This morning, Rich Nicholson and I previewed tomorrow's Sequoia Audubon field trip at Coyote Hills. A Varied Thrush was under the oaks outside the fence of the nectar garden. We found two Hutton's Vireos, one in Hoot Hollow, one in a tree along the entrance road by the Visitor Center. Along the Bay View Trail, near the Nike Trail, we saw the male yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (see Jerry Ting's wonderful photos posted to this list on October 24, 2012). From the junction of the Chochenyo and Muskrat Trails, we saw an immature Peregrine Falcon flying with two Turkey Vultures. The Peregrine circled, caught a thermal and went very high, effortlessly soaring towards North Marsh. Four Tree Swallows were circling above the swallow boxes on the DUST Trail. As we were heading back along the boardwalk, Rich spotted an American Bittern flying low, just above the tule, in the direction of the ponding area across from Quarry parking lot. We went looking for it there and in the channel that runs under the road, but didn't re-find it.


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont