For quite a while in the spring/early summer we see a Caspian Tern flying over the large pond in Walnut Creek's Heather Farm Park.  Usually it is very early, around 7 AM, though sometimes as late as 8.  Today, I went late and the Caspian Tern was present at 10 AM.  Sometimes it is there in the evening, too, but I have not been there lately to check in the evening.
We also have a couple of Green Herons and sometimes a couple of Night-Herons along the edges of the big pond.  The hillside below the houses have some oaks and a Red-shouldered Hawk, sometimes two, also, often sit overlooking the grassy slope.
The city has been having a pond skimming machine clean the big pond.  They have been working since June 30.  This paddle-wheel vehicle has a wide chain-like conveyor which scoops the algae out of the pond and into a hopper.  The eclipse-plumage Mallards mostly swim to another part of the pond to avoid the machine.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek

Hi, Birders:

The Red-necked Grebe that Tony Brake found on July 10 continued in the little cove at the foot of Sandpiper Spit shortly before 3:00 pm yesterday, and again today at about 11:30 am.

Here’s a record shot.



Dave Quady
Berkeley, California
davequady@...

The grebe went missing from 2:15 to 3:15 when it returned to cove at base of sandpiper spit road in Richmond area.
John Sterling
530 908-3836
26 Palm Ave
Woodland, CA 95695

At the very south end, seen across the reservoir from the Old San Pablo Trail. Five ducklings and adults. Bad quality photos due to distance here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/166553264@N04/48278298616/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/166553264@N04/48278298821/in/dateposted-public/

Other interesting sightings: Adult Bald Eagle perched. We startled each other, it took off before I could take a picture. There are several Heron nests behind the truck parking lot at the water district headquarters with young birds. And the always fun to watch Belted Kingfisher.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/166553264@N04/48278438902/in/dateposted-public/

The local Band-tailed Pigeon flock often raids our safflower seed feeders, but today was the first time they brought a kid. It was so young it even thought it might try some suet!

Walnut Creek/Lafayette border, photos here:

http://www.birdwideweb.com/photos/07-17-19-Home-Band-tailed-Pigeons.JPG
http://www.birdwideweb.com/photos/07-17-19-Home-Band-tailed-Pigeon-J-suet.JPG

(I love those yellow feet)

Hi All,

Birded Martinez 10-1 today, tried to cover all the marsh in Peyton Slough (McNabney Marsh Area). Migrant activity was rather muted with very few shorebirds. Blackbird post-breeding dispersal is in full swing, with about 600-800 Red-winged Blackbirds working the marshes. I was able to pick out 2 rather bright Tricolored Blackbirds in the flock, suggesting that not all of these birds are local.

Waterbird Way pond was probably the most productive stop of the morning with close to 100 dabbling ducks, mostly Mallards. 2 Cinnamon Teal, and a rather early Blue-winged Teal were mixed in. This appears to be only the second Contra Costa July record of Blue-winged Teal? This bird is quite possibly a breeding dispersant from somewhere in the bay (the marshes N of 37? Maybe even from Contra Costa? An interesting thought...) Shorebird action was down with only a killdeer, G. yellowlegs and a few stilt.

McNabney Marsh had its usual duck numbers and species for the season. A lot of Mallards and Can. Geese. A few Gadwall and Cinnamon Teal. No Mute Swan! Almost no shorebirds with only a couple stilt and heard only yellowlegs. There is plenty of exposed mud available at low tide, it just appears no one is taking advantage of it. Very atypical was an Oak Titmouse in the eucs atop the hill. No phalaropes yet this year.

Mococo rd. Pond had about 39 Ardeids (14 Great E., 23 Snowy, 2 Blue). 4 G Yellowlegs. That’s about it.

Waterfront Rd. Wetlands—completely dry. On TransMontaigne Trail, there was no exposed water left before the Bay, but there was a Virginia Rail calling from some Schoenoplectus sedge. Possibly a breeder here? There are still about 6 singing territorial Common Yellowthroats, presumably all Saltmarsh Yellowthroat.

Hopefully more shorebirds start coming through soon.

Good birding,
Ethan

Hi, all.

I haven't seen anything about this here. A 20-something leading kids on a
nature hike @ the park knew about it, so maybe the word's out.

@ Miller-Knox Reg Pk yesterday I saw 2 raptors fly into the thick row of
trees to the south of the lagoon & land, apparently, on the ground. I
investigated & found on branches just a couple of feet off the ground 2
juvenile Coops & heard a 3rd somewhere above (don't know if it was adult or
not; the person I talked to said there are @ least 3 juvs). It looked to me
like they recently fledged; while they can fly, it seemed like they were
waiting for mom or dad to show up with lunch. Every once in a while, 1 of
them would give a call that seemed to back up that impression & when they
flew to a higher tree, they perched in the interior, like they were trying
to stay inconspicuous. (Or am I projecting?)

Anyway, I got some great looks @ them & enjoyed watching the siblings
interacting.

Peace,

Alan Howe
North Oakland

The couch was comfortable enough this morning that I fell back to sleep while watching the bike race on TV, so when I did head to Heather Farm Park, Fred Safier was already on the Contra Costa Canal trail heading home.  He had all the good birds--Great Egret, 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons, Green Heron, the Caspian Tern, a Red-shouldered Hawk, the Kingfisher, and 3 Red-winged Blackbirds.  These Blackbirds were special because they are usually absent during the summer; but these birds were not local, they had the yellow band of Red-winged Blackbirds from out of the area.   Our usual Red-wingeds are the California Bi-colored Blackbirds.  The only one of all these which I saw was the Kingfisher.  I also heard a Downy Woodpecker on the east side of the large, mostly natural pond.

Well, at least I don't have to stay awake until midnight awaiting a replay of the finish of Stage 12 in France.
Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek

At 4 pm today (Thursday, July 18) I had a flypast Parasitic Jaeger on the
Richmond shoreline. The bird was trailing a group of half a dozen
California Gulls flying from east to west offshore of the Bay Trail between
Vincent and Shimada Parks. It gained altitude and turned south in the
direction of the Brooks Island sandbar.

eBird suggests that this is a very early date; almost all of the listed
jaeger reports for Contra Costa County are in August and September.

Good birding,
Jeff Hoppes
Richmond

I went looking for the Royal Tern reported by Bob Richmond yesterday afternoon. First stop at Ballena Bay Harbor and there are 230+ Elegant Terns on the breakwater. I got two with reddish-orange legs/feet and one with dark on the bill. This dark-billed individual could be the same one that was reported on 6/16 this year which have caused a lot of debates of it's true identity. This bird is an immature with slender, drooping, yellow/dark/orange bill, short crested crown and seems like slightly smaller than the surrounding Elegant Terns. I have done quite some online studies since the 6/16 encounter and at this point I am going to call it a possible Elegant x Sandwich Tern Hybrid. Photos of the red-footed Elegant Terns and the possible Hybrid can be seen in my eBird checklist here:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58284728

I then headed to Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary where I found two 3rd-cycle Heermann's Gulls, a 1st-cycle Olympic (Western x Glaucous-winged Hybrid) Gull with a deformed beak, a female-type Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Red Knot, 2 Sanderlings, 4 Whimbrels, 2 Ospreys, 1 Caspian Tern, at least a dozen Least Terns and 13 more Elegant Terns. But no signs of the Royal. I might try my luck at Middle Harbor later this afternoon. Here is the Elsie Roemer eBird checklist with photos:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58284912

Happy Birding,
Jerry Ting
Fremont

I found a Common Tern on the sandbar along with Elegant Terns, Caspian Terns and Brown Pelicans at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland this afternoon during high tide. It has an all black bill, white forehead, crested crown, dark carpal bar and dark red legs. A couple of distant shots are included in my eBird checklist here:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58308041

Happy Birding,
Jerry Ting
Fremont

For a number of years we have had our tomato plants in the backyard of the late Jean Richmond.  A couple of weeks ago Rosita was there with a friend and they reported a Golden-crowned Sparrow coming to the seeds below the feeder.  Yesterday she was able to take a photograph of the Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Pretty cool that this bird is around for our summer. 

