Date: 1/14/25 10:29 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Winter Wren at Creekside Park in Albany
There’s a Winter Wren at Creekside Park in Albany (to be submitted to CBRC
as this is a CA reviewed species). If accepted, this would be the second
county record for Alameda.
In bramble patches and willows around (37.8978586, -122.3038307). This is
the third bird I’ve observed in the Bay Area in three months, so I’m
confident in the ID now. A sample recording and BOC photo is attached here.
Date: 1/13/25 10:55 pm From: Don Simonson via groups.io <don.r.simonson...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Skimmers in action - Richmond
My wife Marcia and I observed 55 Black Skinmers in Richmond today, half
mile northwest of 51st Steet at the Bay Trail. About sundown they lifted
off. I have noticed back East they tend to feed when wind and water calm at
sunset and sunrise. Thanks to prior birders’ reports, we refound fourteen
of them at Shimada Friendship Park near Richmond Marina. They were skimming
with lower mandible in the water. A favorite bird of ours and a fabulous
spectacle with the sunset blazing through the Golden Gate behind them.
Good birding!
Don Simonson
El Cerrito
On January 10, Erica Rutherford, John Colbert, and Colin McGregor reported two Sage sparrows on Byron Hot Springs Rd off Holey Road southwest of Byron. Srikant Char forwarded me the photos yesterday evening and I went to investigate this morning. The two birds look like very good candidates for Sagebrush sparrow in my opinion, however I don’t have much experience with this species and telling it from canescens Bells Sparrow. The GPS for the birds is approximately (37.8201389, -121.6175000). There is a dry wash northwest of the road here filled with what I suspect is iodine bush that they like. But please do not quote me on the plant identification!!!!!
I will reach out to experts that have more experience with this ID than I do so please know that no matter how you put this into eBird, either as a slash or as a Sagebrush, I may ask you to change your entry. Although preliminary feedback is good for Sagebrush Sparrow.
There is likely one prior county record. A bird found by Kevin Hintsa on January 13, 1981 and was last seen, as far as I know, on February 1, 1981 in what is now Bishop Ranch in San Ramon and was then an empty field of Yellow Star Thistle. It was identified at the time to be a migratory race of Sage sparrow, as this was prior to the split. Last I looked at Kevin‘s notes, I thought they were quite good for Sagebrush sparrow but last I talked to Kevin my recollection (perhaps faulty) is that he did not feel confident eliminating canescens bell sparrow. But I would consider it likely that there is one prior county record.
Congratulations on the nice find Erica, John and Colin.
Date: 1/12/25 8:39 am From: SteveLombardi via groups.io <hotrock175...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Say's Phoebe
Hi Ron,
Nice spot.
FYI, Say's are year-round residents and breeders in San Ramon so not unusual where you saw it.
BTW, are they ever going to do something with that ugly lot? Yuck.
Steve L.
San Ramon
Date: 1/11/25 2:56 pm From: RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Say's Phoebe
I don't know if this is worthy of reporting; but Oh Well? I just viewed a Says' Phoebe perched on a post in the grass field north of the Windmill Market Grocery Store on San Ramon Valley Blvd and Fostoria Way (near Costco). I saw Rosita reported one at Heather Farms Park a while back. Ron
Date: 1/11/25 10:52 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Selasphorus hummingbird eBird issues
Hi folks,
For some birds, it is springtime again, and with the first migrant Allen’s
Hummingbirds beginning to be reported in Northern California in the last
couple of days, maybe it is time for a reminder on eBird best practices
when it comes to Selasphorus (Allen's and Rufous) hummingbirds. To cut to
the chase, Selasphorus hummingbirds in 99% of scenarios should not be
identified to species in eBird unless you are looking at an adult male with
optics and can get a solid read on back color.
Ok, obviously there are some ways around that, tail feathers, displays,
etc. but “adult male + back color, only” should be everyone’s rule of
thumb! Allen’s Hummingbirds are quite common breeders coastally, but drop
off rather quickly and are generally scarce to rare east of I-680,
depending on exactly where you are. At the very least, they are vastly
outnumbered by Rufous Hummingbirds in this region, which might be found as
early as February and through June as spring migrants (see e.g. Heindel
1991). Birders that leave the bayshore and head inland to hike in the green
hills, catch a glimpse at a Hammond’s Flycatcher, or whatever in spring are
prone to way overreport Allen’s Hummingbirds, especially in places like Mt.
Diablo where the species is scarce and Rufous Hummingbirds are anything
but. The Contra Costa Breeding Bird Atlas ran for 4-5 years and had (I
believe, but the information is not in front of me) 3 nesting confirmations
of Allen’s Hummingbird on the mountain. At places like Mitchell Canyon,
Allen’s Hummingbirds are reported frequently during the height of spring,
but the fact is that this is likely a pretty darn scarce nesting species
here, that might not nest here every year. To contrast, I’ve seen up to 37
adult male Rufous Hummingbirds in a single morning on the mountain, and 10+
adult male Rufous at a single hummingbird feeder set up in Alamo, to give
you some sort of an idea here.
Allen’s Hummingbirds do exist as breeders in select areas east of I-680,
including an isolated population in the delta which likely hold the crown
as the most inland breeding Allen’s Hummingbirds in NorCal, but rampant
overreporting of this species due to confusion with what are almost
certainly migrant Rufous is so prevalent it is basically impossible to keep
track of these things in eBird.
Ok, if you have made it this far and are thinking “this is so complicated,
I can never remember where Allen’s Hummingbirds are and are not expected” I
have a solution for you! When in doubt, please enter your Selasphorus
hummingbirds as “Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird” into eBird. That is what
everyone should be doing everywhere, after all. Thank you for reading and
for helping to preserve eBird data quality. Please tell your friends!
Date: 1/11/25 9:53 am From: californiagull via groups.io <akiradotnet...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Ross's Goose now at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park
FYI, I currently have the Ross's Goose, originally found and reported on eBird yesterday by Isabelle Reddy at, Shadow Cliffs. It was in the water near the boat rental in the main lake earlier. Now it's on the shore among several Canada Geese, just north of the boat rental as of 9:50am.
Date: 1/11/25 8:47 am From: photohutch via groups.io <steve.hutchcraft...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cackling Geese remain at Oak Hill Park in Danville
Good morning birders,
The pair of Cackling Geese are still at Oak Hill Park in Danville, mixed in with a large flock of Canada Geese. They've been there for about a week now, moving with the other geese from the park to the fields behind Monte Vista to the hill above the park. Pretty sure they are the Aleutian sub-species.
As as side note, three Turkey Vultures have been roosting in the area, sometimes as low as on the small bridges around the pond. What I haven't seen before was a vulture in the parking lot, on the ground eating from a bag of food/garbage with a couple of ravens. Odd sight to see, at least for me. . . .
Date: 1/9/25 8:55 am From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Continuing Winter Wren at Berkeley Meadows (pending CBRC acceptance)
Great shots. sure looks like a Winter Wren. Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Zac Denning via groups.io" <zdenning1...> Date: 1/8/25 3:18 PM (GMT-08:00) To: "<EBB-Sightings...> Group Moderators" <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Continuing Winter Wren at Berkeley Meadows (pending CBRC acceptance) After a long hiatus with no observations, I was able to refind the continuing presumed Winter Wren (pending CBRC acceptance) today at about 10am at Berkeley Meadows. The bird was at roughly (37.8673626, -122.3093088), though it tends to move all around this willow patch. I originally found this bird on November 24th. Ebird list from today with low quality photos and audio: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208524113Ebird list from 11/24/24 with better photos and audio: https://ebird.org/checklist/S203502632This bird can be tough to find: it's skulky and tends to stay deep within the large willow thicket on the south side of the trail. Hearing the bird is key to finding it: listen for nasal sounding double bark calls that are reminiscent of a Song Sparrow's contact call, sometimes faint / from deep in the thicket. It also made the chatter call once today that's included in Sibley. For anyone chasing, I would plan to dedicate a few hours, listening intently for extended periods at various points along the border of the trail and the willow grove. The bird sometimes responds to House Wren chatter calls or pishing. Morning from 8-11am as well as late afternoon to dusk seem to be when the bird has most often been encountered.Based on my experience with this and another recent Winter Wren (found by Lucas Stephenson, Emmett Iverson and Adrian Hinkle at the SF zoo on 12/22), I'd suggest looking for the bird in the next few days rather than waiting, as they seem to sometimes 'disappear' or become harder to detect over time. The SF zoo bird was not refound after the first day (though birding coverage there outside of the CBC is sparse). FYI: Merlin won't necessarily suggest the correct ID for this bird's calls (it suggested Song Sparrow today, as it did on 11/24/24). Perhaps after enough reports of this species on Merlin / Ebird, that will begin to change (as I'm told it did after multiple reports in November). Based on today's photos, this bird can be confirmed as being the same individual that I initially encountered in November, based on an idiosyncratic pale left allula (originally pointed out to me by Marty Freeland in his plumage analysis). Good luck,Zac DenningAlbany
Thanks for notifying us this morning on telegram about your sighting today! I had tried a couple of times to find it in November but unsuccessfully. This afternoon I went back there and met up with John Luther who found it again,, more or less at the same location. I got a few photos of it which I posted on my eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208554834 I didn't here it, though John did.
After a long hiatus with no observations, I was able to refind the continuing presumed Winter Wren (pending CBRC acceptance) today at about 10am at Berkeley Meadows. The bird was at roughly (37.8673626, -122.3093088 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mc7d6HmY1WqMAPUh9>), though it tends to move all around this willow patch. I originally found this bird on November 24th.
This bird can be tough to find: it's skulky and tends to stay deep within the large willow thicket on the south side of the trail. Hearing the bird is key to finding it: listen for nasal sounding double bark calls that are reminiscent of a Song Sparrow's contact call, sometimes faint / from deep in the thicket. It also made the chatter call once today that's included in Sibley.
For anyone chasing, I would plan to dedicate a few hours, listening intently for extended periods at various points along the border of the trail and the willow grove. The bird sometimes responds to House Wren chatter calls or pishing. Morning from 8-11am as well as late afternoon to dusk seem to be when the bird has most often been encountered.
Based on my experience with this and another recent Winter Wren (found by Lucas Stephenson, Emmett Iverson and Adrian Hinkle at the SF zoo on 12/22), I'd suggest looking for the bird in the next few days rather than waiting, as they seem to sometimes 'disappear' or become harder to detect over time. The SF zoo bird was not refound after the first day (though birding coverage there outside of the CBC is sparse).
FYI: Merlin won't necessarily suggest the correct ID for this bird's calls (it suggested Song Sparrow today, as it did on 11/24/24). Perhaps after enough reports of this species on Merlin / Ebird, that will begin to change (as I'm told it did after multiple reports in November).
Based on today's photos, this bird can be confirmed as being the same individual that I initially encountered in November, based on an idiosyncratic pale left allula (originally pointed out to me by Marty Freeland in his plumage analysis).
Date: 1/8/25 2:39 pm From: Bruce Mast via groups.io <cathrasher4...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] An Almost Fully Documented Alameda Birding Year
Congratulations Ed!
Truly a remarkable achievement, rendered even more impressive by your
careful attention to documentation and your trenchant reflections on the
birding experience. I'm constantly amazed at the consistent quality of your
photography. Even the 1 star photos are delightful. The Pileated shot is
hilarious and the Yellow-headed Blackbird has a certain Monet-like quality
that I find charming.
Bird on,
Bruce Mast
Oakland
On Tue, Jan 7, 2025 at 7:24 PM Ed Yong via groups.io <edyong209=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> By now, I hope you’ve all read Whitney Grover’s wonderful and thorough
> account <https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/message/17309> of her epic
> Alameda big year, in which she saw 283 species. I wanted to share my own
> parallel experience, which has a little twist.
>
>
>
> After moving to the Bay Area in the spring of 2023, I started birding that
> summer and fell into it *hard*. I started 2024 with the simple intention of
> seeing new birds, but ended up doing a big-ish year and trying to see as
> many species as I could in Alameda County.
>
>
>
> I finished the year with *280*—3 fewer than the mighty Whitney (who I
> ended up birding with a lot) but a number that I didn’t think was even
> remotely possible a year ago. Of those 280 birds, *52 *were lifers!
>
>
>
> But along the way, I also set myself a secondary goal: *Document every
> species that I listed with either a photo or a recording*.
>
>
>
> I’m happy to say that I *almost* did it. I photographed 271 species and
> recorded 6 more. My only failures were: common poorwill, which I heard
> clearly and repeatedly at Mines Road but always too faintly for my phone to
> pick up; Lawrence’s goldfinch, which I saw with Alex Henry and Sharon Jue,
> but which flew away too quickly and which I never refound despite many
> attempts; and clay-colored sparrow, which I saw with Whitney two hours
> after I dropped my camera and smashed my brand-new lens.
>
>
>
> All my photos/recordings were uploaded to the Macaulay Library across many
> eBird lists, but you can see them all in *this Dropbox folder
> <https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ycynavzyaz19anqocaynf/AFN2xDifXTMWsCzi5iY4fIY?rlkey=3qdr0qs5s1zh8audomusf8lk9&st=ov6staak&dl=0>*.
> (Once you click the link, you should be able to click/tap on the first
> image and then flick through the rest with the right arrow on a keyboard,
> or your thumb on a phone.)
>
>
>
> That folder contains the best single photo I have for each species. They
> vary *wildly *in quality. Some I want to put on my wall (black
> skimmer!!). Some are really there for the sake of completion. And
> two—American redstart and pileated woodpecker—are personal favorites
> because they’re hilariously bad and yet still identifiable. They may be
> 1-star photos on eBird but they’re 5-star photos in my heart.
>
>
>
> The documentation goal became almost as important as the main
> see-everything one for at least three reasons.
>
>
>
> First, I think photography is a *fantastic* learning tool for birding.
> Trying to get a good shot of a bird (especially without shenanigans like
> playback) forces you to cue into behavior, and it allows you to study field
> marks after the fact. It also shows you how easily your senses can betray
> you, and how readily you will see what you want to see. I can’t tell you
> how many times I thought I had spotted a certain bird only to correct
> myself upon checking the photos later. For this newbie, photography was
> also instrumental in appreciating how hard bird ID can be. I knew it would
> be challenging, but I never imagined that you could take a decent well-lit
> shot of a bird, show it to many experienced birders, and still struggle to
> get a decisive ID—and yes, I’m talking about empids and gulls, but there
> was also a memorable incident involving a putative Baird’s sandpiper that
> turned out to be a juvenile sanderling.
>
>
>
> Second, and relatedly, I found myself getting frustrated by a lack of
> documentation. I used eBird extensively and when I was starting out, I’d
> assume that if I couldn’t find a bird someone had reported, it was because
> I sucked. But over time, I realized that I had a pretty decent odds of
> finding birds someone else had reported, and that those odds were
> considerably higher if I was chasing reports with photos, which I think
> says something. I’m not here to tell anyone how to bird and I know cameras
> are expensive and cumbersome. But here’s how I’ve come to think about it.
> Birding is a more social endeavor than I initially thought. I rely on other
> people’s eBird reports. I know others rely on mine. It behooves me to make
> those reports as solid as possible, because they might well affect how a
> stranger spends her time (and gas). And for me, solidity involves
> documentation, especially given the aforementioned fallibility of our
> senses.
>
>
>
> Third, and most importantly, it was really fun! This challenge forced me
> to pay attention to common birds. Sure, seeing a summer tanager is
> exhilarating, but can you take a killer shot of a female house finch?
> Photography tickles a slightly different part of my brain than birding
> does, so I could have terrible birding days and excellent photography and
> vice versa, with each hobby regularly picking up the slack for the other.
> For me, documentation never detracts from birding, and often enhances it.
>
>
>
> I’m still new to birding and to photography, which I picked up at the same
> time, so I’m excited to see what 2025 brings. For now, I want to thank all
> the people who welcomed me into this world and gave me tips and advice.
> Birding has changed my life, and I’m profoundly grateful for it.
>
>
>
> Enjoy the photos
> <https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ycynavzyaz19anqocaynf/AFN2xDifXTMWsCzi5iY4fIY?rlkey=3qdr0qs5s1zh8audomusf8lk9&st=ov6staak&dl=0> > .
>
>
>
> - Ed
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
The 4th annual Golden Gate Bird Alliance Richmond Christmas Bird Count
(“CBC”) was held on Sunday, December 29, 2024. It was created to increase
its events in Richmond and its surrounding communities for stronger birding
across the San Francisco Bay Area.
While this was our first count in wet weather, fortunately the rain
subsided by noon allowing time to get some serious birding in before the
end of the day. The count circle is squeezed into a space between other
local CBC circles with the southern point at Point Isabel, the northern
point reaching up into Mare Island and then circling around about a mile
east of the Carquinez Bridge back into Crockett and then cutting through
San Pablo Reservoir on its way home to complete the circle. So a ton of
different environments in a 15-mile diameter!
Our participation from the count's inception has ranked in the top 25 of
over 2,000 CBCs in the nation, this year totaling *159 field observers *and *7
feeder watchers*. Our CBC circle is divided into 18 areas, all led by
fantastic leaders. We mostly birded by foot, but we also had teams birding
by boat, bike, car, and even golf cart!
*Species Count*: We averaged 173 species in our first 3 years, raising that
fractionally by finding *174 species this year. *New species to our count
circle this year were *Mute Swan*, *Black* *Skimmer*, *Pacific Loon*
and *Short-eared
Owl*.
*Bird count highlights*: It’s difficult to discuss trends when you’re only
in your fourth year, but a few items seemed to stick out from this year’s
count:
· 190 *Brant* in the Brooks area are twice the historical average, a
trend that hopefully continues for the only location for them in Contra
Costa County.
· *Brown Pelicans* numbers way down, but maybe that’s really what one
would expect this time of year when most pelicans have flown south.
· *Double-crested Cormorants* count was down significantly, this
species tending to move to where herring spawn runs are in process.
· Only 58 *Band-tailed Pigeons* were seen, only 15% of our average.
· We had 5 *Burrowing Owls* including 2 both at Meeker Slough and
Landfill Loop
· Only 2 *Peregrine Falcons*, when we normally see quite a few more
along the shoreline
· The* American Robin* count of 207 dropped 75% from our average,
something consistent in basically all count zones.
· *Bushtits* won this year’s “Most Consistent Performance” award by
continuing to hug the 600 count. California Towhee finished a close second.
· In total, we counted* 70,546 birds*, 20% higher with the expected
culprits (waterfowl and shorebirds) accounting for the increase.
*Post Count Dinner: *We held our second post-count dinner this year at the
Richmond Elks Lodge with 53 birders who enjoyed a warm meal, community, a
suspenseful species countdown and area leader recaps.
*Trip Report*: The eBird Trip Report is a nice tool to review our counts
results to see where in the circle we found those 174 species. Our 18 area
leaders and their teams accumulated 156 eBird checklists. It’s possible as
a participant that you might see lower quantities on a checklist or two as
a small number of observations were considered overlap with other birders,
but when that’s the case the change was described in the detail under that
species on the checklist.
A big thanks to everyone involved in making this young circle such a big
success including our area leaders, observers, dinner volunteers and GGBA
staff. We hope to see you again next year when we turn five years old.
