Date: 10/21/26 4:03 pm From: Eve Meier via groups.io <eve.m.meier...> Subject: [southbaybirds] SCVBA field trip to Hellyer CP
Hi Everyone!
Today Edward Rooks and I led a SCVBA field trip to Hellyer CP covering the Velodrome picnic area and the Cottonwood Lake area. We had a little over 50 species, nothing unusual (besides the *River Otter* in the lake!) but a nice variety of birds. *Yellow-rumped Warblers* were throughout the park, I logged about 40 but there were probably more. I stopped counting at some point. In the Velodrome picnic area, at least 8 *Northern Flickers *were spotted and at one point 6 of them were grouped in a single tree. *Nuttall's, Acorn Woodpeckers* and a *Red-breasted Sapsucker* were also in this area. The Red-breasted Sapsucker wells seemed to attract a variety of other birds too like *Ruby-crowned Kinglets*, *Anna's hummingbirds*, *Acorn Woodpeckers* and *Yellow-rumped Warblers*. A *Cooper's Hawk* flew by at one point with a trail of about 8 small birds trailing it. My first thought was *Bushtits *but they may have been *Anna's Hummingbirds*. *Fox Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows *and *Golden-crowned Sparrows *were all seen on the lawn. Towards the end of the trip, when we were returning to the picnic area, two female *Purple Finches* were spotted high in a couple of leafless trees.
Around and on the lake, were a dense congregation of about 30 *Great Egrets* and 10 *Snowy Egrets* with a couple of *Double-crested Cormorants*. A single *Greater Yellowlegs *flew away as we approached the lake. *Killdeer *were in the large lawn area and a flock of about 30 *Cedar Waxwings* arrived in the willows along the lake. No winter ducks yet - just the *Mallards* and only 1 *California Gull*. Lots of small birds were here too - *Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers*, *Oak Titmice*, *Ruby-crowned Kinglets*, *Dark-eyed Juncos,* etc.
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.
