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Updated on Friday, October 10 at 10:18 AM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.


Wood Thrush,©Julie Zickefoose

10 Oct Varied Thrushes along Skyline ["kschnei1000" ]
10 Oct Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs in Burlingame ["George Chrisman" ]
9 Oct more Half Moon Bay ["Alvaro Jaramillo" ]
9 Oct WFO in Half Moon Bay. ["Alvaro Jaramillo" ]
8 Oct Rare birds at Coyote Pt. ( Wednesday ) []
8 Oct Teal x3 @Radio Road - Correction [sonny mencher ]
8 Oct Teal x 3 @Radio Road [sonny mencher ]
8 Oct RE: Tropical Kingbird ["Alvaro Jaramillo" ]
8 Oct Tropical Kingbird [Al Eisner ]
07 Oct Pescadero Marsh (Eurasian Wigeon) [Bill Bousman ]
7 Oct RE: Re: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently? ["Alvaro Jaramillo" ]
08 Oct Re: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently? ["martin000ec" ]
7 Oct Anyone been to Wavecrest recently? ["C MacIntosh" ]
7 Oct Orchard Oriole at Coyote Pt. []
07 Oct latest Optics and Books ["birder47" ]
6 Oct San Mateo County coast ["Scott Smithson" ]
6 Oct Lark & Chipping Sparrow 10/5/2008 ["Garth Harwood" ]
5 Oct Swainson's Hawk and Common Tern []
05 Oct Etheldore (Tropical Kingbirds) [Bill Bousman ]
05 Oct Coyote Point - Sunday AM []
4 Oct TKs and Blackpoll ["Dan Singer" ]
04 Oct Radio Road Shorebirds 10/3/08 ["George Chrisman" ]
03 Oct Redwood Shores []
03 Oct Re: Rocketing Canada geese [JC Dill ]
3 Oct Coyote Point (Friday morning) [Al Eisner ]
03 Oct Rocketing Canada geese [susan hons ]
2 Oct Fall Challenge for SFBBO - Calaveras Catchbirds ["Kris Olson" ]
2 Oct Fall Challenge for SFBBO - Calaveras Catchbirds ["Kris Olson" ]
01 Oct Redwood Shores []
01 Oct San Bruno Mountain: Monday's Local Updates ["Jeff Fairclough" ]
30 Sep Tennessee Warblers at Coyote Pt. []
30 Sep SFBBO San Mateo County trip 10/4 ["SFBBO Outreach" ]
30 Sep Black-throated Gray Warbler at Redwood Shores office [Mike Aicardi ]
29 Sep Osprey continues in Burlingame ["Kris Olson" ]
29 Sep Parula and mixed Columbid flock, Pescadero ["Garth Harwood" ]
29 Sep Western Screech Owls near Skyline Ridge OSP [Georgia Stigall ]
29 Sep 25 year old Gull Radio Road ["IIWI1" ]
29 Sep Bayside (Sept. 28) [Al Eisner ]
29 Sep Pectoral Sanpiper & Red Knot @ Princton Marsh 9/28/08 ["George Chrisman" ]
28 Sep San Bruno Mtn St/Co Park Ridge , 9/28/08 ["Laurie" ]
28 Sep Coyote Point County Park , 9/27/08 ["Laurie" ]
28 Sep RE: San Mateo WFO conf OCT 9-12 ["Kris Olson" ]
27 Sep Tennessee Warbler at Coyote Point []
26 Sep Black-throated and Brewer's Sparrow []
26 Sep Another big swallow movement ["Garth Harwood" ]
26 Sep Fall Myrtle in Menlo Park [Bill Bousman ]
25 Sep Coyote Pt. Sabine's Gulls []
24 Sep Eurasian Wigeon at Redwood Shores []
24 Sep RE: Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery ["Alvaro Jaramillo" ]
24 Sep RE: Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery ["Kris Olson" ]
24 Sep Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery ["Kris Olson" ]
24 Sep Pectoral Sandpiper continues in Moss Beach ["D Weber" ]

Subject: Varied Thrushes along Skyline
From: "kschnei1000" <kschnei1 AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:17:50 -0000
Apologies if this has already been noted.  I've been focusing on the 
insects and spiders rather than the birds on my hikes lately, but I 
thought I'd mention that I heard quite a few VATH for the first time 
this fall at upper Huddart County Park on Thursday (10/9).  My birding-
by-ear skills are a bit rusty, but there seemed to be quite a few of 
them.  Perhaps this will be another bumper year for VATH like a couple 
of years ago?

Ken Schneider
Redwood City
Subject: Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs in Burlingame
From: "George Chrisman" <geodani55 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:21:00 -0000
This afternoon, 10/9/08 around 5:30 pm I birded the Sanchez Lagoon near 
the Anza exit from 101 in Burlingame. Best birds were a single SPOTTED 
SANDPIPER, and a single LESSER YELLOWLEGS along with 3 GREATER 
YELLOWLEGS. There were several GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and a couple of 
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS along the paved trail on the east side near the 
golf center. A nice flock of about 10 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were also 
feeding in the sweet fennel. One WESTERN MEADOWLARK was the first I 
have seen in the county this fall.

George Chrisman
Burlingame, CA
Subject: more Half Moon Bay
From: "Alvaro Jaramillo" <chucao AT coastside.net>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 17:04:15 -0700
Folks

 

   Sorry, I forgot to mention that Steve heard the rattle of a longspur at
Etheldore, while I was busy doing something else. The bird did not sit
around to be enjoyed, a heard only, and assume Lapland Longspur. 

 

Alvaro

 

Alvaro Jaramillo

chucao AT coastside.net

Half Moon Bay, California

 

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide

www.fieldguides.com

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: WFO in Half Moon Bay.
From: "Alvaro Jaramillo" <chucao AT coastside.net>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 16:48:57 -0700
Folks

 

  Steve Rottenborn and I led a great trip birding some spots between Moss
Beach and Pillar Point. The highlights were a Blackburnian Warbler Steve
found at the Fitzerald Marine Reserve, and then we got a Sage Thrasher that
was at the Etheldore Fields in Moss Beach. A Red Knot was at the harbor,
with two Wandering Tattlers. There were many other neat birds, but those
stand out as the top dogs. 

 

Good birding

 

Al

 

Alvaro Jaramillo

chucao AT coastside.net

Half Moon Bay, California

 

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide

www.fieldguides.com

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Rare birds at Coyote Pt. ( Wednesday )
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 22:36:01 EDT
 
  Another early morning visit to the field next to the P.G.E substation 
 and west of the fresh water marsh at Coyote Point. The sky was clear
 this morning with many birds flying overhead. Yellow-rumped Warblers
 increased from yesterday, many in flight over the field.Savannah Sparrows
 were dropping in out of the sky. At least ( 2 ) of the Savannah Sparrows
 seen were of a different race than our local breeder. A Say's Phoebe
 was a new arrival. Many more crowned sparrows showed up in the last
 day. The large patch of Sweet Fennel demonstrated how important of a
 plant species it is of a food source to birds. Besides sparrows, finches
 and Red-winged Blackbirds seen today, there were ( 16-18 ) Yellow
 Warblers, ( 12 ) Yellow-rumped Warblers, ( 1 ) Common Yellowthroat and
 a Nashville Warbler. The Nashville Warbler was another new arrival. This
 species could be a new arrival or a continuing bird was a TENNESSEE
 WARBLER. The Tennessee Warblers that have been present at the
 fennel patch tend to spend more time down in the fennel compared to
 the Yellow Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding in the upper
 portions of the plant. Another new arrival was a LUCY'S WARBLER
 This nondescript warbler with gray upperparts and pale underparts
 with a pale buffy wash showed off its tawny uppertail coverts and
 wagged its tail a couple of times. The Lucy's Warbler evidentially
 disappeared into the jungle of flowering fennel. The unexpected
 surprise came, when I was walking the field west next to the P.G.E
 substation, when a medium size passerine flushed well ahead of me.
 The view was quick without binoculars. There appeared to be a whitish
 patch in the wing coverts. The tail showed white tips to the rectrices as
 it spread its tail in flight. I had no ideal what it was, since the sighting
 was brief. I yelled old hell and took off in the direction where it flew off
 to. I had a feeling it might land on the Coyote Bush in the ravine
 separating the field. Scanning the Coyote Bush, there was the bird
 perched on top showing whitish underparts with distinct dark streaking
 throughout the underparts. The bill was large giving an impression
 of a grosbeak. Bam, it was a LARK BUNTING! The Lark Bunting stared
 back at me for a moment and flew west into the field. The Lark Bunting
 would be first ever for Coyote Point.

