Mountain biking Brionnes today, I saw a Lawrence’s goldfinch pair south of the highpoint of the Old Brionnes trail about 75 yards south on the crest trail. I saw them several times on the fence - they

Great diversity moving, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, tanagers and grosbeaks - and the accipiters that follow them. No big waves but a steady stream this morning. Moving warblers are females, males u

I am continually amazed by how good observers birds are. The yard suet feeder went empty. Before filling it I looked around . No birds in sight or calling. I filled it, stepped back 10 feet and starte

The weather has been tough for weekend birders like myself with every weekend day but one this spring a cold front has moved in and dispersed migrants that have moved, and no active migration on a big

I’m in the sun below and east of Vollmer. Multiple tanagers, hemit and Townsends warblers moving through. I thinks its foggy west of Vollmer so they are moving through my neighborhood in the sun - for

I mountain biked Black Diamond Mines with a loop covering the west half of the park. Grasses are now yellow except at blue oak savannah were the grass is still green. The blue oak savannah has a spect

Best day for migrants this year so far. 5 warbler species and lots of Hermit warblers by 7:15am. (Below Vollmer peak Tilden) Jim Chiropolos Orinda

Today on the mudflat, well over 100 Elegant Terns are present. The terns are vocalizing their spikey barbed black crests are raised, and some terns are paired facing each other, in a bill raising, hea

A good morning for migrants through the house patch. Highlights warbling vireo and early black-headed grosbeak and Wilsons warblers. Jim Chiropolos Orinda below Vollmer

The last week I have been observed interesting bird and animal behavior. My office overlooks the Emeryville mudflats and if my work time coincides with low tide, I check out the skimmers. If they are

Over the weekend I birded both Back Diamond Mines and Patterson Pass by bike. In both areas - especially Black Diamond Mines - the wildflower show (lupine, shooting star , owls clover and the onion fa

Today, birding my yard patch during the morning yard cat walks, some new birds either arrived or are passing through. Today was the first day I have heard orange-crowned warblers from the gully next t

As Paul Schorr said in a post earlier this week, the spring wildflowers bloom is in full force in east bay parks. If you want to see spring flowers, the next several weeks is the time to go! It seems

Red-shouldered hawks are perch ambush hunters and before today I don’t think I’ve seen one try to catch their meal. Today, amazingly, I saw it happen twice at the Emeryville mudflats. The red-shoulder

I kayaked around brooks island today. The herring run is in progress on the west side of the island (non-visible) side from Richmond. Well over 10,000 cormorants with an estimated 1,000 plus Bryant Co

I had to make a quick stop at the office today - and the Skimmer spectacle from the Emeryville mudflats between my office block and I80 was amazing. At 4 pm on a falling tide the skimmer flock was ver

I visited the Lake Merritt outflow channel today at lunch and the first bird I saw was the male tufted duck floating under me on a bridge from Laney College. As Mark R, the bird’s finder stated, it se

Mrytle warblers seem to be very common high up right now. Several days ago - I walked around Vollmer peak and saw 4 big myrtle warbler flocks of at least 50 myrtle - no Audobon warblers. Same pattern

Ethan and young birders - I think to convince a land management agency to not cut fennel, someone needs to produce a study of invasive plants and which need to be managed for birds - either during nes

One more fascinating sighting today. As I went by Crab Cove park in Alameda, I saw two acorn woodpeckers flying from the palm trees next to the road. In all my years birding the east bay, this is the