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Tropical kingbird at Hoffman Marsh
Bruce Mast
Serving as the messenger. Bruce Mast ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Sam Zuckerman" <samz@...> Date: Nov 1, 2015 11:47 AM Subject: Tropical kingbird at Hoffman Marsh To: <observe@...> Cc: "Ilana DeBare" <debare@...> Hi Bruce,
I’d like to report a tropical kingbird I observed at Hoffman Marsh in Richmond at approximately 10:45 am Thurs. Oct. 29. It was perched for about 5 minutes on top of a bush across the slough along the path that leads from the Bayview Ave. entrance to the Bay Trail about 50 yards east of the bridge across the slough. At first I identified it as a western kingbird because of the bright yellow breast extending almost to the neck. However on studying videos and reading field reports, I changed the identification to tropical, in part because I saw no white edge along the tail and also because tropicals are occasionally seen along the California coast from Sept. to Nov. Unfortunately, when I made the observation, I didn’t record the bill size, which is an important diagnostic of tropical vs. western. I reported the observation to ebird and was queried about how I eliminated Cassin’s. I noted that the yellow extended to far up the breast for Cassin’s. I’d be thrilled if other birders confirmed the observation.
Thanks.
Sam Zuckerman
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Re: Tilden Red Crossbills by Nature Center
Lee Friedman
I watched the Red Crossbills for about one hour this morning 11AM-noon. They were still in the same location, near the top of a tall pine behind the Nature Center. The Pine Siskins seemed to keep to the adjacent tree. I observed the same flight pattern that others noted—every few minutes, they would fly off as a group of 15-20 and then return a few minutes later. However, one time they flew off as group and I got a pretty good count of 35, making me realize there were likely two groups in the tree at one time (grouping perhaps like Cedar Waxwings do).
Because they stayed quite high up, perhaps 70-100’, it was difficult to photograph them. My clearest photos are of the (red) males that occupied the very top of the tree; the (yellow) females stayed a bit below with some juveniles. Here are two photos of the male Red Crossbills:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/22677829792/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/22504003580/in/dateposted-public/
Thanks to all of those who posted about these, especially Anthony.
Good birding, Lee Friedman
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Re: Tilden Botanic Garden - Swamp Sparrow 10/31/15
Derek
While biking todayI made a quick stop around noon at Tilden Botanic Garden to see if I could find the Swamp Sparrow. Wasn't successfull, but in the process caught a quick glimpse of what I thought was a Wilson's Snipe scurrying off out of site in the creekbed, I hung around a little longer and eventually it came waddling back, prodding for lunch. That's probably the most confined area that I've ever seen a snipe. Made another stop near the Grizzley Peak/Skyline intersection when I heard a Hairy Woodpecker and in the process of locating it also got some great looks of a Golden-crowned Kinglet low on a tree below the road. Also in the same tree were a few Pgymy Nuthatches. Derek Heins Piedmont
On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 12:19 PM, Gena Zolotar gzolotar@... [EBB_Sightings] <EBB_Sightings-noreply@...> wrote:
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Crossbill in Strawberry Canyon
Bruce Mast
Seeing an eBird report of Red Crossbills at the UC Botanic Garden yesterday, I went out this morning to see if I could replicate the feat. Arriving around 7:30 am, I birded around the parking lot about an hour until I heard and the saw a flock of about 20 birds flying around the lower canyon. A lone female flew up and perched in a nearby conifer, giving me good scope views. Bird on, Bruce Mast
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Springtown Nature Preserve Livermore
Steve Huckabone <shuckabone@...>
This morning I found a Swamp Sparrow about 40 yards east of the Springtown Blvd bridge. This bird is difficult to see and generally stays out of sight. Many Lincoln's, Song's and Savannah's are also present.
https://flic.kr/p/zBvP6V Full ebird checklist at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25657900 Steve Huckabone Livermore, CA Alameda County
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Tilden Crossbills continue
judisierra
The crossbills and pine siskens continued this morning in the vicinity of the nature area Visitors Center. They were in and out, gone then back, gone and back at the top of various Redwood trees. Best vantage point to monitor the flyabouts and alightments is behind the center. Nothing in Jewell Lake.
