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21 Nov Yolo CVBS highlights ["Steve Hampton" ] 20 Nov Lincoln WTP - Greater White Fronted Goose ["Chad Aakre" ] 20 Nov Glaucous Gull still at Davis WTP ["Steve Hampton" ] 19 Nov Long-tailed Duck continues at O'Neill forebay. [Bob Power ] 19 Nov Swans at Irrigation District 10? [Rusty Scalf ] 18 Nov Sacramento Audubon Society - Ron LeValley ["llandry46" ] 19 Nov Ross's Goose Amador County ["Don Marsh" ] 19 Nov Short-eared Owl, Granite Bay ["Ron" ] 18 Nov Yolo Co Prairie Falcon and BB Plover ["Adamson, Roger" ] 18 Nov Supporting habitat with "hunter stamps" ["maryolo1" ] 17 Nov Re: Lesser Black-backed Gull still present at the Kent Ave. Ponds in Kings County [John and Glennah Trochet ] 17 Nov Leucistic Bewick's Wren in South Davis [Sylvia Wright ] 17 Nov Lesser Black-backed Gull still present at the Kent Ave. Ponds in Kings County ["jeff67632003" ] 16 Nov Cosumnes birds in the last 10 days [John and Glennah Trochet ] 16 Nov Lake Solano, Putah Creek ["Denise and David Hamilton" ] 16 Nov Muscovy Duck - Lincoln WTP ["Chad Aakre" ] 15 Nov Black Scoter Continues at O'Neill Forebay [Harold Reeve ] 16 Nov Gray Lodge Wildlife Area ["CaliKat" ] 16 Nov "Harlan's" Hawk in Colusa Co. + Eurasian Wigeon @ Sac NWR ["jaegermaestro" ] 15 Nov Yolo Rough-legged Hawk returns ["Adamson, Roger" ] 15 Nov O'neill Forebay Black Scoter and Long-tailed Duck ["jeff67632003" ] 13 Nov Putah Creek [Manfred Kusch ] 13 Nov Bald Eagle, Fairfield [Alan Krakauer ] 12 Nov Townsends' Solitare, Mokelumne Day Use Area, SJ. Co. ["Frances Oliver" ] 12 Nov Merced Co. - O'Neill Forebay BLACK SCOTER [Kathryn Parker ] 11 Nov Continuing Black Scoter in Merced County [Jim Lomax ] 11 Nov Stockton CBC, December 20 ["Jim Rowoth" ] 11 Nov Beal's Point, Folsom Lake ["Ron" ] 11 Nov White Pelicans in West Sacramento ["Ann" ] 11 Nov Tundra Swans and Questions ["CaliKat" ] 10 Nov Merced Birds (and W.R.Bat?) 11-07-09 [Matthew Dodder ] 11 Nov Chestnut-collared Longspurs in Colusa County ["jaegermaestro" ] 10 Nov Re: adult Glaucous Gull at Yolo Landfill ["Steve Hampton" ] 10 Nov adult Glaucous Gull at Yolo Landfill ["Steve Hampton" ] 10 Nov Re: [sjbirds] Threats to California Birds by Jordan Wellwood San Joaquin Audubon General Meeting tomorrow [] 9 Nov Lapland Longspurs in Shasta County [] 9 Nov Madera Co. [Kathryn Parker ] 9 Nov Threats to California Birds by Jordan Wellwood San Joaquin Audubon General Meeting tomorrow [Kasey Foley ] 09 Nov Putah Creek CBC on Sunday, Dec 20 ["Steve Hampton" ] 8 Nov Merced County 11/7-09 [kent Van Vuren ] 09 Nov Dipper continues at Mokelumne River Day Use Area ["Don Marsh" ] 8 Nov Herring Gull and Rough-legged Hawk in Sutter [Jennifer Rycenga ] 08 Nov Tundra Swan Movements More Frequent ["wordtiller" ] 08 Nov Tundra Swans More Abundant ["wordtiller" ] 7 Nov Sutter County: White-throated Sparrow, possible Northern Shrike [Jennifer Rycenga ] 7 Nov Cosumnes birds- 7 Nov., 7 warblers ["John and Glennah Trochet" ] 7 Nov Great-tailed Grackle Central Valley Records [] 6 Nov Sage Thrasher, SJ Co found by the Roses' and posted to County Birders 11/5/09 ["Frances Oliver" ] 6 Nov Cosumnes birds- 6 XI 09 [John and Glennah Trochet ] 06 Nov White-throated Sparrow in Bobelaine Sanctuary ["bluebirds2you" ] 06 Nov Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area-Yellow Headed Blackbirds ["Ann" ] 05 Nov Lincoln WTP - Hooded Merganser, Bonaparte's Gull ["Chad Aakre" ] 05 Nov Tuolumne County - Calif Thrasher ["whzerd1" ] 5 Nov RE: White Pelicans in W. Sacramento ["Perrone, Michael" ] 4 Nov recent Cosumnes birds ["John and Glennah Trochet" ] 4 Nov Fwd: Interest in winter observations of Swainson's Hawks and Harlan's hawks ["John and Glennah Trochet" ] 02 Nov White Pelicans in W. Sacramento ["jerredgunn" ] 3 Nov Wood Stork in Sutter ["John Sterling" ] 2 Nov Glenn & Tehama Co. ["Frances Oliver" ] 03 Nov Possible “Prairie” Merlin near Larchmont Park, Sacramento co. ["naturestoc" ] 03 Nov Raptors around the