Date: 1/7/25 7:24 pm From: Ed Yong via groups.io <edyong209...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] An Almost Fully Documented Alameda Birding Year
By now, I hope you’ve all read Whitney Grover’s wonderful and thorough account ( https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/message/17309 ) of her epic Alameda big year, in which she saw 283 species. I wanted to share my own parallel experience, which has a little twist.
After moving to the Bay Area in the spring of 2023, I started birding that summer and fell into it *hard*. I started 2024 with the simple intention of seeing new birds, but ended up doing a big-ish year and trying to see as many species as I could in Alameda County.
I finished the year with *280* —3 fewer than the mighty Whitney (who I ended up birding with a lot) but a number that I didn’t think was even remotely possible a year ago. Of those 280 birds, *52* were lifers!
But along the way, I also set myself a secondary goal: *Document every species that I listed with either a photo or a recording*.
I’m happy to say that I *almost* did it. I photographed 271 species and recorded 6 more. My only failures were: common poorwill, which I heard clearly and repeatedly at Mines Road but always too faintly for my phone to pick up; Lawrence’s goldfinch, which I saw with Alex Henry and Sharon Jue, but which flew away too quickly and which I never refound despite many attempts; and clay-colored sparrow, which I saw with Whitney two hours after I dropped my camera and smashed my brand-new lens.
That folder contains the best single photo I have for each species. They vary wildly in quality. Some I want to put on my wall (black skimmer!!). Some are really there for the sake of completion. And two—American redstart and pileated woodpecker—are personal favorites because they’re hilariously bad and yet still identifiable. They may be 1-star photos on eBird but they’re 5-star photos in my heart.
The documentation goal became almost as important as the main see-everything one for at least three reasons.
First, I think photography is a *fantastic* learning tool for birding. Trying to get a good shot of a bird (especially without shenanigans like playback) forces you to cue into behavior, and it allows you to study field marks after the fact. It also shows you how easily your senses can betray you, and how readily you will see what you want to see. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I had spotted a certain bird only to correct myself upon checking the photos later. For this newbie, photography was also instrumental in appreciating how hard bird ID can be. I knew it would be challenging, but I never imagined that you could take a decent well-lit shot of a bird, show it to many experienced birders, and still struggle to get a decisive ID—and yes, I’m talking about empids and gulls, but there was also a memorable incident involving a putative Baird’s sandpiper that turned out to be a juvenile sanderling.
Second, and relatedly, I found myself getting frustrated by a lack of documentation. I used eBird extensively and when I was starting out, I’d assume that if I couldn’t find a bird someone had reported, it was because I sucked. But over time, I realized that I had a pretty decent odds of finding birds someone else had reported, and that those odds were considerably higher if I was chasing reports with photos, which I think says something. I’m not here to tell anyone how to bird and I know cameras are expensive and cumbersome. But here’s how I’ve come to think about it. Birding is a more social endeavor than I initially thought. I rely on other people’s eBird reports. I know others rely on mine. It behooves me to make those reports as solid as possible, because they might well affect how a stranger spends her time (and gas). And for me, solidity involves documentation, especially given the aforementioned fallibility of our senses.
Third, and most importantly, it was really fun! This challenge forced me to pay attention to common birds. Sure, seeing a summer tanager is exhilarating, but can you take a killer shot of a female house finch? Photography tickles a slightly different part of my brain than birding does, so I could have terrible birding days and excellent photography and vice versa, with each hobby regularly picking up the slack for the other. For me, documentation never detracts from birding, and often enhances it.
I’m still new to birding and to photography, which I picked up at the same time, so I’m excited to see what 2025 brings. For now, I want to thank all the people who welcomed me into this world and gave me tips and advice. Birding has changed my life, and I’m profoundly grateful for it.
Date: 1/7/25 10:34 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebird ID help - Meeker Slough (ailing bird)
I’d talk to a wildlife rescue person first about what the risks and
recommendations are in a situation like this: bird flu is a serious issue,
and not something you’d want to get or spread. There are likely precautions
/ safety gear required to minimize exposure.
International Bird Rescue in Fairfield takes water/sea birds (I’m not sure
about shorebirds), so you could talk to them:
https://www.birdrescue.org/
Aside from that, unless the bird is basically immobile in an accessible
spot, your chances of catching it might be low (ie, if it can fly or run
any distance over mud). Above all, make sure it’s safe for rescuers before
proceeding.
Zac Denning
Albany
On Tue, Jan 7, 2025 at 9:23 AM annemarie heineman via groups.io
<annemarie1000...> wrote:
Date: 1/7/25 9:23 am From: annemarie heineman via groups.io <annemarie1000...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebird ID help - Meeker Slough (ailing bird)
If the bird is still there, I would like to take it to Lindsay Wildlife Hospital. I could call 1st to make sure they’ll take it. Can anyone tell me if it’s there as of today?Thanks,Annemarie
Date: 1/7/25 8:38 am From: Torgil Zethson via groups.io <jetoze...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] The Illusion of a White-winged Scoter
This past Saturday I did some birding from the Encinal fishing jetty in Alameda. In particular, I was studying a large raft of Surf Scoters on the bay side right next to the jetty. I uploaded a photo showing a small part of the raft to my ebird checklist:
When I looked at the photo back home, I noticed that the leftmost bird in the background (at the top of the picture) has what looks to be a prominent white wing patch, suggesting that it might in fact be a White-winged Scoter. Fortunately, I had taken three photos in quick succession, and when I looked at the same bird in the other two photos I came to the conclusion that the bird was a Surf Scoter, and that the "wing patch" was just a splash of water.
Then yesterday, I got an email from an ebird reviewer. They had seen the photo, noticed the same bird, and was asking the same question: Is it possible that this is a White-winged Scoter? And coincidentally, yesterday Sharon Jue found a White-winged Scoter right next door, in Seaplane Lagoon. So last night I decided to take a closer look. I went back to my photos and shared this album, that zeroes in on the mystery bird, with the reviewer:
(The photos are in the wrong order in the album. The middle picture, the one with the apparent wing patch, was actually the last picture taken.)
The quality is poor - the bird is out of focus - but our conclusion is that my initial assessment was correct, and that this is a Surf Scoter.
I'm sharing this here because I think it's a neat example of the importance of having a critical eye in these situations: to always look for both corroborating and contradicting evidence when one thinks one might have come across a rarity, and to be mindful that the environment can sometimes play tricks on us, creating effective optical illusions. In this case, a perfectly timed and placed splash of water, that for a fraction of a second turned a Surf Scoter into a White-winged Scoter.
(I should also note that in this particular case, the optical illusion is an artifact of the medium of photography. Had I been looking at this bird, at the same exact time, through my scope in the field, I would almost certainly not have noticed anything unusual about it.)
Date: 1/6/25 8:20 pm From: Bruce Mast via groups.io <cathrasher4...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Alameda Big Year 2024
Congratulations Whitney! What an incredible achievement. I think back to
2008, when Bob Power goaded a bunch of us into doing an Alameda County Big
Year and the winning total was Bob Dunn's 267. I worked pretty hard on my
Alameda list that year and I ended with just 237. So, 283? I'm in awe.
I appreciate you giving a shout out to some highly accomplished birders who
may have higher personal numbers but I would argue that 283 should be
considered the Alameda County Big Year record. My issue is documentation.
Anyone can claim they saw any number of species in the county but a record
that's recognized in the birding community should come with a species list,
some photos, maybe some eBird checklist links. This is the best documented
Big Year result that I've seen since Zach Baer had 270 in 2010 (See:
https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/message/1221?p=%2C%2C%2C20%2C0%2C0%2C0%3A%3Arecentpostdate%2Fsticky%2C%2C%2522big+year%2522%2C20%2C2%2C0%2C29177330
Bird on,
Bruce Mast
Oakland
On Sat, Jan 4, 2025 at 8:18 PM Whitney via groups.io <wlgrover=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> What an incredible year! Inspired by Keith Maley’s epic year
> <https://ebird.org/top100?region=San+Francisco%2C+California%2C+United+States+%28US%29&locInfo.regionCode=US-CA-075&year=2024&rankedBy=spp> > and equally epic write-up <https://groups.io/g/SFBirds/message/28091>, I
> thought I would add my 2024 Big Year to the record book.
>
> First, I can’t thank this community enough. So many people gave me advice,
> tips on rare birds, help on where to spend time throughout the seasons, and
> encouragement when morale dipped. I made new friends and grew old
> friendships. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who found incredible birds
> and reported them quickly and with careful identification consideration. I
> owe like hundreds of people drinks, you know who you are.
>
> This write-up has become longer than expected, apologies. Full list of
> birds at the bottom, and HERE
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_4BybjR2daITU3hSkeloPEhyqQnVvv-N/view?usp=sharing> > is a slideshow if you’re more into pictures.
>
> Overview
>
> I ended the year with *283* species in Alameda County. The total combined
> species count for the county, across all birders, was an incredible *309*
> (including the Winter Wren pending CBRC confirmation).
>
> There were 5 first county records this year (from what I can tell, please
> respond if I don't have this correct): *Bell’s Vireo* (found by Sharon
> Jue), *Cassin’s Sparrow *(found by Ellen Plane and Alison Su), *California
> Condor* (found by George Chrisman), *Smith’s Longspur* (group find? I’m
> sorry it’s not clear to whom this should be attributed), and *Winter Wren*
> (found by Zac Denning). Only 2 of these made my list: Bell’s Vireo and
> Cassin’s Sparrow.
>
> The final 283 includes a provisional Mute Swan (countable by eBird’s
> provisional and naturalized species parameters
> <https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001218430-exotic-and-introduced-species-in-ebird>)
> and Ross’s Goose that may have some Snow Goose genes. If it is a hybrid, it
> seems to lean heavily towards Ross’s morphologically and the identification
> was confirmed by the eBird moderators.
