Ethan is unavailable at the moment. I think he’s taking a long and
necessary rest after reading Logan’s maniacal account of the big day ,but
he gave me his blessing to respond to your question.
While possibilities of extralimital breeding always exist to some level The
best bet is that these finches are overwintering and haven’t departed yet.
There is no documentation of Cassens Finch nesting in the Diablo range or
any of the coastal foothills of central California. Their closest breeding
stronghold is in the Sierra Nevada.
I think the closest they come to nesting near the coast in Northern
California is maybe the highest reaches of Lake/Mendocino county. But I
could be off by a mountain range or two.
Happy spring birding,
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
On Tue, Apr 23, 2024 at 16:45 Erica via groups.io <ihearwaxwings=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Thank you for sharing these observations Ethan. Do you suspect that they
> may be breeding locally? Also a question about access. The park technically
> opens at 8:00 am. Are you able to enter earlier than the posted time? If
> so, is it fairly reliable to be able to do so?
>
> Many thanks and congratulations. I hope we'll see your photo at some
> point.
>
> Best, Erica
>
>
>
Thank you for sharing these observations Ethan. Do you suspect that they may be breeding locally? Also a question about access. The park technically opens at 8:00 am. Are you able to enter earlier than the posted time? If so, is it fairly reliable to be able to do so?
Many thanks and congratulations. I hope we'll see your photo at some point.
Date: 4/23/24 7:06 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cassin’s, again.
About 640AM on Monday morning, I finally saw and photographed a female Cassins Finch on Mt. Diablo in foothill pines along summit road between Grapevine Picnic Area and Juniper Campground (this is the dense ravine filled with foothill pine and what might be canyon live oak or something just a quarter mile or so before juniper if you are driving up towards the summit). I actually suspect there might be two Cassins involved…
Sunday evening there were four Greater Scaup and a Sanderling at Clifton Court Forebay. 102 Whimbrel and ~190 ibis flew over.
Date: 4/23/24 2:11 am From: Logan Kahle via groups.io <logan...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Alameda County Big Day 4/21, 200 species (!!!) (long) Calliope Hummingbird, Dusky Flycatchers, Gray Flycatchers, continuing Costa's Hummingbird, etc
Hi all,
As those who have done a healthy number of big days learn, some days things just line up. There are days where everything seems to go like clockwork, and every spot produces more than you anticipate. Yesterday was one of those days.
At midnight of 4/21, Alex Henry, Dessi Sieburth, Lucas Stephenson and I undertook an all-out Alameda Big Day, starting at midnight and ending shortly after 8pm. We drove 210 miles. With Alex's incredible understanding of the ins and outs of Alameda, Dessi's ever-present eyes, Lucas's enthusiasm, and my ability to drive past the intended pullouts on Mines road, we were setup well from the start. Over the course of the day, we saw an amazing 200 species, breaking the previous record of 173 set by myself and Alex on Friday 4/19, which in turn broke the record set on 4/22/2011 of 172 species by Zach Baer, Dominik Mosur and Michael Park.
We started off the day at 11:25pm, dropping a car in Piedmont before continuing down redwood road for Owling. Sometimes the owls can take a while here, so we started listening at 11:45. At a little after 11:50, a Saw-whet started calling away, but promptly shut up before the day. We waited, and held our breath, unsure if it would start up again. Then, at 12:01, the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL started hooting away, our first bird of the day. Ideal. While we were leaving, Dessi heard a WESTERN FLYCATCHER.
We blasted off to the bayshore to look for shorebirds. A couple days prior, I scouted out to see if I could find any true high tide roosts at night and, well, I couldnt! But I did have some scattered. So, we headed to Garretson Point at a place Alex knew that shorebirds roost along the bayshore. It was largely quiet, but we added the first few bay birds of the day: a calling DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and, importantly, a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. While we would hear several at night, we never did hear one in the daytime. As we were leaving a GREAT HORNED OWL, astoundingly one of only two all day (!) was perched on a lightpost.
Heading on to Arrowhead Marsh, we added a diversity of waterbirds, including WESTERN GREBE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, MARBLED GODWIT, a night-flying BARN SWALLOW (presumably kicked up from a nest?) and the main target, a cacophony of RIDGWAY'S RAILS. As we were leaving, a lone BARN OWL winged its way overhead. Driving briefly to Elsie Rohmer we added few birds, but among them BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPER.
We then went to the cornerstone spot of the night, where we were hoping to find most of our nocturnal highlights: Coyote Hills. Arriving to the region around 1:35, a parking fumble cost us about 20 minutes. Regardless, we arrived at our desired location in the marsh a while later, and eventually heard the "kikidoo" of one of the BLACK RAILS Alex and I had staked out in scouting. Continuing down the trail we stopped briefly at a specific slough and happily added a calling COMMON GALLINULE. Farther down the trail, several VIRGINIA RAILS and a single SORA, different from the one we'd staked out, sounded off. The sound of pumping AMERICAN BITTERNS echoed all around us. As we were walking around the trail, an odd night-singing RING-NECKED PHEASANT bellowed its bizarre croak. We heard more when we returned in the evening, but it was great to get out of the way early. We then had to make a decision. We could either try for snipe, in the dark, now, or wait for later. We knew we'd probably see them but also wanted some real time to try for our unscouted Grasshopper Sparrows after. After about 5 minutes of restless deliberation we ran out into the field that had had almost 10 snipe on Friday and, sure enough, a WILSON'S SNIPE kicked up.
Continuing on to Garin Regional Park, we were ready to try for an unscouted Grasshopper, partially encouraged by team DMZ's strategy back in 2011. Alex claimed it was "just a bit up the hill" and "it would probably take about 10 minutes". I'd scouted enough with him to be leery of such statements, but nonetheless we started running up the hills here. After what seemed like an eternity we crossed a gate and were apparently near the spot. Well, it was only 9 minutes after all. We got to the area and started listening. Silence. I had to peel off for a second and walked a little ways away from the group. As I waited, a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW started sounding off. I ran over to get the group, and as luck would have it it stayed singing for a while longer. We were off.
During scouting Alex had brought up a very reliable Pygmy-Owl spot in Sunol. We tried during scouting and did find Pygmy-Owls, so we decided to give it a shot before going to Mines. Also in scouting, we'd found poorwill on the road in. So, we pulled off on Calaveras road, and in the distant sage-covered slopes we heard a lone COMMON POORWILL. At Welch Creek road, we quickly added a single WESTERN SCREECH-OWL. We rolled up to the Pygmy-Owl spot and listened. Nothing. We played a few toots. Nothing. Just the rushing of the river. We moved to a slightly quieter vantage. After a bit of waiting, the chiming of a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL echoed through the hills. Perfect. We were off.
We arrived at Mines road somewhat earlier than we needed to, around 5:25. While we drove up, I stopped along the road in residential livermore and heard our first dawn singer: a single DARK-EYED JUNCO. The idea with mines was that we would try for Hermit Thrush first thing, but that we would ideally score the singing Say's Phoebe even before that. Well, we blasted by the Say's Phoebe road without thinking. But stopping at some sagebrush patches for Hermit Thrush at 5:30 did net us some more Common Poorwills. Then, we were ready to really try for Hermit Thrush (which often sound off at this kind of late date in the early early morning and not later). We got to one patch. Nothing. Tried another. Nada. Then after a few month I heard the chupping of a HERMIT THRUSH!! We were giddy. Nearby, dawn chorus had started, and a cacauphony of birds like ACORN WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAYS and many others had started to form. Nearby, a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW sang away. We had a select list of species we were hoping to see before leaving Mines (and possibly returning, which we hadn't decided yet), and we set off to see as many as possible. Down the canyon, a WILD TURKEY called, and our initial spurt of birds like CALIFORNIA QUAIL, NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, OAK TITMOUSE and WHITE- and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, among others, made their presence known. We pulled up to a certain house and quickly found the breeding SAY'S PHOEBE. At a nearby patch of chaparral a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER sounded off, and we heard another Hermit Thrush.
We rolled up to a flowering patch of Mimulus that had been loaded with Rufous Hummingbirds all through scouting. As expected, oodles of Rufous Hummingbirds, including a couple nice males, whirred all around us. Lucas soon called out "Calliope!". We all scrambled trying to get on the hummer, and quickly Dessi also got a good view. Alex and I were both coming up dry, but after a while Alex spotted the beautiful female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD perched on a snag. We were starting to have seen almost everything we really wanted to on Mines. Birds like BAND-TAILED PIGEONS and PINE SISKINS flew by overhead, and we were still adding some new birds on the ground too. But the only serious issue bird was Phainopepla. We tried at several areas that looked good and came up dry. Then, on a ridge surrounded by valley oaks loaded with mistletoe, a single PHAINOPEPLA sounded off. We found a few others at a consistent area down the road, but we were just relieved to have one in the bag. The last bird we were really missing now was MacGillivray's Warbler. Earlier in the morning, Dessi and I heard what sounded perfect for Mac in an area that looked perfect but the bird only called a few times but it just wasn't conclusive enough and it wouldn't call more. So, we decided to head to Mendenhall for migrants.
We got to Mendenhall later than hoped, around 7am, which I knew would be bad for looking specifically for macs. Nonetheless, migrants were instantly apparent. In one of the first patches of oaks, we found several WESTERN TANAGERS, a small ground of CHIPPING SPARROWS, a CASSIN'S VIREO, and a reclusive HERMIT WARBLER. Farther down the road, we scored our second COOPER'S HAWK of the morning, along with a calling HAIRY WOODPECKER. Cooper's was one I was genuinely very worried about, but we ended up seeing 5 through the day! At the next major patch of oaks we found another group of migrants, this including our first of 6-7 (!) HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS on this road, as well as a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE. Overhead, a GOLDEN EAGLE cruised by and landed in a dead oak and a LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH called overhead. Our only real migrant we still needed was Townsend's Warbler and we were frantically trying to turn one up. We heard a singing Townsend's/Hermit and looked around until, lo and behold, a male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER popped into view. We were ready to roll.
We'd done so well on Mines that we saw no need to go back. We pivoted over to Lake Del Valle to add a few birds we needed in that region. As we rolled up, we could see part of the lake from the hill above and easily noticed a group of COMMON MERGANSERS along the shore. We stopped at the bridge, quickly adding CLIFF SWALLOWS, a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and a flyover AMERICAN KESTREL (one of only two for the day!!). The great author Ed Yong had reported Wood Ducks from this spot so we looked upstream and found nothing. But downstream, sure enough, a male WOOD DUCK was perched surreptitiously at the edge of the stream. Score! Saved us a jaunt to Shadow Cliffs. Proceeding on to the main lake we quickly added the local GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. We proceeded to a willow riparian belt and found our scouted DOWNY WOODPECKER, a remarkably tricky bird on Bay Area big days. Walking around the shore of the lake some more, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK started calling. On the lake we found birds like BUFFLEHEAD and PIED-BILLED GREBE (along with a couple more flyby Wood Ducks) but no hoped-for Green Herons.
Rolling on down mines we had some stakeout American Goldfinches in Livermore. On our drive we were hoping for Lark Sparrows. As we drove by Dessi and Lucas thought they heard some Goldfinches so we whipped around and got out. We found no Goldfinches there but did have a single LARK SPARROW! Continuing up the road to Livermore Stockton Loop National Forest Riparian Preserve we gleefully added several AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES that have been lingering in this area.
As we were driving Lucas and I started grilling Alex about Cassin's Kingbirds in the area. It seemed like they might be reasonable a ways down the road on Tesla road, but as we were nearing Cross road Alex said that this was a good region too. Lucas shouted that he had a kingbird so we slowed down. Lucas jumped out of the car and yelled "Its a Cassin's! Oh there are two! They have a nest!!" Sure enough in a big eucalyptus there was a Cassin's Kingbird nest. Amazing.