San Joaquin Valley, 1-2 Nov ["zsgavilan71" ] 1 Nov Merced County [kent Van Vuren ] 1 Nov Golden Eagles over Rancho Cordova area [Dan Kopp ] 02 Nov Hooded Mergansers in farm pond north of Davis ["bluebirds2you" ] 1 Nov White-throated Swifts [Manfred Kusch ] 1 Nov Loon & grebes at Lake Natoma ["Craig Swolgaard" ] 29 Oct possible yellow-shafted flicker, N Davis, 29 oct ["zsgavilan71" ] 28 Oct Lewis's Woodpecker Irruption ["intivar360" ] 28 Oct Pacific Golden-Plover at Woodland ["Steve Hampton" ] 28 Oct Ferruginous hawk, Lark sparrow, Robinson Rd, 26 oct ["zsgavilan71" ] 26 Oct Spectacular Lewis's Woodpecker display ["intivar360" ] 26 Oct tanager and warbler in Davis ["Perrone, Michael" ] 25 Oct Merlin in Davis, Yolo Co ["Adamson, Roger" ] 25 Oct Spectacular Lewis's Woodpecker display ["Craig Swolgaard" ] 25 Oct RE: [sjbirds] Dipper at Mokelumne River day use area ["David Yee" ] 24 Oct Dipper at Mokelumne River day use area [Liz West ] Subject: Yolo CVBS highlights From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:37:43 -0000 Highlights from today's symposium trip to Yolo Co. were a 2nd year WESTERN GULL (banded) at Wastewater Pond at Davis Wetlands (with the cormorants) and a young female GREATER SCAUP on Lake Solano. good birding, Steve Hampton Davis, CASubject: Lincoln WTP - Greater White Fronted Goose From: "Chad Aakre" <chadaakre AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:58:47 -0000 Hello all, Here are a summary of the notable sightings from the past few days spins through the Lincoln wastewater ponds, west side. Today: GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE - 1 CACKLING GOOSE - 2 WITH ABOUT 150 CANADAS LEAST SANDPIPER - 30 WESTERN SANDPIPER - 5 RING-NECKED DUCK CANVASBACK NORTHERN SHOVLER RUDDY DUCK 11/19/09 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE - 1 GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE - 3 CANVASBACK NORTHERN SHOVLER RUDDY DUCK EARED GREBE 11/18/09 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE - 1 GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE - 12 LEAST SANDPIPER - 5 AMERICAN WIGEON NOTHERN SHOVLER Heres to hoping the storm blows in an Emporer Goose! Chad Aakre Granite Bay Placer CountySubject: Glaucous Gull still at Davis WTP From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:32:56 -0000 Thursday evening at sunset I refound the adult Glaucous Gull. This time it was at the Davis Wastewater Treatment Plant, on the west side of the levee separating the middle and east ponds. An Aech. grebe was in the west pond. Far out but possibly a Clark's. 3 Hooded Mergansers and 1 Cackling Goose (among many Canadas) were at the farm pond on Rd 103. good birding, Steve Hampton Davis, CASubject: Long-tailed Duck continues at O'Neill forebay. From: Bob Power <rcpower AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:22:40 -0800 (PST) Hi all, The Long-tailed Duck was seen today from 2:00-2:30. Southeast corner of the forebay in with the huge Lesser Scaup flotilla A couple of digi-scoped images can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14935921 AT N00/ Good birding, Bob Power Oakland, CASubject: Swans at Irrigation District 10? From: Rusty Scalf <rfs_berkeley AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:55:12 -0800 (PST) Greetings,
Albany Adult School's bird ID class will be at the Gray Lodge Refuge Sunday
mid-day. We are wondering if a swing by Irrigation District 10, historically a
Swan staging area, makes sense Sunday afternoon. Are Swans there now?
Thank you.
Rusty Scalf
Berkeley, CA
