9:45 this morning Jim Chiropolos and I spotted an American Tree Sparrow at the same location in Gomes Park where the Swamp Sparrow has been seen. We did see the Swamp Sparrow too

Good question - I have to admit I was mainly going by what other birders had previously identified. Also - doing a little research indicates Northern Red Bishop (once considered a sub-species of Southern) has established some territory in Texas and S. California. The behavior I observed  -  puffing out feathers - seem consistent with what I have read regarding the species - but not sure if the same is true for Southern.  Perhaps 'Bishop sp.' would be a better id.  Interesting if more start showing up in our area.

Marty Lycan

San Ramon

Despite the air quality conditions I am still going to lead my walk Sunday
at 9:30 am at Middle Harbor Shoreline in Oakland. Depending how bad it is
that day we may cut it short. It's also a small location and easy to leave
early if you need to. I'll be wearing a mask and I encourage you to wear a
mask as well if you do come.

Megan Jankowski
Oakland

Due to smokey air conditions and possible health hazards, the MDAS field trip to Limantour this Saturday, November 17, is cancelled. Sorry for any inconvenience.



Hugh B. Harvey
MDAS

field trip chair

Walnut Creek

The continuing Tropical Kingbird was seen yesterday and today near the wooden railing in front of the parking lot. This is adjacent to the large, mostly natural pond. A Spotted Towhee has been reported for several days. Tracy Farrington saw it this morning, though when he went around the west side of the pond with me, the bird did not come out of the bushes.


It has been cold this past week, but so far we have only one male Bufflehead and two male Ring-necked Ducks. Fred Safier had a Hooded Merganser in the creek channel west of the park Tuesday, and possibly the same bird was recorded in Heather Farm that afternoon. It has not been seen since.


Three Ring-billed Gulls were between the pond and the north ball fields today. The Coot population has increased to 7 birds.



Just north of the park, Rosita and I saw the Slate-colored Junco Tuesday morning in our small patio. It is not a regular visitor, having been seen only twice in the last 2-1/2 weeks or so. Today I have seen a standard Oregon Junco a couple of times.


Hugh B. Harvey
Walnut Creek

At Gomes Park, many sightings are reporting a "Northern Red" Bishop which is almost certainly an escaped bird.


My question is - how was the identification determined to be a female northern red bishop as compared to a southern red bishop male or female? The African Field Guides I have do not seem to consider this issue as they have separate ranges but I am always fascinated by bird IG. So - what makes this bird a female northern red bishop? Or should this bird really be called a "Bishop, sp"?


It is very tame with many birders taking pictures from within 10 feet so there are lots of pictures to verify the ID.


Jim Chiropolos, Orinda

Looked for Eastern Phoebe and Field Sparrow from about 1:30 until 5:00 with no luck. Did see Swamp Sparrows and Northern Red Bishop. Also a Merlin hanging out for most of the afternoon. Photos on ebird.


Marty Lycan
San Ramon

This morning 11/13, 6AM was my FOS sighting of a Common Poorwill in Berkeley's Strawberry Canyon. It was on the upper fire trail in the usual vicinity where I have seen it in past years ranging from the Bailey Fence sign to where the trail starts to go downhill. Today it was next to where the spur trail comes down. In past years I have seen it in early Oct but I was a week late in looking for it.

Judi Sierra
Oakland

Went back to Gomez Park in Fremont to try to refind the Field Sparrow. I and
others did not refind it. Did see the Northern Red Bishop, one Swamp
Sparrow, and the Eastern Phoebe, all at the west end of the walled channel.
The male Redhead was on the pond north of the bridge.



Dave Weber,

Milpitas

Around 11 AM today a small group of birders and photographers enjoyed close-up looks at the continuing Eastern Phoebe along with a female Northern Red Bishop, Swamp Sparrow(s), Lincoln Sparrows and others at Gomes Park in Fremont.