>
> I would like to note, although my number is the highest on the eBird,
> Erica Rutherford found an incredible *287* species in 2024! (This number
> includes the pending Winter Wren). Not to mention, she found a large share
> of the rarities that popped up. Kudos to Erica!
>
> My one self-imposed rule was not using playback. I started this effort by
> taking the list of birds seen in the county, and categorizing each species
> as “likely” or “unlikely” based on bar-charts. That list was 387 species,
> 214 likely, and 173 unlikely. I used the bar-charts to create monthly needs
> lists that would inform where to spend time that month. In the end I found
> all 214 likely birds and 69 unlikely birds (mostly refound). Of those 69
> unlikely birds I was able to document or have witnesses for 64. (Happy to
> share my crazy spreadsheet upon request).
>
> I set out to see birds and explore the county. This year’s efforts snagged
> me 9 lifers and I visited 70 places I had never been to before!
>
> My only regret is that I could have explored more. Even with visiting a
> total of 123 places, I feel like there’s still big blank patches of the
> county. I often fell into the trap of choosing familiarity, or the general
> birdy-ness of a place over exploration, especially when crunched for time,
> and I was always crunched for time. I think if I could go back and do it
> over, I would have explored more of the under-birded or un-birded areas of
> the county. Maybe this will be my 2025 adventure. Is a place birdier
> because it truly has more birds, or simply because it has more birders?
> Granted, access is difficult in many of these areas.
>
> County Recordkeeping and Listing
>
> I had a really hard time tracking down Alameda County records. It seems
> there isn't a record keeper for Alameda? If someone reading knows more,
> please respond. eBird showed Bob Dunn holding the record with 275 in 2023
> but then I learned of Alex Henry’s herculean 2020 Big Year that ended
> somewhere between 284 and 290, exact number unknown. A GGBA Blog post
> claims 284, but I heard that number was not accurate.
>
> I know competitive birding is gamification of the hobby, and there’s a lot
> of bad behavior out there that can be attributed to listing. But to me it
> is a game that celebrates the incredible biodiversity of our region. It
> takes keen observation skills, bird identification skills, curiosity, grit,
> and community. Okay okay, it takes competitiveness too, but that alone will
> not get you far.
>
> I chose to be open and public with the Big Year, using eBird to list and
> document all my observations as best as possible. While eBird isn’t
> designed for “listing” and competitive birding, it exists for documenting
> bird observations. In the absence of a record keeper, I would like to
> encourage us to use eBird for Big Year efforts more in the future,
> especially in this spirit of good bird observation records that will
> withstand the test of time.
>
>
Date: 1/6/25 1:17 pm From: KENNETH ARCHAMBAULT via groups.io <gm72125...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebird ID help - Meeker Slough (ailing bird)
Just a reminder to be EXTRA cautious around any sick birds, due to possibility of transmissible disease. -Ken Archambault, Birmingham, Alabama On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 01:49:16 AM CST, Richard Bradus via groups.io <grizzledjay...> wrote:
Need help identifying an obviously ailing smallish shorebird that I encountered in the southwest marsh extension south of Meeker Slough proper sometime around 1:30 pm today (Jan. 5).
I almost walked up to this bird as I was scanning the sky, flushing it into the marsh vegetation, where it did not appear to want to move. It did fly again (and didn't appear to have any mechanical issue), settling into the mud, where it obviously struggled, and appeared to want to just sleep. My impression was of a sandpiper species, appearing to me larger than a Dunlin (but similar coloration), more squat (and less patterned) than a Solitary Sandpiper, which I raise as the most striking feature was a very prominent and broad ring of white around the eyes. I managed to get a marginal photo of it in flight and close views on the ground – please examine them on my eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208239382 Maybe this is a variant of something common, but I've never seen anything like it.Expert opinion please!
(BTW, there were two Skimmers resting on the beach and edge of the marsh, continuing).
Date: 1/6/25 8:07 am From: Ted Robertson via groups.io <tedr...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebird ID help - Meeker Slough (ailing bird)
It's a Dunlin. Note the thick droopy bill, and the thin longitudinal white
stripe toward the trailing edge of the wing in flight.
Sent from my mobile phone,
Ted Robertson
On Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 11:49 PM Richard Bradus via groups.io <grizzledjay=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> Need help identifying an obviously ailing smallish shorebird that I
> encountered in the southwest marsh extension south of Meeker Slough proper
> sometime around 1:30 pm today (Jan. 5).
>
> I almost walked up to this bird as I was scanning the sky, flushing it
> into the marsh vegetation, where it did not appear to want to move. It did
> fly again (and didn't appear to have any mechanical issue), settling into
> the mud, where it obviously struggled, and appeared to want to just sleep.
> My impression was of a sandpiper species, appearing to me larger than a
> Dunlin (but similar coloration), more squat (and less patterned) than a
> Solitary Sandpiper, which I raise as the most striking feature was a very
> prominent and broad ring of white around the eyes. I managed to get a
> marginal photo of it in flight and close views on the ground – please
> examine them on my eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208239382 >
> Maybe this is a variant of something common, but I've never seen anything
> like it.
> Expert opinion please!
>
> (BTW, there were two Skimmers resting on the beach and edge of the marsh,
> continuing).
>
>
> Richard Bradus
> San Francisco
>
> --
> Richard Bradus
> San Francisco
>
>
>
Date: 1/5/25 11:49 pm From: Richard Bradus via groups.io <grizzledjay...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Shorebird ID help - Meeker Slough (ailing bird)
Need help identifying an obviously ailing smallish shorebird that I encountered in the southwest marsh extension south of Meeker Slough proper sometime around 1:30 pm today (Jan. 5).
I almost walked up to this bird as I was scanning the sky, flushing it into the marsh vegetation, where it did not appear to want to move. It did fly again (and didn't appear to have any mechanical issue), settling into the mud, where it obviously struggled, and appeared to want to just sleep. My impression was of a sandpiper species, appearing to me larger than a Dunlin (but similar coloration), more squat (and less patterned) than a Solitary Sandpiper, which I raise as the most striking feature was a very prominent and broad ring of white around the eyes. I managed to get a marginal photo of it in flight and close views on the ground – please examine them on my eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208239382 Maybe this is a variant of something common, but I've never seen anything like it.Expert opinion please!
(BTW, there were two Skimmers resting on the beach and edge of the marsh, continuing).
Date: 1/5/25 2:00 pm From: Whitney via groups.io <wlgrover...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Update: Alameda Big Year 2024
Two updates/corrections to the report:
* Alex Henry's 2020 big year landed at 289 (Includes Munia, which I counted as well). Sounds like 289 is the standing Alameda County Big Year record.
* Bell's Vireo and California Condor may be modern county records but both species existed in the region historically and were extirpated. Being true to the historical ecology, I retract them from the county first record list. The 2024 county firsts were the three species: Cassin's Sparrow, Smith Longspur, and Winter Wren.
Date: 1/5/25 10:15 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] delta misc.
A belated happy new year to everyone. I’ve spent a couple days recently
birding the delta, including Jan 4th from a boat with Aidan Brubaker for
the Sherman Christmas Bird Count. Some observations of note:
Geese: some years there are a lot of Ross’s Geese around. This year, not
many with most flocks of white geese dominantly Snow. The highest ratio I
have come up with is 30 Snow: 1 Ross’s off Orwood Rd, but most of the time
even fewer Ross’s. In my experience, the white geese ratios are random and
probably does not indicate any long term trend. Swans: in the past month or
so, Mute Swan numbers on Bethel Island have fallen to less than 100 (Logan
Kahle and Augie Kramer counted 78 on Little Frank’s yesterday) which is
still high, but the past few weeks there have been consistently fewer than
158 I counted on Dec. 1st. But outside of the county yesterday, Aidan
Brubaker and I boated up to Liberty Island and counted 147 Mute Swans
there. This season I have been birding around thinking that Tundra Swan
numbers seem low with spots I am used to seeing hundreds on Veale and Palm
Tracts with <30, but this species is localized enough I thought the big
flock must be elsewhere. Last night talking with birders at the Sherman CBC
that bird other Central Valley counties, it appears they are seeing low
numbers of Tundra Swan too, so maybe it is not just me. Big years: it has
been a big fall and a correspondingly somewhat big winter for
Golden-crowned Kinglets, with 5 on Holland Tract on the CBC 12/18, 1 on
Orwood Rd. at the end of the month and some reports on Bethel Island
recently by other observers. It has also been the biggest year I can
remember in this region for winter Barn Swallows. I found a single at
Holland on 12/18, one on Holland and two on Wells Rd. 12/30, and two over
Frank’s Tract on 1/4. The Sherman Island CBC yesterday turned up an
additional handful in the county, including 7 on Bradford (Cedric Duhalde).
I had a Yellow Warbler at Russo’s on Dec. 1st, but I have not seen that
bird since, despite multiple thorough checks of the site. Including one
check on Jan 2nd, which did find a pure Yellow-shafted Flicker and a
Hutton’s Vireo (my first for the Contra Costa delta) in the neighborhood. A
Black-throated Gray Warbler I saw on Bethel on Dec. 1st also seems to have
pulled an escape, but considering there has been extensive construction in
that patch since, that bird has an excuse! However a Yellow Warbler on
Holland Tract 12/18 on our East Contra Costa CBC did continue through the
end of the year, and seems to be happily living in an exotic bush just west
of the road's easternmost corner.