Subject: Sacramento Audubon Society - Ron LeValleyFrom: "llandry46" <llandry46 AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:16:12 -0000 BIRDS OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN Please save Thursday evening (19 November) to attend the Sacramento Audubon Society's General Meeting at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park, starting at 7 p.m. Ron LeValley, founder and Senior Biologist of Mad River Biologists—known for his stunning photographs and insightful comments on birds and natural history—will share his pictures and stories of the various birds, mammals, ecology and environment of Hokkaido, Japan in the wintertime. For more information or directions, please go to the Sacramento Audubon Society's website: www.sacramentoaudubon.org.Subject: Ross's Goose Amador County From: "Don Marsh" <marsh_don AT att.net> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:57:10 -0000 This morning at 7:15 am I found an immature Ross's Goose at the Goffinet Reservoir on Sutter Creek-Ione Road. It was grazing on hillside along with flock of Canada Geese. The bird was mostly white with a dark spot above the eye and gray along the back of its neck. The rounded head and the bill looked poportionally small compared to the rest of the body. In fact, the dark bill tooked tiny when the bird was facing me. I guess it could be a possible hyrid with a Lesser Snow Goose, but due to the distance, I couldn't see if there was a grin patch (even with a 32x scope). Hopefully it will stick around for tomorrow's Western Amador field trip. Good Birding, Don Marsh Sutter Creek, Amador CountySubject: Short-eared Owl, Granite Bay From: "Ron" <rpozzi AT surewest.net> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:20:19 -0000 November 18, 2009 While birding the open grassland areas near Folsom Lake at around 5pm this evening I happened upon a very unexpected bird for the area. I was between the lake (well, what's left of it) and the Granite Bay swimming area beach when I noticed a red-tailed hawk harassing another bird while flying towards me. The red-tail backed off and the other bird approached within 50 feet of me before veering off towards the northwest. It was a SHORT-EARED OWL. I got great looks at the bird. I usually can count on seeing this species wintering near Waltz road in Placer County, but this was quite a surprise so close to home. Good Birding. Ron Pozzi Granite Bay, CASubject: Yolo Co Prairie Falcon and BB Plover From: "Adamson, Roger" <rhadamson AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:09:50 -0800 While scouting today for trips later this week I ran across a Prairie Falcon and 40 Black Bellied Plovers in the northwest quandrant at Rd 27 & Rd 103 (between Davis and Woodland). We did not see Black bellied plover at the Woodland waste water plant yesterday, so this is good to know. I have also seen three interesting hawks along Rd 103 (between Rd 27 and Rd 28H--this is the area just west of the Yolo Co Landfill). One is definitely a light morph Rough-legged hawk. A second is likely a dark morph Rough-legged--but we need better views of that one. The third is a Swainson's hawk. Roger Adamson DavisSubject: Supporting habitat with "hunter stamps" From: "maryolo1" <maryolo1 AT netscape.net> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:36:22 -0000 Some of you have started to purchase the conservation stamps that hunters are required to put on their hunting licenses. These stamps are used to fund purchase of good habitat, and enhancement of habitat values on lands already held. These stamps are used for funding of actual projects, not for office overhead or paychecks. The Federal Waterfowl Stamp is $15 and is for sale at most US Post Offices. I believe they can also be ordered on-line. Be sure you get the current one, which has a beautiful picture of a pair of Long-tailed Ducks. The stamp can be used as an entry fee at some federal areas such as Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. (They'd make a good "stocking-stuffer" for those who stuff socks for a December Holiday!) The California Duck Stamp this year shows a pair of Northern Shovelers. It costs $17.85 from various vendors, but only $17.00 from the state directly, such as at a Hunter Check Station or the Fish and Game License and Revenue office near Sacramento. The 2009-2010 California Upland Game Bird Stamp supports upland