We continued down Cross road and had a bizarre flock of Band-tailed Pigeons in some trees in the grasslands. Good sign of movement. Alex had mentioned in scouting that on days at Patterson Pass where he was seeing grosbeaks and buntings in the grasslands at the base of the road it was a good sign that the main willows east of the crest would be great. Well, we got to the base and there were grosbeaks and stuff flying around. Good sign.... We detoured west slightly to visit the Tricolored Blackbird colony that had set up shop in the last few days. Dependably, the dozens of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS were flying around and making noise. Nearby, a pair of LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were sitting on the wires.
We proceeded to the main part of Patterson Pass which was maybe the craziest part of the entire day. As we rolled up to the upper willow patch, Lucas spotted a female HOODED ORIOLE in with a group of Bullock's. While we had one later in the day, too, this helped us not stressing about stakeouts earlier in the route. In the willows, we quickly picked up on a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH hopping around the trees, the only one of the day! (Though we consequently didn't try for the ones in the hills). There was also an out-of-place White-breasted Nuthatch, presumably a migrant. Nearby, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW sounded off, and another Hermit Thrush called in the willows. As we were looking for migrants, we heard a whitting Empid!! Eager to see what species it would be, we chased after it to find a GRAY FLYCATCHER! Then while it was calling, ANOTHER whitting empid started counter-calling! It took a while, but we tracked this one down too--an obvious DUSKY FLYCATCHER!! Not only are Duskies rare here, but this is at the very early end of their expected timeframe in the Bay Area, rarely being recorded before April 20th. Nearby, there was a vocal Hammond's, and at one point the Dusky, the Gray, and the Hammonds were all in the same binocular view!! That is something I may never again see in the Bay Area. We continued working the same patch of willows and it just kept popping up new birds. Not long after, Lucas picked out a male YELLOW WARBLER, and slightly later we found another Gray Flycatcher down the same patch! Lucas also got on a Hummingbird that was almost surely a Black-chinned but the rest of us couldn't get on it so we left it off. As we were birding the willows, a couple HORNED LARKS started singing from above, and a ROCK WREN sounded off on the hillside. There were a few other birds in the willows, such as a few Lark Sparrows and an assortment of other migrants.We went to the lower patch of Patterson Pass and had quite a few more migrants, including ANOTHER whitting Dusky Flycatcher!
Unable to believe our luck on this day, we continued to the bottom of the road, where Alex had staked out a Swainson's Hawk nest in a pepper tree in scouting. We pulled up and the nest was....vacant. Uuuuh. Hmmm. We all started looking around and Lucas called out "its right on the post!" Sure enough, the SWAINSON'S HAWK was perched out in the field. Lets roll! We then engaged in one of my least favorite big day maneuvers, leaving the county. And, sure enough, in the 2 minutes we were in San Joaquin we saw a Northern Harrier, a bird we hadn't seen yet on the day. Ugh.
Driving down 580 Dessi spotted another Swainson's Hawk circling around overhead. As we were driving down, Alex yelled "Big white things circling to the left!! They might be pelicans!!" Sure enough, a flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS was circling south of the freeway. Our luck was strong.
We made a brief stop at Frick Lake, adding LESSER SCAUP, a lone GREATER SCAUP, AMERICAN WIGEON, and GREAT EGRET. Continuing to Marlin Pound Wetlands, we found our hoped-for WHITE-TAILED KITE along with the BLUE-WINGED TEAL and CINNAMON TEAL I'd had during scouting.
The next stop was actually a 15 minute detour that had nothing to do with birds: our back window was busted and wouldnt roll up, and we were not nearly brave enough to bird the Alameda Bayshore with an open window. So after switching over to Alex's car, we continued on to Joaquin Miller. As we got there, we decided to look for Allen's Hummingbirds, as they had been a pain for me. Looking for Allen's on big days is one of my least favorite things, as they need to be an adult male to officially count, and you can't just hear them (which you often do with Selasphorus). So, while we did add PURPLE FINCH and PYGMY NUTHATCH along with hearing a calling Hooded Oriole across the street, we left for the forest after 5 minutes after hearing many selasphorus but confirming none as Allen's. Ugh. In the forest, we quickly added a singing BROWN CREEPER. We went up to where Dessi had pinned down a Pacific Wren in a Redwood-lined Canyon and played a couple songs. After a while, the PACIFIC WREN popped up and started singing. We were back to Hummingbird Hell, and I went to a tree I'd seen one midday a few days prior. After about 3 more long horrible minutes, I spotted a male way up, but it wouldnt show its back. After a while, we were all able to get on it and it turned its back--an ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD. Onwards!
We only had one real target in the hills left so we headed down Redwood road. Hutton's Vireos had been common in scouting, but I still had made a point to drop a pin for each and every one--I'd imagined exactly this scenario happening. So we went to one pin. Nothing. Another. Northing. Another. A Western Wood-Pewee sounded off but still nothing. Finally, we at the last marked pin that I cared to go to, one sounded off, distantly. We checked on a Ring-necked Duck I'd seen a few days prior but no dice.
We blasted to Lake Temescal, a horrible big day spot but we felt compelled nonetheless. We had two targets here, but neither would be easy. After combating parking hell, we started by running around the lake. this seemed like it would give us a good shot at Green Heron. When we got to the northern shore, Alex spotted one of the nesting BALD EAGLES, remarkably well hidden (for an eagle!) in a pine. As we got back to the car Alex had to split off briefly and while he did Dessi noticed a GREEN HERON perched on the shore of the lake right as Alex was getting back! Amazed at our success, we shimmied out.
We headed upslope to Claremont Canyon, where Dessi had been what turned out to be our most troublesome Berkeley Hills breeder. We arrived the pullout and almost immediately were greeted by a singing OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Lets jam!
Rolling down the hill through Berkeley I realized we were heading by the UC Berkeley Campus. "Hell, lets try for the Peregrines!" We knew where the nest was but it still felt like a long shot. As we rolled up, it was clear the birds were not on the nest. We started looking around randomly when Dessi said "its up in the sky!" We all were treated to good views of the Peregrine soaring around east of campus. We were off.
Proceeding into Berkeley we decided to look for the Costa's Hummingbird reported continuously for many months. As we got to the spot Alex pointed out which house it liked. Within minutes, the COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD flew up and perched on the telephone wire.
Rolling out to the Bayshore, we briefly checked Cesar Chavez Park. In the cove there, we added CLARK'S GREBE, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL nad FORSTER'S TERN along with more Greater Scaup and another Green Heron! Nearby at Seabreeze we found a group of BLACK TURNSTONES and our only WHIMBREL of the day!
Continuing to Emeryville, the shorebird roost was nowhere to be seen (too low tide or maybe they'd been flushed?), but we still added a PELAGIC CORMORANT, BROWN PELICAN and BLACK OYSTERCATCHER on the nearby docks, and to the south on the flats we found a few CASPIAN TERNS and a flock of ELEGANT TERNS. Elegants being a regular sight in spring on the shore of SF Bay is a pattern it will take me a while to get used to!
We continued on to Seaplane Lagoon, where a number of Red-necked Grebes had wintered and been present up until a week ago, but were absent for Alex and I on Friday. On Friday, however, we'd seen a Common Loon. We started scanning the breakwater for cormorants and it took longer than usual to locate a BRANDT'S CORMORANT. We'd seen most of the other targets so were frantically scanning for a Loon or a Spotted Sandpiper. After a while, with no dice on either, we bailed.
At Ballena Bay, we scanned the area where 7 scoters had been for Alex and I on Friday. Today, however, we only found 2 lingering SURF SCOTERS. But all you need is one! We went to the main harbor where we'd staked out Grebes and Red-throated Loons on friday. Nothing. We continued scanning. I walked a little ways down the edge of the harbor and sure enough two RED-THROATED LOONS popped up. No Horned or Eared Grebes though. Hmm. I thought the huge number of people including on kayaks didnt help our cause. Eventually, we helped out, grebeless. I decided to make a quick stop along the east-west shoreline to look for grebes and loons some more. As we got out of the car, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER presented itself on the riprap!
We next went to Elsie Roemer. One of the most frustrating moments of the day was dealing with all the cars and people and stuff here. It was awful. But eventually we arrived in the vicinity of the platform and started scanning. We had basically one target. After about 5 minutes Alex said that he'd found the three RED KNOTS we'd had in scouting. Perfect.
Just down the road we were driving and Alex slammed on the breaks and screamed "PINTAIL!!!!!!!" as a male pintail rocketed over the car. If we thought luck wasn't on our side this was just another confirmation. We detoured briefly to a small park where a Snow Goose had been recently seen, and there was the SNOW GOOSE in a flock of Canadas. Heading down MLK shoreline we detoured to another small park with another resident flock of geese, this one that includes a resident BRANT, which was foraging on the lawn with the geese. This saved us going to Arrowhead Marsh, but we still drove to the fields on the road up to look for Gulls. As we pulled in it seems the prospects were low, but luckily soon Dessi spotted the continuing MEW GULL along the shore of the pond. Score!!
Rolling south, we briefly looked for Cackling Goose at Tony Lema Golf Course before heading to San Lorenzo Creek. Though we had to run out to the spot, we were enticed by a number of potential additions. As we got to the mouth, Alex quickly spotted a LONG-BILLED CURLEW with the mix of other shorebirds out there. In quick succession, a RUDDY TURNSTONE appeared in the group. We were stressed for time, so we rolled out of there quickly. As we were running back to the car, Lucas spotted the evasive GREEN-WINGED TEAL, our last really glaring general bayshore target.
We next visited the Winton Avenue pond. I was praying that we would find the Eared Grebe we'd seen during scouting here, so we wouldnt have to go out to the main Winton Avenue Ponds. Shortly after we got out of the car, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT started singing. After a few minutes, Dessi picked out the EARED GREBE actively diving in the pond. We were off!
Our next stop was another treat from team DMZ figuring this stuff out over a decade ago. We went to Enterprise avenue in Hayward and, after a couple minutes wait, a BONEPARTE'S GULL flew over to go to the WTP.
We proceeded south to Eden's Landing. After a little walk out to an overlook, we tried for a Eurasian Wigeon Alex had scouted out. We'd hoped for an American Pipit too, but we were not seeing any of the ones we'd seen in scouting. Then, after a short while, a lone AMERICAN PIPIT turned up along the road. Farther down, we located the SNOWY PLOVERS Alex had scouted out. We got into better lighting for the duck flock and, sure enough, the male EURASIAN WIGEON was still present. We were off.
We were rolling up to Coyote Hills with plenty more time than we actually needed. But, as we got towards the area we were passing a Goose flock and Dessi and Lucas noted a smaller goose in with the flock. We screeched on the breaks and ran back to find a single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE with the flock! We couldn't believe our luck. Rolling up to Coyote Hills we still needed two easy birds: Northern Harrier and Common Goldeneye, and we had plenty of time (it was just before 7). Within minutes of rolling up, we saw a single NORTHERN HARRIER coursing over the marsh. We ran out to the goldeneye spot but found nothing. Arex mentioned that we still had options, and that he'd go scout ahead to see if there were any on another pond. So while Alex ran in front of us, the rest of us jogged behind him. About a minute later, Alex came back and said "I think theres one out there!" We all walked up and there was not one but FIVE COMMON GOLDENEYE on a small freshwater pond.