Hugh B. HarveyWalnut Creek

Passing this along from the SF Birds group

Hello Group

Tragic situation with Fallen tree at an Oakland rookery. Eighty-Nine Egret and Heron Chicks have lost their home. International Bird Rescue a wonderful organization who helped me with a rescue, is calling out for Volunteers, to help care for these babies.

If you have the time, it would be a great opportunity to help and give back for all the joy Birding gives you.

Please share with other Bird Groups or people you might know.

https://www.kqed.org/science/1945203/bird-rescue-group-needs-volunteers-after-fallen-tree-strands-89-baby-egrets-herons

Thank you
Kim F.
San Francisco

This evening at Frank's Dump at Hayward Regional shoreline, an adult
Red-necked Stint was briefly roosting with a large flock of Western
Sandpipers. The birds seemed more restless than usual and all of the peeps
left shortly after I found the Red-necked Stint and did not return. This is
presumably the same individual that has become a local celebrity at this
location in recent years.

Distant photos will be posted at
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58333360 once processed.

Other than a few large flocks of Westerns that were only there for a short
time, Frank's Dump seemed surprisingly empty with only a handful of other
birds of a handful of species. Once the Westerns departed, all that was
left were three Snowy Plovers. The Willets, Godwits, BB Plovers,
dowitchers, etc. that are often at Frank's Dump were all roosting a bit
further north, along with a Dunlin and a few Red Knots, Black Turnstones,
and Surfbirds.

Good birding,
Kirk Swenson
Davis, CA

Hi Kirk,

Glad to see that lots of shorebirds are around! Did you consider alternate
plumaged Sanderling as a possibility? The apparently large size, heavy
bill, lack of rufous on the scaps, streaky side of the breast, and overall
coloration looks fairly favorable for that rather than stint. Thought I
should mention this in case anybody plans to be there tomorrow. I was
looking for stints there last weekend, and the distance and heat shimmer
can make it a bit tough.

Best,
Adrian

Upon further review, Adrian is correct. I allowed myself to be led astray
by a brief look at an alternate plumaged Sanderling. Apologies for the
false alarm.

Kirk

On Sun, Jul 21, 2019 at 12:25 AM Adrian Hinkle <adrian.hinkle@...>
wrote:

Hi Kirk,

Glad to see that lots of shorebirds are around! Did you consider alternate
plumaged Sanderling as a possibility? The apparently large size, heavy
bill, lack of rufous on the scaps, streaky side of the breast, and overall
coloration looks fairly favorable for that rather than stint. Thought I
should mention this in case anybody plans to be there tomorrow. I was
looking for stints there last weekend, and the distance and heat shimmer
can make it a bit tough.

Best,
Adrian

On Sat, Jul 20, 2019 at 11:56 PM Kirk Swenson <khswenson@...> wrote:

This evening at Frank's Dump at Hayward Regional shoreline, an adult
Red-necked Stint was briefly roosting with a large flock of Western
Sandpipers. The birds seemed more restless than usual and all of the peeps
left shortly after I found the Red-necked Stint and did not return. This
is
presumably the same individual that has become a local celebrity at this
location in recent years.

Distant photos will be posted at
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58333360 once processed.

Other than a few large flocks of Westerns that were only there for a short
time, Frank's Dump seemed surprisingly empty with only a handful of other
birds of a handful of species. Once the Westerns departed, all that was
left were three Snowy Plovers. The Willets, Godwits, BB Plovers,
dowitchers, etc. that are often at Frank's Dump were all roosting a bit
further north, along with a Dunlin and a few Red Knots, Black Turnstones,
and Surfbirds.