 Ron Thorn


**************
New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out!
(http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Teal x3 @Radio Road - Correction
From: sonny mencher <soccerquiz AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 16:17:51 -0700 (PDT)
Correct link to photos:
http://flickr.com/photos/sonnyjeff/sets/72157607858202460/


      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Teal x 3 @Radio Road
From: sonny mencher <soccerquiz AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 15:08:00 -0700 (PDT)



Overall ponds were quiet this morning. Did find the 3 local Teals. Blue and 
Green Winged on long island at the "dog park" end.  Cinammons were on the bank 
between the 2 ponds close to the fence. 

 
Skimmers were there playing dead, a White Pelican and the usual shore birds
 
Davit Lane Lagoon was also quiet. One Snowy in the channel
 
Photos: http://flickr.com/photos/sonnyjeff/sets/72157607864099261/
 
(new software -special effect)
          


      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: RE: Tropical Kingbird
From: "Alvaro Jaramillo" <chucao AT coastside.net>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 13:12:04 -0700
Al

 

   I hit the Etheldore fields today to see what was around for the WFO field
trip tomorrow. I missed the Tropical Kingbird entirely. Good going, I now
know it is still there and will make a concerted effort to find it tomorrow.


 

Thanks

 

Alvaro

 

Alvaro Jaramillo

chucao AT coastside.net

Half Moon Bay, California

 

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide

www.fieldguides.com

  _____  

From: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
[mailto:peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Al Eisner
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 12:42 PM
To: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
Subject: [pen-bird] Tropical Kingbird

 

At about 10:00 this morning (Oct. 8) I found one continuing
Tropical Kingbird near the intersection of Marine and Etheldore
in Moss Beach. A few other stops around the Princeton and Moss
Beach areas turned up a few western migrants but no other vagrant.

Al Eisner

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Tropical Kingbird
From: Al Eisner <eisner AT SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:42:03 -0700 (PDT)
    At about 10:00 this morning (Oct. 8) I found one continuing
Tropical Kingbird near the intersection of Marine and Etheldore
in Moss Beach.  A few other stops around the Princeton and Moss
Beach areas turned up a few western migrants but no other vagrant.

 							Al Eisner
Subject: Pescadero Marsh (Eurasian Wigeon)
From: Bill Bousman <barlowi AT earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:26:35 -0700
Folks:

This morning, 10/7/08, I birded Pescadero Marsh in fairly thick 
fog.  On the North Pond along Hwy 1 I saw a male EURASIAN WIGEON 
coming out of eclipse, it had a rufous head, and the flanks were 
mottled rufous and gray.

Bill
Subject: RE: Re: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently?
From: "Alvaro Jaramillo" <chucao AT coastside.net>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 20:12:56 -0700
Folks

 

   The big raptor show happens sporadically, depending on vole numbers. In
my estimation it is something that happens about every 3 years..so don't
expect lots of raptors around Wavecrest this year. There are raptors around
(Harriers, Red-tails, Red-shoulders, Kestrels, Barn Owls.etc, but not the
huge numbers). 

 

Cheers

 

Alvaro

 

Alvaro Jaramillo

chucao AT coastside.net

Half Moon Bay, California

 

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide

www.fieldguides.com

  _____  

From: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
[mailto:peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of martin000ec
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 8:08 PM
To: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
Subject: [pen-bird] Re: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently?

 

I was there Sunday hoping to find lots of action. However, things 
were rather quiet. I saw a red-tailed hawk,
a Kestrel and a white-tailed kite. I cut my excursion short and did 
not cover the entire area. 

--- In peninsula-birding AT  
yahoogroups.com, "C MacIntosh"  
wrote:
>
> Hi friends,
> 
> 
> 
> A visiting friend asked about visiting Wavecrest (having enjoyed 
the kite
> convention last year). I haven't seen anyone post about having 
visited
> recently, so wondered what things are like there now, bird-wise?
> 
> 
> 
> Many thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Chris MacIntosh
> 
>  cmaci AT ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Re: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently?
From: "martin000ec" <jsutton AT hrmusic.com>
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:08:09 -0000
I was there Sunday hoping to find lots of action. However, things 
were rather quiet. I saw a red-tailed hawk,
a Kestrel and a white-tailed kite. I cut my excursion short and did 
not cover the entire area. 


--- In peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com, "C MacIntosh"  
wrote:
>
> Hi friends,
> 
>  
> 
> A visiting friend asked about visiting Wavecrest (having enjoyed 
the kite
> convention last year). I haven't seen anyone post about having 
visited
> recently, so wondered what things are like there now, bird-wise?
> 
>  
> 
> Many thanks.
> 
>  
> 
>                    Chris MacIntosh
> 
>                           cmaci AT ...
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Subject: Anyone been to Wavecrest recently?
From: "C MacIntosh" <cmaci AT sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 19:27:47 -0700
Hi friends,

 

A visiting friend asked about visiting Wavecrest (having enjoyed the kite
convention last year). I haven't seen anyone post about having visited
recently, so wondered what things are like there now, bird-wise?

 

Many thanks.

 

                   Chris MacIntosh

                          cmaci AT sbcglobal.net

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Orchard Oriole at Coyote Pt.
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 21:21:10 EDT
  It has been since last Thursday that I last visited the field west of the 
 freshwater marsh at Coyote Point. That day, there was still a Tennessee
 Warbler foraging in the Sweet Fennel. There was a high of ( 18 ) Yellow
 Warblers. A Black-throated Gray Warbler was in a Coyote Bush and 
 later flew off to houses south of the field. 

  This morning, there were still many birds in the field. The patch of
 Sweet Fennel had ( 12 ) Yellow Warblers and ( 8 ) Yellow-rumped
 Warblers. All the Yellow-rumped Warblers were Audubon's except
 for a lone Myrtles, the first I have seen this fall. Many crowned 
 sparrows, House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches were in a mixed 
 thicket of a willow tree, Coyote Brush and tall dried weeds. Curious
 onlookers that were not foraging in the vegetation were perched
 giving me the eye. I was scanning back and forth as more birds were 
 coming out into the open. What caught me off guard at first due
 to this species small size was a female type ORCHARD ORIOLE.
 The Orchard Oriole perched out in the open for brief time and then
 dropped down into the tall dried weeds and at least a couple of times
 would show itself as it moved through the weeds. This would be the
 third record of Orchard Oriole for Coyote Point.

 Ron Thorn


**************
New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out!
(http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: latest Optics and Books
From: "birder47" <BruWebb AT surewest.net>
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:31:16 -0000
If you are looking for someplace to try some of the latest optics - 
binoculars and spotting scopes - this is the week.  You can compare 
the latest from Kowa, Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss at the Western Field 
Ornithologists annual meeting in San Mateo this week at the San Mateo 
Marriott - 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo. Vendors will be there 
Thursday thru Saturday.

The latest bird books, birding software, and other goods as well as 
optics will be on sale, too.

For more details about the meeting: 
_http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/_ 
(http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/)

+++++++++++++ 

Bruce Webb
Granite Bay, CA 
Wildlife Computing Software products
 http://home.surewest.net/bruwebb/Pocket-PC.htm


Subject: San Mateo County coast
From: "Scott Smithson" <ssmithson AT sfbbo.org>
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 16:34:08 -0700
Hello all, 

 

On Saturday, Oct 4, Team Zugunruhe with SFBBO's Fall Challenge scoured
the coastline for birds, from Pescadero Marsh to Princeton Harbor.  The
first exciting bird of the day was a RED-NECKED GREBE at the surf line
near the junction of Hwy 1 and Pescadero Rd.  At Pescadero Marsh, we
enjoyed a small flock of BLUE-WINGED TEAL, along with other ducks.  We
also scoped several RHINO AUKLETS from the beach there.  At Pomponio SB,
there was a big nearshore raft of scoters, which included one male BLACK
SCOTER and a leucistic SURF SCOTER.  Another RED-NECKED GREBE was to the
north of the scoter flock.  The Princeton willows were rather slow, but
the sheltered side of the north jetty at Princeton Harbor was productive
with one juvenile RED KNOT, two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, two WANDERING
TATTLERS, and other shorebirds.  We ended the day with an obliging mixed
flock of passerines along Pilarcitos Creek in Half Moon Bay.  