Phainopeplas are rare in the delta, so a male feeding in mistletoe on Dutch
Slough Rd. late Dec and early Jan. surprised me! But the Sherman CBC
yesterday turned up two more bird inside the circle, so perhaps a good
winter locally. I have never seen either White-throated Sparrow or Brown
Creeper on Bethel Island, so two I found just across the water on Mariner
Rd. (a "tributary" of Sandmound) were especially gripping.
Frank’s Tract has been its typical self, hosting well over 10,000 Coot (on
most days, only 6600 on 12/30), but more exciting are a drake Redhead and 2
Common Loon! Common Loon have historically been very rare in this area, and
is a species that Steve Glover apparently did not ever record here.
Some long term trends seemingly continue: Cackling Geese are becoming more
and more prevalent, Ibis continue to increase with 3 and 8 over Little
Frank’s and Frank’s yesterday. One long-term trend seems to have reversed
recently: In the past year I have seen one (1) Western Gull on Bethel
Island. Yes, I am shocked, too. Swainson’s Hawks seem to be declining
within the county in winter, but at least two have been on Jersey Island
recently: a dark adult (S. Char, J. Britten) and a light morph immature I
had just a couple days back.
Date: 1/4/25 8:49 pm From: judisierra via groups.io <judisierra...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Snowy egret Ohlone Park Berkeley
Leaving the dog park my two non birding friends said "What's that white bird over there?" Snowy egret feeding in the grass and around a pooled water structure. First non flyover for any heron species reported there and first for a snowy. The park is near MLK and a good distance from the Bay.
First, I can’t thank this community enough. So many people gave me advice,
tips on rare birds, help on where to spend time throughout the seasons, and
encouragement when morale dipped. I made new friends and grew old
friendships. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who found incredible birds
and reported them quickly and with careful identification consideration. I
owe like hundreds of people drinks, you know who you are.
I ended the year with *283* species in Alameda County. The total combined
species count for the county, across all birders, was an incredible *309*
(including the Winter Wren pending CBRC confirmation).
There were 5 first county records this year (from what I can tell, please
respond if I don't have this correct): *Bell’s Vireo* (found by Sharon
Jue), *Cassin’s Sparrow *(found by Ellen Plane and Alison Su), *California
Condor* (found by George Chrisman), *Smith’s Longspur* (group find? I’m
sorry it’s not clear to whom this should be attributed), and *Winter Wren*
(found by Zac Denning). Only 2 of these made my list: Bell’s Vireo and
Cassin’s Sparrow.
I would like to note, although my number is the highest on the eBird, Erica
Rutherford found an incredible *287* species in 2024! (This number includes
the pending Winter Wren). Not to mention, she found a large share of the
rarities that popped up. Kudos to Erica!
My one self-imposed rule was not using playback. I started this effort by
taking the list of birds seen in the county, and categorizing each species
as “likely” or “unlikely” based on bar-charts. That list was 387 species,
214 likely, and 173 unlikely. I used the bar-charts to create monthly needs
lists that would inform where to spend time that month. In the end I found
all 214 likely birds and 69 unlikely birds (mostly refound). Of those 69
unlikely birds I was able to document or have witnesses for 64. (Happy to
share my crazy spreadsheet upon request).
I set out to see birds and explore the county. This year’s efforts snagged
me 9 lifers and I visited 70 places I had never been to before!
My only regret is that I could have explored more. Even with visiting a
total of 123 places, I feel like there’s still big blank patches of the
county. I often fell into the trap of choosing familiarity, or the general
birdy-ness of a place over exploration, especially when crunched for time,
and I was always crunched for time. I think if I could go back and do it
over, I would have explored more of the under-birded or un-birded areas of
the county. Maybe this will be my 2025 adventure. Is a place birdier
because it truly has more birds, or simply because it has more birders?
Granted, access is difficult in many of these areas.
County Recordkeeping and Listing
I had a really hard time tracking down Alameda County records. It seems
there isn't a record keeper for Alameda? If someone reading knows more,
please respond. eBird showed Bob Dunn holding the record with 275 in 2023
but then I learned of Alex Henry’s herculean 2020 Big Year that ended
somewhere between 284 and 290, exact number unknown. A GGBA Blog post
claims 284, but I heard that number was not accurate.
I know competitive birding is gamification of the hobby, and there’s a lot
of bad behavior out there that can be attributed to listing. But to me it
is a game that celebrates the incredible biodiversity of our region. It
takes keen observation skills, bird identification skills, curiosity, grit,
and community. Okay okay, it takes competitiveness too, but that alone will
not get you far.
I chose to be open and public with the Big Year, using eBird to list and
document all my observations as best as possible. While eBird isn’t
designed for “listing” and competitive birding, it exists for documenting
bird observations. In the absence of a record keeper, I would like to
encourage us to use eBird for Big Year efforts more in the future,
especially in this spirit of good bird observation records that will
withstand the test of time.
Alameda County
Holy cow, this county is insane. Transitioning from a decade birding the
postage stamp that is San Francisco to this behemoth was a real culture
shock. At 821 square miles (like 17x the size of SF), over 400 birding
hotspots, and a lot of open space, it was something to explore. Many unique
wetland types, grasslands, oak savanna, chaparral, madrone/oak/bay mixed
forest, sycamore groves, heavenly riparian areas, (artificially) rocky
shoreline, even the higher juniper/pine areas of Mines Road. Plus all the
urban parks and landscaped gardens. A lot of road-birding in this county,
and a lot of driving.
Water really stood out to me, where it was, where it was no longer, where
it is now but wasn’t (reservoirs). There are so many creeks (mostly
channelized, buried, diverted, or degraded at this point) coming off the
hills and higher mountains throughout the county. The east part of the
county, while dry in the summer, is full of seasonal wetlands. I’m sure
these areas were far wetter before diversion of upstream creeks and rivers.
The entire shoreline from Albany to Fremont was surely one enormous wetland
system, or series of wetlands.
While it has wild corners, it’s still very urban. I don’t want to dwell on
all the negative human interactions I had, but as I’m sure you can all
relate: there were off-leash dog attacks, giant wedding parties blasting
music, traffic jams, Trump flags, ride-on mowers rumbling around, one woman
in Tracy took a picture of my car and ran away when I tried to explain what
I was up to. On a backpacking trip to Sunol Wilderness I had a 36 hour
period of seeing no humans and I was lulled to sleep by a mix of owl hoots
and low roaring fly-over jets.
Despite significant urbanization, the conservation heroes of the past stood
out as well. How many hours did I spend in East Bay Regional Park District
property? Extraordinary and I’m sincerely grateful. How can you not muse,
“who was Elsie Roemer?” as you walk back to your car in a daze from
hundreds of Elegant Terns surrounding you like a snow globe. All the little
patches that were protected or restored by our forebears have a story,
inspiring.
Birds!
So many beautiful birds, awesome moments, and incredible rarities. But as I
look back there are really two highlights that stand out most in my memory
for the surprise, joy, and just general vibe of the moment: finding a Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher <https://ebird.org/checklist/S175486531> nest on the Ohlone
Wilderness Trail near Del Valle in May, and finally catching up with a Lapland
Longspur <https://ebird.org/checklist/S206034578> in December that was
hanging out with the Snow Bunting.
I want to first list the birds I missed. Some of these I gave considerable
effort to refind or find another, but with no luck. A few of the reports
showed up months too late, and a few observers were in the right place at
the right time (unchaseable).
Misses (seen by others this year):
Tropical Kingbird
Red Crossbill
Smith’s Longspur
Ovenbird
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Purple Martin
Baird’s Sandpiper
Northern Waterthrush
California Condor
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Greater Roadrunner
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Evening Grosbeak
Black Tern
Western Cattle-Egret
Solitary Sandpiper
Gray Flycatcher
Bank Swallow
Vega Gull
Marbled Murrelet
Plumbeous Vireo
Red-throated Pipit
Winter Wren
New Birds by Month:
January: 180
February: 21
March: 14
April: 21
May: 15
June: 1 (!)
July: 6
August: 3
September: 7
October: 4 (This was a rough month. According to more experienced birders,
October should have seen more vagrants)
November: 4
December: 7
All the Birds in Taxonomic Order
“Unlikely” birds which include rare species are bolded. I believe all my
rare observations were confirmed by the eBird moderators so you can find
them there if you would like to see more details or locations. I tried to
attribute the finder in my comments for all rare birds.
Date: 1/3/25 9:13 am From: Bob Toleno via groups.io <bob...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] 2024 Hayward-Fremont CBC report
Yes, thanks for noticing, Bruce. I should have mentioned that the
Hayward-Fremont CBC regularly has the highest number of Black-bellied
Plovers, Western Sandpipers, and American Avocets in the WORLD. (In 2023 a
count in Texas beat us for Avocets, but i think our total of 9,436 from our
2024 count will be enough to take back our Avocet crown.) San Francisco Bay
really is one of the most spectacular places in the US for wintering
shorebirds.
Bob Toleno
Hayward
On Fri, Jan 3, 2025 at 8:17 AM Bruce Mast <cathrasher4...> wrote:
> Not to mention
> 13,000 Black-Bellied Plovers!
> 4,600 Willets!
> 39,000 Dunlin!
> 13,600 Western Sandpipers!
>
> SF Bay is one of only 7 coastal wetlands on the west coast south of the
> Copper River (AK) able to support 100,000's of shorebirds. It holds higher
> proportions of the total wintering and migrating shorebirds on the U.S.
> Pacific coast than any other wetland. It's worth protecting.
>
> Surely there's a Golden Plover lurking in the Black-bellied flocks
> somewhere. :-)
>
> Well done, Bob and the Hayward-Fremont CBC crew.
>
> Bird on,
>
> Bruce Mast
> Oakland
>
> On Thu, Jan 2, 2025 at 9:44 PM Bob Toleno via groups.io <bob=
> <toleno.com...> wrote:
>
>> On December 15, 2024, about 90 field observers and feeder watchers
>> participated in the annual Hayward-Fremont Christmas Bird Count, and we had
>> a spectacular day! Our circle spans from Castro Valley in the north to
>> Newark in the south, from the San Mateo Bridge in the west to the hills
>> overlooking Pleasanton in the east. We were blessed with perfect, sunny
>> weather in between two days of rainstorms, which made for much nicer
>> weather than the downpour that doused our counters in 2023.
>>
>> And...drum roll, please...we set a new record with our total number of
>> species!!! We found an incredible *183 SPECIES* on the day of the count,
>> beating our old record of 181. Four of those species were brand new for our
>> count, too. The new additions were:
>>
>> - VERMILION FLYCATCHER along the northern Alameda Creek Trail (found
>> by Liam Murphy)
>> - The continuing SNOW BUNTING at Hayward Regional Shoreline
>> - A remarkable *three* GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS in Garin Regional Park
>> (found by Dominik Mosur, the first Grasshopper Sparrows ever detected on a
>> Bay Area CBC, as far as i know)
>> - And, in a sign of their expanding range, our count's first PYGMY
>> NUTHATCHES in East Avenue Park (found by Mick Griffin)
>>
>> It's truly a special year when a CBC that's been around for more than
>> five decades adds four new species!
>>
>> Other notable birds found that day included:
>>
>> - Our second ever RUFF in Don Edwards NWR (found by Caitlin Chock)
>> - SWAMP SPARROW at the Tule Pond in Fremont (found by Logan Kahle)
>> - PRAIRIE FALCON at Coyote Hills (spotted by Rich Nicholson)
>> - LAPLAND LONGSPUR along the Alameda Creek Trail (found by Liam
>> Murphy)
>> - The returning wintering adult GLAUCOUS GULL at Coyote Hills
>> (photographed by Sam High while predating a Bufflehead!)
>> - BLACK RAIL at Eden Landing (detected by Ethan Monk)
>> - WESTERN TANAGER at Mission Adobe Nursery (spotted by Kathy
>> Robertsons)
>> - CASPIAN TERNS at Eden Landing and Coyote Hills (seen by Conrad Fay
>> and the High family)
>> - FERRUGINOUS HAWK at Garin (found by Eva Seay and Stephanie Woods)
>> - VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW at Coyote Hills (spotted by me)
>>
>> Huge thanks to all of our counters and feeder watchers who helped make
>> this the best Hayward-Fremont CBC ever! For anyone interested, here is a
>> link to the eBird Trip Report for the day:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/tripreport/305912 >>
>> (Note: Golden Eagle total is probably still a bit high, as i haven't
>> rectified possible double-counted individuals yet.)
>>
>> Good birding,
>> Bob Toleno
>> Hayward-Fremont CBC compiler
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
Date: 1/3/25 8:18 am From: Bruce Mast via groups.io <cathrasher4...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] 2024 Hayward-Fremont CBC report
Not to mention
13,000 Black-Bellied Plovers!
4,600 Willets!
39,000 Dunlin!
13,600 Western Sandpipers!
SF Bay is one of only 7 coastal wetlands on the west coast south of the
Copper River (AK) able to support 100,000's of shorebirds. It holds higher
proportions of the total wintering and migrating shorebirds on the U.S.
Pacific coast than any other wetland. It's worth protecting.
Surely there's a Golden Plover lurking in the Black-bellied flocks
somewhere. :-)
Well done, Bob and the Hayward-Fremont CBC crew.
Bird on,
Bruce Mast
Oakland
On Thu, Jan 2, 2025 at 9:44 PM Bob Toleno via groups.io <bob=
<toleno.com...> wrote:
> On December 15, 2024, about 90 field observers and feeder watchers
> participated in the annual Hayward-Fremont Christmas Bird Count, and we had
> a spectacular day! Our circle spans from Castro Valley in the north to
> Newark in the south, from the San Mateo Bridge in the west to the hills
> overlooking Pleasanton in the east. We were blessed with perfect, sunny
> weather in between two days of rainstorms, which made for much nicer
> weather than the downpour that doused our counters in 2023.
>
> And...drum roll, please...we set a new record with our total number of
> species!!! We found an incredible *183 SPECIES* on the day of the count,
> beating our old record of 181. Four of those species were brand new for our
> count, too. The new additions were:
>
> - VERMILION FLYCATCHER along the northern Alameda Creek Trail (found
> by Liam Murphy)
> - The continuing SNOW BUNTING at Hayward Regional Shoreline
> - A remarkable *three* GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS in Garin Regional Park
> (found by Dominik Mosur, the first Grasshopper Sparrows ever detected on a
> Bay Area CBC, as far as i know)
> - And, in a sign of their expanding range, our count's first PYGMY
> NUTHATCHES in East Avenue Park (found by Mick Griffin)
>
> It's truly a special year when a CBC that's been around for more than five
> decades adds four new species!
>
> Other notable birds found that day included:
>
> - Our second ever RUFF in Don Edwards NWR (found by Caitlin Chock)
> - SWAMP SPARROW at the Tule Pond in Fremont (found by Logan Kahle)
> - PRAIRIE FALCON at Coyote Hills (spotted by Rich Nicholson)
> - LAPLAND LONGSPUR along the Alameda Creek Trail (found by Liam Murphy)
> - The returning wintering adult GLAUCOUS GULL at Coyote Hills
> (photographed by Sam High while predating a Bufflehead!)
> - BLACK RAIL at Eden Landing (detected by Ethan Monk)
> - WESTERN TANAGER at Mission Adobe Nursery (spotted by Kathy
> Robertsons)
> - CASPIAN TERNS at Eden Landing and Coyote Hills (seen by Conrad Fay
> and the High family)
> - FERRUGINOUS HAWK at Garin (found by Eva Seay and Stephanie Woods)
> - VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW at Coyote Hills (spotted by me)
>
> Huge thanks to all of our counters and feeder watchers who helped make
> this the best Hayward-Fremont CBC ever! For anyone interested, here is a
> link to the eBird Trip Report for the day:
>
> https://ebird.org/tripreport/305912 >
> (Note: Golden Eagle total is probably still a bit high, as i haven't
> rectified possible double-counted individuals yet.)
>
> Good birding,
> Bob Toleno
> Hayward-Fremont CBC compiler
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 1/2/25 9:44 pm From: Bob Toleno via groups.io <bob...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] 2024 Hayward-Fremont CBC report
On December 15, 2024, about 90 field observers and feeder watchers participated in the annual Hayward-Fremont Christmas Bird Count, and we had a spectacular day! Our circle spans from Castro Valley in the north to Newark in the south, from the San Mateo Bridge in the west to the hills overlooking Pleasanton in the east. We were blessed with perfect, sunny weather in between two days of rainstorms, which made for much nicer weather than the downpour that doused our counters in 2023.
And...drum roll, please...we set a new record with our total number of species!!! We found an incredible *183 SPECIES* on the day of the count, beating our old record of 181. Four of those species were brand new for our count, too. The new additions were:
- VERMILION FLYCATCHER along the northern Alameda Creek Trail (found by Liam Murphy) - The continuing SNOW BUNTING at Hayward Regional Shoreline - A remarkable *three* GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS in Garin Regional Park (found by Dominik Mosur, the first Grasshopper Sparrows ever detected on a Bay Area CBC, as far as i know) - And, in a sign of their expanding range, our count's first PYGMY NUTHATCHES in East Avenue Park (found by Mick Griffin)
It's truly a special year when a CBC that's been around for more than five decades adds four new species!
Other notable birds found that day included:
- Our second ever RUFF in Don Edwards NWR (found by Caitlin Chock) - SWAMP SPARROW at the Tule Pond in Fremont (found by Logan Kahle) - PRAIRIE FALCON at Coyote Hills (spotted by Rich Nicholson) - LAPLAND LONGSPUR along the Alameda Creek Trail (found by Liam Murphy) - The returning wintering adult GLAUCOUS GULL at Coyote Hills (photographed by Sam High while predating a Bufflehead!) - BLACK RAIL at Eden Landing (detected by Ethan Monk) - WESTERN TANAGER at Mission Adobe Nursery (spotted by Kathy Robertsons) - CASPIAN TERNS at Eden Landing and Coyote Hills (seen by Conrad Fay and the High family) - FERRUGINOUS HAWK at Garin (found by Eva Seay and Stephanie Woods) - VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW at Coyote Hills (spotted by me)
Huge thanks to all of our counters and feeder watchers who helped make this the best Hayward-Fremont CBC ever! For anyone interested, here is a link to the eBird Trip Report for the day:
Date: 1/2/25 12:42 pm From: wespey via groups.io <wtespey...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles January 1
Lafayette Reservoir at the west end of the dam. Two mature birds (mated pair?). They seemed to be at ease with the significant amount of human attention.
Date: 1/1/25 9:18 am From: photohutch via groups.io <steve.hutchcraft...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cackling Geese; Oak Hill Park, Danville
Happy New Year Birders,
There were two Cackling Geese this morning with a large flock of Canada Geese at Oak Hill Park in Danville. Pretty sure they're the Aleutian subspecies. Fun way to start the New Year!
Date: 12/31/24 1:37 pm From: Chris Waterman via groups.io <chriswaterman555...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Swinhoe’s White-eye at Oakland Library Main Branch
I observed a Swinhoe’s White-eye today on 13th street near Oak street outside Oakland Library Main Branch. I’d seen one visit the library many times last spring and summer (once it actually flew inside the library!!). First heard it vocalizing, it sounded like last year’s visitor but I thought it was probably a LEGO but I checked with binoculars and got a good visual. I think there may have been more nearby in the same tree.
