Date: 10/26/24 1:14 pm From: Lisa Myers via groups.io <lisa...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Birding McClellan Ranch Preserve
Hi all -
I led a Beginning Birding Workshop field trip this morning at McClellan
Ranch Preserve, home of the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. We even
had a 12 year old birthday party piggy-back the field trip. (How sweet
she asked mom to design a party around birding!)
Starting with the feeders out front we had lots of great birds including
two *WRENTITS* on the suet feeder plus *SPOTTED & CALIFORNIA TOWHEES,
*both *crown sparrows *and*juncos *on the ground*.* A male *NUTTALL'S
WOODPECKER* provided great views. Both *PYGMY* and *WHITE-BREATED
NUTHATCH* were on the feeders.*
*
A flock of *AMERICAN CROWS* alerted us to the dark morph *RED-TAILED
HAWK* perched in a distant Sycamore.
Close views of a *RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET* and *BROWN CREEPER* in the same
tree was a hi-light, and we had easy to find *HERMIT THRUSH* throughout
our morning.
One *COOPER'S HAWK *flew passed when we were looking for the *STELLER'S
JAYS*.
We found 31 species in the midst of all the education that takes place
during a workshop (optics, ethics, manners, field guides, taxonomy,
local orgs....) Our last two species included a "beautiful" *TOWNSEND'S
WARBLER* and a sleeping *WESTERN SCREECH OWL*.
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