It was only 7:10 and we had to make a decision: stick it out at Coyote and wait til dusk here or try another spot. We didn't have any logical, obvious spots to check. Eventually, Alex mentioned the possibility of going to Coyote Creek Lagoon farther south to see if there were any lingering Herring Gulls. We were torn. No other option seemed more alluring, as even though birds like Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ibis, and Vaux's Swift were all /possible /at Coyote, none of them seemed at all likely. Ultimately, we decided to bomb to Coyote Creek Lagoon, arriving around 7:30. There were tons of birds here, and huge flocks of Dowitchers and peeps. We picked through to try to find something more spicy but ultimately failed. A Bald Eagle flew over and a Spotted Sandpiper was in the ditch, both of which felt like they could have been new additions, but weren't.
As the sunlight left the area, we counted up our total and were met with complete awe that we'd crossed what seemed to be an insurmountable number in the Bay Area. We ended the day with only 2 "dirty birds" (both seen by 3/4 team members), Northern Pintail and Hermit Warbler. I want to thank every member of the team for an incredible energy and Alex's incredible knowledge of the region. Also worth a shoutout to Zach Baer for pinning down certain random things with this route over 10 years ago that we gladly borrowed (e.g. Nocturnal Grasshopper Sparrows, Hayward Bonaparte's). This will certainly be one of the most memorable days for me in the Bay Area, and it would not have been possible without the amazing team I had with me.
While this record could be beatable, it seems rather unlikely given how many things lined up on the day, from stakeout rarities to amazing luck with migrants and residents alike.
Like any big day, we had our fair share of misses (about 7 of which Alex and I saw on 4/19 during scouting!) among them Cackling Goose, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Horned Grebe (a big miss), Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-necked Phalarope, Solitary Sandpiper, Surfbird (cleared out a while ago), Black Skimmer (the emeryville flock cleared out about a week before the day), Least Tern, White-faced Ibis, Vaux's Swift, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl, Prairie Falcon, Merlin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, MacGillivray's Warbler (I'd had 3-5 on almost every day of scouting on Mines from April 17-20 and almost certainly had one on the day, too), Fox Sparrow (almost none around this year), White-throated Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow (couldn't find any on route).
Date: 4/22/24 7:13 pm From: Richard Mix via groups.io <richardmix...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pileated at Berkeley's Tilden
About 17:30 today Ann Callaway called my attention to a potential flicker call, but when I got the glasses on the top of the dead pine at Lone Oak picnic table (at Loop Rd & Meadows Canyon trail) my first words were "Holy cow!" A Pileated male, to go by the very long red crest bordered by white, though we couldn't make out any red on the chin: it seemed to like the shady side of the trunk. Lifer for me.
Date: 4/22/24 5:36 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Eastern Alameda Co, Solitary Sandpiper
Mines Road:One nice bird on Sunday - a male Prairie Falcom with a fresh catch, circling low overhead.Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Aaron Maizlish via groups.io" <amm.birdlists...> Date: 4/22/24 4:28 PM (GMT-08:00) To: East Bay Birds <ebb-sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Eastern Alameda Co, Solitary Sandpiper Got a late start this morning and decided to head to Eastern Alameda County for the first time this year to see if I could pick up some of the reported goodies and catch spring arrivals. Arrived at Mines Road around 10:30 and it was already about 80°. Activity was low, as Jim Chiropolos reported yesterday. No Black Vulture to be found (I checked a lot of vultures), it could be anywhere by now. A dark juv Golden Eagle around MM 7 was a consolation. At MM 8.96 I got into a nice assortment of finches that included at least 2 Lawrence’s Goldfinch near the road. There were also small numbers of Lazuli Bunting, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and a single Phainopepla around there. Cross Road had a nice Swainson’s Hawk being mobbed by crows. Patterson Pass was a total bust. I drove back over the old Altamont Pass Road stopping several times at some of my old spots. Lots of puddles and ponds at various levels and I was cued in to look for migratory shorebirds. At the foot of Dyer Road I finally found a good mud puddle on the left about 1000’ up from Altamont Pass Road, and bingo there was a Solitary Sandpiper hiding out at the back of the pond, along with a very vocal Yellowlegs and several Killdeer. Unfortunately the Solitary Sandpiper flew off while I was sitting in my car trying to magnify my photo enough to get a solid ID. It headed up the valley toward the reservoir. It made a strong two-note flight call which I was not familiar with. I don’t know if it will be back but the pond was here (37.7444167, -121.6769763). There are lots of other puddles in the area in various stages of drying up and the time is right for more migratory goodies, so it might be worth a look. Aaron MaizlishSan Francisco
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Got a late start this morning and decided to head to Eastern Alameda County for the first time this year to see if I could pick up some of the reported goodies and catch spring arrivals. Arrived at Mines Road around 10:30 and it was already about 80°.
Activity was low, as Jim Chiropolos reported yesterday. No Black Vulture to be found (I checked a lot of vultures), it could be anywhere by now. A dark juv Golden Eagle around MM 7 was a consolation. At MM 8.96 I got into a nice assortment of finches that included at least 2 Lawrence’s Goldfinch near the road. There were also small numbers of Lazuli Bunting, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and a single Phainopepla around there.
Cross Road had a nice Swainson’s Hawk being mobbed by crows. Patterson Pass was a total bust.
I drove back over the old Altamont Pass Road stopping several times at some of my old spots. Lots of puddles and ponds at various levels and I was cued in to look for migratory shorebirds. At the foot of Dyer Road I finally found a good mud puddle on the left about 1000’ up from Altamont Pass Road, and bingo there was a Solitary Sandpiper hiding out at the back of the pond, along with a very vocal Yellowlegs and several Killdeer.
Unfortunately the Solitary Sandpiper flew off while I was sitting in my car trying to magnify my photo enough to get a solid ID. It headed up the valley toward the reservoir. It made a strong two-note flight call which I was not familiar with. I don’t know if it will be back but the pond was here (37.7444167, -121.6769763). There are lots of other puddles in the area in various stages of drying up and the time is right for more migratory goodies, so it might be worth a look.
Date: 4/21/24 8:05 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year)
I bikes Mines yesterday, and thought it was eerily quiet. Very few regulars...Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Jim Chiropolos via groups.io" <jnc...> Date: 4/21/24 6:55 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year) Mines Road Birding and Biking - Black Vulture! Today I birded and biked my Mines Road patch. For April 21, it was amazingly non- birdy at a time when migrant songbirds should be around. I think I only saw/heard 20 migrant songbirds with half being ash-throated flycatchers, about 6 house wrens and only 3 warblers over 20 miles to the county line. Not one gnatcatcher!
On the way back,hot and tired as it may have hit 80 degrees, I saw an odd dark raptor, flying north. My first impression was bald eagle as it appeared to have no head and tail - thinking it was the light, but the wings were too short and broad and it seemed too small. As I studied the bird, it indeed had a dark small head and a very short tail with broad wings. Bald eagle not! Red-tails, Turkey Vultures and a raven were all flying in the area and this raptor was very different in proportions with wings held horizontal and a steady flight. Smaller than the TVs - Wow - a black vulture!!!
My friend Aaron told me its the first black vulture sighting, maybe, in Alameda. It will not be the last! Several years ago, a black vulture hung around in Marin for several years, mostly centered over Pt. Reyes but I saw it flying over Mt. Tam summit. Look out for vultures!!! Hopefully, it sticks around and we get more sightings- and based on the Marin vulture, it may cover a large area.
Mines road has been very slow the three times I have birded it this year. I still have not seen a golden eagle off Mines this year,a bird that I usually see maybe 75% of the time. Yellow-billed magpie numbers seen low, I have only seen one this year off Mines - most years, every ride I see 4 or more in the first 5 miles. Phainopepla numbers also seem low- usually a reliable bird biking mines and today I saw my first over three rides. I used to see Roadrunners off Mines most years biking but I birdied it more the last several years and have not seen a roadrunner here the last 3 or 4 years.
I have also yet to see the Lawrence goldfinches at the coral (mile 17.65). Today looking for them at the coral area,I was 75 feet from my bike. As I watched, a pickup peeled into the dirt and parked 2 feet from my bike. As I walked towards my bike, the guys in the pick-up were debating who would get my bike. They then saw me, and as the pick-up spun onto Mines Road, the driver thinking fast, said “Are you OK”. I cannot get that far from my bike these days…. Crazy!
Date: 4/21/24 6:59 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture
ps- I saw the vulture at Mines Road mile marker 8. It was circling north. (The mile markers are painted onto the road and poles with milage are located every 1/4 mile).
Date: 4/21/24 6:55 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black Vulture, Mines Road (and reflections on birding Mines this year)
Mines Road Birding and Biking - Black Vulture!
Today I birded and biked my Mines Road patch. For April 21, it was amazingly non- birdy at a time when migrant songbirds should be around. I think I only saw/heard 20 migrant songbirds with half being ash-throated flycatchers, about 6 house wrens and only 3 warblers over 20 miles to the county line. Not one gnatcatcher!
On the way back,hot and tired as it may have hit 80 degrees, I saw an odd dark raptor, flying north. My first impression was bald eagle as it appeared to have no head and tail - thinking it was the light, but the wings were too short and broad and it seemed too small. As I studied the bird, it indeed had a dark small head and a very short tail with broad wings. Bald eagle not! Red-tails, Turkey Vultures and a raven were all flying in the area and this raptor was very different in proportions with wings held horizontal and a steady flight. Smaller than the TVs - Wow - a black vulture!!!
My friend Aaron told me its the first black vulture sighting, maybe, in Alameda. It will not be the last! Several years ago, a black vulture hung around in Marin for several years, mostly centered over Pt. Reyes but I saw it flying over Mt. Tam summit. Look out for vultures!!! Hopefully, it sticks around and we get more sightings- and based on the Marin vulture, it may cover a large area.
Mines road has been very slow the three times I have birded it this year. I still have not seen a golden eagle off Mines this year,a bird that I usually see maybe 75% of the time. Yellow-billed magpie numbers seen low, I have only seen one this year off Mines - most years, every ride I see 4 or more in the first 5 miles. Phainopepla numbers also seem low- usually a reliable bird biking mines and today I saw my first over three rides. I used to see Roadrunners off Mines most years biking but I birdied it more the last several years and have not seen a roadrunner here the last 3 or 4 years.
I have also yet to see the Lawrence goldfinches at the coral (mile 17.65). Today looking for them at the coral area,I was 75 feet from my bike. As I watched, a pickup peeled into the dirt and parked 2 feet from my bike. As I walked towards my bike, the guys in the pick-up were debating who would get my bike. They then saw me, and as the pick-up spun onto Mines Road, the driver thinking fast, said “Are you OK”. I cannot get that far from my bike these days…. Crazy!
Date: 4/20/24 5:09 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Ash-throated Flycatcher at Creekside Park
Local interest:
There’s a ATFL at Creekside Park right now. Sitting quietly low in the
willows between
(37.8977507, -122.3034629) and the dead end. Stays still and hidden most of
the time, occasionally sallying out to catch a bee.
Date: 4/20/24 6:50 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Vollmer migration notes and reflections on Calliope hummingbirds
Jim, thank you for that lengthy and illustrious report. I always learn something new from reading other birders’ thoughts on migration timing, distribution, breeding behavior etc. etc. and your post encapsulated all these and so much more. Well done.
One quick note - the catkins you mention are not technically the seeds of the oak tree. These are male flowers laden with pollen and much sought after as a high nutrition food source by many spevies in the spring including pine siskins.
Just to put this out there , I will be leading a couple of birding excursions at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness outside San Ramon this spring. If anyone is interested please reach out off list.
Thank you and happy spring.
