Date: 6/29/25 10:16 pm From: MARK M WEGNER via groups.io <markmwegner...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Wood Ducks at Jewel Lake
To my surprise I discovered two wood ducks at Jewel Lake late morning today. They appeared to be immature. After a couple of minutes they disappeared under the overhanging bushes opposite the bench on the west side of the lake. I'm generally on the lookout for wood ducks at Valle Vista but not Jewel Lake. The much more common mallards were also present.
Date: 6/28/25 11:28 pm From: <tonybrake...> via groups.io <tonybrake...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
[Edited Message Follows]
Here is a link to a video I took 5 days earlier than the photos and eBird checklist posted above. It gives a better idea of the spectacle of the nesting ELEGANT and CASPIAN TERNS on the Richmond breakwater. This was take with my phone in a digiscope setup during very windows conditions, hence the shakiness. The first segment is at full speed and the second is at 1/2 speed and zoomed in a bit.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16W3dMl0RUI8QWIkln9Zl3wOF6QbHcM6T/view?usp=sharing
Date: 6/28/25 8:53 pm From: <tonybrake...> via groups.io <tonybrake...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
Here is a link to a video I took 5 days earlier than the photos and eBird checklist posted above. It gives a better idea of the spectacle of the nesting ELEGANT and CASPIAN TERNS on the Richmond breakwater. This was take with my phone in a digiscope setup during very windows conditions, hence the shakiness. The first segment is at 1/2 speed and the second is zoomed out a bit.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wo05qY22RzL3XOLnodBM3twCF8AN3bI1/view?usp=drive_link
Date: 6/27/25 3:54 pm From: JD Bergeron via groups.io <bergeronjd...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
Hi Tony,
Thank you for sharing your observations.
When you see Elegant Terns, please look for red or orange leg bands.
International Bird Rescue conducted a large-scale rescue operation in
summer 2021, and over 3,000 Elegant Tern chicks passed through our hands.
We are eager for reports on this cohort.
Thanks,
JD
On Fri, Jun 27, 2025 at 12:36 <tonybrake...> via groups.io
<tonybrake...> wrote:
> [Edited Message Follows]
>
> Since April, we had been noticing the early arrival of ELEGANT TERNS
> along the Richmond channel breakwater along with the CASPIAN TERNS that
> usually nest, which we can observe from our home. In recent years ELEGANT
> TERNS have arrived at later date (June-July?) presumably post-breeding. On
> 8May we rode the Richmond-SF ferry and I took photographs along the
> breakwater in order to get a better look and make an estimated count.
>
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S239003744 > It seemed quite likely that many were in an incubation posture, presumably
> on eggs. Ethan Monk told me that this would be the first nesting record for
> Contra Costa County, so I conservatively recorded them as “Occupied Nest”
>
> Yesterday, 26June, we gain rode the ferry along the breakwater and this
> time saw many juvenile ELEGANT TERNS, as well as juvenile CASPIAN TERNS. I
> made a rough estimate of about 3,000 ELEGANT TERNS. This is likely an under
> count since the birds were densely packed especially in/around the creche
> of juveniles. Also many terns were flying to and fro. Here is a checklist
> of these and other species.
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S254165210 >
> I have attached a few photos that give an idea of the scene.
> --
> Tony Brake
> Point Richmond
>
>
>
>
Date: 6/27/25 12:36 pm From: <tonybrake...> via groups.io <tonybrake...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
[Edited Message Follows]
Since April, we had been noticing the early arrival of ELEGANT TERNS along the Richmond channel breakwater along with the CASPIAN TERNS that usually nest, which we can observe from our home. In recent years ELEGANT TERNS have arrived at later date (June-July?) presumably post-breeding. On 8May we rode the Richmond-SF ferry and I took photographs along the breakwater in order to get a better look and make an estimated count.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S239003744 It seemed quite likely that many were in an incubation posture, presumably on eggs. Ethan Monk told me that this would be the first nesting record for Contra Costa County, so I conservatively recorded them as “Occupied Nest”
Yesterday, 26June, we gain rode the ferry along the breakwater and this time saw many juvenile ELEGANT TERNS, as well as juvenile CASPIAN TERNS. I made a rough estimate of about 3,000 ELEGANT TERNS. This is likely an under count since the birds were densely packed especially in/around the creche of juveniles. Also many terns were flying to and fro. Here is a checklist of these and other species.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S254165210
I have attached a few photos that give an idea of the scene.