habitat, and costs $8.40 from various vendors, but only $8.00 directly from the state. We birders enjoy the benefits of the habitat projects as much as the hunters do, but we have a choice. I will be happy to do the leg-work in getting stamps for you if you e-mail me your info. I can bring the stamps to the Central Valley Birding Symposium or mail them to you and you can pay me with a check. Federal WF = $15 CA WF = $17 CA Upland = $ 8 Mary Schiedt 530-400-7094 (cell)Subject: Re: Lesser Black-backed Gull still present at the Kent Ave. Ponds in Kings County From: John and Glennah Trochet <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:57:06 -0800 Dear Birders, Should any of you find this bird freshly dead, please save it in your freezer (I hope you have understanding significant others!) with your name, date found, and location written in pencil on a piece of paper placed next to the carcass. If you have a GPS unit and can get coordinate data, so much the better. Please contact me promptly and I will arrange to pick it up from you for the UC Davis vertebrate museum. Thanks very much! Best, John Trochet Sacramento/UC Davis On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 8:20 AM, jeff67632003Subject: Leucistic Bewick's Wren in South Davis From: Sylvia Wright <swright AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:10:38 -0800 Hi, all -- Found on Sunday Nov 15 (8 am) and refound yesterday Monday Nov 16 (430 pm): a dark-gray and white, male, Bewickąs Wren in South Davis. I first saw the bird while I was walking in the old north fork of Putah Creek, just west of Mace Boulevard. I say łin˛ because the creek bed at that point is dry under oaks and cottonwoods, with brushy 8-10-foot banks alongside. The bird is mostly white below and mostly mottled dark gray above. It has dark eyes and a dark stripe through its eyes. On Sunday, it was interacting with a normal-looking wren ‹ either Bewickąs or House Wren ‹ and singing. Yesterday I returned with Susie Nishio and Bobby Walsh and we refound the bird in the same spot. I will post our video and photos later today. Interestingly, in May 2008, Bobby found a leucistic male Bewick's Wren about 1/4 mile west of Old Davis Road along Putah Creek. I will post his photo and video of that bird, too. Here are directions to the bird: Park in this cul-de-sac, easily found on maps.google.com: 1100 Cottonwood Court, 95618. Walk north on the sidewalk into the greenbelt. Pass a playground on your left. See a bench ahead and to your right that is surrounded by Mexican sage. Walk behind the bench toward the line of oak trees that mark the creekąs edge (which you canąt see from this perspective). The wren flits around in the low brush under these trees, sometimes up on the high ground, sometimes down on the creek banks, where it can be seen only if you clamber down the bank to the creek bed. If you opt to get down into the creek, I recommend you walk a short ways west to a section of bank that is not so steep. Sylvia Wright South Davis (Yolo County, Calif.) (Coincidentally, yesterday, there was a small group of people nearby, including a Davis Enterprise reporter and photographer, discussing plans for building houses on an adjacent lot and perhaps, in the process, removing some of the installed native landscaping that borders the natural creek riparian vegetation. There are foxes living in the creek banks and foraging in the lot; in our hunt for the leucistic bird, we flushed one.) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Lesser Black-backed Gull still present at the Kent Ave. Ponds in Kings County From: "jeff67632003" <jseay AT harveyecology.com> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:20:10 -0000 Rob Hansen just called to say that the Lesser Black-backed Gull was still present at the Jersey/ Kent Ave ponds west of Highway 41. The bird was in the northwest portion of the southern most of the 3 ponds. The bird is listing somewhat and appears to be in poor health, so listers might hurry! Jeff Seay FresnoSubject: Cosumnes birds in the last 10 days From: John and Glennah Trochet <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:52:54 -0800 Dear Birders, I have made several visits to the Cosumnes River Preserve in southern Sacramento County in the last 10 days. I summarize here. 7 November Desmond Road: a very dark peregrine that did not afford satisfactory study. 8 November Tall Forest and vicinity: green heron, dusky flycatcher, blue-gray gnatcatcher (2), black-throated gray warbler, Townsend's warbler (3), purple finch (6). 9 November Tall Forest and vicinity: dusky flycatcher, white-throated sparrow, yellow-headed blackbird (26 degrees at the Accidental Forest at sunrise). 10 November Tall Forest and vicinity: nothing of note; River Walk: sora (two seen), lesser yellowlegs, purple finch. 11 November Tall Forest and vicinity: dusky flycatcher, varied thrush (FOS), black-throated gray warbler, hermit warbler, western tanager, swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrow (3); peregrine falcon on the Bruceville Road tower. 13 November Tall Forest and vicinity: American bittern, intergrade yellow-shafted x red-shafted flicker (2), Say's phoebe, blue-gray gnatcatcher, black-throated gray warbler, purple finch (11, 4 on three fly-overs and a perched flock of seven); swamp sparrow was not seen, but a loud phoebe-like chip from the interior of some cattails was probably this bird (25 degrees at the Accidental Forest 40 minutes before sunrise). 14 November River Walk bird survey: blue-winged teal (3), American bittern, cattle egret, merlin, sora (2), black-bellied plover, Hutton's vireo (4, I'm sure the most ever for me on this trail), varied thrush (6), black-throated gray warbler, lark sparrow. 15 November Tall Forest bird survey: common raven, varied thrush, purple finch (21 degrees at the Accidental Forest at sunrise- I was cold!) 16 November Valensin Ranch: nothing of note, though grasslands in spots look promising for longspurs, mountain bluebirds, raptors, etc. The trend for the last 10 days in the Tall Forest is that of fewer encounters with mixed flocks, and mixed focks found having smaller numbers of birds. I fear that the succession of cold, clear nights has seen the out-migration of most of the interesting passerines that I hoped would persist through the symposium. Best, John Trochet -- John Trochet Sacramento, California trochetj AT gmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Lake Solano, Putah Creek From: "Denise and David Hamilton" <napabirders AT att.net> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:20:30 -0800 Hi all, It was a lovely day today at Lake Solano and along Putah Creek up to the dam on 128. Highlights- at Lake Solano Campground- a few Red-breasted Sapsuckers, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, one male Phainopepla, several pairs of Wood Ducks, numerous Buffleheads plus a few Common Goldeneyes and the usual suspects. At mile marker .69 (wide spot in the road overlooking the creek) was a large mixed flock- mostly Buffleheads, and several Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, and 3 male and at least one female Barrow's Goldeneyes. We dipped on the Dipper seen yesterday under the Highway 128 bridge. Best birding, Denise and David Hamilton Napa [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Muscovy Duck - Lincoln WTP From: "Chad Aakre" <chadaakre AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:41:46 -0000 Hello all, I took a lunch spin through the west ponds and had a strange looking beasty show up in the southern most one. The presumed MUSCOVY was almost all dark (with irridescent green). The exceptions to this were a prominant white wing patch, red fleshy warty splotch from base of bill to eye (lore), diffuse white markings above and below the eye extending through the head and neck, and yellow-tipped bill. The bill was mostly dark. The bill shape was small, not shoveler