Judi Sierra - Oakland
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Ardenwood
Folks,
Yesterday afternoon I made a quick stop at Ardenwood to see the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER in the Northwood portion of the park. It was easily relocated in the bare branches of the tallest eucalyptus trees bordering the orchard. Also present in the E-I-O PICNIC AREA was a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, CEDAR WAXWINGS and of course many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were there as well. The farmhouse and the fountain was active with PINE SISKIN, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, HOUSE FINCHES and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. HERMIT THRUSH was almost abundant in the wooded section leading back toward Southwood. The pumpkin field contained a good number of TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS as well as RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS. Matthew Dodder Mountain View
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Hayward Shoreline
Folks,
I led my Palo Alto Adult School advanced birding class to Hayward Shoreline on West Winton yesterday. We had several highlights including a BURROWING OWL along the channel leading out from the parking area, a pair of COOPER'S HAWKS in a dispute, at least two NORTHERN HARRIERS, a MERLIN (columbarius) near the footbridge leading to the marsh, WHIMBREL several RUDDY TURNSTONES and a couple of BLACK TURNSTONES on the breakwater south of Frank's Dump. We were also fortunate to view RIGEWAY'S RAIL in the marsh as it made its way along the edges. The overlook was filled with WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, AMERICAN PIPITS and a few HORNED LARKS, but it was difficult to get a good look as they passed through the grass. On the bay were FORSTER'S, ELEGANT and a single COMMON TERN, an OSPREY and all the GREBES except Red-necked. Frank's Dump was essentially empty when we arrived, but as we left, it began to fill up with thousands of Shorebirds that streamed in over our group. Quite a beautiful sight! Matthew Dodder Mountain View
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Pine Siskins in Berkeley flatlands
Holly Sparkman
Yesterday I had Pine Siskins at my feeder on Benvenue Avenue between Stuart and Derby.
Holly Sparkman Berkeley
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Crossbills and Tropical Kingbird
Bill Clark
The Red Crossbills continue at Tilden, as easy walk up birds: At MLK Shoreline (Arrowhead Marsh), the Grasshopper Sparrow was not seen at 8am, 2pm or 3:30pm. He may be gone. But there was an American Pipit. And my first Tropical Kingbird! He was on the fence as your left as you leave the parking lot. Finally, here's a photo from the Lewis's Woodpecker sighting I posted earlier at Ardenwood Farm: Bill Clark Livermore
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Semipalmated Sandpiper at Coyote Hills
Julio M
This morning (10/31, 9:30 AM) at the Coyote Hills No Name Trail leading to the NWR I found a dark-legged peep which looked good for a Semipalmated Sandpiper (SESA).
The bird was on the right hand side of the trail leading into the Bay and approximately 30 meters past the pump house. The bird was the only small peep with dark-colored legs among the abundant Least Sandpipers (LESA). From my vantage point it was approximately the same size as the nearby LESA but with grayer plumage and with a cleaner white throat. One of my pictures shows partial webbing between the middle and outer toe. I don't recall seen a SESA this late in the California fall season. https://flic.kr/p/Atf1GL
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Lewis continues
Clark, Bill <clark88@...>
Several birders struck out on the Magnolia Warbler at Ardenwood from 10a-1p on Sat. But the Lewis's Woodpecker continues at the east end of the walnut orchard.