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
> On Apr 19, 2024, at 18:42, Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> wrote:
>
>
> Notes on Migration from vollmer peak and Calliope
> Like most birders, I look forward to spring migration. This has been a slower than usual spring borne out by analysis of my home patch ebird lists where I have probably only seen 40 percent of the “most interesting migrants” to date compared to previous years. Why? Some days the last week, 900,000 plus birds have been reported by BirdCast in contra costa county during the night so birds are moving. Some of my speculation is
> Many of the birds migrating in Birdcast daya are shorebirds or ducks as the numbers are not species specific.
> Many of the songbirds birds migrating in Birdcast may be birds flying out if the county. The 40 plus golden crowned sparrow flock has gone down to 10 or less birds the last week. Pine siskin numbers have similarly dropped (although I think this may be partly explained by siskins changing from feeders to feeding on oak seeds)- but maybe they are relocating in the night.
> The weather- until last night it has been blue skies- no weather event like fog to concentrate birds.
> Other….
> Historically- migration at my house is best when there is the right amount of fog - not too much,but enough to create a hole in the fog above my house at Vollmer Peaks east side. When the fog moves in from the west, it is blocked by the mass of Vollmer peak. My house at the east side of the peak is at 1,000 elevation and often is in an amazing fog hole - the last area to be covered by fog and the first area the fog moves away from - and when my house in in the sun, but the fog is all around the house -that is when migration gets good at the house. This morning was the first day of the year that happened, and that fog hole concentrates birds at my house.
>
> That is what we are all looking for in migration- a condition that creates an oasis that birds favor over other areas. It can be topography,(mt Diablo - a “sky “island) weather (fog and wind direction), water (why San Francisco is so good - birds will not fly over water), native plants (why I think the west side of the Berkeley hills is poor for migration - too many alien plants), and parks, or stands of trees near the coast in urban open areas (such as the poplar grove by my Emeryville office) or a combination of all of the above.
>
> Today, when I got out of the house at 7 am, I checked the backyard sage patch where I have planted sage covering 400 square feet or so. Bingo - a make Calliope Hummingbird was working the sage. I see one here most years. They are super shy, preferring to be low in the sage and very low profile compared to Annas or rufous and Allens. I got three looks over the next 20 minutes. At 7:22, suddenly a female Allens/rufous appeared saw the Calliope feeding - zoom - and it was time to bully. After that, the calliope was gone, not to be seen again. For the next hour, two female Allen/rufous types battled over the sage patch. It took them 20 minutes to decide they could both coexist on half the sage patch.
> Over the years, only once have I ever seen a calliope at the house hummingbird feeders. I think they are so small they are easy to bully by the bigger hummers, do they like to work the margins of flower patches, If you want a calliope hummer in your yard, plant lots of sage and then you must be there for that short time period when they grace your garden. In my yard, with all the cat walks , I get a good idea of whats moving around as I spend a lot of time in the yard. Its one if the top east bay data bases as I have birded it almost the same way almost every fay since I first started recording sightings on ebird in 2017.
>
> Enjoy migration - and now is when it really heats up.
>
> Jim Chiropolos
> Orinda below Vollmer
>
> PS - one more interesting bird observation. We have chickadees that nest in a hole below the roof soffit in our house. Today, every several minutes, the adults are carrying food to the hole. I think the chicks just hatched! I think this is the earliest date ever….
>
>
>
Date: 4/19/24 6:42 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Vollmer migration notes and reflections on Calliope hummingbirds
Notes on Migration from vollmer peak and Calliope
Like most birders, I look forward to spring migration. This has been a slower than usual spring borne out by analysis of my home patch ebird lists where I have probably only seen 40 percent of the “most interesting migrants” to date compared to previous years. Why? Some days the last week, 900,000 plus birds have been reported by BirdCast in contra costa county during the night so birds are moving. Some of my speculation is
* Many of the birds migrating in Birdcast daya are shorebirds or ducks as the numbers are not species specific.
* Many of the songbirds birds migrating in Birdcast may be birds flying out if the county. The 40 plus golden crowned sparrow flock has gone down to 10 or less birds the last week. Pine siskin numbers have similarly dropped (although I think this may be partly explained by siskins changing from feeders to feeding on oak seeds)- but maybe they are relocating in the night.
* The weather- until last night it has been blue skies- no weather event like fog to concentrate birds.
* Other….
Historically- migration at my house is best when there is the right amount of fog - not too much,but enough to create a hole in the fog above my house at Vollmer Peaks east side. When the fog moves in from the west, it is blocked by the mass of Vollmer peak. My house at the east side of the peak is at 1,000 elevation and often is in an amazing fog hole - the last area to be covered by fog and the first area the fog moves away from - and when my house in in the sun, but the fog is all around the house -that is when migration gets good at the house. This morning was the first day of the year that happened, and that fog hole concentrates birds at my house.
That is what we are all looking for in migration- a condition that creates an oasis that birds favor over other areas. It can be topography,(mt Diablo - a “sky “island) weather (fog and wind direction), water (why San Francisco is so good - birds will not fly over water), native plants (why I think the west side of the Berkeley hills is poor for migration - too many alien plants), and parks, or stands of trees near the coast in urban open areas (such as the poplar grove by my Emeryville office) or a combination of all of the above.
Today, when I got out of the house at 7 am, I checked the backyard sage patch where I have planted sage covering 400 square feet or so. Bingo - a make Calliope Hummingbird was working the sage. I see one here most years. They are super shy, preferring to be low in the sage and very low profile compared to Annas or rufous and Allens. I got three looks over the next 20 minutes. At 7:22, suddenly a female Allens/rufous appeared saw the Calliope feeding - zoom - and it was time to bully. After that, the calliope was gone, not to be seen again. For the next hour, two female Allen/rufous types battled over the sage patch. It took them 20 minutes to decide they could both coexist on half the sage patch.
Over the years, only once have I ever seen a calliope at the house hummingbird feeders. I think they are so small they are easy to bully by the bigger hummers, do they like to work the margins of flower patches, If you want a calliope hummer in your yard, plant lots of sage and then you must be there for that short time period when they grace your garden. In my yard, with all the cat walks , I get a good idea of whats moving around as I spend a lot of time in the yard. Its one if the top east bay data bases as I have birded it almost the same way almost every fay since I first started recording sightings on ebird in 2017.
Enjoy migration - and now is when it really heats up.
Jim Chiropolos
Orinda below Vollmer
PS - one more interesting bird observation. We have chickadees that nest in a hole below the roof soffit in our house. Today, every several minutes, the adults are carrying food to the hole. I think the chicks just hatched! I think this is the earliest date ever….
Date: 4/19/24 4:36 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Mitchel Canyon Today - Lewis Woodpeckers and reflections on birding canyon
Mitchell Canyon birding
I birded Mitchell canyon today. An interesting day there. Not super birdy low or along the creek, but the higher I walked (top of Red Road trail and to Deer Flat) the birding got much better with more warblers, tanagers and flycatchers high than low. If you ever bird Mitchell canyon and it doesn’t seem birdy low, walk higher - and the birding may get much better.
My highlight was 3 Lewis Woodpeckers high along red road trail. The first one I saw was backlit and I was confused- it wasn’t a crow, it wasn’t a flicker but in between. The habitat there was woodland (widely spaced trees with chaparral understory) do I didn’t even think Lewis for the ID. Another 100 feet of elevation gain and I had great looks at two Lewis Woodpeckers- one flew onto a perch 100 feet from trail. Wow. This was at about 10:30 an and I think they were migrating through as three other birders in area did not see them. I also did not see them again walking down Red Road 20 minutes later.
I then walked up to Deer Flat, a steep up for 2 1/2 miles but the higher I got, the better the birding. Multiple Townsends and Hermits with some tanagers etc. A high probability Dusky at Deer Flat - the area in contra costa county to see this difficult species!
It’s interesting how higher was better birding. My thought, and I could be wrong, is the trees higher have just leafed out. The trees chemical defenses are not present in high concentrations in the leaves so more insects are feeding and resultantly attracting more birds. The trees lower that are deciduous- are mostly evergreen so I think the leaves always have insect resistant chemicals….
It was interesting today seeing the elevation differences birding today. All Wilsons warblers and Pac-Slope flycatchers low. All Townsends/Hermit/ warblers tanagers high. Pine siskins have left peoples feeders and are now common high on the mountain feeding on oaks with the seed pods (calkins?).
More Hammonds Flycatchers seen today than Pac- slope. That rarely happens in bay area….
A note about birding Mitchell canyon. Today, the lower lot, except for the overflow lot was full by 9:30 am. The weekend will be much busier so plan accordingly. Car pool if possible so more people can park and to reduce the line at the entry kiosk where they collect $6.00 cash..
Date: 4/19/24 2:41 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Inspiration Point - High MacG Warbler count & more
P.S. Dominick Mosur helpfully informed me that April 18th would be well
before the earliest documented egg-laying date for MacGillivray's Warblers,
so my assumption that this was a food carry (to feed nestlings) was
probably hasty. This male (a first year bird I believe) was singing while
moving around with the caterpillar in his bill. Perhaps just a meal for
later. I wasn't able to find info on whether food might be used by this
species in attracting a mate or pair bonding.
On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 1:21 PM Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
> Yesterday, Jack Hayden and I went up to Inspiration Point. We were truly
> amazed to find 8 singing MacGillivray's Warblers - the most I've ever
> encountered in Tilden!
>
> Other highlights include 2 Black-throated Gray warblers and 1 Hermit
> Warbler (all close to the parking lot or within the first 1/2 - 3/4 mile)
> and a singing Western Tanager in the big Eucalyptus grove at about
> (37.9203491, -122.2549474). We saw and heard numerous gnatcatchers, singing
> thrashers, flyover GBH's, Caspian Tern and DC cormorants, plus some distant
> birds (including a white pelican) seen with our cameras on San Pablo
> Reservoir; 60 species in all. It was a beautiful warm day, and rewarding
> bird-wise. Among the few misses: we didn't find Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's
> Vireo, WT Swift and didn't see any harriers or kites.
>
> Starting at Inspiration Point, we walked on Nimitz Way as far as the
> Conlon Trail junction, explored the Conlon hilltop (which was quiet by that
> time), then backtracked, taking the Inspiration Trail through EBMUD land
> for part of the return.
>
> The 8 MacGillivray's Warblers were all at separate locations (except two
> that were counter-singing in one spot). Most were along Nimitz way, with
> one from the Inspiration Trail on EBMUD land. The closest MacG to the
> parking lot was toward the North end of the first pine grove from the
> parking lot (after the hill, at about 37.906470, -122.247537
> <https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ta5jzeAntWTsQEAv5>). I took some low quality
> photos of that bird carrying a caterpillar in its bill, so it appears to be
> feeding young. It's certainly possible that some of the other MacGs were
> migrants, singing en route.
>
> Here's an ebird list (including more info on locations, plus photos /
> audio for 5 of the 8 MACGs). https://ebird.org/checklist/S169210301 >
> For what it's worth, my wife reports today that Merlin suggested MACG
> (possibly a 9th bird), she heard singing on the Laurel Canyon fire road
> (just uphill from the junction with the spur trail that leads to the
> Wildcat Peak Trail/Nimitz junction). She's not a confident ear birder, but
> a 9th bird seems plausible at least, based on the numbers we encountered.
>
> Happy birding,
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
>
>
Date: 4/19/24 1:21 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Inspiration Point - High MacG Warbler count & more
Yesterday, Jack Hayden and I went up to Inspiration Point. We were truly amazed to find 8 singing MacGillivray's Warblers - the most I've ever encountered in Tilden!
