Birdathon Spring 2009
The Varied Twitchers
Saturday 18 April 2009
Friends & family,
I have bad news and good news about this year's birdathon. The bad news is that I came down sick Friday afternoon and sadly was not able to complete the birdathon. I left the team at 2pm yesterday and headed home and straight for bed where I slept off & on for probably sixteen hours, trying to fight this cold/flu thing.
Lupines blooming at Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
The good news is that even with doing "only" a half-birdathon I still managed to see 120 species! And we saw some amazing birds: A Saw-whet Owl sitting in a douglas fir right over our heads (this is a life bird for me). Common Poorwills flitting past in the pre-dawn - we had to hike three miles into the wilderness of Monte Bello Open Space Preserve for this treat. A Brandt's Cormorant sitting forlornly on the mudflats - this is an oceanic bird that was blown in in last week's windstorm. A hybrid duck: Shoveler-cross-Blue-winged Teal (which one do we count it as?). And a Great-tailed Grackle flying over the cattails - grackles only recently spread their range into Santa Clara County. The weather was perfect for the day, and as of 2pm we were on track for an exceptional day of birding.
Mike Rogers should be sending a full trip report sometime soon, and I will forward that to all of you. I'm hoping that they saw an amazing array of birds in the second half.
Thanks so much for supporting me in my crazy adventure. I will send more information on in the next couple days.
Sincerely,
Barry
~
Mike Roger's Report for The Varied Twitchers
All,
Yesterday 4/18/09, the 2009 Varied Twitchers (Rusty Harold, Howard Higley, Craig Hunter, Richard Jeffers, Barry Langdon-Lassagne, Mike Mammoser, Sonny Mencher, Bob Nansen, and Mike Rogers) met at the Mountain View Forebay for a 4:00am start to our SCVAS Big Day. After managing to hear a single SORA, we headed up to Monte Bello OSP for some owling. We added two VIRGINIA RAILS at the sag pond along the Canyon Trail, making up for their failure to show at the Forebay. The highlight of our nocturnal birding was a cooperative NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL that posed in the flashlight beam for all to enjoy. WESTERN SCREECH, GREAT HORNED, and BARN OWLS were heard and 2 COMMON POORWILLS were located on the trail up to Black Mountain. The dawn chorus added many new species, but we didn't hear any Pileated Woodpeckers for the first time in 7 years of doing this route, perhaps not surprising as they haven't been reported from here lately. We found 8 singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS and a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, but had no obvious migrants at all. We tallied many of the hoped for specialties of the Santa Cruz Mountains, including 4+ VARIED THRUSHES, 2 WINTER WRENS, and some vocal PYGMY NUTHATCHES. A singing male WESTERN TANAGER on territory 1.6 miles down the Canyon Trail marked our turn-around point. Working the brushy area at mile 0.4 added the day's only LINCOLN'S SPARROW and both CROWNED SPARROWS.
The drive down Page Mill Road added BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, WARBLING VIREO, and WILSON'S WARBLER and the Gates of Heaven Cemetery ponds had two female-plumaged HOODED MERGANSERS and a female-plumaged COMMON GOLDENEYE. At Stevens Creek Park we added an OSPREY, a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS, and 3 WOOD DUCKS. Along the roads above the reservoir we added CASSIN'S VIREO and an AMERICAN DIPPER. McClellan Ranch failed to produce a Pine Siskin (although they had been at the feeders earlier in the day) and we added only CEDAR WAXWING and HOUSE WREN here, as well as a seen BARN OWL.
We started birding the bayside at Palo Alto at noon, at which point the tide was already way out. This hurt our shorebird list, and we missed Long-billed Dowitcher, Whimbrel, and Long-billed Curlew for the day (the first having never been missed before and the latter two having been missed only once previously). Nonetheless, we did add several other shorebird species, ducks (including both GREATER and LESSER SCAUP), and gulls to our list. While scoping distant shorebirds out at the estuary mouth, Barry pointed out a somewhat sorry-looking BRANDT'S CORMORANT sitting on the exposed mudflat. This was the best bird of the day, having never been found by the Varied Twitchers or on any county Big Day I have done before. The Wild Women Birders independently found this bird shortly after us, so it really knew how to please Big Day birders! As we drove away from the Baylands, we noticed a flock of 10 geese flying to the Palo Alto Golf Course. Instead of picking out a small goose among them, we ended up picking out 2 CANADA GEESE among 8 CACKLING GEESE! A quick stop at the end of Geng Road failed to relocate the geese, but did turn up a singing male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE and the male NORTHERN SHOVELER x BLUE-WINGED TEAL hybrid that has been reported previously from the Baylands.
At Shoreline Park we found 3 BLACK SKIMMERS on the island in the southeast corner of pond A1, 6 SURF SCOTERS on pond A1 that seemed a more countable than the 3 crippled birds on Shoreline Lake, another female-plumaged COMMON GOLDENEYE on A1, and 2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS over A1. A late WILSON'S SNIPE in the Forebay by the pumphouse and a brightly patterned male BLUE-WINGED TEAL in Adobe Creek were great finds.
We pulled up in Alviso just after 3:00pm. Salt Pond A8N was very full and we added no new shorebirds there, just more BONAPARTE'S GULLS and a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE on the other side of the levee. Two BURROWING OWLS were at Arzino Ranch and an immature PEREGRINE FALCON was on a tower at the start of the EEC entrance road; two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were along the entrance road, adding to the many found earlier at the Palo Alto Baylands. Careful searching of the roosting gulls on the first two islands in pond A16 and the pond A18 levee failed to produce a Glaucous Gull, but did add two first-winter GLAUCOUS x GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL hybrids and one first-winter GLAUCOUS x HERRING GULL (NELSON'S GULL) hybrid. These birds were very white, but careful study showed problems with the bill patterns and/or excessive tan pigment in the primaries that squelched our hopes for a pure Glaucous Gull. A total of 52 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS seemed like a high count for April. Zanker Road failed to produce any Long-billed Curlews, but did add the day's first AMERICAN KESTRELS and the day's only LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.
Driving to Ed Levin Park, 2 more EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES flew by at Piedmont off Calaveras Rd. Hiking up to the sycamore grove above Sandy Wool Lake we found a male SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD, and at the sycamores we added a singing male LAZULI BUNTING, 3+ RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS, and 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, with all three species providing nice scope views. No sign of Caspian Terns at Sandy Wool Lake, and we missed this species for only the second time in 7 years of Big Days. Driving on to Calaveras Reservoir, we found an immature GOLDEN EAGLE, an adult BALD EAGLE at the south shore of the reservoir, and 5 lingering REDHEADS among the many BUFFLEHEADS and RING-NECKED DUCKS. A flock of about 60 TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS was foraging near the end of Marsh Road. The Sierra Road summit added HORNED LARKS, but no pipits or Rock Wrens.
Driving back to the Palo Alto Baylands in hopes of more shorebirds, we added WHITE-TAILED KITES at Sunnyvale Baylands Park and the Emily Renzel wetlands. The old yacht harbor was devoid of shorebirds despite the higher tide, so we headed out to the boat launch once again, enjoying hearing 5+ vocal CLAPPER RAILS as we picked through a flock of about 100 shorebirds as the light faded. A single DOWITCHER proved to be a SHORT-BILLED; it was joined by 14 more dowitchers later, but all that vocalized were also SHORT-BILLED. Two female-plumaged CANVASBACKS on the bay made for duck species number 20!
Our final tally was 164 species, only one species behind the Varied Twitchers best, 165 species in 2006 and 2008.
Mike Rogers Sunnyvale, CA
Birds seen so far
Canada Goose (√) Apr 18 2009 9:40:14 AM,
Wood Duck (√) Apr 18 2009 10:42:40 AM,
Gadwall (√) Apr 18 2009 12:12:48 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
American Wigeon (√) Apr 18 2009 1:24:32 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Mallard (h) Apr 18 2009 3:58:41 AM,
Northern Shoveler (√) Apr 18 2009 1:03:30 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353) X blue-winged teal
Northern Pintail (√) Apr 18 2009 1:27:20 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Green-winged Teal (√) Apr 18 2009 12:05:41 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Greater Scaup (√) Apr 18 2009 12:11:42 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Lesser Scaup (√) Apr 18 2009 12:07:34 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Common Goldeneye (√) Apr 18 2009 9:41:54 AM,
Hooded Merganser (√) Apr 18 2009 9:41:47 AM,
Common Merganser (√) Apr 18 2009 10:47:00 AM,
Ruddy Duck (√) Apr 18 2009 12:10:19 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Ring-necked Pheasant (√) Apr 18 2009 12:19:41 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Wild Turkey (h) Apr 18 2009 6:07:10 AM,
California Quail (√) Apr 18 2009 8:17:27 AM,
Western Grebe (√) Apr 18 2009 10:36:44 AM,
Clark's Grebe (√) Apr 18 2009 12:35:41 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
American White Pelican (√) Apr 18 2009 12:23:38 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Brandt's Cormorant (√) Apr 18 2009 12:47:24 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Double-crested Cormorant (√) Apr 18 2009 10:36:52 AM,
Great Blue Heron (√) Apr 18 2009 12:36:00 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Snowy Egret (√) Apr 18 2009 12:03:26 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Turkey Vulture (√) Apr 18 2009 8:07:29 AM,
Osprey (√) Apr 18 2009 10:19:40 AM,
Northern Harrier (√) Apr 18 2009 12:29:42 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Cooper's Hawk (√) Apr 18 2009 10:18:06 AM,
Red-shouldered Hawk (√) Apr 18 2009 9:53:10 AM,
Red-tailed Hawk (√) Apr 18 2009 9:13:51 AM,
Virginia Rail (h) Apr 18 2009 5:08:40 AM,
Sora (h) Apr 18 2009 4:15:47 AM,
American Coot (√) Apr 18 2009 12:03:19 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Black-bellied Plover (√) Apr 18 2009 12:30:13 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Semipalmated Plover (√) Apr 18 2009 12:31:47 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Killdeer (√) Apr 18 2009 9:43:59 AM,
American Avocet (√) Apr 18 2009 12:17:24 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Willet (√) Apr 18 2009 12:05:31 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Marbled Godwit (√) Apr 18 2009 12:30:58 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Black-necked Stilt (h) Apr 18 2009 3:56:11 AM,
Least Sandpiper (h) Apr 18 2009 4:10:28 AM,
Short-billed Dowitcher (√) Apr 18 2009 12:33:05 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353) Or long
Ring-billed Gull (√) Apr 18 2009 12:09:00 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
California Gull (√) Apr 18 2009 12:14:50 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Glaucous-winged Gull (√) Apr 18 2009 12:09:55 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Forster's Tern (h,√) Apr 18 2009 12:31:09 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Rock Pigeon (√) Apr 18 2009 9:20:37 AM,
Band-tailed Pigeon (h) Apr 18 2009 6:29:07 AM, Saw 6:37
Mourning Dove (h) Apr 18 2009 6:03:43 AM,
Barn Owl (h) Apr 18 2009 5:29:00 AM,
Western Screech-Owl (h) Apr 18 2009 5:14:11 AM,
Great Horned Owl (h) Apr 18 2009 5:36:53 AM,
Northern Saw-whet Owl (h,√) Apr 18 2009 5:30:47 AM,
Common Poorwill (h) Apr 18 2009 5:51:34 AM,
Anna's Hummingbird (√) Apr 18 2009 7:21:15 AM, ???