Full list: Ardenwood farm stellar Jay Ca towhee scrub Jay Tri colored blackbird Red breasted sapsucker brown creeper acorn woodpecker Townsend warbler yellow rump warbler pine Sisken Varied thrush house finch turkey vulture Northern flicker Golden crowned sparrow Cedar waxwing Ruby crowned kinglet American Goldfinch White breasted nuthatch European starling brewers blackbird Morning Dove annas hummingbird California quail American robin Lewis's woodpecker Blk phoebe House wren bush tit Hermit thrush Bill Clark Livermore Sent with Good (www.good.com)
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Tilden Botanic Garden - Swamp Sparrow 10/31/15
Gena Zolotar
This morning around 10:45am I saw a SWAMP SPARROW at the Tilden Botanic Garden. It was in the creek bed below the stone bridge with chain-link fences, approximately here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/37.8933,-122.2432 . There were several Song Sparrows in the vicinity as well. Some ID pictures are embedded in my eBird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25643811 . Earlier I and a group of other birders were treated to the continuing RED CROSSBILLS in one of the redwoods behind the Education Center. At one point they were all flushed from the tree by an incoming Acorn Woodpecker, and my rough count of the flock was 60-80, but that was probably an undercount. There were several flocks of PINE SISKINS in the area as well. One HOODED MERGANSER remained on Jewel Lake. Several of us watched it catch a fish and take several minutes to maneuver it into swallowing position. Good birding, Gena Zolotar Mountain View
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Tan striped white throated sparrow
Cal Walters
At our feeders and fountain in Piedmont
Cal Walters
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Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) at Lake Anza (Oct.30)
albertlinkowski
Today,(October 30, 2015) at Lake Anza in Tilden Park (Contra Costa Co.), there were 4 Ring-necked Ducks, and rather late for the county juvenile Pied-billed Grebe Picasa Web Albums - Albert Linkowski
Good birding, Albert W. Linkowski
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Red Crossbills at Tilden Nature Area Friday 10.30.2015
Alan Kaplan <lnkpln@...>
Friends!
Thanks to Anthony Fisher for the notice about the Red Crossbills behind the Environmental Education Center at Tilden Nature Area, and to Chris Kondakian for the great view of them today! Chris and Ted K. were already at the site when I got there around noon, and we saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk with a hungry eye on the crossbills, and the visitors left in a burst of flight, but returned throughout the next two hours. Has anyone proposed what Flight Call type these might be? My experience with these is limited to one morning with Steve Glover in the TNA parking lot, him looking up and saying “Red Crossbills” as a flock came over at both great height and speed! Best of Boids! Alan Kaplan
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Red Crossbills Continue
This morning (10/30) in the tall
tree behind the Tilden Nature Area's Ed Center staff lot.
Mingling with a flock of Pine Siskins and feeding on the
pinecones. At least 15 males and females.
A (distant) photo at: https://flic.kr/p/AqngrE -Doug --
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Re: Grasshopper Sparrow - closest approach
C Lou
Friday. Grasshopper continues at Arrowhead Marsh. Calvin Lou SF Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
-------- Original message -------- From: "Calvin Walters calw@... [EBB_Sightings]" Date:10/29/2015 4:08 PM (GMT-08:00) To: Sightings East Bay Birds Subject: [EBB_Sightings] Grasshopper Sparrow - closest approach Ran into David Moore at Arrowhead Marsh this afternoon, about 30 minutes before high tide. He pointed out the Grasshopper Sparrow that was feeding in the dirt area on the side of the path opposite the water. The bird was very cooperative. Dave asked what my closest focus was and he wasn’t kidding - it practically climbed in my pocket - coming about 4 feet away at its closest.
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Evening Grosbeak in Walnut Creek
fgsafier
At about 9:30 this morning I was coming home from Heather Farms, when I observed an unmistakable male Evening Grosbeak calling, perched at the top of a bare conifer. It was along the canal trail, just west of the main Walnut Creek (the creek, not the town) crossing. Fred Safier
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sora, common yellowthroat at Arrowhead Marsh high tide
allenvhirsch@...
High tide on the 28th produced a sora or two out in the open, including one that flew from one cluster of reeds to another. I wouldn't usually display an image with the bird flying away from me, but for a sora, I made an exception (since I've never caught one in flight before): Arrowhead Marsh sora & common yellowthroat | Arrowhead sora-7872
I also photographed a common yellowthroat female at the same high tide. Allen Hirsch Oakland
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