Good birding,
Kirk Swenson
Davis, CA

Juli Chamberlin and i led a field trip for Ohlone Audubon to the Frank's
Dump area at Hayward Regional Shoreline this evening at high tide. While
standing on the Bay Trail next to Oro Loma Marsh, just a short distance
north of Sulphur Creek, our group found a BAR-TAILED GODWIT roosting with
dozens of Willets and Marbled Godwits. (Jerry Ting was the first person to
spot the bird.) Our approximate coordinates when we spotted it:

37.658864, -122.157597

The bird was sleeping for most of the hour-plus that we observed it. It
showed a uniformly pale belly, much grayer overall coloration than Marbled,
no marbled pattern at all on the back or upperwings, a noticeably longer
primary projection than the other godwits, and, during the brief times that
it woke up and stretched its wings, we could see that the tail was clearly
barred. Many photos and videos were obtained.

Additionally, at Frank's Dump, we also saw good numbers of Red Knots, two
Surfbirds, a dozen Ruddy Turnstones, a handful of Black Turnstones, a
couple Sanderlings, one Dunlin, and a pair of Snowy Plovers on a side trail
attending a little puffball chick.

Good birding,
Bob Toleno

P.S. A couple of ID shots can be found in our eBird checklist here:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58361455

Hopefully Jerry Ting and others will add their better photos to the
checklist soon.

On Sun, Jul 21, 2019 at 9:45 PM Bob Toleno via Groups.Io <bob=
toleno.com@groups.io> wrote:

Juli Chamberlin and i led a field trip for Ohlone Audubon to the Frank's
Dump area at Hayward Regional Shoreline this evening at high tide. While
standing on the Bay Trail next to Oro Loma Marsh, just a short distance
north of Sulphur Creek, our group found a BAR-TAILED GODWIT roosting with
dozens of Willets and Marbled Godwits. (Jerry Ting was the first person to
spot the bird.) Our approximate coordinates when we spotted it:

37.658864, -122.157597

The bird was sleeping for most of the hour-plus that we observed it. It
showed a uniformly pale belly, much grayer overall coloration than Marbled,
no marbled pattern at all on the back or upperwings, a noticeably longer
primary projection than the other godwits, and, during the brief times that
it woke up and stretched its wings, we could see that the tail was clearly
barred. Many photos and videos were obtained.

Additionally, at Frank's Dump, we also saw good numbers of Red Knots, two
Surfbirds, a dozen Ruddy Turnstones, a handful of Black Turnstones, a
couple Sanderlings, one Dunlin, and a pair of Snowy Plovers on a side trail
attending a little puffball chick.

Good birding,
Bob Toleno

More photos of the Bar-tailed Godwit are included in my eBird checklist here:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58361803

Happy Birding,
Jerry Ting
Fremont

Good evening Birders,
Quick update to let you know the Bar-tail Godwit remained today with the
large flock of Marbled Godwits, Willets, and dowitchers at the high tide
roost in Oro Lomo Marsh. The marsh is part of Hayward Regional Shoreline.
Access the spot via Winton Ave. or Grant Ave. entrance. About the same
distance either way, though Winton Ave. lets you check out Frank's Dump
along the way. Bird was first found yesterday by Bob Toleno and Juli
Chamberlin as part of an Ohlone Audubon field trip. Bob's coordinates,
37.658864, -122.157597, worked well today.

Holly Bern and I arrived on site around 4 pm, preceded by Derrick Heins and
James (last name?). A Peregrine working the area scared up most of the
flock but a small number of Godwits remained behind. Holly picked out the
bird at 4:25. We watched it preen and loaf for at least an hour. We got to
see the underwing pattern (though no photo) showing black and white
barring, indicative of Siberian race.

Also with the flock was an interesting Surfbird in breeding plumage. Not a
common sight in the Bay Area.

Photos of godwits, dowitchers, and surfbird at

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58385355

Bird on,

Bruce Mast
Oakland