Acorn Woodpecker (h) Apr 18 2009 6:07:18 AM,
Nuttall's Woodpecker (h) Apr 18 2009 8:09:05 AM,
Hairy Woodpecker (h) Apr 18 2009 6:30:14 AM,
Northern Flicker (√) Apr 18 2009 6:40:15 AM,
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (h) Apr 18 2009 6:45:29 AM,
Black Phoebe (h) Apr 18 2009 3:56:43 AM,
Ash-throated Flycatcher (h,√) Apr 18 2009 8:35:07 AM,
Cassin's Vireo (h,√) Apr 18 2009 10:57:18 AM,
Hutton's Vireo (h) Apr 18 2009 6:28:40 AM,
Warbling Vireo (h) Apr 18 2009 8:59:55 AM,
Steller's Jay (h) Apr 18 2009 5:39:12 AM, Coyote
Western Scrub-Jay (h) Apr 18 2009 6:04:41 AM,
American Crow (√) Apr 18 2009 9:37:12 AM,
Common Raven (h) Apr 18 2009 6:29:52 AM,
Tree Swallow (√) Apr 18 2009 12:09:06 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Violet-green Swallow (√) Apr 18 2009 9:07:44 AM,
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow (h,√) Apr 18 2009 9:21:01 AM,
Cliff Swallow (√) Apr 18 2009 10:43:18 AM,
Barn Swallow (√) Apr 18 2009 10:44:30 AM,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (h) Apr 18 2009 6:54:40 AM,
Oak Titmouse (h) Apr 18 2009 6:21:28 AM,
Bushtit (h) Apr 18 2009 10:11:41 AM,
White-breasted Nuthatch (√) Apr 18 2009 9:17:24 AM,
Pygmy Nuthatch (h) Apr 18 2009 7:38:43 AM,
Brown Creeper (h) Apr 18 2009 6:48:39 AM, Seen 7:04
Bewick's Wren (h) Apr 18 2009 6:01:44 AM,
House Wren (h) Apr 18 2009 11:41:21 AM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Winter Wren (h) Apr 18 2009 6:56:44 AM,
Marsh Wren (h) Apr 18 2009 4:17:26 AM,
American Dipper (√) Apr 18 2009 11:15:17 AM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (h) Apr 18 2009 8:58:55 AM, driving down montebello
Western Bluebird (√) Apr 18 2009 8:42:41 AM,
Hermit Thrush (h) Apr 18 2009 6:00:49 AM,
American Robin (h) Apr 18 2009 6:00:26 AM,
Varied Thrush (h,√) Apr 18 2009 7:12:57 AM,
Wrentit (h) Apr 18 2009 5:59:26 AM,
Northern Mockingbird (h) Apr 18 2009 9:39:27 AM,
California Thrasher (h) Apr 18 2009 5:59:48 AM,
European Starling (√) Apr 18 2009 9:27:02 AM,
Cedar Waxwing (h,√) Apr 18 2009 11:37:43 AM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Orange-crowned Warbler (h) Apr 18 2009 7:44:05 AM,
Yellow-rumped Warbler (√) Apr 18 2009 8:18:13 AM,
Black-throated Gray Warbler (h) Apr 18 2009 6:28:57 AM,
Wilson's Warbler (h) Apr 18 2009 9:03:31 AM,
Western Tanager (h) Apr 18 2009 7:26:09 AM,
Spotted Towhee (h) Apr 18 2009 5:57:22 AM,
California Towhee (h) Apr 18 2009 6:04:35 AM,
Song Sparrow (h) Apr 18 2009 5:09:05 AM,
Lincoln's Sparrow (√) Apr 18 2009 8:10:52 AM,
White-crowned Sparrow (√) Apr 18 2009 8:13:27 AM,
Golden-crowned Sparrow (h) Apr 18 2009 8:38:09 AM,
Dark-eyed Junco (h) Apr 18 2009 6:01:56 AM,
Black-headed Grosbeak (h) Apr 18 2009 6:33:08 AM, Seen 6:37
Red-winged Blackbird (h) Apr 18 2009 4:08:05 AM,
Brewer's Blackbird (√) Apr 18 2009 9:40:38 AM,
Great-tailed Grackle (√) Apr 18 2009 1:09:54 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Brown-headed Cowbird (h) Apr 18 2009 9:14:31 AM,
Hooded Oriole (√) Apr 18 2009 12:13:43 PM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Bullock's Oriole (√) Apr 18 2009 11:27:32 AM, (+37.273371, -122.082353)
Purple Finch (h) Apr 18 2009 6:26:16 AM, Flyover
House Finch (√) Apr 18 2009 9:10:04 AM,
Lesser Goldfinch (h,√) Apr 18 2009 10:02:29 AM, Earlier
American Goldfinch (√) Apr 18 2009 9:07:55 AM,
House Sparrow (h) Apr 18 2009 9:48:15 AM,
Downy Woodpecker
Total number of species: 120