 

Good birding,

Scott 

 

************************

W. Scott Smithson, MS

Executive Director 

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

524 Valley Way 

Milpitas, CA 95035

www.sfbbo.org

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Lark & Chipping Sparrow 10/5/2008
From: "Garth Harwood" <gharwood AT hiddenvilla.org>
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:11:36 -0700
Hello All,

On my neighborhood e-bird survey yesterday 10/5/2008, I found a Chipping 
Sparrow and one first-fall Lark Sparrow in the pasture areas along Dearborn 
Park Road off of Pescadero Road. Both species were neighborhood firsts as far 
as I know. Getting late was a female Black-headed Grosbeak in the same area. A 
m/f pair of Wood Ducks was on Pescadero Creek as well. 


This morning at first light a Northern Pygmy-owl was calling at our place 
across from Dearborn Park, along with the usual Great horned Owls. A few 
evenings back a Western Screech-owl vocalized here; over the years that species 
has been scarcer than Pygmy or Saw-whets at this location! 


--Garth Harwood

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Swainson's Hawk and Common Tern
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 21:48:44 EDT
   I did some seawatching this morning and land birding along the coast.
  The low pressure system that has moved on, but had been around
  since Thursday put a squeeze on migration. Very little was moving
  on the ocean and is not even worth mentioning. Land bird migration 
  was dismal! The dozen or so Townsend's Warblers and ( 1 ) Audubon's
  Yellow-rumped Warbler could have gone either way as migrants or
  wintering birds. ( 2 ) Yellow Warblers with a flock of Townsend's
  Warblers were definite migrants. There was a little variety along
  Denniston Creek at the end of Bridgeport Drive in El Granada with
  ( 1 ) "Western" Flycatcher ( 1 ) Warbling Vireo, ( 1 ) Orange-crowned
  Warbler, ( 1 ) Nashville Warbler and ( 2 ) Townsend's Warblers. All
  but the "Western" Flycatcher" and Warbling Vireo could winter at
  this location. Driving south along the Cabrillo Highway, I looked up
  to see an adult Red-tailed Hawk and above the Red-tailed Hawk was
  and adult light-morph SWAINSON'S HAWK flying west over the
  highway to the Half Moon Bay Airport.

  In the Afternoon I stopped at Radio Road in Redwood Shores. There
 were about a dozen Elegant Terns on the two islands and some were
 flying in from the bay. There were a few Forster's Terns with the Elegant
 Terns on the islands. A small group of Forster's Terns came flying in
 from the bay, where I spotted a COMMON TERN among them. The
 Common Tern appeared to be an adult moulting into a basic plumage.
 It stayed around for about ten minutes, until someone ( I will not name
 names ) threw bread attracting the gulls and crows overhead making the
 terns nervous and taking flight. After the terns settle back on the islands,
 the Common Tern was not among them. 

  Belated sightings

  The first Herring Gull I have had this fall was an adult with Ring-billed
 Gulls and California Gulls on the berm at Radio Road on September 27.

  On October 3, there were ( 9 ) Blue-winged Teal at Radio Road. ( 5 )
  Of the Blue-winged Teal were adult males.

 Ron Thorn


**************
New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out!
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Subject: Etheldore (Tropical Kingbirds)
From: Bill Bousman <barlowi AT earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:51:55 -0700
Folks:

This morning, 10/5/08, about 0910 hr, I saw 3 TROPICAL KINGBIRDS 
along Etheldore in Moss Beach, near the intersection with Marine, as 
previously reported by Dan Singer.  Two birds were on the wires near 
the intersection and the third was farther north.  All were seen at 
the same time.  They were flycatching and eating bugs.

Bill
Subject: Coyote Point - Sunday AM
From: richferrick AT comcast.net
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:27:44 +0000
Today (10/5, 650-920AM) I walked a loop at Coyote Point. Started at the bay 
overlook near the museum then the open field. Next, along the bike path 
bordering the golf course to the marsh/PG&E towers and then out along the dirt 
path to the marina boat entrance. Fairly quiet near the museum, activity picked 
up near the marsh. Highlights included: 


Pelagic Cormorant - marina breakwater
Green Heron - marsh/PG&E
Spotted Sandpiper - marina
Wilson's Snipe (4) - marsh/PG&E
Yellow Warbler (2) - bike path, marina path
Lincoln's Sparrow - marina path
Black-headed Grosbeak - Eucs near marsh/PG&E

The distant fennel patch beyond the marsh appeared to be hopping with activity. 
I could only make out House Finch and Yellow-rumped Warbler through the scope. 
A likely Peregerine Falcon buzzed the mudflats at one point. Heard a kingfisher 
as I was packing up to return home. 


Rich Ferrick



Subject: TKs and Blackpoll
From: "Dan Singer" <dsg2 AT sbcglobal.net>
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 14:08:46 -0700
Hi Birders,

 

This morning two Tropical Kingbirds were along Etheldore Street in Moss
Beach where they were actively feeding in the field east of Etheldore and
south of Marine Blvd. (the street that goes up to Seton Medical Center). The
kingbirds were often perching together on coffeeberry bushes, but one or the
other was also seen on telephone wires along Etheldore and on a light post
on Marine Blvd. 

 

Earlier, in Pacifica, a Blackpoll Warbler was along Calera Creek a few
hundred meters upstream of the spillway. Access to Calera Creek is easiest
from the north end of Rockaway Beach. From Hwy. 1 go west on Rockaway Beach
Ave, right on Dondee St., left on San Marlo Way to the parking lot and
follow the paved trail along the creek. 

 

Dan 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Radio Road Shorebirds 10/3/08
From: "George Chrisman" <geodani55 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:32:55 -0000
 This evening between 5:45 and 6:45 PM I visited Radio Road to find all 
of the expected ducks, shorebirds, etc. There were two AMERICAN WHITE 
PELICANS that flew in from the channel behind the dog park and landed 
on one of the smaller islands in the waterbird ponds. 7 BLACK SKIMMERS 
were resting on one of the islands.

In Steinberger Slough, hundreds of shorebirds were boiling in from the 
bay in the fading light. At first mostly WILLETS & MARBLED GODWITS. 
Then several groups of dozens of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, joined by 12 
DUNLINS, 4 RED KNOTS, 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE, and a couple hundred WESTERN 
SANDPIPERS. There were very few LEAST SANDPIPERS in the mix. No terns 
were seen, however, a HERRING GULL was seen across the slough resting 
on the far bank.

George Chrisman
Burlingame, CA
Subject: Redwood Shores
From: richferrick AT comcast.net
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:08:40 +0000
Today (10/3, 1205-1245PM), I traveled the path that parallels Steinberger 
Slough from the pond behind the Pacific Athletic Club to the water tank at 
Avocet Drive and back. The water level in the pond has been dropped noticably 
in the last few days. Highlights included: 


Blue-winged Teal (male at pond)
Nuttall's Woodpecker (along the path, roughly the halfway point)
Say's Phoebe (field near water tank)
Yellow Warbler (near pond)
Lincoln's Sparrow (near pond)

Rich Ferrick
Subject: Re: Rocketing Canada geese
From: JC Dill <jcdill.lists AT gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:32:29 -0700
I have no info about the legality of this practice.  However, recently I 
was struck by the *lack* of resident geese at all the large grassy parks 
in SF, such as along the Marina Green, in Golden Gate Park, etc.  The 
key difference?  Parks in SF abound with dogs, many are exercised 
off-leash.  Geese quickly decide to move on.  (Note - I have no 
experience with golf courses in SF.)

I really don't understand why this is such a mystery to all the parks 
and golf courses and offices with large grassy expanses on the peninsula 
who are overrun with geese.  They created areas that are "safe" from a 
goose's normal predators (dog, wolves, coyotes) and the geese come and 
stay.  It isn't necessary for the geese to be "harassed" or be harmed by 
the dogs.  Simply having a lot of dogs around will result in the geese 
moving on and finding somewhere else to live - perhaps returning to 
migrating as nature intended...