Other highlights include 2 Black-throated Gray warblers and 1 Hermit Warbler (all close to the parking lot or within the first 1/2 - 3/4 mile) and a singing Western Tanager in the big Eucalyptus grove at about (37.9203491, -122.2549474). We saw and heard numerous gnatcatchers, singing thrashers, flyover GBH's, Caspian Tern and DC cormorants, plus some distant birds (including a white pelican) seen with our cameras on San Pablo Reservoir; 60 species in all. It was a beautiful warm day, and rewarding bird-wise. Among the few misses: we didn't find Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's Vireo, WT Swift and didn't see any harriers or kites.
Starting at Inspiration Point, we walked on Nimitz Way as far as the Conlon Trail junction, explored the Conlon hilltop (which was quiet by that time), then backtracked, taking the Inspiration Trail through EBMUD land for part of the return.
The 8 MacGillivray's Warblers were all at separate locations (except two that were counter-singing in one spot). Most were along Nimitz way, with one from the Inspiration Trail on EBMUD land. The closest MacG to the parking lot was toward the North end of the first pine grove from the parking lot (after the hill, at about 37.906470, -122.247537 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ta5jzeAntWTsQEAv5>). I took some low quality photos of that bird carrying a caterpillar in its bill, so it appears to be feeding young. It's certainly possible that some of the other MacGs were migrants, singing en route.
For what it's worth, my wife reports today that Merlin suggested MACG (possibly a 9th bird), she heard singing on the Laurel Canyon fire road (just uphill from the junction with the spur trail that leads to the Wildcat Peak Trail/Nimitz junction). She's not a confident ear birder, but a 9th bird seems plausible at least, based on the numbers we encountered.
Wednesday and Friday I spent the morning again on Mt. Diablo about a quarter mile east of Juniper Campground along Summit Rd. (“Grapevine Ridge”). Each day, between 8:30 and 8:40, just like on Monday, a single Cassin’s Finch flew over. You think once is a migrant, twice a fluke, but by time number three it seems to be a pattern… I’d guess this is a bird hanging around locally commuting over this site to somewhere else on the mountain. Very weird. In time I’ll get several audio recordings onto eBird.
After the finch this morning I walked over to the picnic area on Green Ranch Rd. where I encountered a whitting Empid. I chased it around in the chaparral for 30 minutes trying to decide Gray or Dusky (the timing is better for Gray, I think) but ended up tentatively calling it the more common, but slightly early, Dusky. Otherwise it was birdy up there, with decent numbers of Hermit, Townsend’s, Blk-thr Gray, Buntings and a couple Nashville. No Hammonds Flycatchers for me yet!!
Ethan Monk
> On Apr 15, 2024, at 10:39 AM, Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> wrote:
>
>
> This morning John Toldi and I audio recorded a Cassin's Finch on Summit Rd. on Mt. Diablo, about a quarter mile east of Juniper Campground. There are several previous spring records for the county, including one at the summit of Mt. Diablo on April 5th, 1995 (Kevin Hintsa). Otherwise it seems the night brought a decent pulse of Townsend's, Orange-crowned (on the mountain) and Wilson's Warblers (in Alamo). Lazuli Buntings and Ash-throated Flycatchers are now around.
>
> Best, Ethan Monk
>
>
>
On Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 05:44:39 PM PDT, Aaron Maizlish <amm.birdlists...> wrote:
Please send this message directly to the Golden Gate bird alliance. It is completely inappropriate for this list, which is about bird sightings.
Thank you,
Aaron Maizlish, moderator.
> On Apr 18, 2024, at 4:59 PM, mrkinch via groups.io <mrkinch...> wrote:
>
> I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
>
> marilyn
>
>
Please send this message directly to the Golden Gate bird alliance. It is completely inappropriate for this list, which is about bird sightings.
Thank you,
Aaron Maizlish, moderator.
> On Apr 18, 2024, at 4:59 PM, mrkinch via groups.io <mrkinch...> wrote:
>
> I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
>
> marilyn
>
>
I have many GGAS t-shirts but I would be so very happy if there were GGBA shirts available. There used to be yearly bird-a-thon shirts, and given the name change this would have been an appropriate year to offer a shirt. Personally, I don't even require a new design, though that would be welcome. I just want a shirt bearing our organization's correct name. Any chance?
I don’t think it’s your imagination - this has been a pretty good week for Calliope Hummingbirds. I chalk it up to winds and weather being favorable to blowing them toward the coastline during their narrow migration window. It’s definitely worth checking all of our local hummingbird patches extra carefully for the next few days.
Calliopes have a very narrow window migration as they head northward from wintering grounds to their summer breeding grounds in the Sierra, Cascades and Rockies. I have seen Calliopes five times around San Francisco Bay (though they’re more common inland):
4/16/15
4/16/20
4/17/20
4/20/20
4/14/24
Calliope Hummingbirds are the smallest long-distance migratory birds in North America, if not the world - and this is really their week to pass through!
While on the subject, this is also the best week for vagrant Costa’s Hummingbirds and Black-chinned Hummingbirds - both of might be more expected inland but can show up around the Bay in migration. I’ve been checking my local Pride of Madeira (echeum) patches for the past several days - and I suspect that’s exactly what Dessi and Marty were thinking when they found the vagrant Calliope in Redwood Shores a couple of days ago.
Another bird to be on the lookout for this week is Solitary Sandpiper - which are rare in the Bay Area and mostly only seem to show up in the second half of April on migration. Check anywhere where there is a good freshwater pond with some exposed mudflat - preferably a lot of mud. I think one of the reasons they are missed most years is because the Bay Area doesn’t have much in the way of abundant fresh water ponds/vernal pools, and some years everything is dry by this time. I’ve had four Solitary Sandpipers in the Bay Area and all were between April 15 and May 3. For example I found one in Berkeley Meadow in a fresh pond on 5/2/17 which was a very wet spring.
It always amazes me that even vagrancy has its predictable patterns - though I would say that these four species aren’t true vagrants - just migrants that get blown toward the coast when the conditions are right.
Happy spring birding everyone.
Aaron Maizlish
San Francisco
> On Apr 16, 2024, at 8:01 PM, Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a...> wrote:
>
> Is it just me, or is this turning into something of a banner year for Calliope Hummingbird? With birds showing up in Monterey, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Yolo counties recently, this might be a good year to find one at a yard feeder. It's also possible I just haven't paid close enough attention in the past, but this feels unusual to me. I'd be interested to hear what others think.
>
> Good spring birding!
>
> Chris Ortega
> Bay Point
>
>
>
Date: 4/16/24 8:01 pm From: Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Calliope Hummingbirds
Is it just me, or is this turning into something of a banner year for Calliope Hummingbird? With birds showing up in Monterey, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Yolo counties recently, this might be a good year to find one at a yard feeder. It's also possible I just haven't paid close enough attention in the past, but this feels unusual to me. I'd be interested to hear what others think.
Date: 4/16/24 3:59 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Albany Bulb eagle is Bald
And potentially a real bummer for our ospreys....Cheers,Jennifer FurySaltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea... -------- Original message --------From: "Sam Zuckerman via groups.io" <samzuckerman...> Date: 4/16/24 2:15 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Albany Bulb eagle is Bald
Now consensus that the Albany Bulb eagle was an immature Bald, with white axillaries and enormous beak diagnostic. Thanks to Teale Fristoe, Dom Mosur and Chris Ortega for the ID. A Bald Eagle over the Bay is not stop-the-presses news, but still a nice bird to see.
Date: 4/16/24 2:15 pm From: Sam Zuckerman via groups.io <samzuckerman...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Albany Bulb eagle is Bald
Now consensus that the Albany Bulb eagle was an immature Bald, with white axillaries and enormous beak diagnostic. Thanks to Teale Fristoe, Dom Mosur and Chris Ortega for the ID. A Bald Eagle over the Bay is not stop-the-presses news, but still a nice bird to see.
Date: 4/16/24 2:09 pm From: Sam Zuckerman via groups.io <samzuckerman...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Albany Bulb eagle: Golden or Bald?
Turns out there's some uncertainty among strong birders whether Albany Bulb eagle is Golden or Bald. Thoughtful comments welcome. Here's the link to photos again: https://ebird.org/checklist/S168942603
Date: 4/16/24 2:05 pm From: Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Golden Eagle at Albany Bulb
Hi Sam,
I think the Cassin's Sparrow hasn't been seen in several days now. As for
the eagle, it looks better for an immature Bald Eagle to me with those
white axillaries and huge beak.
Chris Ortega
Bay Point
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 1:53 PM Sam Zuckerman via groups.io <samzuckerman=
<comcast.net...> wrote:
>
> This morning, during an futile attempt to find the Albany Bulb Cassin's
> Sparrow, a Golden Eagle flew over the western end of the bulb headed north,
> harried by a crow. First time I've seen this eagle species over the Bay.
> Photos at https://ebird.org/checklist/S168942603 >
>
>
>
>
Date: 4/16/24 1:53 pm From: Sam Zuckerman via groups.io <samzuckerman...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Golden Eagle at Albany Bulb
This morning, during an futile attempt to find the Albany Bulb Cassin's Sparrow, a Golden Eagle flew over the western end of the bulb headed north, harried by a crow. First time I've seen this eagle species over the Bay. Photos at https://ebird.org/checklist/S168942603
Date: 4/15/24 10:39 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Mt. Diablo
This morning John Toldi and I audio recorded a Cassin's Finch on Summit Rd. on Mt. Diablo, about a quarter mile east of Juniper Campground. There are several previous spring records for the county, including one at the summit of Mt. Diablo on April 5th, 1995 (Kevin Hintsa). Otherwise it seems the night brought a decent pulse of Townsend's, Orange-crowned (on the mountain) and Wilson's Warblers (in Alamo). Lazuli Buntings and Ash-throated Flycatchers are now around.
This afternoon there was a Sabine’s Gull at Clifton. At times it was with the Bonapartes in “Bonaparte’s Corner” circa one mile from the parking lot and sometimes it was alone far out over the forebay. Srikant Char joined me and we looked hard for the Black-headed Gull and did not see it, but viewing conditions were quite challenging and I would be thoroughly unsurprised if it was hiding among the now even larger number of Bonapartes.
Photos to come on eBird. No it was not a kittiwake.
Date: 4/13/24 3:26 pm From: Janet Johnson <electricista545...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Camera Roll | Flickr
Call Craig Nikitas, raptor rescuer: 415-810-5116
On Sat, Apr 13, 2024 at 3:04 PM Jim Roethe via groups.io <JimRoethe=
<aol.com...> wrote:
> Chick found on the ground below a large oak tree at Lafayette Reservoir.
> Looks to me to be a Great Horned Owl chick. Any thoughts.
>
>
> https://www.flickr.com/cameraroll > Jim Roethe
>
>
>
>
Date: 4/13/24 3:04 pm From: Susana dT <trapaga...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Point Pinole Regional Shoreline April 12th sightings
Bird of the day: about 15 Elegant Terns (many Caspian too).
3 Western kingbirds
2 Hooded Oriole
1 Bullock's Oriole
We heard Pymy Nuthatch again approx. at this location 38.004154, -122.351468 but haven't seen them yet, they are hard to find in the high Eucalyptus.