A number of short streets with limited parking are on the edges of the park, but the most parking is on Lemos Lane. The Phoebe has often been seen in the vicinity of the black fence at the corner where the park path connects to the golf course.


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont

I sent a lengthy follow-up earlier but my phone is acting like it never
existed, so I am writing the whole thing again. If there any duplicated
reports, I apologize.



I am certain I saw a Field Sparrow at Gomes Park in Fremont. I was on my way
home from an excellent overnight trip to Stanislaus County when I stopped at
the park, forgetting that a Field Sparrow was reported there yesterday on
ebird by TK Pham. Around 2:10 pm some splashing under dense vegetation
revealed a bathing Swamp Sparrow. Then a dry Swamp Sparrow appeared next to
it. Then a third small sparrow appeared. I though it was also a Swamp but
then realized it was too dull. Head and underparts were gray. Back was brown
with dark streaks. Wings had two thin white bars. Head had two dull
orangy-rufous crown stripes and a thin line of the same color through the
eye. Bill was pinkish. It had a thin white eye ring. I eliminated Chipping,
Brewer's, and American Tree Sparrow by pattern and/or coloration. Immature
White-crowned Sparrow was immediately eliminated as they were all around for
comparison. Chipping Sparrow has also been reported here. Stephanie Floyd
provided a description in an ebird report which does not describe the bird I
saw.



The location is apparently where one or more Swamp Sparrows have been seen:
in the channel with concrete walls on both sides, about 15 yards from the
west end of the north wall. The Field Sparrow flew out to a tree at the end
of the north wall, then to some weeds across the junction of the creek with
two other creeks. I was too tired to go after it, so I went home to research
it before sending my follow-up with details. Today's bird seemed overall
dull. Old Sibley shows very bright birds with much orangy-buff. I have only
seen one other Field Sparrow which was mostly gray with little orange-buff
tones. A quick check of online pics showed several individuals similar to
today's bird.



Dave Weber



From: EBB_Sightings@... <EBB_Sightings@...> On
Behalf Of dwbirdster dwbirdster@... [EBB_Sightings]
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 2:36 PM
To: EBB_Sightings@...
Subject: [EBB_Sightings] Two Swamp and possible Field Sparrow at Gomez park
Nov 12.





Field sparrow was recently reported at Gomez I think. I may have refound it
at 2:10. End of the channel between the wall and the area where two other
creeks join. Details later. Plus two Swamps!!Dave Weber,MilpitasBy phone

A Vesper Sparrow was present at Cesar Chavez Park this morning, loosely associating with Savannah Sparrows. It was in the northeast corner of the open field located at the southeast part of the park (see google map below). It was viewable from the main perimeter path. There may have been two. A picture can be viewed at my eBird link below. Also present in the area were 20+ American Pipits and about 50 W. Meadowlarks.


https://goo.gl/maps/anmaeMYxb362 https://goo.gl/maps/anmaeMYxb362



https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49900054 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49900054



Jack Hayden
Albany, CA

I am nearly certain there is a Field Sparrow at Gomes Park. The details: I stopped at Gomes Park around 1:30 pm Nov 12 on the way back from an excellent overnight trip to Stanislaus County. Around 2pm some splashing under dense vegetation revealed a bathing Swamp Sparrow. Then a dry Swamp Sparrow appeared next to it. Then a third small bird emerged from the vegetation. I thought it was also Swamp, but it was much plainer. Grayish underparts and head. Head also had two dull orangy-rufous crown stripes and a thin stripe, same color, through  the eye. Back was brown with dark streaks. Two white wing bars.  Thin white eyering. Pinkish bill. Bird no larger than the Swamps. All three birds were first seen in dense vegetation in the channel bordered by two cement walls about 15 yds from the west end of the north wall. Chipping, Brewers, and American Tree Sparrow all eliminated  by pattern and color. A Field Sparrow was reported here yesterday. Chipping Sparrow has also been reported. Stephanie Floyd's description of Chipping Sparrow on ebird does not describe this bird. The bird flew out of the channel to a tree at the end and then across the junction of the creeks to dried weeds. I was too tired to go after it, deciding to research it instead. In Sibley the pattern is right but underparts are too bright gray or rufous, Online pics show several less bright individuals with the marks I noted.Dave Weber,MilpitasBy phone