I'm a bird lover from childhood, but I don't think we are doing the 
birds (or the environment) any favors by enabling or encouraging birds 
to change their migration habits.

jc


susan hons wrote:
>
> Does anyone know what the legal eagles say about harassing
> geese on a golf course? A fellow birder is very concerned about
> the use of "bottle rockets" to run off the local geese at a course
> near her. Thanks for any info.
>

Subject: Coyote Point (Friday morning)
From: Al Eisner <eisner AT SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 11:24:25 -0700 (PDT)
     I didn't have much luck with passerines at Coyote Point this morning,
but then I only managed to get there around 8 (traffic, construction)
and didn't have time to explore the field by the PGE substation.  I did
have two warblers near the museum:  one Townsend's and one probable
Yellow.  In the Yacht Club area, I saw 3 Eurasian Collared-Doves, and
there was a Merlin atop a tower at the "PGE field".

     As I walked out along the south edge of the salt marsh, I saw a
young Greater White-fronted Goose on the exposed bayside mud; it left
while I wasn't watching.  A second-winter Heermann's Gull (earlier found
by another birder, Kim) was among the birds at the marsh entrance; after
some distrubance I refound it on one of the concrete slabs.  I wondered
if this might be the same bird I had seen a few days earlier at Oyster
Point; it showed less white in the tertials, but this could have been a
matter of posture.  Also at the slabs I noted 6 Pelagic Cormorants, but
didn't do a thorough survey.  There are still more than 30 Elegant Terns
present, along with Forster's.

 								Al Eisner
Subject: Rocketing Canada geese
From: susan hons <susieturtlewings AT mac.com>
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:21:32 -0700
Does anyone know what the legal eagles say about harassing
geese on a golf course?   A fellow birder is very concerned about
the use of "bottle rockets" to run off the local geese at a course
near her. Thanks for any info.
Susie Hons
Subject: Fall Challenge for SFBBO - Calaveras Catchbirds
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 15:58:28 -0700
Hi all,

Interested in supporting great research about and for birds around the Bay
by SFBBO? If so, I just teamed with 3 other local birders to scour Calaveras
County for birds -- and do we have a deal for you!  You can support our
team, or SFBBO more generally, or any Fall Challenge  team you choose -- for
as little or as much money as you want! The birds win, you win.

Bob Lewis's site has a link about donations:
http://wingbeats.org/events/events.htm
Donations: http://www.sfbbo.org/support/join.php
"Guided Field Trips" that you can participate in when you donate - Oct.
4-12-- and you get a great Tshirt this year:
http://www.sfbbo.org/support/fall_challenge_trips.php


Yesterday, our team spent the day in Calaveras County with Bob Lewis, Dave
Quady (both from Berkeley) and Dave Corman, a birding-by-ear expert
currently residing in Arnold, heart of Calaveras County. We started at 4am
with a Western Screech Owl in Arnold, then Northern Saw Whet Owl in
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a Northern Pygmy Owl back in Arnold--
putting on a tremenendous show after dawn of diving for birds by a little
pond and resisting the mobbing flock. We ended on Rock Creek Road with a
Barn Owl at 8:45pm. All total we saw 87-89 species--  waiting for the final
total from Bob Lewis. "Best" (aka my favorite) birds, besides the little
Pygmy Owl, were (1) Pileated Woodpecker chatting to itself, hanging upside
on a Flowering Dogwood (leaves gold, tinged with red), eating the red
fruits; (2)Lewis's Woodpecker flycatching by the road; (3) Loggerhead
Shrike; (5) V formation of 50 Sandhill Cranes; (5) flocks of Lark Sparrows;
(6) several Black-throated Gray Warblers providing great looks. The evening
before we saw a Phainopepla and 6 Yellow-billed Magpies, but missed them
yesterday. 

It was a beautiful day in Calaveras -- from 7000' to 200' -- almost
windless, cloudless day. If anyone is intersted, we can send you the
complete bird list. Let me know.

Good birding!
Kris Olson, Menlo Park CA
Subject: Fall Challenge for SFBBO - Calaveras Catchbirds
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 15:58:28 -0700
Hi all,

Interested in supporting great research about and for birds around the Bay
by SFBBO? If so, I just teamed with 3 other local birders to scour Calaveras
County for birds -- and do we have a deal for you!  You can support our
team, or SFBBO more generally, or any Fall Challenge  team you choose -- for
as little or as much money as you want! The birds win, you win.

Bob Lewis's site has a link about donations:
http://wingbeats.org/events/events.htm
Donations: http://www.sfbbo.org/support/join.php
"Guided Field Trips" that you can participate in when you donate - Oct.
4-12-- and you get a great Tshirt this year:
http://www.sfbbo.org/support/fall_challenge_trips.php


Yesterday, our team spent the day in Calaveras County with Bob Lewis, Dave
Quady (both from Berkeley) and Dave Corman, a birding-by-ear expert
currently residing in Arnold, heart of Calaveras County. We started at 4am
with a Western Screech Owl in Arnold, then Northern Saw Whet Owl in
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a Northern Pygmy Owl back in Arnold--
putting on a tremenendous show after dawn of diving for birds by a little
pond and resisting the mobbing flock. We ended on Rock Creek Road with a
Barn Owl at 8:45pm. All total we saw 87-89 species--  waiting for the final
total from Bob Lewis. "Best" (aka my favorite) birds, besides the little
Pygmy Owl, were (1) Pileated Woodpecker chatting to itself, hanging upside
on a Flowering Dogwood (leaves gold, tinged with red), eating the red
fruits; (2)Lewis's Woodpecker flycatching by the road; (3) Loggerhead
Shrike; (5) V formation of 50 Sandhill Cranes; (5) flocks of Lark Sparrows;
(6) several Black-throated Gray Warblers providing great looks. The evening
before we saw a Phainopepla and 6 Yellow-billed Magpies, but missed them
yesterday. 

It was a beautiful day in Calaveras -- from 7000' to 200' -- almost
windless, cloudless day. If anyone is intersted, we can send you the
complete bird list. Let me know.

Good birding!
Kris Olson, Menlo Park CA
Subject: Redwood Shores
From: richferrick AT comcast.net
Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:04:35 +0000
Highlights from the last two days in Redwood Shores:

Nob Hill Pond 9/29; 720-750AM

-Eared Grebe
-Yellow-rumped Warbler (6)
-Yellow Warbler
-Townsend's Warbler
-Western Meadowlark

Nob Hill Pond 9/30; 705-740AM

-Brown Pelican
-Cooper's Hawk
-Yellow-rumped Warbler (8)
-Yellow Warbler

Radio Road 9/30; 1205-1235PM

-American White Pelican
-Whimbrel (roosting on the skimmer island)
-Black Skimmer (4)
-Elegant Tern (6) over Steinberger Slough
-Barn Swallow

Rich Ferrick
Subject: San Bruno Mountain: Monday's Local Updates
From: "Jeff Fairclough" <fairc49 AT comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:02:05 -0000
Hi Penbirders:

Being that Laurie had to work on Monday so that she could make it to the
work day at Audubon Canyon Ranch on Saturday; I thought that it was a
good idea to make myself useful and scout all the trails on SBM north of
Guadalupe Canyon Boulevard in preparation for the WFO walks.  Thankfully
the rust-bucket started up again, so I didn't have to don the backpack
and hike up from Hillside over the mountain!

Yesterday's circumnavigation of the Guadalupe Hills was not as exciting
as last Monday's but there was good stuff!  Just before 9 a.m., a
Peregrine Falcon flew overhead at the Day Camp: it was headed southwest
and not stopping, I wonder if it might be connected to the nesting pair
in the 'United Airlines' sign at North Access Road, SSF?

Update on the Kites: there were 5 very active birds over the Guadalupe
Hills summit area from 9:00 a.m. until well after noon!  I can confirm
four juveniles (rufous on breast, but not an expert on molt stage),
maybe one adult.  Don't know if these are our returning breeders, but it
has good portends for the future!  Other notables: a female American
Kestrel off the NE Saddle Trail; small flocks of Purple Finches on the
Lower Bog Trail and Service Road, Golden-crowned Sparrows are back in
small flocks.  NOtables: no Tanagers, no Pacific-slope Flycatchers, no
Warbling Vireos: warblers at a minimum (one Townsend's), Winter Wrens
were quiet!

I was there for just over 5 hours, and painstakingly interviewed all the
local suspects, in all their usual hangouts.  Got no promises, they all
said they'd try and be there for the WFO walk, but they might be out
when you call, or they might have an out of town visitor to share, or
they may be watching 'Winged Migration' on their new HDTV!