I’ll keep my ears and eyes peeled for another visit and keep you all posted. Happy new year!
Date: 12/31/24 5:43 am From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] correct checklist link for grebes
thank you very much, quite cool to see the pairing like that. Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Sam Zuckerman via groups.io" <samzuckerman...> Date: 12/30/24 5:04 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] correct checklist link for grebes
Date: 12/30/24 11:04 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Skimmer shows up in a photo
I was out at Stege Marsh and Richmond Inner Harbor Saturday hoping to see some of the birds like the Pacific Loons and Black Skimmers recently reported. No Loons seen, but today when I worked through the photos, out popped some Black Skimmer and Common Merganser photos. Here is a link to a few photos
Date: 12/30/24 4:17 pm From: Sam Zuckerman via groups.io <samzuckerman...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Western vs Clark's Grebe
During the Richmond CBC Sunday, Lewis Payne and I were counting at Sandpiper Spit near Miller/Knox when we saw our two California Aechmophorus grebes perfectly aligned. On the checklist linked here, https://ebird.org/checklist/S207129511, the Clark's Grebe photo shows it swimming in tandem with its Aechmophorus cousin, the Western Grebe. The two diagnostic fieldmarks -- eye in or below the black crown and pale green or bright orange dagger-shaped bill -- clearly show the bird on the left is Western and the one on the right Clark's. I wish I had had this photo in my pocket when I first started birding the Bay!
Date: 12/30/24 9:00 am From: ebuhrmann via groups.io <ebuhrmann...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] great horned owls
This seems a banner year for Great Horned Owls (GHO). We counted 9 in North Tilden Christmas Bird Count. There is a pair in our neighborhood @ Virginia St & California St, and we sighted a male near Hopkins & Monterey. I'm interested if other areas are also
seeing/hearing the same phenomena. There are also major mobbings of crows around tall trees nearby. I'm assuming these are related.
We haven't had GHOs in neighborhood for years. We used to have Barn Owls but not recently.
Erica Buhrmann
Date: 12/27/24 9:31 am From: Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Ducks
At Coyote Hills yesterday there were several hundred each of Northern Shovelers and American Wigeons, compared to just 10 Gadwall and Green-winged Teal ea. and half a dozen Cinnamon Teal. So some species doing very well.
Saw a couple Great Egrets on the hills hunting. Used to seeing GBHE exhibit this behavior but not egrets. Wonder if it has something to do with the iruption of the vole population.
Regards, Rosemary Johnson
> On 12/27/2024 6:26 AM PST Anne Ardillo via groups.io <aardillo...> wrote: > > > Yesterday while birding at the Landfill Loop, noticed a black line of ducks that stretched the whole horizon on San Pablo Bay, assuming they were Scaup. Pity the poor person who has to count them for the CBC. Another birder mentioned lots of Goldeneyes near Port Costa. So while absent from the SF Bay in Richmond, the wintering ducks seem to be hanging around in more eastern sections of the bay. Was relieved to see. > > Anne Ardillo > > > >
Date: 12/27/24 6:26 am From: Anne Ardillo via groups.io <aardillo...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Ducks
Yesterday while birding at the Landfill Loop, noticed a black line of ducks that stretched the whole horizon on San Pablo Bay, assuming they were Scaup. Pity the poor person who has to count them for the CBC. Another birder mentioned lots of Goldeneyes near Port Costa. So while absent from the SF Bay in Richmond, the wintering ducks seem to be hanging around in more eastern sections of the bay. Was relieved to see.
Date: 12/26/24 3:20 pm From: Nat Smale via groups.io <smale...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pacific Loon at the Richmond Marina
I should have posted this in a more timely manner, but have been busy. I saw a Pacific Loon at the Richmond Marina yesterday afternoon, viewed from the trail on the east side, just south of the last boats seen to the west. Probably a continuing bird, I seem to remember that one was reported in the last couple of weeks. Checklist with some distant photos here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S206575042
Date: 12/26/24 8:45 am From: Derek via groups.io <dlheins...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Richmond CBC count week starts today
The Richmond Christmas Bird Count (CBC) count week runs from Thursday, December 26 to Wednesday, January 1. Obviously, the main course of our CBC meal is our count day of Sunday, December 29, but when reporting our data to National Audubon Society we include species seen during the other days of that week. You can see our count circle using this tool:
If you see something in our CBC circle on those other six days that you think might not/did not be seen on December 29, give us a heads up at <richmondcbc...> The more reports we receive the merrier.
Date: 12/23/24 2:03 pm From: seanrocks via groups.io <seanrocks...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
Thank you Ryan and Mary! I appreciate you both pointing out these concerns and 100% support your comments. If it helps, I know of someone working with port authorities in that area that is in the process of approving a buffer/restrictions for the BUOW in the area, fingers crossed. Happy Holidays to you all!Cheers,Sean ParnellSent from my Galaxy -------- Original message --------From: "Mary Malec via groups.io" <malecm...> Date: 12/23/24 13:50 (GMT-08:00) To: <norcalbirding...> Cc: <compasros...>, East Bay Birds <ebb-sightings...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor Ryan---thank you for reminding people about leaving protected species alone. We have taken away most of their breeding territories in the area and now we are effectively taking away their wintering grounds. MaryOn Mon, Dec 23, 2024 at 12:24 PM Ryan Phillips via groups.io <norcalbirding...> wrote:Hi All-It is likely a wintering (migratory) owl in that area. Also breeding season commences in Feb/March. Migrants can linger through April, but usually leave in March. Please photographers and birders give this owl space. They flush easily when approached which sets them up for predation because they are focused on you. Also, they are now protected under CESA as a Candidate species for listing. So flushing is unlawful. The reason I don't post Burrowing Owl sightings and discourage it. I have seen way too much bad behavior around these owls. Here is a recent article of our work with Burrowing Owls locally, if interested. They need our help! https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/14/burrowing-owl-san-jose-refuge/Thanks,RyanRyan PhillipsTalon Ecological Research Groupwww.talonecological.orgOn Mon, Dec 23, 2024, 10:14 AM Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros...> wrote:
A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this mound. It was bothered by the interaction of two ruby-crowned kinglets so relocated into a tree just a few feet higher up.
(The kinglets were great for us humans since they were both showing their crowns).
Date: 12/23/24 1:50 pm From: Mary Malec via groups.io <malecm...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
Ryan---thank you for reminding people about leaving protected species
alone. We have taken away most of their breeding territories in the area
and now we are effectively taking away their wintering grounds.
Mary
On Mon, Dec 23, 2024 at 12:24 PM Ryan Phillips via groups.io <norcalbirding=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi All-
> It is likely a wintering (migratory) owl in that area. Also breeding
> season commences in Feb/March. Migrants can linger through April, but
> usually leave in March.
>
> Please photographers and birders give this owl space. They flush easily
> when approached which sets them up for predation because they are focused
> on you. Also, they are now protected under CESA as a Candidate species for
> listing. So flushing is unlawful. The reason I don't post Burrowing Owl
> sightings and discourage it. I have seen way too much bad behavior around
> these owls.
>
> Here is a recent article of our work with Burrowing Owls locally, if
> interested. They need our help!
>
>
> https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/14/burrowing-owl-san-jose-refuge/ >
> Thanks,
> Ryan
>
> Ryan Phillips
> Talon Ecological Research Group
> www.talonecological.org
>
> On Mon, Dec 23, 2024, 10:14 AM Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros=
> <comcast.net...> wrote:
>
>> A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland
>> yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound
>> across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this
>> mound. It was bothered by the interaction of two ruby-crowned kinglets so
>> relocated into a tree just a few feet higher up.
>> (The kinglets were great for us humans since they were both showing their
>> crowns).
>>
>> Regards,
>> Rosemary Johnson
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
Date: 12/23/24 12:24 pm From: Ryan Phillips via groups.io <norcalbirding...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
Hi All-
It is likely a wintering (migratory) owl in that area. Also breeding season
commences in Feb/March. Migrants can linger through April, but usually
leave in March.
Please photographers and birders give this owl space. They flush easily
when approached which sets them up for predation because they are focused
on you. Also, they are now protected under CESA as a Candidate species for
listing. So flushing is unlawful. The reason I don't post Burrowing Owl
sightings and discourage it. I have seen way too much bad behavior around
these owls.
Here is a recent article of our work with Burrowing Owls locally, if
interested. They need our help!
Ryan Phillips
Talon Ecological Research Group
www.talonecological.org
On Mon, Dec 23, 2024, 10:14 AM Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros=
<comcast.net...> wrote:
> A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland
> yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound
> across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this
> mound. It was bothered by the interaction of two ruby-crowned kinglets so
> relocated into a tree just a few feet higher up.
> (The kinglets were great for us humans since they were both showing their
> crowns).
>
> Regards,
> Rosemary Johnson
>
>
>
>
Date: 12/23/24 11:48 am From: Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
Right, not nesting. Maureen Lahiff suggest "roosting".
> On 12/23/2024 10:53 AM PST Peter Rauch via groups.io <peterar...> wrote:
>
>
> Rosemary commented, "It appears to be nesting ...."
>
> "Nesting" like in a typical breeding situation, in preparation to lay/incubate/hatch eggs, rear young?
>
> Or just overwinter-residing in a cavity "... in the rocky mound"?
>
> Peter R.
> Kensington CA
>
> On Mon, Dec 23, 2024 at 10:14 AM Rosemary Johnson viahttp://groups.io <compasros...> mailto:<comcast.net...> wrote:
>
> > A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this mound. ... cut, cut ...
> > Regards,
> > Rosemary Johnson
> >
>
>
>
>
Date: 12/23/24 10:53 am From: Peter Rauch via groups.io <peterar...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
Rosemary commented, "It appears to be nesting ...."