Field sparrow was recently reported at Gomez I think. I may have refound it at 2:10. End of the channel between the wall and the area where two other creeks join. Details later. Plus two Swamps!!Dave Weber,MilpitasBy phone

A Wood Duck is back! Male, hanging out with a Mallard pair at the retention pond closer to the south end of the Lake. Also, a female Hooded Merganser was cruising and feeding.  A Pied-billed Grebe, 18 domestic Mallards (odd visitors?), a dozen or more 'real' Mallards, 10 Coots and a pair of female/first winter Buffleheads joined a few Double-crested Cormorants to round out the waterfowl this morning. It was a dirt devil, trash-can rolling, hang-on-to-your-hat windy morning, with most of the smaller birds staying hidden, or disguised as flying leaves.
Cheers, Firehock


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Amazing place.... Prairie Falcon, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, and four other raptors; Wood Duck, lots of Redheads, Wigeon and Gadwalls and assorted other waterfowl.... All strung out along a path behind a bunch of parking lots....

South of Highway 84, but well worth the drive on a Sunday morning - and better air than Oakland today.
--
- Hilary Powers - hilary@... - Oakland CA -
- "Making Word 2010 Work for You" - www.the-efa.org/res/booklets.php -
- Needle Felting: www.SalFelt.com; www.facebook.com/SalFelt -

At least a half dozens of us were able to relocate, these three previously found species this morning between 10-11 am along a paved path next to a vegetated channel. A bonus was seeing all three phoebe species at the same time.

Graham Chisholm
Berkeley


Begin forwarded message:

From: "jtnikon@... [EBB_Sightings]" <EBB_Sightings-noreply@...>
Date: November 6, 2018 at 8:17:11 PM PST
To: <EBB_Sightings@...>
Subject: [EBB_Sightings] Gomes Park (11/6) - Eastern Phoebe, Swamp Sparrows, N Red Bishop
Reply-To: jtnikon@...

A few great sightings by me, Vicki R. and Gail W. this (11/6/2018) afternoon between 4:00 - 5:30pm at the west end of Gomes Park (37.550668, -121.954726) in Fremont including:
- Eastern Phoebe in fresh fall plumage see perched on the fence and top of the tree across the creek.
- The continuing adult Swamp Sparrow (found by Bill Chen on 11/3).
- The continuing winter female Northern Red Bishop (also found by Bill Chen on 11/5).



Vicki R. and I both saw another Swamp Sparrow about 50 yards east of the gate while Gail West was photographing the other adult near the gate at the same time. We also had a possible Red-naped x Red-breasted Sapsucker hybrid in the tree about 45 yards east of the gate.


Photos and more detailed information can be seen in my eBird checklist:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49728027 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49728027



Gomes Park is located on east of Lake Elizabeth. Street parking either on Valdez Pl or Ambar Pl (see map link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B033'02.4%22N+121%C2%B057'17.0%22W/@37.550029,-121.9548944,364m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d37.5506683!4d-121.9547264 https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B033%2702.4%22N+121%C2%B057'17.0%22W/@37.550029,-121.9548944,364m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d37.5506683!4d-121.9547264) is closest to the location of these sightings.


Happy Birding,


Jerry Ting
Fremont








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Here are some (bad) photos of the Alviso LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL from this afternoon. (Smokey days don't make for good gull photos... :( 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99231652@N07/albums/72157703349906324

Noah

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

BTW its a long (20 min) hike west from Alviso Marina Park to the gull flock, and the trails close at sunset.
Noah

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

BTW, its a long (20 min) hike west fro