Have fun on your birdwatching trips, don't mind the mud (thanks Ron),

Jeff Fairclough & Laurie Graham



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Tennessee Warblers at Coyote Pt.
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:44:15 EDT
  It has been a couple of days since I last visited the field west of the 
fresh
 water marsh and on the south side of the P.G.E. substation at Coyote
 Point. I was at Coyote Point on Sunday and was crossing the creek to
 the field, when I lost my footing in a hole of black mud. I was lucky only
 to fall on my one side in the water, but it was enough for me to turn
 around, as the stinking mud had coated my pants leg. I did get back
 into the field this morning. The large patch of Sweet Fennel was still
 attracting a variety of birds. On Saturday I had about ( 6-8 ) Yellow 
 Warblers. Today I counted up to ( 16 ) Yellow Warblers. There was 
 the continuing TENNESSEE WARBLER or was it a different individual, 
 as another TENNESSEE WARBLER was foraging in the fennel
 patch. Twice I had both Tennessee Warblers in view at the same
 time! The ( 2 ) Tennessee Warblers have a yellow wash across the 
 throat and breast, the remainder of the underparts are white down
 to the undertail coverts. The Tennessee Warblers are flat headed 
 with a pointy bill. Thin dusky eyeline and yellow supercilium. 
 Upperparts greenish. Long pointed primaries with distinct whitish
 tips. Greater and medium coverts with yellowish tips forming thin
 wingbars. Tail very short, ( 1 ) appeared to show white tail spots 
 under the tail. There were a few more Lincoln's Sparrows around
 today.

  Sunday, when I was at Coyote Point, there were some birds of note.
 Scanning San Francisco Bay from the observation deck near the
 museum before sunrise brought one unusual sighting of a flock of
 ( 6 ) Eared Grebes in flight. Later in the morning, a southbound 
 Common Loon was flying high over the bay. New arrivals were
 ( 2 ) Western Meadowlarks and a Spotted Towhee. Spotted Towhee
 is a species that can go for few years before showing up again at
 Coyote Point. Seemed early for these numbers were ( 25-30 ) Cedar
 Waxwings passing through Coyote Point. 

  Also on Sunday, I visited Radio Road in Redwood Shores. In with a
 group of American Wigeon, which I thought was going to be an Eurasian
 Wigeon in eclipse plumage, as ( 1 ) was recently reported from Radio
 Road turned out to be an adult male American Wigeon x Eurasian
 Wigeon hybrid. The head appeared rufous, but it was more of a rufous 
 wash and restricted to the back of the head. The remainder of the head 
 was the salt and pepper pattern with a dark smudge around the eye of an
 American Wigeon. The wigeon could be aged by the new black tertials
 with white outer edges that have grown in. Although the sides and flanks
 were a rufous color, I would not expect to see a blending of gray from
 an Eurasian to the pinkish-brown of an American, as the sides and flanks
 have not moulted out of the eclipse plumage. Last winter, there were at 
 least ( 2 ) hybrids at Radio Road that showed a rufous wash to a salt and
 pepper head.

  The pair of adult ( male, female ) Blue-winged Teal were along the
 long thin island, where the ( 2 ) are often seen.

  Another Blue-winged Teal, an adult male hanging out with Northern
 Shovelers at the Nob Hill pond in Redwood Shores is most likely the
 same individual that has returned for its third winter and only keeps the 
 company of Northern Shovelers.

 Ron Thorn 


**************
Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.
(http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: SFBBO San Mateo County trip 10/4
From: "SFBBO Outreach" <outreach AT sfbbo.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:40:38 -0700
Hello Pen-Birders!  I thought I would let all of you know that we still
have some great upcoming trips for our California Fall Challenge
birdathon.

Our Executive Director Scott Smithson will be leading Team Zugunruhe
through a coastal birding tour of San Mateo County on October 4th.

Here are the details:

Team Zugunruhe led by Scott Smithson
Saturday October 4th, 2008: 8:00 a.m. to afternoon 
Full Day $100 
County: San Mateo 
Named after migratory restlessness in birds, this group of adventurous
birders will scour a 30 mile stretch of coastal San Mateo County between
Pacifica and Pescadero. We will be searching for residents, migrants,
and vagrants that lurk in riparian areas near Half Moon Bay, wetlands at
Pescadero Marsh, and the coastal scrub and grasslands in between. This
group is open to all skill levels, and we anticipate a day list of over
100 species. We will have a 1 hour stop at a local restaurant. If you
get a little restless the night before an all day birding adventure,
then Zugunruhe is for you!

Scott Smithson - Scott is the Bird Observatory's new Executive Director.
Since the age of 5, Scott has had a keen interest in ornithology and a
desire to teach others about birds and conservation. When he was 11, he
led his first Sequoia Audubon Society field trip and published an
article in their birding guide - San Francisco Peninsula Birdwatching.
More recently, he has led birding trips for Santa Cruz Bird Club and the
Monterey Bay Birding Festival. 

To RSVP or learn more about the California Fall Challenge trips, prizes
and events please visit http://www.sfbbo.org/support/fall_challenge.php

or contact me for more details. 

 

The California Fall Challenge supports SFBBO programs that apply science
to the conservation of birds and their habitats.

 

Hope you can join us!

 

Good birding,

Stephanie

 

Stephanie Ellis

Outreach & Programs Coordinator

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

 

524 Valley Way
Milpitas, CA 95035

t 408 946 6548

f 408 946 9279

www.sfbbo.org  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Black-throated Gray Warbler at Redwood Shores office
From: Mike Aicardi <vulpix7_94401 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:41:32 -0700 (PDT)
Saw a male BLACK-THROATED GREY WARBLER foraging in the pines outside my office 
windows at 12:14pm.  Last sighting here was on April 11th. 


I have to pay extra attention now that the Townsend's Warblers have arrived 
too! 


240A Twin Dolphin Dr. is the location.  Here's the map link again:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=240A+Twin+Dolphin+Dr.,+Redwood+City,+CA+94065&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=57.686251,113.203125&ie=UTF8&ll=37.526711,-122.261782&spn=0.014295,0.027637&t=h&z=15&iwloc=addr 


Take
the path to the right of the red "A" marker and scan the Pines. 

-Mike Aicardi
San Mateo, CA



      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Osprey continues in Burlingame
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:14:42 -0700
About 6pm tonight, I saw the Osprey just where George Chrisman described it
in early Sept.:

"On Thursday 9/4/08 the OSPREY returned to the high voltage power poles in
Sanchez Lagoon, just west of Hiway 101 in Burlingame near the Anza off ramp
to the freeway. This is at least the third year in a row this OSPREY has
wintered in this exact spot. It was one of two OSPREYS counted in the
Crystal Springs Christmas Count last year. It was on the lagoon today,
Saturday 9/6/08 around 3:00 PM."



On 9/26,  I went to Coyote Pt in search of Sabine's Gulls - no luck. Perhaps
not early enough (7:20am-- I think Ron was there before sunrise the day
before). I did find my first Golden-crowned Sparrow of the year and 2
Band-tailed Pigeons.

At Radio Rd Pond, Redwood Shores I noted 5 American Wigeons (9/26). (9/28)
Yesterday there were (lost my notes) maybe 8-13 Cinnamon Teal -- 8 of which
I could ID for sure as males, the rest were more female-y but looked as if
they belonged together.  (OK, how is that for bad ID rationale?) Lots of
them had red eyes -- I think the males.

Locally, Menlo Park, our California Thrasher has been singing again daily
since Sept. 10. Before that it sang  pretty much daily from Jan. 2-through
mid-June. Maybe he did not find a mate this year.

And our Western Screech Owl seems to have moved on. I think he got tired to
not finding a mate for several years. We miss him!

Good birding,

Kris Olson
Subject: Parula and mixed Columbid flock, Pescadero
From: "Garth Harwood" <gharwood AT hiddenvilla.org>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:42:21 -0700
Hello All,

Pescadero and vicinity were socked in with low dense fog in the morning 
yesterday 9/28/2008, but I took a chance anyway and birded the Phipps Ranch 
riparian areas, gambling that visibility would improve, and gradually, it did. 
Bird activity was minimal, with small numbers of chickadees accompanied by 6-8 
Townsend's, two Yellow, and two Wilson's Warblers, and just one Warbling Vireo. 
But life was officially good once a Northern Parula popped up briefly from the 
willows (a female and probably a first-fall individual as there was no dark 
evident on the yellow breast.) Half a dozen Western Bluebirds flew over as well 
(this species is much less common on the coastal side of the county.) Later, at 
home 6 miles inland, a pair (M/F) of adult Wood Ducks was on Pescadero Creek. 