"Nesting" like in a typical breeding situation, in preparation to
lay/incubate/hatch eggs, rear young?
Or just overwinter-residing in a cavity "... in the rocky mound"?
Peter R.
Kensington CA
On Mon, Dec 23, 2024 at 10:14 AM Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros=
<comcast.net...> wrote:
> A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland
> yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound
> across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this
> mound. ... cut, cut ...
> Regards,
> Rosemary Johnson
>
Date: 12/23/24 10:14 am From: Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Burrowing Owl at Middle Harbor
A burrowing owl was seen at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland yesterday about 10:45 am. It appears to be nesting in the rocky mound across from the observation tower. Our group saw it on the fence near this mound. It was bothered by the interaction of two ruby-crowned kinglets so relocated into a tree just a few feet higher up. (The kinglets were great for us humans since they were both showing their crowns).
Date: 12/23/24 9:44 am From: Rosemary Johnson via groups.io <compasros...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagle at Lafayette Reservoir
I saw 3 bald eagles at the Reservoir last Thursday. Here's a pic that someone in our hiking group got of the third one. It was about 2 miles around in the clockwise direction, just visible above the tree line. Everyone got a good look at it.
A lady showed me her pictures of two perched in the same tree. By the time I reached the reservoir one had flown to a different area but I still was able to spot it. I had hoped that two together might mean a nesting pair. However, the naturalist at the visitor center said that these eagles were residents at San Pablo Reservoir. They were probably hanging at Lafayette for the weekly fish stocking.
> On 12/22/2024 5:46 PM PST Debbie Klein via groups.io <debbiej.klein...> wrote: > > > Hi All, > > Between 11:20 and 11:30 this morning a bald eagle was atop a tree near where cars come into the parking lot at Lafayette Reservoir. I only had my phone. Hopefully Anna, a woman I met there who had a camera with a telephoto lens, got much better shots and will where them. It probably stayed longer but I left to walk around the reservoir. When I got back there almost 2 hours later it was gone. > > > > > > > > > > Are bald eagles there frequently? > > Thanks, > Debbie Klein > >
Date: 12/22/24 5:47 pm From: Debbie Klein via groups.io <Debbiej.Klein...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagle at Lafayette Reservoir
Hi All,
Between 11:20 and 11:30 this morning a bald eagle was atop a tree near where cars come into the parking lot at Lafayette Reservoir. I only had my phone. Hopefully Anna, a woman I met there who had a camera with a telephoto lens, got much better shots and will where them. It probably stayed longer but I left to walk around the reservoir. When I got back there almost 2 hours later it was gone.
Date: 12/22/24 2:10 pm From: photohutch via groups.io <steve.hutchcraft...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Merlin in Alamo.
EBB Birders,
Happy holidays! I had a little present in the yard this afternoon, as a Merlin flew in and perched for awhile in one of our oaks. Hadn't seen one here in years, when one spent a winter in our neighborhood. Nice to see it and I hope it sticks around!
Date: 12/21/24 3:07 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] E. Alameda CBC recap for areas 5 and 7 - 12/20/24
Yesterday I helped out on the Eastern Alameda Christmas Bird Count covering Area 5 (Livermore north of HWY 580) and Area 7 (Arroyo Mocho Trail in Livermore and a couple of adjacent city parks.)
Some of the highlights from Area 5 and comparison from last years results:
gulls - a steady stream of gulls noted throughout the morning flying east over area 5. I suspect these birds are traveling to the Altamont Pass Dump. almost 1400 Californias with a few Herring, Glaucous Winged and a couple Iceland(Thayer's) in the mix. (only about 200 gulls noted last year.)
Bald Eagle - a 2nd cycle bird flying south over Collier Canyon in the morning
American Kestrel - 24 in area 5 (compared to 16 last year)
Loggerhead Shrike -3, Doolan Rd. and (2) on N. Livermore Ave north of 580 to Hartford
Say's Phoebe - 17 (compared to 6 last year) - black phoebe numbers were about the same
Horned Lark - 41, single bird at Cayetano Park, flock of 40 on N. Livermore at Hartford (missed last year)
American Goldfinch - 2 (tallied 121 last year)
Golden-crowned Sparrow - 33 (compared to 71 last year)
Tricolored Blackbird - 4 with blackbird flock at Las Colinas Rd. wetland (missed last year)
Brown-headed Cowbird - 7 with blackbird flock at Las Colinas Rd. wetland (missed last year)
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 33 (57 last year)
And Area 7:
House Wren - 2 (missed last year)
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 152 (81 last year)
WESTERN TANAGER - male and female Along Arroyo Mocho /Meideros Parkway at Canary Ct.
No Red-breasted Nuthatches or Orange-crowned Warblers this year.
Date: 12/20/24 4:11 pm From: Derek via groups.io <dlheins...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] To participants in the December 29 Richmond Christmas Bird Count
Notice of assignments went out this afternoon to everyone who registered for our count circle. If you thought you registered but didn't receive an assignment, we have a problem so contact us to get it resolved.
Date: 12/19/24 12:57 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Big waterfowl movements - Albany / East Bay
In line with Keith Maley‘s email to the SF birds list this morning, today’s
skywatch in front of my house in Albany (near the Albany library), yielded
a stunning movement of waterfowl.
At about 7:30am, I started to notice flocks of geese. Some were close
enough to identify with zoomed photos, but I then started to notice more
distant flocks. I began to scan the horizons over the neighborhood and was
rewarded with sometimes multiple flocks at once, especially in the sky NE
or just SE of Albany hill. Early in the morning the flocks were mostly
heading NE or east, but from 7:15 on, most were headed southeast.
*Summary:*
* *800 duck sp* (wigeon/teal would be my guess but too far away to ID)
**85* *Cackling Geese* (plus 5 other Canada/Cackling flocks that were
likely Cackling, one of them with a Snow/Ross’s Goose embedded - too
distant to ID)
**29 Greater White-fronted Geese*
*5 of the other flocks were clearly Canada/Cackling, probably Cackling
- one with a Snow/Ross’ type embedded (the white goose was too distant to
fully ID). Others were too distant to even guess. Some goose flocks had
70-80 birds, sometimes with 3-4 flocks in view at once.
* Beyond my 1300 goose total, Jack Hayden, who lives in the same
neighborhood, said he saw a flock of *200 additional Cackling Geese* (which
I think I heard distantly but never saw) during the same period this
morning. *So 1500 in all! *
And a personal milestone: Greater White-fronted Goose brings my yard list
to 100!! ✨Woohoo! 🎉 ✨
Now might be a good time to look on playing fields where geese congregate,
for interesting subspecies or less common species like Ross’ Goose.
Date: 12/19/24 12:29 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] While-throated Swifts at Stege Marsh
Wednesday afternoon I was out north of Point Isabel and the winter light made for good photographs. As I was getting ready to leave I spent some time trying to shoot the fast moving birds that were flying high above Stege Marsh. I assumed they were Swallows, but after looking at the photos, they didn’t fit. On iNaturalist, they were identified as White-throated Swifts and that seems to be a good fit. I looked on eBird for that area in December, but there were no reports of this bird.
In the Flickr album below is a photo of the Swift and a good look at a White-tailed Kite and some other birds from the same location.
Date: 12/17/24 1:07 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Red Fox Sparrow at Creekside Park in Albany
For those who are interested, after consulting various experts, I've
changed the designation of the Fox Sparrow at Creekside to Fox Sparrow
(Sooty x Red), a recent category addition to ebird. The general consensus
(thank you to input from Peter Pyle, Steve Hampton, Ethan Monk and others)
was that this bird was probably mostly Red (zaboria), with some Sooty
influence. But still an interesting and cool-looking bird!
On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 11:11 AM Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
> There’s a red subspecies Fox Sparrow at Creekside Park in Albany. First
> seen 10 yards SW from the top of the first set of steps at the bottom of
> the hill, with a mixed flock of Sooty FOSP, GCSP, CALT and WTSP.
>
> I’m told this might be something like the 3rd Alameda Co record on eBird.
> Bird was first seen at roughly:
> 37.8975676, -122.3039182).
>
> As of 11am, the flock had moved downhill to just east of the main trail at
> about
> (37.8976274, -122.3035370).
>
>
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
Date: 12/17/24 11:13 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Fremont-Hayward CBC - Garin south section 12/15/24
Sunday 12/15/24 I reprised last year's effort of covering the south portion of Garin/Dry Creek Regional Park for the Fremont - Hayward CBC.
In contrast to last year when I spent just under 5 hours in the field much of it in light to moderate rain, this year's effort lasted almost 8 hours and mostly sunny skies and I was able to cover a portion of the High-ridge Trail in the SE portion of the park that I was not able to get to in 2023.
The far and away highlight of the count was finding (3!!) GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS on the steep hillside below the High-ridge Trail at the west edge of the park above the cemetery. This is a reliable spot for Grasshopper Sparrows in the breeding season but may be the first record of Grasshopper Sparrow on an East Bay CBC one of very few "winter" records for the region (Dec. - Feb.) , as far as I can tell from the available records. Interestingly Sharon J. found and recorded a Grasshopper sparrow in this area on the very late date of 10/22 this year.
Other good birds for this area included:
Golden Eagle - two different adults
(Yellow-shafted) Northern Flicker - main parking area, continuing bird found a few days prior by Bob Toleno while scouting for the count
Horned Lark - on the High-ridge SE loop portion
Rufous-crowned Sparrow - one at the same spot as the Grasshoppers, and the reason why I was walking the cow trail on that steep hillside in the first place, plus a bonus pair on a sage /grassland slope above the Dry Creek Trail
Numbers were notably higher than last year's rainy day hike. Full list here:
