Date: 5/11/26 8:47 pm From: Vicki Silvas-Young via groups.io <mrnngwrblr...> Subject: [southbaybirds] SCVBA Field Trip to Sunnyvale WPCP, Wednesday, 5-6-2026
Good evening, South Bay Birders Nine birdwatchers joined the guest leader, Allen Royer, Dan Bloch and myself at our meeting place on Caribbean Drive to discover what may be lurking in the environs of Sunnyvale WPCP last Wednesday at noon. After brief introductions, we headed down the trail with the hopeful expectation of sighting the recently sighted Black Tern. I was secretly hoping the Black Tern would be feeding from the surface of the water. We were greeted by Cliff and Barn Swallows who were very cooperative which allowed good sightings of each species. The ubiquitous singing Marsh Wrens along the slough were not singing or gave up on nesting along the slough! So we moved on to see male Anna's Hummingbirds, singing Song Sparrows, European Starlings, and a couple of Brown-headed Cowbirds here and there with a flyby of a European Collared-Dove. Further up the trail, a Green Heron flew in to greet us, landing next to a mixed congregation of Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons. Then the trail turned to the left. I crossed my fingers for good luck. I led the group to the best spot to see the Black Tern which was not there, but out on the two pipes were a bunch of Forster's Terns, adults and recently fledged young, one lonely Black-necked Stilt, and a couple of Double-crested Cormorants intermingled with some California Gulls. But no Black Tern. Bummer! But right behind us in the slough a muskrat entertained us as did the feeding Black-crowned Night Heron with a couple of Common Gallinules in breeding plumage swimming back and forth. Hoping to drown my disappointment, we continued down the trail to see if the Western Pond Turtles would be out sunning themselves and they were! They brought their buddy, a huge catfish, who was just below the surface of the water, maybe sunning itself? Overhead an American Crow kept harassing a very patient Red-tailed Hawk. On the way back, we again stopped by the double pipes just to re- check for the Black Tern. *Sigh* Not to be seen, but we paused to admire the Ruddy Duck and noted the buoyant flight of the Forster's Terns. Calling it a day, we started to leave when one of the attendees said, "Look at that black bird." Hot damn, a Black Tern just landed to probably digest for a while. Everyone got a good look at this visitor and we headed home. It pays to go pause sometimes. Thank you, Dan, for keeping the eBird list. Here it is.....eBird Checklist - 6 May 2026 - Sunnyvale WPCP (please use a more specific hotspot where possible) - 34 specie <https://ebird.org/checklist/S334866605>s
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.