On Saturday 9/27 I was passing through Pescadero town, just running errands, 
when I spotted an interesting flock sitting on wires a bit off the roadside and 
just west from town. I stopped and grabbed my scope to confirm that this large 
flock was indeed mostly made up of Eurasian Collared-doves. Although these 
birds have been in town for several years now I had never seen more than 8 
together at any one time. There were minimally 54 in this flock, with some 
comings and goings which could have included still more individuals. Also 
interesting were 2 Ringed Turtle-doves mixed into this flock, possibly escaped 
birds from Phipps Ranch where there are various doves including RTDO in their 
aviaries. Finally, there were 20 or so Band-tailed Pigeons mixed in, 
alternating with the other 2 columbids. I had not seen these species integrated 
like that before. 


--Garth Harwood



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Western Screech Owls near Skyline Ridge OSP
From: Georgia Stigall <georgiastigall AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:31:03 -0700 (PDT)
Between 4:30 and 5:10 this morning we were treated to the calls of two Western 
Screech Owls. The calls were heard about one mile south of Horseshoe Lake in 
southern San Mateo County. 


We did not see the birds but have heard these calls before and in comparing to 
sound files (and previous owling field trips in past years) have IDd them as 
Western Screech. 


Georgia 
  ------------------------------------------
Georgia Stigall
www.flickr.com/photos/bobcatweather
Phone: 650-941-1068
www.CoastalSeams.com 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: 25 year old Gull Radio Road
From: "IIWI1" <tgoodier AT sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:21:48 -0000
Three times in September I saw a banded California Gull at the sewer 
ponds on Radio Road in Redwood Shores.  I was able to read the band 
number with my scope.

It was banded in June 1983.  It was banded by SFBBO in Alviso.  The age 
is 25 years and 3 months.  This is a lonevity record for a California 
Gull.

Tom Goodier
Subject: Bayside (Sept. 28)
From: Al Eisner <eisner AT SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:51:46 -0700 (PDT)
    Yesterday (Sunday) morning I joined Ron Thorn for some birding at
Coyote Point.  Nothing of great note (I assume Ron will sumaarize migrants
at some point).  There was a Wilson's Snipe (first noted by Ron) at the
freshwater marsh, and about 80 Elegant Terns still along the bay shore.

    Later in the morning I visited Oyster Point, checking out the wharves
and boatr channel area.  Here there were only about 24 Elegant Terns,
considerably outnumbered by Forster's.  A flock of 6 Clark's Grebes was
in the water, along with at least one Eared Grebe.  Most interesting
was a second-winter Heermann's Gull, a species quite unusual in the Bay
in San Mateo Co.

    Early afternoon I checked the large fennel patch along Beach Park Blvd.
in Foster City.  There is no fresh fennel here, rather it was all past its
"sell-by" date (the opposite problem from Coyote Point where they cut the
fennel too frequently).  Yet it was full of birds, dominated by Audubon's
Yellow-rumped Warblers (at least 25).  The only other Warbler I saw was
a Common Yellowthroat.  Savannah Sparrows were also numerous; all the ones
I saw had rather bright yellow on their faces.

                                                                  Al Eisner
Subject: Pectoral Sanpiper & Red Knot @ Princton Marsh 9/28/08
From: "George Chrisman" <geodani55 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:25:42 -0000
 I went out to the coast to look for migrants, starting at the 
willows and marsh at Princton Harbor. The willows were quiet with 
only one YELLOW WARBLER & a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT in the willows among 
the usual residents. Upon walking to the marsh, the highlights of the 
stop was a PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a single RED KNOT in the mudflats 
near the central island. The two shorebirds seemed to hang close 
together mostly ignoring the 7 KILLDEER around the pond. KILLDEER 
successfully bred in the pond, so I was wondering if these were the 
grown chicks I saw this summer. There was another male COMMON 
YELLOWTHROAT in the marsh as well.
  Lots of people and swimming dogs in the harbor, but was able to 
scope a couple of COMMON LOONS & 3 EARED GREBES in the harbor. While 
walking back to my car, a MERLIN cirled the marsh once before 
cruising over the willows towards the Half Moon Bay Airport. I tried 
to find the ponds at Ethadore Street, but didn't go far enough past 
the Moss Beach Ranch, where I saw huge flocks of blackbirds that 
included several male TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS in the horse pastures. 
Also interesting was a EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE that was carrying 
nesting materials into the willows along the ranch road.
 Besides the MERLIN at Princeton, there was another MERLIN that 
scatterd a flock of SANDERLINGS & BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS at Pescadero 
Marsh, along with 2 more MERLINS  AT  Burleigh Murray State Park later 
in the day, making a total of 4 MERLINS seen along the coast today.
  Burleigh Murray was very quiet in the afternoon, as was Pescadero 
marsh due to all the traffic along the beach. There seemed to be a 
ton of blackbirds along the wires along highway 1 that seemed to 
include TRIKES, but I didn't stop to check out every flock.

George Chrisman
Burlingame, CA
Subject: San Bruno Mtn St/Co Park Ridge , 9/28/08
From: "Laurie" <fair80 AT comcast.net>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:29:26 -0700
Location:     San Bruno Mtn St/Co Park Ridge
Observation date:     9/28/08
11:50 am - 3:05 pm
Notes:     Late start, Jeff had to work. Fog coming in, but Ridge Trail was
clear and sunny and hot. Drove to the summit parking lot. Not a lot of
species or numbers, but some exciting birds, like the Osprey, and the ravens
all around us at one point.

Laurie Graham
Jeff Fairclough
SSF

Number of species:     15

Turkey Vulture     1
Osprey     1
Red-tailed Hawk     6
White-throated Swift     12
Anna's Hummingbird     3
Say's Phoebe     3
Hutton's Vireo     1
Western Scrub-Jay     2
Common Raven     32
Bewick's Wren     2
Wrentit     5
White-crowned Sparrow     1
Dark-eyed Junco     1
Western Meadowlark     4
American Goldfinch     2

This report was generated automatically by eBird
v2(http://ebird.org/california/)

Subject: Coyote Point County Park , 9/27/08
From: "Laurie" <fair80 AT comcast.net>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:27:55 -0700
Location:     Coyote Point County Park
Observation date:     9/27/08
7:00 - 8:35 am
Notes:     We went in search of Ron Thorn's fennel field. We saw Ron in it,
but could figure out how to join him. He later confirmed that one has to
wade across the creek. Because of time constraints, we decided to bird the
museum field. Both locations were rushed.

Laurie Graham
Jeff Fairclough
SSF

Number of species:     28

Canada Goose     49
Mallard     26
Brown Pelican     1
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Killdeer     2
Marbled Godwit     X
Western Gull     16
Mourning Dove     3
Anna's Hummingbird     6
Downy Woodpecker     1
Black Phoebe     1
American Crow     9
Common Raven     1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee     6
Pygmy Nuthatch     4
American Robin     4
European Starling     7
Orange-crowned Warbler     1
Spotted Towhee     1
California Towhee     4
Fox Sparrow     2
White-crowned Sparrow     5
Golden-crowned Sparrow     6
Dark-eyed Junco     41
Red-winged Blackbird     2
Brewer's Blackbird     12
House Finch     10
American Goldfinch     1

This report was generated automatically by eBird
v2(http://ebird.org/california/)




Subject: RE: San Mateo WFO conf OCT 9-12
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:04:15 -0700
Hi all,

I volunteered to lead a field trip for the WFO conference -- my first WFO
conference and field trip! My field trip will be at Redwood Shores Oct. 11
AM. I am co-leading with Oscar Johnson from Santa Barbara (super young
birder), but we may need to split up.

So that the participants have a good experience, especially if they are from
out of town or state, I would love your help!   Please report any birds you
see from now through Oct. 10th in Redwood Shores. We only have 7am to
10:30am, but I think we can cover Radio Rd, Nob Hill pond, Davit Lane.
There are field trips all over San Mateo County, so be sure to report every
bird you see -- you never know which ones our visitors will be interested
in. The specialty birds that participants want to see at Redwood Shores are
the following-- some of which may not arrive until November:

Blue-winged Teal
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
American Pipit
Horned Lark [I have never seen on at Redwood Shores...]
Eurasian Green-winged Teal [would be in the wrong plumage to ID, per Ron
Thorn]
Eurasian Wigeon
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail [I have never heard nor seen one in Redwood Shores]
Black Skimmers [how late do they stay?]


