Date: 2/21/25 7:32 pm From: Derek via groups.io <dlheins...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] A day on my bike birding Eastern Alameda County
This year I decided to try a different angle on birding, seeing how many
species I can find the “green” way, which I defined as not using vehicles
except public transportation. My efforts so far have been restricted to
Alameda and Contra Costa counties, but San Francisco is only a short BART
ride away so I’m looking forward to that. Today was probably my biggest
effort of the year, with an outing to eastern Alameda County to track down
a bunch of species not likely to be had close to the bay.
I biked down to the Lake Merritt BART station at dawn and took it to the
end of the line in Pleasanton. My first birding stop was Shadow Cliffs
where I couldn’t find Wood Ducks, but in the process did see a *Barn Owl*
in a nest box, a nice plus as biking and owling at night are not a safe
combo. My next stop was a quick one, as I found one of the *Chipping
Sparrows* that over-wintered at Tex Spruiell Park in the same spot where I
had seen them by car a few weeks ago. On the way towards Patterson Pass I
flushed some *Lark Sparrows* and had a *Merlin* perched nicely at the
intersection of Patterson Pass Road and South Vasco Road.
I only biked Patterson Pass Road to the intersection with Cross Road, still
hoping to get a Loggerhead Shrike but no luck there, but within a quarter
mile I had two *Cassin’s Kingbirds*, one of which flew right at me before
landing close by. On Cross Road I picked up a couple *Tricolored
Blackbirds* and two more *Cassin’s Kingbirds*. Continuing on towards Cedar
Mountain Winery, I had a nice surprise with a *Phainopepla* popping up on a
tree by the road just as I raced by. That was a relief, as otherwise I
would have later biked quite a ways up Mines Road searching for them. It
probably saved me ten miles of biking. At the winery there were no
bluebirds which wasn’t surprising as they appear to be hit and miss, but I
did see a Golden Eagle soaring far away
On the way to Mines Road I had both *Golden and Bald Eagle*, and then on
Mines Road what I thought was my last target of the day, *Yellow-billed
Magpie*. But then I realized that Shadow Cliffs was on the way back to the
Pleasanton BART station, so I made a second attempt for *Wood Duck* and was
awarded with a beautiful pair up close. A few minutes later I ran into
Isabelle Reddy, who told me she had just seen a *Ross’s Goose* which I
raced down and found it on the beach waiting for a lifeguard to show up so
it could take a swim.
Energized by the nice birds seen, the bike ride back to BART flew by and I
was back at the Lake Merritt BART station by 4pm so I decided to bird Lake
Merritt on the way home. I did find a *Barrow’s Goldeneye* and then rode
back up the hill home to end the day with 57 miles of riding and 88
species; 8 of those 88 species were new for the “Free-wheeling Derek” eBird
account I set up this year, putting me 5 away from hitting the 200 mark. I
created an eBird trip report of the day, with the link below.
