Date: 11/19/25 5:25 pm From: Denise Hamilton via groups.io <2napabirders...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Flannery Rd Mt. Plovers, Solano Co. & Drama in Backyard in Napa
Hi all,
First off, David and I went out to Flannery Rd. yesterday to look for Mountain Plovers before heading over to Staten Island to see Sandhill Cranes and others. Saw Nathan Dubrow's report from 11.7, where he gave these coordinates: (38.2112533, -121.7812489) started searching the plowed field closer to the house across the road, but found the birds pretty much right at those coordinates (not far from where the plowed field ends at the fence line) Was surprised to find them down the hill so close! Counted 39 birds! Other birds: Horned Larks, abundant Savannah & White-crowned Sparrows & W. Meadowlarks, among a few others. Also drove down Robinson Rd. - hardly a thing! (Still hard to believe that CA Forever wants to build a new town in this great birding area!)
Backyard Drama today: After weeks of an adult Cooper's Hawk traumatizing the neighborhood and my backyard birds for hours each day, an immature bird shows up today. I became aware of it by the constant chattering of the House Sparrows that stay put in the Cotoneaster instead of flying away like all the other birds. I admit that we don't chase the Coop away if it is going after one of the MANY House Sparrows we have, so I got some pics of the bird and then left while it hunted in the bushes. A few minutes later I heard the alarm call of the N. Mockingbird that has been a bully at our persimmon tree and nearby ornamental pear chasing away all the fruit eaters. Went back to the window and saw that the Coop had grabbed it and was dragging it under the tree!! David & I were pretty shocked to see that! It will be interesting to see if the other N. Mocker in the neighborhood who was defending mistletoe will now take over on our persimmon tree! eBird Checklist - 19 Nov 2025 - Backyard in Browns Valley, Napa - 3 species <https://ebird.org/checklist/S285242061>
Other birds of note: A SONG SPARROW joining the usual WC & GC Sparrows for seed, along with one FOX and one WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Neighborhood is full of Robins, Cedar Waxwings and Western Bluebirds - counted over 60 of them at one time sitting in the neighborhood redwoods. They have been flocking like that this time of year for the past few years now. All the nest boxes Napa-Solano Audubon have put up are paying off!
One of our most unlikely birds the past few weeks is a SAY'S PHOEBE. We are in a neighborhood not close to any open land, so it surprises me to see it staying put. Can be found on the w electric wires between two houses, up on the neighbor's roof and eating pistache berries. Have seen a bird in the same exact spot on the wires over the past few falls, but it stays a day or 2 and leaves, so it is fun to have this one stay put, along with BLACK PHOEBES.