Also, if you are interested in the great workshops, field trip, ID sessions
with the experts (these are really fun!!!), do try out WFO.   What is
different about WFO from normal birding weekends/symposiums is that there
are short scientific sessions as well.  I plan to hear some of the ones by
SF Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO), our own local bird observatory whose
scientific work protects birds.  My teenage daughter signed up for the John
Muir Law field sketching class-- not because she likes bird (I have struck
out with all my kids on that one!) but because she loves to draw animals.
There will be at least 2 teenagers at that class. The sessions are at the
San Mateo Marriott -- easy to get to.


Overall agenda, list of workshops, etc.
http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/08ac.php

Here are the field trips-- most are still open!
http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/08ac_trips.php

Here are the scientific sessions:
http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/docs/2008/schedule.pdf

  Scientific paper examples (10 min each) -- these are on Oct. 10th:

3:36-3:48. STRONG, CHERYL. The South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project:
Challenges and
opportunities for managing waterbirds in the San Francisco Bay.
3:48-4:00. ROBINSON, CAITLIN and CHERYL STRONG. Western Snowy Plover nest
success and use
of managed salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay.
4:00-4:12. DEMERS, SCOTT A., JOHN Y. TAKEKAWA, JOSHUA T. ACKERMAN, NILS
WARNOCK,
and NICOLE D. ATHEARN. Differences in the spatial ecology of migrant and
resident
American Avocets in San Francisco Bay.
4:12-4:24. SCHACTER, CARLEY and HUDSON, SHERRY. Landfill use by rising
population of
California Gulls.

Thanks for your help!
Kris Olson


FROM JOE MORLAN:

Western Field Ornithologists annual conference is coming up in San Mateo
Oct. 9-12.  Field trips to Hayward Regional Shoreline, the Presidio, Golden
Gate Park and Jasper Ridge, to name a few, still have spaces available.
Workshops include field sketching with John Muir Laws, GPS in field biology
and the South Bay salt pond restoration project on Friday or Saturday
morning.  

Check out the abstracts of scientific papers to be presented
Friday and Saturday afternoons by SFBBO, PRBO, Golden Gate Raptor
Observatory and many others on our website.  

Friday evening activities
include a bird ID panel and a book signing featuring Bird Species of
Special Concern, available for only $12; Peter Pyle's second volume of the
Identification Guide to North American Birds and other books of local
interest. 

Our Saturday evening banquet will feature keynote speaker Carla
Cicero of UC Berkeley, whose topic will be The Grinnell Resurvey Project: A
Century of Avifaunal Change in California.  

Please visit our website for more details and to register.

http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/08ac.php

-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044   jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu 
Birding Classes start Sep 9 in SF   http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee   http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links


Subject: Tennessee Warbler at Coyote Point
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:07:53 EDT
  Early this morning I went back the field west of the freshwater marsh
 and on the south side of the P.G.E. substation at Coyote Point, where
 I had the Brewer's Sparrow and Black-throated Sparrow yesterday. There 
 There was the continuing BREWER'S SPARROW still foraging among the 
 flowers of Sweet Fennel. I went back to the other part of the field to look 
 for the Black-throated Sparrow. There were no birds at that location and
 had dispersed to another location in the field. I was on a time constrain
 and had to depart limited any further looking of the field. The patch
 of Sweet Fennel was very active again this morning and of note among
 the common species was a TENNESSEE WARBLER. A Merlin zoomed
 through and all the birds hunkered down in the fennel.

 Ron Thorn


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Subject: Black-throated and Brewer's Sparrow
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:42:50 EDT
  Since August, part of my routine when I go to Coyote Point is to walk
 over to the freshwater marsh and scan across the marsh to the field,
 where there is large patch of Sweet Fennel. The fennel was cut back 
 in June and now is lush with blooming flowers. Scanning the fennel
 for last two months I have not see any sign of migrants foraging and
 was not ready to walk the distance to get to the field. It was not until
 yesterday, birds just seemed to show up and were in the fennel. I had
 no time yesterday to go to the field. I had one destination on my mind
 and it was to get into the field early this morning. The fennel and weedy
 field was teeming with birds! There were ( 25-30 ) Mourning Doves,
 ( 2 ) Black Phoebes, ( 1 ) Orange-crowned Warbler, ( 8-10 ) Yellow
 Warblers, ( 3 ) Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers, ( 4 ) Common
 Yellowthroats, ( 2 ) Savannah Sparrows, ( 2 ) Song Sparrows,
 ( 1 ) Lincoln's Sparrow, ( 30-40 ) White-crowned Sparrows, ( 2 ) 
 Brewer's Blackbirds and ( 10 ) Red-winged Blackbirds. The highlights
 were a BREWER'S SPARROW foraging on the ground next to the
 large patch of fennel. Walking west toward the back of the field, there
 is a small patch of fennel near the P.G.E. substation. The fennel patch
 is near the Hertz Rental trailer in the substation. One clump of fennel
 had Lesser Goldfinches, White-crowned Sparrows and a Audubon's
 Yellow-rumped Warbler. Before viewing through my binoculars, I 
 spotted a bird with whitish underparts. I lifted my binoculars 
 and the bird turned to an angle and all I could see were brown
 upperparts. It then turned it's head and I never expected to see this
 species feeding in the fennel a BLACK-THROATED SPARROW! 
 There has been at least a couple of reports from San Francisco
 and Santa Cruz of Black-throated Sparrows and all were hatch-year
 birds. Today's bird was in an adult plumage and showed the bold
 head pattern of grayish-brown with a long white supercilium, white
 malar stripe, white crescent below the eye and a black throat tapering
 out on the breast. The whitish underparts lacked any streaking. Wings
 lacked any buffy wingbars. Short blackish tail. The Black-throated
 Sparrow would be the first ever for Coyote Point. I forgot to mention
 above that there were ( 2 ) American Goldfinches and ( 30-40 ) Lesser
 Goldfinches.

  It is unfortunate that there is no fennel patch this fall, as last year
 near the yacht club, as a second cutting came late and what fennel is 
 growing is very low to the ground and most of it is not blooming. I think
 it will at least attract sparrows and Palm Warblers this fall.

 Ron Thorn


**************
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Subject: Another big swallow movement
From: "Garth Harwood" <gharwood AT hiddenvilla.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:49:36 -0700
Hello All, 

Apologies for a late post on this, but for the record, there were between 
600-700 Violet-green Swallows on the wires by the Big Dipper Ranch cattle chute 
2.5 miles west of Skyline Blvd. on Alpine Rd. on the morning of 9/24/2008. A 
pretty big group for this stage of the season I thought. I did not have time to 
pick through them for anything unusual. 


--Garth Harwood

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Fall Myrtle in Menlo Park
From: Bill Bousman <barlowi AT earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:59:11 -0700
Folks:

I saw my first YELLOW-RUMPED ("MYRTLE") WARBLER of the fall in my 
yard in Menlo Park this morning.  The bird had a bright white throat 
and the white curved around behind the auriculars, so assume this is 
a fall adult.

Bill
Subject: Coyote Pt. Sabine's Gulls
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:02:07 EDT
  Driving into Coyote Point at first light this morning, I noticed the bay was
 calm and so I wasted no time getting to the observation deck near the
 museum and setting up my scope. The first scan of San Francisco 
 Bay I spotted ( 2 ) juvenile SABINE'S GULLS together dipping down 
 in the water and at times would briefly sit on the water. A juvenile
 Pigeon Guillemot must had come into the bay during the night. I spotted
 the Pigeon Guillemot sitting on the water and as the sun began to peek
 behind the east bay hills, the Pigeon Guillemot took flight and headed
 north, until it was just too far to pick out. Every visit to Coyote Point
 the last two to three weeks, there was always at least ( 1 ) Parasitic
 Jaeger, but not today. I wonder if the feisty young Parasitic Jaeger
 that has had the habitat of flying low over the shoreline and flushing 
 terns and shorebirds has departed.

  Slim arrivals at Coyote Point, but there was the first Wilson's Snipe
 I have seen in the freshwater marsh. Other new arrivals were a few
 Puget White-crowned Sparrows and Audubon's Yellow-rumped 
 Warblers.

  Ron Thorn 
 


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Subject: Eurasian Wigeon at Redwood Shores
From: Tronthorn AT aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:20:53 EDT
  I just had a conversation with Pat Boor. Pat said at Radio Road in
 Redwood Shores, there was an eclipse male EURASIAN WIGEON 
 that had come in with a bunch of American Wigeon. I believe the
 Eurasian Wigeon might be the first one of the fall reported from the 
 bay area.