like. I was able to snap some photos with a regular camera through the scope and with the built in zoom, but the results are pretty poor. I can email photos to anyone if they are interested. I presume that the bird is an escapee from someones exotic bird collection or local farm or something, but figured I should post the sighting in case it is of interest to anyone. I was not able to observe the feet or legs to look for signs of captivity. The bird was preening actively and the wings did not appear to be clipped, however I did not observe the bird in flight. Crazy looking thing non-the-less. There were also 3 GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE'S at the ponds on the west side. Other birds sighted today at the ponds were: CANADA GOOSE CANVASBACK NORTHERN SHOVELER BUFFLEHEAD RUDDY DUCK RING-NECKED DUCK COMMON MERGANSER MALLARD RING-BILLED GULL CALIFORNIA GULL HERRING GULL GREATER YELLOWLEGS AMERICAN PIPIT TURKEY VULTURE AMERICAN KESTREL RED-TAILED HAWK BREWER'S BLACKBIRD GREAT EGRET SNOWY EGRET KILLDEER AMERICAN GOLDFINCH Adios, Chad Aakre Granite Bay Placer CountySubject: Black Scoter Continues at O'Neill Forebay From: Harold Reeve <birder AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:51:42 -0800 (PST) The im. male Black Scoter at O'Neill Forebay in Merced County was present Sunday Morning. I found it east of the boat ramp (currently closed) at Medeiros State Recreation Area. Today it was even closer to Hwy. 33 than where Jeff Seay and others saw it yesterday, as it was only about 75 yds. offshore where the shore runs north/south about half-way between the boat ramp and Hwy. 33. I was scoping from the farthest south campsite along this north/south-running shore and in great light and little wind. The scoter was actively diving and was often difficult to refind. Handy that it has that brighter-than-Cal-Trans orange patch on its bill. I saw the bird 4-5 times for a total of only 3-4 minutes in 1.75 hr. of scoping, the first hour spent trying (hoping) to initially find the bird. The scoter is very dark overall but not jet black. It rides lower in the water than the numerous scaup, coots, and ruddies and kept its rounded head rather low as well. It also has a bit of white in the face, particularly a small whitish spot just behind the base of the bill. The orange region on the bill is large and bright, but did not appear bulbous to me. Also in the area were a Horned Grebe and a first cycle Glaucous-winged Gull. I did not encounter the Long-tailed Duck. Note that the parking fee at the SRA is $10.00. Harold Reeve Modesto [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Gray Lodge Wildlife Area From: "CaliKat" <naturesgrl AT webtv.net> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:31:32 -0000 My 11 year old and I spent some time at Gray Lodge today. Our first stop was at a rice field off Pennington Road where there were a good many Tundra Swans. Next sighting was of just a few Sandhill Cranes to the rice fields off the left of Almond Orchard (or is it Almond Blossom) Road. Our favorite sightings at the wildlife area included many Eurasian Wigeons, some Eared Grebes, a Common Yellowthroat, a Bufflehead, a covey of California Quails, and a few Black-necked Stilts. We also had a good time watching the Bushtits. Our favorite non-bird sighting was a raccoon making his way down the slough toward parking lot 18. Good Birding, Kathryn Sanderson Olivehurst Yuba CountySubject: "Harlan's" Hawk in Colusa Co. + Eurasian Wigeon @ Sac NWR From: "jaegermaestro" <jaegermaestro AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:18:56 -0000 This morning at about 9am I had my first EURASIAN WIGEON of the season at Sacramento NWR. It was a nice male just east of the tour loop and just a bit north of the main "Stop and Stretch" area. That having been said, there were about 10 BILLION pieces of waterfowl at the refuge this morning (as is customary between November and March). I was only there for an hour