Regarding Ospreys, it didn't look like chicks hatched yet.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S168328629
Date: 4/12/24 3:48 pm From: Rosemary Johnson <compasros...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Osprey nest at Pt Pinole
Yesterday there were two adult osprey and at least one in the nest. I first saw one flying on the north side of the peninsula and then later in the vicinity of the nest. The other adult was perched on a post adjacent to the nest then took off after the other adult in a Sw direction. I didn't have a scope so I'm not sure if there was another nestling. In past years there have been 2 but this year may be different. This nest has been used for a number of years. It is on the furthest tripod of posts from the old pier. It is easily visible from the newer concrete pier with binoculars. Rosemary Johnson Hercules Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
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Date: 4/12/24 1:09 pm From: Johan Langewis <jlangewis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Leucistic Bald Eagle
On our GGBA bird walk at Valle Vista this morning we enjoyed views of a leucystic Bald Eagle eating a fish. The head, neck, and tail were white as in an adult, and most of the dark plumage was a very pale light brown, almost white. It was perched in a tree on the shore of the reservoir, across the water from the horse paddock. Also seen flying, it looked like a ghost. Photos will be posted on eBird later today, they were digiscoped so I apologize in advance for the poor quality.
Date: 4/10/24 6:50 pm From: rosita94598 via groups.io <rosita94598...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] two short Anna's Hummingbird stories
Late Monday I noticed what turned out to be a fledgling Anna's scooting around on the tile of our patio. It was not strong enough to fly. I collected it in a paper bag, eventually grabbed it by the tail so it looked like a 1950s hood ornament. We dipped its bill into a hummingbird feeder, it seemed to gain a little strength. It survived the night, we repeated the process in the morning and took it to Lindsay Wildlife yesterday before noon. We know they do not all make it, but it is so hard to see it happen in front of one's own eyes. Maybe this one will survive.
Today we had a Bushtit come into our patio and was interested in approaching the birdbath with a little fountain. Suddenly an Anna's decided it needed to be in the water just then and the Bushtit disappeared over the fence. If I were a Bushtit and was faced with that long pointed bill, I would probably leave, too.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek
We wanted to look for two specific flower species, Checker Lily and Trillium, both of which we did find. But we were very fortunate to hear and find a very cooperative male Wilson's Warbler and to show it to a family with a young girl who appreciated seeing it. Spring is such a great time to be in the Cathedral of the Great Outdoors.
Yesterday a friend and I saw Golden Eagles and Western Kingbirds along Bollinger Canyon on the way into Las Trampas Regional Park. We also waited over an hour on a very muddy hillside in Bishop Ranch Open Space and were finally able to have a glimpse of the leucistic Acorn Woodpecker. This is a short way up the Gray Fox Trail off Morgan Drive in what I guess is San Ramon. The Cathedral is very big and not hard to find.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek
Five Greater White Fronted Geese seen foraging with a good sized flock of Canada Geese on the grassy area between Shimada Friendship Park and the Richmond marina today at 5 p.m.
Date: 4/5/24 8:59 pm From: Ethan Monk <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] early spring misc.
As spring kicks into full gear I have found once again some more time to get out and bird around Contra Costa County. Below, in reverse chronological order, are some highlights.
Today 4/5 after the rain (and in some places snow) last night I headed out to Richmond for a check of the bayside spots. Brooks Island was active, but nothing unusual. 35 Brant and 10 G.w. Gulls linger, and I estimated 100 Caspian Terns and 200 California Gulls at their colonies. 2 Snowy Plovers on the beach were likely wintering birds lingering since 10/22. At Landfill Loop later there was an alternate ~3rd+ cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull (perhaps the same as the bird first noted here on 12/22 by Jack Hayden, Dan Sidle, and Noah Arthur and seen two-three times since) and the highlight of my morning was a Great-tailed Grackle in Stege Marsh, singing at the "Richmond Pond"! The handful of documented/acceptable west county reports are all from spring time, and this was my first for Richmond. Right off Meeker Slough was a raft of about 120 Aechmophorus grebes, almost all Western to my eye. Normally Clark's Grebes are dominant or close to in Richmond, but this big raft of Westerns seems to form here routinely in March and April, and maybe to a lesser extent in late fall? In the winter there are often Aechmophorus rafts here, too, but my sense has been that there is a distinct and noticeable increase in overall numbers and numbers of Western Grebes in spring.
On 3/31 I made a visit to Bethel Island where I found a Red-throated Loon swimming in Frank's Tract to add to this season's inland bumper crop. Turns out Owen Bowie had one nearby on 3/3, and is then likely the same bird. Interestingly, the year has not seemed that exceptional for Red-throated Loons where they are expected in Richmond. I certainly recorded more last winter... Other birds of note on Bethel included a migrant m/f pair of B-w Teal on Bethel Isl. Rd., two newly arrived female Pintail, and an uncommon migrant Rough-winged Swallow over Frank's Tract.
3/30-3/31, a Thick-billed Fox Sparrow was very vocal but visually much less cooperative at the county's only reliable location for this species on Green Ranch Rd. (Mt. Diablo SP).
3/26 about 200 Snow Geese were grazing on Bethel Island, and on Holland Tract a largish flock of ~400 Blackbirds in the channel appeared majority male "nominate" Red-winged Blackbirds. Typically I think of adult male nominates as departed by April, but perhaps not considering the few hundred so close to the end of the month. There was also a m/f pair of Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the group, the male singing frequently. All of these blackbirds, Yellow-headed included, were gone on the 31st.
"It’s been over a week of strong winds from the north creating a migration
bottleneck. When the winds shift, it will be a great day to get out!"
as many who have looked for fly-over migrants on hilltops (Mt. Diablo, Napa
Ridge etc.) in spring can attest headwinds (from north or northeast) DO
NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT create a migration bottleneck. In fact some of the
best flights of migrants have been in such conditions.
The lack of noticeable/large-scale movement of passerines thus far is
simply because its still so early in the spring migration window.
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco
On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 4:26 PM Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc=
<wje.com...> wrote:
> I arrived at the forebay at 9:40 am and did my usual route biking around
> the forebay and back- with more time allotted to hopefully find Ethan’s
> Black Headed Gull. I found Bonaparts gulls, around 80 by Eucalyptus island
> (2 miles out). One possible candidate, but too far out to verify.By 11 am
> the gulls had moved too far out in the forebay to get good bin looks (I
> counted approximately 200 Bonaparts Gulls). Almost all remained way out
> through 2:30 pm. I concur with Ethan’s recommendation - your best chance is
> arriving after4 pm as by then the small gulls will hopefully move closer to
> shore with the added advantage of the sun at your back (morning you are
> looking into the dun on an already difficult ID).
>
>
>
> Clifton is always fascinating however. Today’s bird stars were American
> pipits, over 100 on the leveethat have mostly molted into breeding colors
> with grey backs and peachy buff bellies - no streaking - and bright white
> side tail feathers- they look like a new species! The only obvious recent
> migrants were three western Kingbirds. It’s been over a week of strong
> winds from the north creating a migration bottleneck. When the winds shift,
> it will be a great day to get out!
>
>
>
> Today’s highlight was running into a group of scientists from state fish
> and wildlife. They were monitoring western pond turtle population- the
> channels on the north side are one of their strongholds in the state. We
> have always worried the core of engineers would clear vegetation in this
> area to protect the levees, but the scientists told me this strip is
> important habitat and protected - good news! I also got to see a tiny
> turtle they had just caught 1-inch “big” - maybe a month out its shell!
>
>
>
> Jim Chiropolos
>
> Orinda
>
>
>
>
Date: 4/2/24 11:57 am From: Dominik Mosur <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Las Trampas Regional Wilderness 4/1/24
Paid another visit to Las Trampas yesterday morning. For a change of pace I accessed the south end of Las Trampas ridge from the Elworthy Ranch Staging area (off San Ramon Blvd/Elworthy Ranch Rd.)
Some fun sightings :
Golden Eagle - nice dorsal views of an adult bird as it flew below eye level along the ridge.
Merlin - hunting Western Meadowlarks on the ridge; stayed in view for over 15 minutes as it perched on the ground in between sorties on the meadowlark flock and at times interacting with one of the local American Kestrels.
American Pipits - a large flock (200+) was foraging around the ephemeral ponds on the east side of the ridge near the Remington Loop Trail.
Grasshopper Sparrow - first arrival singing away
Thanks to all those who answered my query regarding the active Golden Eagle nest. East Bay Regional Parks and USGS biologists are aware of the nest and monitoring it.
Date: 3/29/24 11:29 am From: Chris Ortega <chrisorte9a...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help with a warbler at McNabney Marsh this AM?
Hi Matt,
This is an American Pipit. They have a lot of superficial similarities to
warblers, but are in a separate family with other pipits and wagtails. For
most of the winter they're duller than this, but they're coming into
breeding plumage now.
Chris Ortega
Bay Point
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024, 11:20 AM Matt Tarlach <mtar925...> wrote:
> Any ideas about this little guy, seen out my car window as I was leaving
> the overlook along the southern access road? Sorry about the photo quality.
> This is the best I got, holding my cell phone to the eyepiece of my
> handheld binos.
> I took the bird at first for a Yellow-rumped, but while it doesn't show
> well in the photo there was a very noticeable soft yellowish wash all under
> the bird---from the vent area to the belly. No concentrated patches of
> yellow at the sides, or on the rump. The bill (unclear in the photo) was
> warbler-shaped.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dx4hT6ihGHrJrmFw6 >
> --
> ----
> Matt Tarlach
> Walnut Creek
>
>
>
Date: 3/29/24 11:23 am From: Aaron Maizlish <amm.birdlists...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help with a warbler at McNabney Marsh this AM?
Hi Matt,
I would say this is most likely an American Pipit.
Aaron Maizlish
San Francisco
> On Mar 29, 2024, at 11:20 AM, Matt Tarlach <mtar925...> wrote:
>
> Any ideas about this little guy, seen out my car window as I was leaving the overlook along the southern access road? Sorry about the photo quality. This is the best I got, holding my cell phone to the eyepiece of my handheld binos.
> I took the bird at first for a Yellow-rumped, but while it doesn't show well in the photo there was a very noticeable soft yellowish wash all under the bird---from the vent area to the belly. No concentrated patches of yellow at the sides, or on the rump. The bill (unclear in the photo) was warbler-shaped.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dx4hT6ihGHrJrmFw6 >
> --
> ----
> Matt Tarlach
> Walnut Creek
>
>
Date: 3/29/24 11:20 am From: Matt Tarlach <mtar925...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] ID help with a warbler at McNabney Marsh this AM?
Any ideas about this little guy, seen out my car window as I was leaving the overlook along the southern access road? Sorry about the photo quality. This is the best I got, holding my cell phone to the eyepiece of my handheld binos.
I took the bird at first for a Yellow-rumped, but while it doesn't show well in the photo there was a very noticeable soft yellowish wash all under the bird---from the vent area to the belly. No concentrated patches of yellow at the sides, or on the rump. The bill (unclear in the photo) was warbler-shaped.
Date: 3/28/24 9:05 pm From: Jerry Britten <jeraldabritten...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Black-Headed Gull continues at Clifton Court Forebay
Michael Park got a few of us other birders onto the Black-Headed Gull that was found on the 26th by Ethan Monk, at about 5PM on the western shore about 1 mile from parking. An ebird checklist with some very bad photos is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S166305028 Hopefully others were able to get better ones. Jerry Britten Morgan Territory.
Date: 3/28/24 4:26 pm From: Jim Chiropolos via groups.io <jnc...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Clifton Court Forebay
I arrived at the forebay at 9:40 am and did my usual route biking around the forebay and back- with more time allotted to hopefully find Ethan’s Black Headed Gull. I found Bonaparts gulls, around 80 by Eucalyptus island (2 miles out). One possible candidate, but too far out to verify.By 11 am the gulls had moved too far out in the forebay to get good bin looks (I counted approximately 200 Bonaparts Gulls). Almost all remained way out through 2:30 pm. I concur with Ethan’s recommendation - your best chance is arriving after4 pm as by then the small gulls will hopefully move closer to shore with the added advantage of the sun at your back (morning you are looking into the dun on an already difficult ID).
