Date: 3/25/25 12:47 am From: Richard Bradus via groups.io <grizzledjay...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Hot day at the coast - hits and misses
Enjoying the crazily warm day, I spent the late morning at Frenchman's Creek Park looking (unsuccessfully) for the Redstart. Really frustrating as there was a crew with chain saws cutting down trees a short distance up the creek on the south side, then gardeners with leaf blowers and other equipment, making for almost continuous noise and distraction. Alane Gray and Barbara Dye joined the search for awhile, managing to hear a singing House Wren during one of the brief respites from the noise, but I inadvertently ruined Alanes's recording by calling out the bird's name (sorry Alane!). A small consolation was finding a female Anna's on her nest (with a small feather still in her beak!). Photo on https://ebird.org/checklist/S220617345 Later Joe Morlan came and we searched together in the trees and along the creek, but no luck. Advisory: we did see a drab Myrtle Yellow-rumped (grey head and body, just a touch of yellow on the sides) that could be mistaken for a Redstart if seen at distance and one does not clearly see the tail or note carefully the position of the yellow plumage.
After noon I ambled along the Devil's Slide trail, practically baking in the sun (has it ever been that warm and calm along this stretch before?). Alane was there as well, having just seen one of the Peregrines perched on the cliff face. Shortly afterwards I spotted the pair of Rock Wrens and we got entertaining, if somewhat distant, views. I stayed to have a late lunch and was rewarded by an aerial spectacle. A Red-tail was kiting for a bit just off the northwest edge of the big rock/cliff south of Egg Rock, spotted something and pounced on the vegetated slope. But it came up empty. Worse, it was spotted by the returning male Peregrine, which promptly flew speedily after it. The engagement lasted at least a couple of minutes, with the falcon strafing the hawk repeatedly, flying against the hillside below the trail, then the hillside just to the west, then again and again in the sky above until the Red-tail managed to fly off. My camera and my woeful single shot technique are inadequate for birds in flight, but I managed to get a few photos of the aerial combat - see https://ebird.org/checklist/S220620073Â Also of note was a really weird looking immature White-crowned Sparrow that I spotted just after it bathed. Some of the feathers were wet, but that doesn't explain the blotchy and varied plumage pattern - unlike any WcSp I've seen before. I only managed to get one photo, unfortunately at a distance after it had scampered a ways up the hillside (also on the same checklist as the falcon photos). If interested, give it a look; I'd really like to know what others think of this odd bird.
Always something to learn and enjoy from our avian friends. Good luck all!
Richard BradusSan Francisco
