| EBB-Sightings |
| Received |
From |
Subject |
| 5/7/26 5:43 pm |
Forest Chapman via groups.io <fococh11...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Richmond notable breeders (Pigeon Guillemots, terns, songbirds) |
| 5/7/26 10:40 am |
Alan Bade via groups.io <alanb1491187...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Townsend's solitaire Moses ridge above Juniper campground |
| 5/6/26 5:05 pm |
Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> |
[EBB-Sightings] today and yesterday, warblers and waterbirds |
| 5/2/26 3:15 pm |
amrybarczyk via groups.io <amrybarczyk...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Red Throated Loon Bellna Bay Alameda |
| 5/1/26 2:57 pm |
Akira So via groups.io <akiradotnet...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Shadow Cliffs this morning (5/1 Friday) |
| 4/27/26 5:47 pm |
Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> |
[EBB-Sightings] First Goslings appearing at Meeker Slough |
| 4/26/26 11:05 am |
Cathy Bleier via groups.io <csbleier...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Dotson Marsh breeding plumage birds, BONAPARTE’s Gulls, and probably Snipes… |
| 4/24/26 12:48 pm |
Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
| 4/24/26 10:02 am |
RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Band Tailed pigeons |
| 4/23/26 6:13 pm |
Lawrence from California via groups.io <Lawrencemathewseeberger...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
| 4/23/26 5:28 pm |
Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
| 4/23/26 5:22 pm |
Jackie Bobrosky via groups.io <electricjmb...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Hooded Orioles |
| 4/22/26 8:54 pm |
Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Green Heron at Lake Merritt |
| 4/22/26 3:26 pm |
RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Cowbird at feeder |
| 4/18/26 12:02 pm |
Jaan Lepson via groups.io <lepson...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/18/26 10:09 am |
judisierra via groups.io <judisierra...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/18/26 7:15 am |
Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/18/26 7:04 am |
Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/17/26 8:55 pm |
Kay Loughman via groups.io <kayloughman...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/17/26 7:32 pm |
seanrocks via groups.io <seanrocks...> |
Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/17/26 6:46 pm |
ktandy2 via groups.io <ktandy...> |
[EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
| 4/10/26 12:16 pm |
Erica Buhrmann via groups.io <ebuhrmann...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Northbound YRWAs |
| 4/9/26 4:21 pm |
RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> |
[EBB-Sightings] Bird Nest ID? |
| |
Date: 5/7/26 5:43 pm
From: Forest Chapman via groups.io <fococh11...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Richmond notable breeders (Pigeon Guillemots, terns, songbirds) |
Hi all,
Last week I spent some time birding around Richmond and stumbled upon some notable breeding birds. Most significant was a group of 8+ Pigeon Guillemots on 5/3 just off the Richmond Long Wharf, with some of the birds seen flying directly under the pier. These numbers and behavior are highly suggestive of nesting, and would be the furthest the species has nested within the bay as far as I am aware. Confirming this species won’t be easy unless you have a kayak, but Miller/Knox is a good place to view them with a scope.
**
**
In hopes of further success with expanding breeders, I have been closely monitoring the Elegant terns on Brooks island. As of May 3rd, there are about 250 birds but few are showing any signs of breeding so it seems they may not nest this year after all. For reference, last year, courtship began by 4/12 and birds were sitting on nests by the end of April. Numbers were also significantly higher. A Red-winged Blackbird pair on the island seemed incredibly out of place next to the heron rookery but appear to be attempting to breed.
**
**
On 4/28 I hiked some of my favorite spots in Wildcat Canyon. The highlight was a MacGillivray's Warbler singing territorially from an eastward facing slope near the intersection of the Belgum and Monte Cresta trails amongst a large swath of poison oak & bay trees. Although there are several reports of MacG’s within the park that support breeding, this would be the northernmost to date for the county if confirmed. Also of note were 4 pairs of Rufous crowned sparrows, my highest count for the park. While there has been a known population at the sage patch along the Oil Well trail, many of these birds were instead found along the upper reaches of the Belgum trail in areas that looked more suitable for Grasshopper Sparrows. Perhaps this species is also expanding in the region?
