Verne,



It is actually an international/national birding Listserve dealing with all types of birding discussions.



Check it out:



BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksbirds.org/birdchat/

Archives: http://listserv.ksu.edu/archives/birdchat.html



" PHILOSOPHY OF BIRDCHAT

BirdChat provides a forum in which to share knowledge concerning wild birds. Lively discussions on topics related to wild birds, birding, and birders are invited. These exchanges should be informative, entertaining, and respectful <http://www.ksbirds.org/birdchat/#netiquette>; . Members are encouraged to feel a sense of community in which they can post without risking humiliation or personal attacks. Anonymity is discouraged, as we have found that respect of the opinions and perspectives of others is more prevalent when everyone is identified and known..."

Winston Churchill: "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

--

TEAMWORK without the TEAM is just plain hard WORK!

--

Michael Feighner

Livermore, CA, Alameda County

<http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner>; btn_myprofile_160x33

<http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner>; http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner



From: EBB_Sightings@yahoogroups.com [mailto:EBB_Sightings@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of verne_nelson@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 10:56 AM
To: EBB_Sightings@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [EBB_Sightings] San Francisco Bay Area Bird Chat


In a recent post from the moderator reminding us to limit posts to this site to rare birds or those passing through it was suggested that reports on common birds would be more appropriate in Bird Chat. I finally found out what that was.



Bird Chat is a new Facebook page created by Janet Ellis with the following mission statement:



"This group is for talking about birds. Rare or casual birds, birding trips, if you saw unusual behavior or went on a trip out of the area. You can also add unusual wildlife you spotted. Post pictures, links and if you want to do a group walk. This is opened for experienced, new birders and wildlife lovers."



Here is the link to the page:



https://www.facebook.com/groups/539022046179728/



If this link doesn't work, search for "San Francisco Bay Area Bird Chat" when in Facebook. It is a "Closed Group" so you will have to press the "Join this group" tab and Janet will confirm your "join" via email.



I encourage the membership here to support this exciting new avenue to share one's love of birding.



Verne Nelson

In a recent post from the moderator reminding us to limit posts to this site to rare birds or those passing through it was suggested that reports on common birds would be more appropriate in Bird Chat.   I finally found out what that was.

The daily search finally paid off today.

OK, I chased the bird several times over the weekend and finally goat a few good pics I was pleased with - the 2% rule generally held.  I found much greater success with the light, not up in the oak tree on Wollsey, but in the birch tree on Eaton (?).  (and a thousand thanks to the birders and neighbors in the area to put up with us!)  On Sunday afternoon, the Painted Redstart seemed to flit over to the wells being sipped by the Red-breasted Sapsucker and posed for more than 1/2 second on the wire and birch.  A few photos in the link below.  The Red-breasted Sapsucker was amazingly calm for the number of people close at hand.

This evening I saw what I think were Mute swans out from the shoreline.
I got a blurry picture because they were well off the shore, but the black knob at the dorsum of the bill was clearly visable. Would these be escaped birds? Tried to post the picture.

Also there were black necked stilts and a canvas back pair in the pond.

Dana

How about if we forget about this bird for awhile. Enough is enough!

Thanks

Hiking the back side of Briones walking the back trail towards Mott Peak/Briones Crest Trail looking out over one of the ponds. Black shouldered Kite sunning itself in tree.

Saw a few interesting birds in a couple hours spent at Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond today (Sun., Nov. 17).

A mixed flock working the pines along the West Ridge Trail included at least 2 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and a couple of resident Red-breasted Nuthatches. Golden-crowned Kinglets are popping up in mixed flocks all over the place this year, so double-check those flocks. This flock was mostly about 50 Bushtits, so Golden-crowned Kinglets would be easy to miss in the mass of tiny birds.

A male EURASIAN WIGEON was on the bay behind the duck pond area, hanging out with American Wigeons and coots.

Best of the rest:
- 2 Red-breasted Mergansers in the duck pond
- a couple Spotted Sandpipers in the rocks along the Bay
- Western Bluebirds are now regular residents


Park info: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/miller_knox

Good birding,
--
Laura Look
Pinole, CA

After enjoying the Painted Redstart and the sapsucker in Berkeley, I headed up Panoramic Way to hike to the pines at the top of Claremont Canyon preserve. Had a very nice flock including:
3 Pygmy nuthatches
2 brown creeper
2 golden crowned kinglet
Ruby crowned kinglet
Townsend's warbler
Downey woodpecker
Red breasted sapsucker

Bill Clark
Livermore

And still there at 11:35 in the oak at the back of 2733 Woolsey, Berkeley.  I first heard it within 15-seconds of getting out of the car.  Another 45-seconds were required to find the bird visually.  It is very obliging in its active feeding behavior, although it stayed inside the oak resulting in poor lighting for my point-&-shoot camera.  Thanks and kudos for the welcoming neighbors.

Painted Redstart very well seen in large tree in backyard of 2733 Woolsey in Berkeley. First heard from street at 10:50am.

Dave Weber,
Milpitas
by phone

The Belted Kingfisher first observed by Jerry Ting on 10/24 continues to be in residence on the Virginia Street extension, resting on the telephone wires during his fishing efforts. I observed the bird on 10/26 and again yesterday 11/16.

Yesterday's 9-11AM visit was during high tide, so I did not see the shore birds on the north extension that were there in my previous visit (including Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstones, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpipers, Killdeer). However, I did notice that in the water Bufflehead and Common Goldeneyes had joined the group of Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoters, American Coots and Mallards) foraging in the area, and Brown Pelicans were in abundance. Another highlight of this outing was watching a White-Tailed Kite, which had been hunting over the land area, being chased and harassed away by two American Crows that teamed up to "move" the Kite from the east to the west side of the extension.

Good birding,
Lee Friedman

Dominik, yes that is a Birch Tree (any dissenters?): from Google Maps <
http://tinyurl.com/p8fygbo <http://tinyurl.com/p8fygbo>; > (Click on image
on left column to view.) How lucky can you get to find the hyper-active
Painted Redstart in such a short and narrow tree compared to the huge Oak at
2737 Woolsey Street?



Winston Churchill: "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the
right direction."

--

TEAMWORK without the TEAM is just plain hard WORK!

--

Michael Feighner

Livermore, CA, Alameda County

<http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner>; btn_myprofile_160x33

<http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner>;
http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfeighner

Still in same spot as previously at 8a.m., m.ob beginning to form.

Dom