Clifton is always fascinating however. Today’s bird stars were American pipits, over 100 on the leveethat have mostly molted into breeding colors with grey backs and peachy buff bellies - no streaking - and bright white side tail feathers- they look like a new species! The only obvious recent migrants were three western Kingbirds. It’s been over a week of strong winds from the north creating a migration bottleneck. When the winds shift, it will be a great day to get out!
Today’s highlight was running into a group of scientists from state fish and wildlife. They were monitoring western pond turtle population- the channels on the north side are one of their strongholds in the state. We have always worried the core of engineers would clear vegetation in this area to protect the levees, but the scientists told me this strip is important habitat and protected - good news! I also got to see a tiny turtle they had just caught 1-inch “big” - maybe a month out its shell!
> On Mar 28, 2024, at 8:29 AM, Erica <ihearwaxwings...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ethan, can you say what cycle the bird is? thank you and congratulations, Erica
>
>
Black-headed Gull as reported by Ethan Mar 26 continued today, Mar 27 at Clifton Court Forebay. At about 5 PM after about 3 hours of looking for it the gull flew by 3 of us as it went north over the water very close to the levee we were on in the area described by Ethan yesterday about a mile from the parking area. We estimated over 400 Bonaparte's Gulls on the water at one time (at about 6 PM) maybe only about a quarter mile from the parking area. And others were still flying around at that time.
John LutherOakland
On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 7:51:53 PM PDT, Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
This evening there was a Black-headed Gull with about 200 Bonaparte's at Clifton Court Forebay. It is customary in the spring for Bonaparte's Gulls to begin arriving in the forebay's northwest corner at about 3-4pm. They accumulate here until about 5-6 and then begin to fly south to other places on the forebay, including sometimes closer to the main parking lot. Tonight the Black-headed Gull followed that pattern, appearing in the forebay's northwest corner about a 1-1.5 mile walk from the parking lot about 4pm with the 200 or so Bonaparte's and promptly disappeared. It was only an hour or more later that I refound the bird sitting on the water with about 30 Bonaparte's, only about a half mile or less north of the parking area. The best chance of seeing this bird again would be to spend tomorrow afternoon in the forebay's northwestern corner and hope the bird reappears...
Photos will make it to eBird eventually...
This is the 2nd county record. The first was in 1954.
Ethan Monk
This evening there was a Black-headed Gull with about 200 Bonaparte's at Clifton Court Forebay. It is customary in the spring for Bonaparte's Gulls to begin arriving in the forebay's northwest corner at about 3-4pm. They accumulate here until about 5-6 and then begin to fly south to other places on the forebay, including sometimes closer to the main parking lot. Tonight the Black-headed Gull followed that pattern, appearing in the forebay's northwest corner about a 1-1.5 mile walk from the parking lot about 4pm with the 200 or so Bonaparte's and promptly disappeared. It was only an hour or more later that I refound the bird sitting on the water with about 30 Bonaparte's, only about a half mile or less north of the parking area. The best chance of seeing this bird again would be to spend tomorrow afternoon in the forebay's northwestern corner and hope the bird reappears...
Photos will make it to eBird eventually...
This is the 2nd county record. The first was in 1954.
Date: 3/26/24 5:22 pm From: Dominik Mosur <dominikmosur...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Las Trampas Regional Wilderness/San Ramon - spring arrivals and breeding birds 3/25/24
Yesterday, Monday 3/25/24, Megan and I spent the morning and early afternoon exploring Las Trampas Regional Wilderness near Danville/San Ramon, Contra Costa County.
To get a full appreciation of this site I highly encourage people to bird the ~4 mile stretch along Bollinger Canyon Rd. north of Faria Preserve Parkway before it dead ends at the main parking lot and staging area in addition to the trails.
observations of note:
California Quail - a paltry count of 5 (one pair, one 2m f trio) underscores the continued decline of our state bird in habitat near urban centers.
White-throated Swifts - engaging in courtship behavior over the valley. White-throated Swift is now a widespread breeder in drainage openings and vents along highway overpasses throughout the county but I suspect based on their near constant presence here in spring and summer that they also snest in crevices in the rock formations on Trampas Ridge
Golden Eagle - a bird incubating on a nest on private property just outside the park boundary was seen thanks to the generous offer of the landowner inviting us to see it. Here I also learned that the park authorities are planning to begin construction of a new parking lot and staging area nearby within a few weeks which could have potential detrimental effects on the nesting eagles. If anyone from Mount Diablo Audubon or similar conservation outfits in this part of Contra Costa is interested in more details please contact me off list.
Western Kingbird - the first arrival of spring I've noted in 2024 was flycatching off the fence alongside Bollinger Canyon Road near the jct with Bear Tree Road.
Common Raven - a pair is nesting in one of the "wind sculpted" rock formations on Trampas Ridge
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers - a healthy count of 7 recently arrived birds along the Trampas Ridge/Chamise/Trapline trails was good for March but not unexpected
White-throated Sparrow - a first spring bird in heavy molt was with Golden-crowned Sparrows at the main staging area at the north end of Bollinger Canyon Rd. and I suspect the same individual observed in December near the Little Hills Farm about 500m to the south
Rufous-crowned Sparrows - two birds were countersinging off the Rocky Ridge Trail/Fire Road starting at el ~1700' where they are resident
Lark Sparrow - one recently arrived bird was singing off Rocky Ridge Trail/Fire Road a bit lower down the the Rufous-crowns at almost the identical spot where a family of adults and fledglings were noted last June
Savannah Sparrows - in the grasslands along Rocky Ridge trail, these are wintering birds that will soon depart hopefully to be replaced by Grasshopper Sparrows which nested here last year.
Later in the day, acting on a tip from Megan's mom, we visited a "mini" Great Egret rookery consisting of at least two nests in a eucalyptus along Alcosta @ Village Parkway in south San Ramon, on the county line with Alameda. Apparently these egrets are managing to eke out a living feeding at water features and along mostly channelized Oak Creek on the nearby golf Course.
Date: 3/26/24 1:28 pm From: Mark Rauzon via groups.io <mjrauz...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Cassin's Sparrow bathing with White-throated Sparrow, photo study
After a brief song at 0748, the Cassin's Sparrow went AWOL for well over an hour, but the sun did finally coax the CASP from hiding to begin to a show off. Teale Fristoe, Jim Scharf and another gentleman followed the sparrow moving west next to the main road as it narrows at the neck. At one point a fox sparrow counter sung to the Cassin's on either side of the main trail, then astoundingly, despite the dog disturbances, the sparrows begin to come down to bathe in the remaining puddles on the main trail. That's when Teale spied a white-throated sparrow bathing as the Cassin's approached. We could see the yellow mark at the wing bend on both sparrow, a field mark that is occasionally conspicuous in other sparrows like savannah and grasshopper. Here are some photos that will click through from today, and some from yesterday at Golden Gate Park where a summer tanager was cooperative. Thanks to the original discoverers, Ellen Plane and Alison Su who found CASP on March 17, a bird that has brought joy to hundreds!
Mark Rauzon, Oakland
CAL LAND BIRDS
Date: 3/24/24 4:02 pm From: Alexander Henry <awhenry...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] eBird hotspot question
I agree what you mention as “Gilman Street/Golden Gate Fields waterfront”
is a bit of a gap between hotspots.
That area is called Point Silent Disco or Silent Disco Vista Point, which I
think would be a fun hotspot name. Sorry I have made this extremely
tangential to the original topic though so my bad.
On Sunday, March 24, 2024, Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
> I agree with Alex that the Albany Bulb area is confusing, (and I’m not
> categorically against lumping hotspots). Perhaps I’m just more attached to
> Meeker as it’s currently defined.
>
> The broken down pier might be part of a “Gilman St / Golden Gate Fields
> waterfront” type hotspot - which would include a consistent area of rocky
> shoreline, bordered by road and paved path that’s quite different from the
> bulb. And Albany Mudflats seems perhaps reasonable to keep also.
>
> Zac
>
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 3:12 PM Alexander Henry <awhenry...> wrote:
>
>> I think it’s very reasonable lump some of these hotspots in cases where
>> there’s redundancy or unnecessary levels of granularity with the hotspots.
>>
>> As an extension of this discussion, I also think there’s quite a bit of
>> redundancy with hotspots in the Albany waterfront area, and I think Albany
>> State Marine Reserve, Albany Beach South to Fishing Pier, and McLaughlin
>> Eastshore State Park - Albany Access should all be annexed into one
>> hotspot, Albany Bulb, but perhaps Albany Mudflats should be allowed to
>> remain for people who only check the mudflats. That area does not need to
>> be represented by 5 hotspots some of which seem basically completely
>> redundant/overlapping. It makes the species maps look messy too which
>> doesn’t really matter but annoys me nonetheless.
>>
>> On Sunday, March 24, 2024, Catherine Fox <cevansfox...> wrote:
>>
>>> Great idea. This will reduce the “which one to choose” options while
>>> birding on this stretch of the Bay Trail.
>>> Catherine
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:31 AM, Nat Smale <smale...> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Ethan,
>>>
>>> That sounds like a great idea to me. I bird the region you describe
>>> frequently. And (at least recently) always post my lists on the Meeker
>>> Slough hotspot. I also include the short stretch from Shimada Friendship
>>> Park to the Nelson Sparrow/beach spot, as I often park at Shimada and walk
>>> to Hoffman Marsh from there. Any of the names you proposed seem fine to me.
>>>
>>> Nat
>>>
>>> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:18 AM, Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
>>>
>>> That would be south*east* to the edge of the dogpark.
>>>
>>> Ethan
>>>
>>> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula=
>>> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
>>>> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
>>>> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
>>>> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
>>>> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
>>>> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
>>>> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
>>>> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
>>>> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
>>>> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
>>>> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>>>>
>>>> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
>>>> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
>>>> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
>>>> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
>>>> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>>>>
>>>> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would
>>>> remain untouched.
>>>>
>>>> Let me know. Thanks.
>>>>
>>>> Ethan Monk
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Alex Henry
>>
>>
>>
>>
I agree with Alex that the Albany Bulb area is confusing, (and I’m not
categorically against lumping hotspots). Perhaps I’m just more attached to
Meeker as it’s currently defined.
The broken down pier might be part of a “Gilman St / Golden Gate Fields
waterfront” type hotspot - which would include a consistent area of rocky
shoreline, bordered by road and paved path that’s quite different from the
bulb. And Albany Mudflats seems perhaps reasonable to keep also.
Zac
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 3:12 PM Alexander Henry <awhenry...> wrote:
> I think it’s very reasonable lump some of these hotspots in cases where
> there’s redundancy or unnecessary levels of granularity with the hotspots.
>
> As an extension of this discussion, I also think there’s quite a bit of
> redundancy with hotspots in the Albany waterfront area, and I think Albany
> State Marine Reserve, Albany Beach South to Fishing Pier, and McLaughlin
> Eastshore State Park - Albany Access should all be annexed into one
> hotspot, Albany Bulb, but perhaps Albany Mudflats should be allowed to
> remain for people who only check the mudflats. That area does not need to
> be represented by 5 hotspots some of which seem basically completely
> redundant/overlapping. It makes the species maps look messy too which
> doesn’t really matter but annoys me nonetheless.
>
> On Sunday, March 24, 2024, Catherine Fox <cevansfox...> wrote:
>
>> Great idea. This will reduce the “which one to choose” options while
>> birding on this stretch of the Bay Trail.
>> Catherine
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:31 AM, Nat Smale <smale...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Ethan,
>>
>> That sounds like a great idea to me. I bird the region you describe
>> frequently. And (at least recently) always post my lists on the Meeker
>> Slough hotspot. I also include the short stretch from Shimada Friendship
>> Park to the Nelson Sparrow/beach spot, as I often park at Shimada and walk
>> to Hoffman Marsh from there. Any of the names you proposed seem fine to me.
>>
>> Nat
>>
>> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:18 AM, Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
>>
>> That would be south*east* to the edge of the dogpark.
>>
>> Ethan
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula=
>> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
>>> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
>>> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
>>> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
>>> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
>>> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
>>> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
>>> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
>>> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
>>> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
>>> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>>>
>>> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
>>> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
>>> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
>>> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
>>> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>>>
>>> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
>>> untouched.
>>>
>>> Let me know. Thanks.
>>>
>>> Ethan Monk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> Alex Henry
>
>
>
>
Sure thing. The Meeker / 51st hotspot border is I believe the Meeker
footbridge on the bay trail. After you cross over the creek bridge from the
Meeker / Richmond harbor side, you’re in the 51st st area. That’s at least
my recollection from doing the Richmond CBC in that area, and talking to
other birders (corrections welcome).
Zac
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 2:38 PM Chris Ortega <chrisorte9a...> wrote:
> Thanks to all for the interesting discussion. I don't have a strong
> opinion either way on this though I tend to be more of a lumper than
> splitter when it comes to hotspots, especially if the borders are difficult
> to distinguish. Zac, could you possibly draw on a map how you picture the
> divide between these hotspots? I've birded Meeker and 51st several times,
> but it's never been clear to me where one starts and the other begins.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris Ortega
> Bay Point
>
> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024, 12:21 PM Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
>
>> Ethan,
>>
>> First, thank you to you and our other reviewers who work hard to maintain
>> eBird as an accurate and useful resource. My first question is what is the
>> main motivation for consolidating these hotspots? I’m sure there are less
>> obvious issues from a reviewer’s perspective, that the rest of us are
>> unaware of.
>>
>> For myself, I appreciate having at least Meeker Slough separated from
>> areas to the East. To me, Meeker stands out from Hoffman and the stretch of
>> the bay trail starting at around 51st St.
>>
>> Habitat-wise, the creek slough at Meeker has a different feel than the
>> estuary of the smaller creek that comes on along the Bayview Ave freeway
>> exit and 51st St, with features that are unique along that stretch of the
>> bay trail: a wider creek mouth, the intersection of paths, the borders of
>> the housing development, planted trees, the small inlet where Sora can be
>> found (and where the Nelson’s Sparrow was often seen), a small grassy goose
>> and dog park and the sandy ‘Nelson’s Sparrow spit’. As soon as you cross
>> the bay trail foot bridge over Meeker Creek, you know you’ll be seeing
>> different birds than you’ve seen on the rest of the stretch from 51st St.
>>
>> That different feel may or may not justify having separate hotspots, I
>> know. There’s no county line, park border or other geographic boundary
>> separating these areas as far as I know - and perhaps that’s sufficient
>> reason to consolidate hotspots.
>>
>> But in general, I appreciate having more specificity to hotspots, at
>> least when the areas feel distinct to a birder. This makes it easier for
>> reporting / locating rarities, among other things. And Meeker Slough in
>> particular, is the location of a lot of reports of rarities.
>>
>> I don’t have a strong feeling about separating Hoffman Marsh from the
>> wetlands on the Bay side of the bay trail, in particular.
>>
>> But those are my personal thoughts.
>>
>> Happy birding everyone,
>>
>> Zac
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
>>> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
>>> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
>>> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
>>> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
>>> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
>>> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
>>> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
>>> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
>>> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
>>> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>>>
>>> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
>>> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
>>> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
>>> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
>>> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>>>
>>> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
>>> untouched.
>>>
>>> Let me know. Thanks.
>>>
>>> Ethan Monk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
Date: 3/24/24 3:12 pm From: Alexander Henry <awhenry...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] eBird hotspot question
I think it’s very reasonable lump some of these hotspots in cases where
there’s redundancy or unnecessary levels of granularity with the hotspots.
As an extension of this discussion, I also think there’s quite a bit of
redundancy with hotspots in the Albany waterfront area, and I think Albany
State Marine Reserve, Albany Beach South to Fishing Pier, and McLaughlin
Eastshore State Park - Albany Access should all be annexed into one
hotspot, Albany Bulb, but perhaps Albany Mudflats should be allowed to
remain for people who only check the mudflats. That area does not need to
be represented by 5 hotspots some of which seem basically completely
redundant/overlapping. It makes the species maps look messy too which
doesn’t really matter but annoys me nonetheless.
On Sunday, March 24, 2024, Catherine Fox <cevansfox...> wrote:
> Great idea. This will reduce the “which one to choose” options while
> birding on this stretch of the Bay Trail.
> Catherine
>
>
>
> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:31 AM, Nat Smale <smale...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ethan,
>
> That sounds like a great idea to me. I bird the region you describe
> frequently. And (at least recently) always post my lists on the Meeker
> Slough hotspot. I also include the short stretch from Shimada Friendship
> Park to the Nelson Sparrow/beach spot, as I often park at Shimada and walk
> to Hoffman Marsh from there. Any of the names you proposed seem fine to me.
>
> Nat
>
> On Mar 24, 2024, at 8:18 AM, Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
>
> That would be south*east* to the edge of the dogpark.
>
> Ethan
>
> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
>> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
>> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
>> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
>> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
>> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
>> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
>> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
>> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
>> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
>> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>>
>> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
>> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
>> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
>> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
>> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>>
>> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
>> untouched.
>>
>> Let me know. Thanks.
>>
>> Ethan Monk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Thanks to all for the interesting discussion. I don't have a strong opinion
either way on this though I tend to be more of a lumper than splitter when
it comes to hotspots, especially if the borders are difficult to
distinguish. Zac, could you possibly draw on a map how you picture the
divide between these hotspots? I've birded Meeker and 51st several times,
but it's never been clear to me where one starts and the other begins.
Thanks,
Chris Ortega
Bay Point
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024, 12:21 PM Zac Denning <zdenning1...> wrote:
> Ethan,
>
> First, thank you to you and our other reviewers who work hard to maintain
> eBird as an accurate and useful resource. My first question is what is the
> main motivation for consolidating these hotspots? I’m sure there are less
> obvious issues from a reviewer’s perspective, that the rest of us are
> unaware of.
>
> For myself, I appreciate having at least Meeker Slough separated from
> areas to the East. To me, Meeker stands out from Hoffman and the stretch of
> the bay trail starting at around 51st St.
>
> Habitat-wise, the creek slough at Meeker has a different feel than the
> estuary of the smaller creek that comes on along the Bayview Ave freeway
> exit and 51st St, with features that are unique along that stretch of the
> bay trail: a wider creek mouth, the intersection of paths, the borders of
> the housing development, planted trees, the small inlet where Sora can be
> found (and where the Nelson’s Sparrow was often seen), a small grassy goose
> and dog park and the sandy ‘Nelson’s Sparrow spit’. As soon as you cross
> the bay trail foot bridge over Meeker Creek, you know you’ll be seeing
> different birds than you’ve seen on the rest of the stretch from 51st St.
>
> That different feel may or may not justify having separate hotspots, I
> know. There’s no county line, park border or other geographic boundary
> separating these areas as far as I know - and perhaps that’s sufficient
> reason to consolidate hotspots.
>
> But in general, I appreciate having more specificity to hotspots, at least
> when the areas feel distinct to a birder. This makes it easier for
> reporting / locating rarities, among other things. And Meeker Slough in
> particular, is the location of a lot of reports of rarities.
>
> I don’t have a strong feeling about separating Hoffman Marsh from the
> wetlands on the Bay side of the bay trail, in particular.
>
> But those are my personal thoughts.
>
> Happy birding everyone,
>
> Zac
>
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
>> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
>> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
>> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
>> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
>> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
>> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
>> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
>> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
>> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
>> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>>
>> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
>> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
>> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
>> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
>> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>>
>> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
>> untouched.
>>
>> Let me know. Thanks.
>>
>> Ethan Monk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
First, thank you to you and our other reviewers who work hard to maintain
eBird as an accurate and useful resource. My first question is what is the
main motivation for consolidating these hotspots? I’m sure there are less
obvious issues from a reviewer’s perspective, that the rest of us are
unaware of.
For myself, I appreciate having at least Meeker Slough separated from areas
to the East. To me, Meeker stands out from Hoffman and the stretch of the
bay trail starting at around 51st St.
Habitat-wise, the creek slough at Meeker has a different feel than the
estuary of the smaller creek that comes on along the Bayview Ave freeway
exit and 51st St, with features that are unique along that stretch of the
bay trail: a wider creek mouth, the intersection of paths, the borders of
the housing development, planted trees, the small inlet where Sora can be
found (and where the Nelson’s Sparrow was often seen), a small grassy goose
and dog park and the sandy ‘Nelson’s Sparrow spit’. As soon as you cross
the bay trail foot bridge over Meeker Creek, you know you’ll be seeing
different birds than you’ve seen on the rest of the stretch from 51st St.
That different feel may or may not justify having separate hotspots, I
know. There’s no county line, park border or other geographic boundary
separating these areas as far as I know - and perhaps that’s sufficient
reason to consolidate hotspots.
But in general, I appreciate having more specificity to hotspots, at least
when the areas feel distinct to a birder. This makes it easier for
reporting / locating rarities, among other things. And Meeker Slough in
particular, is the location of a lot of reports of rarities.
I don’t have a strong feeling about separating Hoffman Marsh from the
wetlands on the Bay side of the bay trail, in particular.
But those are my personal thoughts.
Happy birding everyone,
Zac
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>
> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>
> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
> untouched.
>
> Let me know. Thanks.
>
> Ethan Monk
>
>
>
>
That sounds like a great idea to me. I bird the region you describe frequently. And (at least recently) always post my lists on the Meeker Slough hotspot. I also include the short stretch from Shimada Friendship Park to the Nelson Sparrow/beach spot, as I often park at Shimada and walk to Hoffman Marsh from there. Any of the names you proposed seem fine to me.
The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt. Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain untouched.
That would be south*east* to the edge of the dogpark.
Ethan
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 8:17 AM Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in
> the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman
> Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of
> these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this
> marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a
> descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their
> lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt.
> Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the
> Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another
> single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow
> spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
>
> I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most
> active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel
> free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are
> fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've
> been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
>
> All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain
> untouched.
>
> Let me know. Thanks.
>
> Ethan Monk
>
>
>
>
The past couple of years I've been a bit weirded out by the hotspots in the Stege Marsh Area--specifically Meeker Slough, S. 51st St., and Hoffman Marsh, which all seem a bit redundant. I was thinking of merging all of these hotspots into one, called Stege Marsh (the "official" name of this marsh) or Stege Marsh and Meeker Slough, or similar, and adding a descriptor to the Pt. Isabel hotspot to encourage people to stop their lists when they leave the dogpark on the north side. That way lists for Pt. Isabel are ideally constrained to the area from the county line in the Albany Crescent to the north end of the dogpark, and then we have another single (1) hotspot for all of the areas from roughly "the Nelson's Sparrow spit," southwest to the edge of the dogpark.
I'd like feedback on this before I do it, especially from today's most active users of these hotspots, but anyone is welcome to chime in. Feel free to comment on list, or reply to me off-list, privately. These are fairly well entrenched hotspots (they have been this way as long as I've been using eBird) so there might be some emotions tied up in this!
All of the Richmond Marina/Marina Bay neighborhood hotspots would remain untouched.