Forest C
El Sobrante
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Date: 5/7/26 10:40 am
From: Alan Bade via groups.io <alanb1491187...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Townsend's solitaire Moses ridge above Juniper campground |
A well seen Townsend's solitaire was on the north side of the ridge about here: 37.878960, -121.930470. Photos later. In the gray pines.
Alan Bade
Pleasant Hill
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Date: 5/6/26 5:05 pm
From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] today and yesterday, warblers and waterbirds |
Hi folks
This morning I went to scout out a potential new morning flight spot
--sorry, on private property--on the east side of Mt. Diablo, east of
Morgan Terr. Rd., and then do some atlasing for the California Breeding
Bird Atlas closer to Morgan Territory Road. I arrived to find my hoped for
flight spot with patchy fog around and overcast above, not ideal, but I
still had over 100 migrants fly by me between 5:50 and 8AM. The biggest
movers (identified to species, most were sps.) were Townsend's Warblers
(15), Lazuli Bunting (22), Western Tanager (18), and Wilson's Warbler (21).
Bonus points for a Gray-headed Orange-crowned, seen well when it paused in
a blue oak on the ridge top. My previous records of this taxon, presumably
ssp. orestera, in spring in interior Contra Costa County are on May 9th and
May 10th. And the only other on eBird in spring in the Contra Costa Diablo
Range is a bird Kai Mills, Armin Adly, and Jaedon Tembrevilla had May 5th,
2024, in Mitchell Canyon. The tight temporal clustering is neat.
Hiking down back to Morgan Terr. Rd., I ran into a singing Say's Phoebe and
a pair of Horned Larks (one singing) set up on a bare grassy knoll at about
2000'. I then spent until noon moseying around Morgan Territory Preserve
and along the main road. The highlight was a Townsend's Solitaire chowing
down on mistletoe just east of the Preserve parking lot, but scattered
flocks of Hermit/Townsend's Warblers and a scattering of Hammond's
Flycatchers were nice. On Morgan Territory Road, I followed around a
Sharp-shinned Hawk for a while in an attempt to find a nest (no cigar) and
counted at least 8 Cassin's Vireos apparently on territory.
Yesterday evening I made a run through the delta, highlighted by what may
be a first-for-Bethel Island (off the top of my head, I can remember no
others) Brown Pelican on Frank's Tract! This was an adult that spent its
time with a feeding mass of ~100 Cormorants and sea lions. I also found a
Western Gull among the Californias--the first I have seen here in a while.
I finished my evening at Clifton Court Forebay, where I unsuccessfully
checked for nighthawk. But I did manage a female Red-breasted Merganser,
almost certainly a spring migrant, as well as 3 Common Mergansers, and
lingering pairs of Lesser Scaup and Common Goldeneye. I only saw 4
Bonaparte's Gulls among what I thought was over 5000 California Gulls.
Best
Ethan Monk
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Date: 5/2/26 3:15 pm
From: amrybarczyk via groups.io <amrybarczyk...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Red Throated Loon Bellna Bay Alameda |
Hello! I spotted a red throated loon today around 1:00pm, in Ballena bay west of Crab Cove in Alameda, close to shore along the walking path.
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Date: 5/1/26 2:57 pm
From: Akira So via groups.io <akiradotnet...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Shadow Cliffs this morning (5/1 Friday) |
Hi all,
Just wanted to mention, in case anyone might like to try to refind it, that I had a Yellow-breasted Chat at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park this morning.
It was initially heard at around 9:30am. Later I saw it at around 11am. It was last seen at around 1 pm at 37.66872, -121.8471. (This area is along the creekside trail on the south side of the arroyo, west/downstream of the concrete bridge. It's near a 3-way trail junction.) The Chat was singing very loudly and distinctly among the vegetation in the very weedy, large overgrown field near that trail junction.
Not sure how long it will hang around, but basically it seemed to be staying in that field singing all this morning, at least between 9:30am to ~1pm. (After that I gave up on photo and left.) So perhaps it may still be around this weekend.
When I initially heard the song at 9:30am, I didn't realize it was a Chat. I thought it had this jumbled quality to the song, that reminded me of a Northern Mockingbird. So I dismissed it. Later at around 11 am, as I walked by I heard it again. This time, after consulting the Merlin app, I realized my error. I was eventually able to see it singing in an upper part of a medium-size shrub in the weedy field from a distance of about 40 feet.
The song was loud and very distinctive, yet the bird was very hard to locate it, in part because it kept moving around. (I made some audio recordings, which I will upload to eBird when I file an eBird checklist a little later this afternoon. I know it will be flagged for a review anyway, so I thought I would send this message first.)
Best of luck and good birding,
-Akira
Akira So
Pleasanton, CA (ALA)
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Date: 4/26/26 11:05 am
From: Cathy Bleier via groups.io <csbleier...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Dotson Marsh breeding plumage birds, BONAPARTE’s Gulls, and probably Snipes… |
A walk yesterday at about a 3 foot tide at Dotson marsh revealed Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlins in full breeding plumage before they take off (which is soon). I was also surprised by a Western Kingbird. Best sighting was 6 Bonaparte’s Gulls, at least one With a full fully black head.
Pretty sure I saw a dozen Wilson’s Snipes, but eBird had already declared them a “rarity” for this time. I didn’t get a great look, so it might have been a group of Dowitchers, though I only saw three of those for the rest of the time I was there, or it might have been Dunlins but my impression was stockier and longer-billed. I deferred to the big red R, but I’m still thinking about it…. SEEMS LIKE A MIGRATORY SPECIES, WHOSE DEPARTURE MIGHT VARY BY A WEEK OR AND FROM PLACE TO PLACE, SHOULD HAVE A “P” for Probably Not, especially at sites where the bird is well known the rest of the year. I admit, I wanted another species for my birdathon fundraising tally…
Good birding!
Cathy Bleier
El Cerrito
https://ebird.org/checklist/S327408677
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Date: 4/24/26 12:48 pm
From: Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
Consensus seems to be black bellied. Thanks to all.
Jim Roethe
> On Apr 23, 2026, at 5:28 PM, Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...> wrote:
>
>
> Attached are 4 grainy pictures of a bird I saw at Arrowhead Marsh today foraging in the flats with many Western Sandpipers. One shows a sandpiper in the background for size comparison. At first, I thought plover but don’t know. Would like any thoughts.
>
> Jim Roethe
> Orinda
> <IMG_1864a.JPG>
> <IMG_1863a.JPG>
> <IMG_1865a.JPG>
> <IMG_1910a.JPG>
>
>
>
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Date: 4/24/26 10:02 am
From: RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Band Tailed pigeons |
Friday morning I observed a flock of about 70-80 band tails flying north west over Ridgewood and Danville Blvd (1/2 mile north Alamo Safeway). I think they had just flew out of a small clump of redwood trees as I heard some wings "clapping".
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Date: 4/23/26 6:13 pm
From: Lawrence from California via groups.io <Lawrencemathewseeberger...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
They look like Black-bellied Plovers to me
On Thu, Apr 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe=
<aol.com...> wrote:
> Attached are 4 grainy pictures of a bird I saw at Arrowhead Marsh today
> foraging in the flats with many Western Sandpipers. One shows a sandpiper
> in the background for size comparison. At first, I thought plover but
> don’t know. Would like any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Jim Roethe
>
> Orinda
>
>
>
>
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Date: 4/23/26 5:28 pm
From: Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Help wirh Identity |
Attached are 4 grainy pictures of a bird I saw at Arrowhead Marsh today foraging in the flats with many Western Sandpipers. One shows a sandpiper in the background for size comparison. At first, I thought plover but don’t know. Would like any thoughts.
Jim Roethe
Orinda
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Date: 4/23/26 5:22 pm
From: Jackie Bobrosky via groups.io <electricjmb...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Hooded Orioles |
Watching a silly selasphorous hummingbird argue with the Anna's, and then a beautiful male Hooded Oriole landed on the feeder. Always a welcome visitor but for my yard they usually arrive in March.
Downtown Martinez
Jackie Bobrosky
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Date: 4/22/26 8:54 pm
From: Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Green Heron at Lake Merritt |
For the first time in years, the Golden Gate Bird Alliance 4th-Wednesday
trip spotted a Green Heron at Lake Merritt. It was sitting on the rocks
along one of the farther islands, and appeared right after someone asked
if we ever saw them there - and before we could finish explaining that
we used to see them fairly often, but hadn't for a long long time....
--
--
~ Hilary Powers <-Hilary...> - Oakland CA ~
~www.salamanderfeltworks.com;www.Etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks ~
~ Now a member of the the Oakland Cottage Industry Collective! ~
~ Needle Felted Sculpture - Real and Fantasy Creatures ~
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Date: 4/18/26 12:02 pm
From: Jaan Lepson via groups.io <lepson...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
Interesting! I only see/hear them in Livermore during Spring and Summer, so I assumed the migrated away for the winter.
Jaan Lepson
Livermore
> On Apr 18, 2026, at 07:15, Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> wrote:
>
> cowbirds are always around in the Bay Area. After the breeding season they form flocks and become more localized. In spring they disperse to look for nests to parasitize so you may see them more frequently and in more places. But they never actually leave and I would not categorize them as ever being uncommon or rare in a general sense.
>
> One thing that will increase your detections is familiarizing yourself with their vocalizations. They try to be sneaky when looking for nests and might be tough to spot but they vocalize to each other.
>
> dm
>
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 18, 2026 at 7:04 AM Hilary Powers via groups.io <http://groups.io/> <hilary...> <mailto:<salamanderfeltworks.com...>> wrote:
> On 4/17/2026 6:46 PM, ktandy2 via groups.io <http://groups.io/> wrote:
>> I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
> They're uncommon but not astonishing at Lake Merritt at this time of year. I keep a record of what we see on the Golden Gate Bird Alliance 4th-Wednesday walk, and there's about a 50-50 chance in April and rather less in May and June. The rest of the year, unheard-of - dunno where they go then.
>
> --
> --
> ~ Hilary Powers - <Hilary...> <mailto:<Hilary...> - Oakland CA ~
> ~ www.salamanderfeltworks.com <http://www.salamanderfeltworks.com/>; www.Etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks <http://www.etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks> ~
> ~ Now a member of the the Oakland Cottage Industry Collective! ~
> ~ Needle Felted Sculpture - Real and Fantasy Creatures ~
>
>
>
>
>
>
=============================
Jaan Lepson
(he/him/his)
University of California
Space Sciences Laboratory
7 Gauss Way
Berkeley, CA 94720-7451
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Date: 4/18/26 10:09 am
From: judisierra via groups.io <judisierra...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
Happy to say, no cowbirds at my feeder in Bushrod (North Oakland) area!
Judi Sierra
On Friday, April 17, 2026 at 06:46:35 PM PDT, ktandy2 via groups.io <ktandy...> wrote:
I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
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Date: 4/18/26 7:15 am
From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
cowbirds are always around in the Bay Area. After the breeding season they
form flocks and become more localized. In spring they disperse to look for
nests to parasitize so you may see them more frequently and in more places.
But they never actually leave and I would not categorize them as ever being
uncommon or rare in a general sense.