Date: 6/26/25 8:41 pm From: <tonybrake...> via groups.io <tonybrake...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
Since April, we had been noticing the early arrival of ELEGANT TERNS along the Richmond channel breakwater along with the CASPIAN TERNS that usually nest there that we can observe from our home. In recent years ELEGANT TERNS have arrived at later date (June-July?) presumably post-breeding. On 8May we rode the Richmond-SF ferry and I took photographs along the breakwater in order to getter a better look and make an estimated count.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S239003744 It seemed quite likely that many were in an incubation posture, presumably on eggs. Ethan Monk told me that this would be the first nesting record for Contra Costa County, so I conservatively recorded them as “Occupied Nest”
Yesterday, 26June, we gain rode the ferry along the breakwater and this time saw many juvenile ELEGANT TERNS, as well as juvenile CASPIAN TERNS. I made a rough estimate of about 3,000 ELEGANT TERNS. This is likely an under count since the birds were densely packed especially in/around the creche of juveniles. Also many terns were flying to and fro. Here is a checklist of these and other species.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S254165210
I have attached a few photos that give an idea of the scene.
Date: 6/24/25 5:14 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Swainson's Thrush and Merlin
I was out near Jewel Lake looking for a photogenic Swainson’s Thrush today and Merlin was a great help in identifying their calls, even though they seemed to stay out of sight most of the time. On the trail from the parking lot up to the Pack Rat trail there were frequent calls by several Thrush. Finally one landed on a branch close by for 30 seconds, and I got the photo,
Date: 6/21/25 7:13 am From: SteveLombardi via groups.io <hotrock175...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Leucistic Acorn Woodpeckers, San Ramon
Two years ago Dom spotted leucistic Acorn Woodpeckers at Bishop Ranch Open Space ( https://ebird.org/checklist/S142837463 )
The birds, or their relatives, are still there. I saw two or three yesterday.
They're about 50 yards straight up the steep Gray Fox Trail (the fire road) past the gate at the entrance off Morgan Dr. near Hawkins Dr. hanging around the oaks adjacent to the road.
Unmistakable; white birds with red crowns.
Date: 6/12/25 7:30 am From: Sarah Dandridge via groups.io <sarahpdandridge...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
You can’t miss the Moraga spit- last street corner heading east on south
side with excited birders in a gaggle.
On Thu, Jun 12, 2025 at 7:04 AM Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary=
<salamanderfeltworks.com...> wrote:
> On 6/12/2025 12:15 AM, Elsa Alvear wrote:
>
> GPS point for the location on Moraga, please?
>
> Can't say exactly. I saw scopes pointing over the houses across the street
> from the corner of Moraga and Monte and half a block in either direction -
> like a huge theater with only a couple of rows of seats. Which is a good
> thing - the size of the viewing area helps keep the nest from becoming a
> parking and crowding nightmare for the neighborhood.
>
>
> - Elsa
>
> On Jun 11, 2025, at 7:18 PM, Hilary Powers via groups.io
> <hilary...>
> <hilary...> wrote:
>
> It also helps that the perfect viewing point is outside the cemetery
> entirely, up on Moraga. From there, the nest is at eye level, far enough
> away to avoid disturbing the occupants but close enough for comfortable
> binocular viewing - and to count feathers stuck on the sides if you look
> through a scope (of which there were several when I arrived with mine a few
> days ago). It was a happy chatty party, with community members and visiting
> birders, while I was there....