 Ron Thorn


**************
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Subject: RE: Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery
From: "Alvaro Jaramillo" <chucao AT coastside.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:18:30 -0700
Kris

 

   In the Railroad right of way (along Railroad Ave) in Half Moon Bay, the
kestrels are back for the winter. So your birds may be migrants or wintering
birds already. 

 

Greetings from Paysandu, Uruguay where today I saw Greater and Lesser
Yellowlegs as well as a Wilson's Phalarope. Amazing how far these shorebirds
go! 

 

Cheers

 

Al

 

Alvaro Jaramillo

chucao AT coastside.net

Half Moon Bay, California

 

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide

www.fieldguides.com

  _____  

From: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
[mailto:peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kris Olson
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:25 PM
To: 'Kris Olson'; 'Peninsula-Birding'
Subject: RE: [pen-bird] Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery

 

Forgot to mention that at both Ethledore pond (second one) and Skylawn I saw
an American Kestrel-- females in both cases. Are these likely to be post
breeding dispersals? Also 2 Say's Phoebes at Skylawn making a racket.

-----Original Message-----
From: peninsula-birding AT  
yahoogroups.com
[mailto:peninsula-birding AT  
yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kris Olson
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:09 PM
To: Peninsula-Birding
Subject: [pen-bird] Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery

Ran into Al Eisner and Dave Weber at the south end of Ethledore/highway 1
this AM. They had already been to the pond and seen the PECTORAL SANDPIPER,
along with a WILSON'S SNIPE and KILLDEER and a pair of Wood ducks (which I
did not see later).

We inspected the Monterey Pines along the trail. Found the large feeding
flock of PYGMY NUTHATCHES and quite a few YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS. When I
walked back after going to the pond, later, I also found 1 YELLOW WARBLER
and 1 TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, male, and a male DOWNY WOODPECKER with the group.
Alas, no Summer Tanager. Did see a Cooper's Hawk and immature RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK with Al and Dave.

Meanwhile back at the ponds... I found the same birds, though I had to wait
quietly for the Pectoral to appear from the rushes. (they are all on the
left/north side of the pond). Also seen: BELTED KINGFISHER, juvenile
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GREAT BLUE HERON, PIED BILLED GREBE, DOUBLE
CRESTED CORMORANT, SAY'S PHOEBE, WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS (adults and
immature), SONG SPARROWS, BEWICK WREN, SAVANNAH SPARROW and 1 LINCOLN'S
SPARROW. Some of these were on the walk to the ponds. 

I made a relatively short drive-by-birding stop at Skylawn Cemetery on the
way home and found some nice birds. At least 4 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (may be 2
different groups of 4), 2 + PINE SISKINS, 4-6 RED CROSSBILLS, NORTHERN
FLICKER, several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and finally the 2 CHIPPPING SPARROWS
(immature and adult)-- over near the flag and the Winged Victory/Nike
statue. As I drove out, stopped at a stop sign, I hear a RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH. 

Kris Olson

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: RE: Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:25:25 -0700
Forgot to mention that at both Ethledore pond (second one) and Skylawn I saw
an American Kestrel-- females in both cases. Are these likely to be post
breeding dispersals? Also 2 Say's Phoebes at Skylawn making a racket.



-----Original Message-----
From: peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com
[mailto:peninsula-birding AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kris Olson
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:09 PM
To: Peninsula-Birding
Subject: [pen-bird] Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery

Ran into Al Eisner and Dave Weber at the south end of Ethledore/highway 1
this AM.  They had already been to the pond and seen the PECTORAL SANDPIPER,
along with a WILSON'S SNIPE and KILLDEER and a pair of Wood ducks (which I
did not see later).

We inspected the Monterey Pines along the trail. Found the large feeding
flock of PYGMY NUTHATCHES and quite a few YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS.  When I
walked back after going to the pond, later, I also found 1 YELLOW WARBLER
and 1 TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, male, and a male DOWNY WOODPECKER with the group.
Alas, no Summer Tanager. Did see a Cooper's Hawk and immature RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK with Al and Dave.

Meanwhile back at the ponds... I found the same birds, though I had to wait
quietly for the Pectoral to appear from the rushes. (they are all on the
left/north side of the pond). Also seen: BELTED KINGFISHER, juvenile
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GREAT BLUE HERON, PIED BILLED GREBE, DOUBLE
CRESTED CORMORANT, SAY'S PHOEBE, WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS (adults and
immature), SONG SPARROWS, BEWICK WREN, SAVANNAH SPARROW and 1 LINCOLN'S
SPARROW. Some of these were on the walk to the ponds.	

I made a relatively short drive-by-birding stop at Skylawn Cemetery on the
way home and found some nice birds. At least 4 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (may be 2
different groups of 4), 2 + PINE SISKINS, 4-6 RED CROSSBILLS, NORTHERN
FLICKER, several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and finally the 2 CHIPPPING SPARROWS
(immature and adult)-- over near the flag and the Winged Victory/Nike
statue. As I drove out, stopped at a stop sign, I hear a RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH. 


Kris Olson




------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links


Subject: Moss Beach & Skylawn Cemetery
From: "Kris Olson" <kristenolson AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:09:29 -0700
Ran into Al Eisner and Dave Weber at the south end of Ethledore/highway 1
this AM.  They had already been to the pond and seen the PECTORAL SANDPIPER,
along with a WILSON'S SNIPE and KILLDEER and a pair of Wood ducks (which I
did not see later).

We inspected the Monterey Pines along the trail. Found the large feeding
flock of PYGMY NUTHATCHES and quite a few YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS.  When I
walked back after going to the pond, later, I also found 1 YELLOW WARBLER
and 1 TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, male, and a male DOWNY WOODPECKER with the group.
Alas, no Summer Tanager. Did see a Cooper's Hawk and immature RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK with Al and Dave.

Meanwhile back at the ponds... I found the same birds, though I had to wait
quietly for the Pectoral to appear from the rushes. (they are all on the
left/north side of the pond). Also seen: BELTED KINGFISHER, juvenile
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GREAT BLUE HERON, PIED BILLED GREBE, DOUBLE
CRESTED CORMORANT, SAY'S PHOEBE, WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS (adults and
immature), SONG SPARROWS, BEWICK WREN, SAVANNAH SPARROW and 1 LINCOLN'S
SPARROW. Some of these were on the walk to the ponds.	

I made a relatively short drive-by-birding stop at Skylawn Cemetery on the
way home and found some nice birds. At least 4 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (may be 2
different groups of 4), 2 + PINE SISKINS, 4-6 RED CROSSBILLS, NORTHERN
FLICKER, several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and finally the 2 CHIPPPING SPARROWS
(immature and adult)-- over near the flag and the Winged Victory/Nike
statue. As I drove out, stopped at a stop sign, I hear a RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH. 


Kris Olson


Subject: Pectoral Sandpiper continues in Moss Beach
From: "D Weber" <dwbirdster AT sbcglobal.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:45:06 -0700
Hi Birders-

Started at Fitzgerald MP where all was quiet. At Princeton Marsh I ran into 
Al Eisner and we failed to find any Pectoral Sandpipers. But along the beach 
south of the marsh we found a juvenile Red Knot among Sanderlings, one 
Western Sandpiper, two Whimbrels, a Marbled Godwit, a Willet and two 
Semipalmated Plovers. We then met at the south end of Etheldore St. in Moss 
Beach and took the trail over to the large dammed pond. There we refound the 
Pectoral Sandpiper along with a Wilson's Snipe in the vegetation along the 
north shore. Both birds eventually made their way east along the muddy 
beach, apparently encroaching on two Killdeers' territory. One Killdeer went 
after and bit the Pectoral which took it out on the snipe who fought back. 
After that they were all happy. Two Wood Ducks flushed while we searched for 
the Pectoral. Walking back we stopped in the grove of pines looking for 
anything. We heard a soft tooting sound and then Kris Olsen emerged from the 
pines. All we could manage were Pygmy Nuthatches, Juncos, Bushtits, 
Yellow-rumps, and a Bewick's Wren. Later, up at Skylawn Cemetery at the top 
of Hwy 92, I found five Red Crossbills in trees on the lawn on the south 
side of the road between Hillcrest and Serenity Circles.

Dave Weber,
Milpitas