One thing that will increase your detections is familiarizing yourself with
their vocalizations. They try to be sneaky when looking for nests and might
be tough to spot but they vocalize to each other.
dm
On Sat, Apr 18, 2026 at 7:04 AM Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary=
<salamanderfeltworks.com...> wrote:
> On 4/17/2026 6:46 PM, ktandy2 via groups.io wrote:
>
> I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird
> feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a
> brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird in
> Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has anyone else
> seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
>
> They're uncommon but not astonishing at Lake Merritt at this time of year.
> I keep a record of what we see on the Golden Gate Bird Alliance
> 4th-Wednesday walk, and there's about a 50-50 chance in April and rather
> less in May and June. The rest of the year, unheard-of - dunno where they
> go then.
>
> --
> --
> ~ Hilary Powers - <Hilary...> - Oakland CA ~
> ~ www.salamanderfeltworks.com; www.Etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks ~
> ~ Now a member of the the Oakland Cottage Industry Collective! ~
> ~ Needle Felted Sculpture - Real and Fantasy Creatures ~
>
>
>
>
>
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Date: 4/18/26 7:04 am
From: Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
On 4/17/2026 6:46 PM, ktandy2 via groups.io wrote:
> I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird
> feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a
> brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird
> in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has
> anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
They're uncommon but not astonishing at Lake Merritt at this time of
year. I keep a record of what we see on the Golden Gate Bird Alliance
4th-Wednesday walk, and there's about a 50-50 chance in April and rather
less in May and June. The rest of the year, unheard-of - dunno where
they go then.
--
--
~ Hilary Powers <-Hilary...> - Oakland CA ~
~www.salamanderfeltworks.com;www.Etsy.com/shop/SalamanderFeltworks ~
~ Now a member of the the Oakland Cottage Industry Collective! ~
~ Needle Felted Sculpture - Real and Fantasy Creatures ~
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Date: 4/17/26 8:55 pm
From: Kay Loughman via groups.io <kayloughman...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
I live in Claremont Canyon, and have recorded Brown-headed Cowbirds at
my feeders in 19 of the last 25 years. --
Kay Loughman
> I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird
> feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a
> brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird
> in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has
> anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
>
>
>
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Date: 4/17/26 7:32 pm
From: seanrocks via groups.io <seanrocks...>
Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
We're up in El Sobrante and they are a fairly regular visitor to our bird feeder this time of year. Cheers,Sean ParnellSent from my Galaxy
-------- Original message --------From: "ktandy2 via groups.io" <ktandy...> Date: 4/17/26 18:46 (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
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Date: 4/17/26 6:46 pm
From: ktandy2 via groups.io <ktandy...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] brown-headed cowbird |
I live in North Oakland/Temescal on a commercial street. I have a bird feeder outside my front window and for the past few days I've had a brown-headed cowbird coming to the feeder! I have NEVER seen a cowbird in Oakland before, although I've seen them on Grizzly Island. Has anyone else seen cowbirds in the Oakland flats?
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Date: 4/10/26 12:16 pm
From: Erica Buhrmann via groups.io <ebuhrmann...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Northbound YRWAs |
While birding on the Lafayette Reservoir trail on the south woodsy side on Wednesday, we saw a foraging flock of 10-12 “Myrtle” type yellow-rumped warblers. Most appeared very pale (black/white/gray) without yellow cast, except on the rump. Some had a slight tinge of yellow on the throat or flank. One male had a yellow throat. Someone mentioned that YRWA in Washington State are Myrtle group. It made me wonder whether there is more of cline between the two types. Any comments?
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Date: 4/9/26 4:21 pm
From: RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...>
Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bird Nest ID? |
Hi:This nest appeared on our driveway this morning. I doubt the wind blew it down. Maybe a squirrel knocked it down while eating eggs. No sign of eggs in or near the downed nest. Lots of grasses in structure. Original tight bottom bowl was brownish and maybe 2.5 inches in diameter. Nearby tree a 10 foot Chinese maple.
Any speculation on who made it??
1/2 mile north Alamo Safeway east side Danville Blvd.
Ron
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