>
> On 6/11/2025 6:30 PM, Lee Friedman via groups.io wrote:
>
> It is important that all birders exercise good judgment in order not to
> disturb the nesting Bald Eagles at Mountain View Cemetery. The nest itself
> and the parents’ roosting spots are high above the ground, which is good.
> But it won’t be long before the eaglets will start learning how to move
> about, fly and hunt, and they will need their space to do this. It works in
> their favor that *the cemetery is only open for recreational purposes
> (including birding) on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays*.
>
> Photographs of the two parent Bald Eagles and the two eaglets
> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/albums/72177720326820649/> in
> their nest at Mountain View Cemetery may be seen by clicking the link.
>
> What an exciting event for the East Bay!
>
> Good (unobtrusive) birding,
>
> Lee Friedman
> --
>
> --
> ~ 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 ~
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 6/12/25 7:04 am From: Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
On 6/12/2025 12:15 AM, Elsa Alvear wrote: > GPS point for the location on Moraga, please? Can't say exactly. I saw scopes pointing over the houses across the street from the corner of Moraga and Monte and half a block in either direction - like a huge theater with only a couple of rows of seats. Which is a good thing - the size of the viewing area helps keep the nest from becoming a parking and crowding nightmare for the neighborhood. > > - Elsa > >> On Jun 11, 2025, at 7:18 PM, Hilary Powers via groups.io >> <hilary...> wrote: >> >> It also helps that the perfect viewing point is outside the >> cemetery entirely, up on Moraga. From there, the nest is at eye >> level, far enough away to avoid disturbing the occupants but close >> enough for comfortable binocular viewing - and to count feathers >> stuck on the sides if you look through a scope (of which there were >> several when I arrived with mine a few days ago). It was a happy >> chatty party, with community members and visiting birders, while I >> was there.... >> >> On 6/11/2025 6:30 PM, Lee Friedman via groups.io wrote: >>> >>> It is important that all birders exercise good judgment in order not >>> to disturb the nesting Bald Eagles at Mountain View Cemetery. The >>> nest itself and the parents’ roosting spots are high above the >>> ground, which is good. But it won’t be long before the eaglets will >>> start learning how to move about, fly and hunt, and they will need >>> their space to do this. It works in their favor that_the cemetery is >>> only open for recreational purposes (including birding) on >>> Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays_. >>> >>> Photographs of the two parentBald Eagles and the two eaglets >>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/albums/72177720326820649/>in >>> their nest at Mountain View Cemetery may be seen by clicking the link. >>> >>> What an exciting event for the East Bay! >>> >>> Good (unobtrusive) birding, >>> >>> Lee Friedman >>> >>> --
-- ~ 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 ~
Date: 6/11/25 7:18 pm From: Hilary Powers via groups.io <hilary...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
It also helps that the perfect viewing point is outside the cemetery entirely, up on Moraga. From there, the nest is at eye level, far enough away to avoid disturbing the occupants but close enough for comfortable binocular viewing - and to count feathers stuck on the sides if you look through a scope (of which there were several when I arrived with mine a few days ago). It was a happy chatty party, with community members and visiting birders, while I was there....
On 6/11/2025 6:30 PM, Lee Friedman via groups.io wrote: > > It is important that all birders exercise good judgment in order not > to disturb the nesting Bald Eagles at Mountain View Cemetery. The nest > itself and the parents’ roosting spots are high above the ground, > which is good. But it won’t be long before the eaglets will start > learning how to move about, fly and hunt, and they will need their > space to do this. It works in their favor that_the cemetery is only > open for recreational purposes (including birding) on Wednesdays, > Saturdays and Sundays_. > > Photographs of the two parentBald Eagles and the two eaglets > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/albums/72177720326820649/>in > their nest at Mountain View Cemetery may be seen by clicking the link. > > What an exciting event for the East Bay! > > Good (unobtrusive) birding, > > Lee Friedman > > > >
-- -- ~ 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 ~
Date: 6/11/25 6:30 pm From: Lee Friedman via groups.io <lfried6...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
It is important that all birders exercise good judgment in order not to disturb the nesting Bald Eagles at Mountain View Cemetery. The nest itself and the parents’ roosting spots are high above the ground, which is good. But it won’t be long before the eaglets will start learning how to move about, fly and hunt, and they will need their space to do this. It works in their favor that the cemetery is only open for recreational purposes (including birding) on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Date: 6/10/25 11:26 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] some misc. observations of breeding birds/migration from Contra Costa Co. 6/8-9/25
Spent the last couple of days birding various sites in east/central Contra Costa county with a few observation I found notable :
a few getting late migrants noted:
Western Wood-pewee - a vocal bird along Dry Creek Rd. south of Creekside Park in Brentwood 6/8
Wilson's Warbler - singing along the Volvon Trail /Morgan Territory 6/9
Western Tanager - singing on Dry Creek Rd. 6/8
Notable nesting:
Chestnut-backed Chickadees - a family group of four birds with fledglings being fed, was at Creekside Park 6/8. Per my communication with Ethan Monk (and something he alluded to in a post late last year) this appears to be the eastern most station of breeding/regular occurrence for this species in the Bay Area and possibly the only breeding Chickadees in the Central Valley
Great-tailed Grackles - a small (~20-30 birds) colony is nesting along Dry Creek Rd. in Brentwood. On 6/8 I observed multiple birds flying with food into cattails along the periphery of a small pond in a small neighborhood golf course a short way down the road from Creekside Park. There is only previous report of grackles from this site (8 bird reported without any details by D. Heins in June '23) but this suggests that they may have been nesting here unnoticed for several years now.
Finally, an update on Lawrence's Goldfinch irruption in the region:
on 6/9 a pair was coming to the first pond past the parking lot at Morgan Territory indicating possible breeding somewhere in the park(10 birds were reported in early May here Erica Rutherford/John Colbert)
later in the morning I drove down Marciel Rd. (a short dead-end road off Highland ) and noted (5) Lawrence's Goldfinches just a couple of hundred meters from the junction that may have been a family group.
Date: 6/2/25 2:31 pm From: RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Reflections on my E bird walk
A few reflections on my exercise walk with Cornel Lab's, Merlin Bird Id.
It seems urbanization is usually thought to have negative affects on wildlife. But my recent walks on the Iron Horse Trail made me realize that some types of urbanization may result in many, varied and rich habitats for avian species and, maybe too, for other less obvious species. Each 1/3 acre of land may offer drastically different habitat attributes.
This habitat richness likely does not compare to natural tropical habitats but 36 species in a narrow 1.5 mile transect of "urbanized land" seems notable to me.
Date: 6/2/25 12:52 pm From: David Brostoff via groups.io <davchbro...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
On Jun 2, 2025, at 11:08 AM, clark stanton via groups.io <leclarkster...> wrote:
>
> I saw two babies in the nest there and two adults a few days ago. The babies are only three weeks old. I’m guessing.
David Couch mentioned three small ponds in the cemetery. Are those large enough to provide a steady supply of fish?
Otherwise, have the eagles been observed hunting for different types of prey?
Date: 6/1/25 6:50 pm From: Janet Johnson via groups.io <electricista545...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
Yes, they have a nest there, apparently with chicks.
Janet Scoll Johnson
On Sun, Jun 1, 2025, 1:43 PM David Couch via groups.io <dhcouch=
<sonic.net...> wrote:
> I hear third hand that there are Bald Eagles hanging around in Piedmont at
> the southeastern edge of Mountain View Cemetery at around 635 Moraga Ave
> near Monte; there are three little ponds in the cemetery (on the other side
> of a wall or fence, I recall).
>
> They’ve reportedly been there at least a couple of months, often resting
> and being active in a large eucalyptus tree.
>
> I have not gone by yet to observe.
>
> David Herzstein Couch
> Berkeley
>
>
> On Mar 31, 2025, at 2:13 PM, Derek via groups.io <dlheins=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>
> Can't believe how common Bald Eagles have become locally. I watched six
> soaring in two trios at Valle Vista this morning and while biking home saw
> three soaring over Pinehurst Road which obviously could have been
> overlapping. Some photos of one munching a snack in the link below:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S222143282 >
> Derek Heins
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 6/1/25 1:43 pm From: David Couch via groups.io <dhcouch...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Bald Eagles in Piedmont
I hear third hand that there are Bald Eagles hanging around in Piedmont at the southeastern edge of Mountain View Cemetery at around 635 Moraga Ave near Monte; there are three little ponds in the cemetery (on the other side of a wall or fence, I recall).
They’ve reportedly been there at least a couple of months, often resting and being active in a large eucalyptus tree.
I have not gone by yet to observe.
David Herzstein Couch
Berkeley
> On Mar 31, 2025, at 2:13 PM, Derek via groups.io <dlheins...> wrote:
>
>
> Can't believe how common Bald Eagles have become locally. I watched six soaring in two trios at Valle Vista this morning and while biking home saw three soaring over Pinehurst Road which obviously could have been overlapping. Some photos of one munching a snack in the link below:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S222143282 >
> Derek Heins
>
>
>
Date: 6/1/25 11:07 am From: RON & MARILYN MODAFFERI via groups.io <tahoemod...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cornell Lab E Bird App
This may be old news, but it was news to me.
Last week, I downloaded the Cornell Lab E Bird song/call identifier App on my smart phone. I've used it for about a week on my 1 hour, 3.2 mile, brisk, morning exercise walks. My walks go from my house to the Iron Horse Trail at Ridgewood Road and from there north to a little farther than Hillgrade Ave where I turn around.
In this one week e Bird recorded 46 different species and a high of 36 species on one walk.
It's amazing on how it picks up and analyzes avian songs and calls or parts there of.
Date: 6/1/25 10:31 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] late migrants
Like other birders have noticed, spring started off slow but it seems the
migrants are just moving late. The last week or so of birding I have seen
notably more migrants than I typically do at this time, and a number of
later than typical things, too. May 27th I checked a couple spots in
Tilden, turning up 2 Townsend’s Warblers, 3 Hermit Warblers, and 3 warblers
that were either or. This in addition to a handful of Tanagers, migrant
Warbling Vireos at sites where they don’t breed, etc. The Fox Sparrow Zac
Denning found at Jewel Lake the 26th continued for me, and elsewhere in
Tilden I found a Hammond’s Flycatcher that I thought was the latest date
for Contra Costa County… but my attention was brought to a record in the
iNaturalist database from May 29th. So thank you Lisa from iNaturalist for
that observation.
That afternoon there was a Greater Yellowlegs in the “Richmond Pond” off
the end of 51st street.
May 30th I encountered a very late American Pipit at Clifton, and
apparently in good health. A Wood Duck on the forebay was unusual, and
presumably the same as reported a few days prior by Vicky Atkinson. In the
various water bodies around Bethel Island I found a Lesser Scaup and 38
Mute Swan. The Mute Swan numbers are down from the 100+ that were here
through the winter, but just over the county line in Solano, Roger Muskat
counted 579 a month ago. So fear not, the Mute Swan armada continues to
multiply exponentially. There are surely over a thousand in the delta now.
And that is not to say anything of the three other populations in Suisun
Bay, Concord/Martinez, and the North Bay.
Yesterday, May 31st, I took another tour through Tilden, missing Zac’s Fox
Sparrow, but along the way managed 6 Townsend’s Warblers, 3 Hermits, and a
Sharp-shinned Hawk circling over the Meadows Area. I have long suspected
this species breeds somewhere very locally here, but they are always
challenging to find in the summer. I have seen adults with closely
following young around in the past, but not so young that you think they
are certainly from the immediate vicinity.
Finally today June 1st I took a walk through Curry Canyon with Sarah Lynch,
where we found a single Townsend’s and Hermit, one Lawrence’s Goldfinch but
no signs of breeding, and then a handful of the more expecteds. For
reference, the latest Contra Costa County records of Townsend’s and Hermit
Warbler that I know of are June 8th and June 3rd, respectively.
