out in the open and was indeed a Blue Winged Teal. We were also blessed by an unexpected Osprey showing up and dancing above us.
Home to the Palo Alto Baylands behind the airport. Now it was finally getting warm enough to return to my traditional natty attire. Only needed to find a few more birds before lunch. Hey, I'm a Googler. We never go 15 minutes without food.
A Bullocks Oriole and a lot of Black Crowned Night Heron's enterained us during lunch.
Luckily we were now in the land of slow moving water fowl and airplanes. Finally I could take some pictures of birds that didn't move and make my shots all blurry. A Double Crested Cormorant was obliging enough for me to take about 100 shots. Luckily this one wasn't blurry.
The duck pond served up a few gull and scaup species. The area in general was full of Ruddy ducks, Avocets, and Canvas Backs.
After a sumptuous lunch by the Ed Center, we continued on to Charleston Slough. Once again we were hoping for a Snipe. However, just as we arrived at the Slough, Bob said "I wish we'ld find a Great Blue Heron". Laurie looked up and said "Isn't that one flying high overhead?" (perhaps not my best picture of one). Unfortunately, we tried that routine with Snipe but it was unsuccessful. Tate, on request, did pick out a Common Moorhen.
We then went for the long 100m drive to the other end of the parking lot. At this point I was appreciative of the saved steps. Here we didn't see an American Bittern. But Shoreline Lake (not sure who had the affrontory of calling that extended swimming pool a lake) held some beauties; a group of Eared Grebes in mating plumage, a Common Goldeneye, and some Surf Scoters (no whitecaps in the lake).
Back into the cars for Alviso to the Ed center. Nestled between a radiant water treatment bank and several picturesque east bay landfills, this is a sumptuous stop for gulls and an olfactory delight. At the entrance, Bob pulled out his trusty ipod and played Sora. On queue, a California Rail appeared moving faster than I ever saw a rail move. After a few plays a Sora did answer and the rail went back to hide. Further in we got to see three owlets in the Barn Owl box all crowing to stare at us. Perhaps they where having a peopleathon.
On the way out we spotted a Golden Eagle with a white wing tag. Its nice that they label the birds for us but it was a bit too far away to read the label. After a quick stop at Sprague and State to see a Pintailed Duck, we drove to Jubilee Christian and saw 7 Borrowing Owls. This one was nesting outside the fence next to the sidewalk.
We next drove to Ed Levin. Near the dog park, we found a nesting Great Horned Owl and later some Allen's Hummingbirds doing their U pattern mating display. Very cool.
Finally, we headed up to Calaveras reservoir for a look at the Bald Eagles that nest on an electrical tower (guess they need frequent charging). Both were there, one on the nest and the other perched above.
We tried to follow the eagles with a Rock Wren, but it never appeared. At least people driving by were amused by the group of people with binoculars and scopes starting at a rock outcropping with nothing on it.
And so ended a beautiful day looking at beautiful birds. Here's a list of the 132 species we saw or heard:
Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, White-tailed Kite, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle, Coopers Hawk, American Kestrel, Falcon Species, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Burrowing Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Cassin's Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, American Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Wrentit, Northern Mockingbird, California Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Lark Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Purple Finch, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Western Kingbird
posted by bignose at 09:33
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