and managed to find one, so I'm sure there are probably a few to be found. The geese are already spectacular out there. As I was heading for home this afternoon, a gorgeous adult HARLAN'S RED-TAIL flew low over Delevan Road just west of I-5 and landed at the top of a eucalyptus tree on private property. As it pulled up to land it flared its tail which was devoid of any red hue whatsoever (dingy white with a faded hint of a band toward the tip). Dan Williams SacramentoSubject: Yolo Rough-legged Hawk returns From: "Adamson, Roger" <rhadamson AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:55:23 -0800 Joan Humphrey and I birded a variety of Yolo Co this morning (Sun, Nov. 15) and reached just over 100 species. Best birds were a Peregrine Falcon east of Davis near the water treatment plant, a Rough-legged Hawk on Rd 103 about a half mile north of Rd 28H, a Dipper on Putah Creek and a Golden Crowned-Kinglet, the latter two seen from the Highway 128 bridge near Monticello Dam. The Rough-legged Hawk is very near Davis and is where one has been seen the last several years. Roger AdamsonSubject: O'neill Forebay Black Scoter and Long-tailed Duck From: "jeff67632003" <jseay AT harveyecology.com> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:17:19 -0000 Both the Black Scoter and Long-tailed Duck were still present at the O'neill Forebay this afternoon. They were both along the southern edge of the shore east of the Medieros area boat ramp and west of Highway 33. Thanks to the 2 birders (didn't catch their names) who pointed out the area where the scoter was. I also saw a Bald Eagle and a Glaucous-winged Gull near the dam on the San Luis Creek side. Jeff Seay FresnoSubject: Putah Creek From: Manfred Kusch <makusch AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:35:02 -0800 Bird life along the creek has been remarkably subdued for the past 2-3 weeks. A few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, an occasional Hermit Thrush, a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, now and then a House and/or Bewick's wren, small numbers of the usual sparrows, immature Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, the usual woodpeckers and nuthatches, fewer Wood Ducks than in previous years at this time. In my garden, 5-10 Anna's Hummingbirds keep fighting over the abundant flowering salvias, American Goldfinches and the common winter sparrows are mobbing the seed and thistle feeders where they are joined by Spotted and California towhees, Mourning Doves, and occasional Western Scrubjays, one of which recently fell victim to a Cooper's Hawk who carried his prey under a spirea bush where now nothing is left of the jay but a large pile of blue and gray feathers. Given the slow pace of things, I was, therefore, pleased to run today into somewhat less routine avian fare during my walk along the creek and then through the adjoining prune orchards. While I could find nothing out of the ordinary in the riparian woodland (and very few of the ordinary birds) I happened upon a small group of feeding birds in a huge heritage oak in front of one of my upstream neighbor's house. There I found 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 White-throated Sparrow posing on a fence post (FOS), 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Oak Titmouse (uncommon around here), 2 Acorn Woodpeckers, 1 Nuttall's WP, several Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 2 White-breasted Nuthatches. Returning through my neighbor's prune orchard I encountered 20-30 Lark Sparrows, in addition to White-crowned and Savannah sparrows, and 2 Loggerhead Shrikes, perhaps the same pair that nested in this orchard during the summer. Manfred Kusch Davis/Winters makusch AT ucdavis.edu 707-678-1027 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Bald Eagle, Fairfield From: Alan Krakauer <ahkrakauer AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:27:30 -0800 From the amtrak capital corridor this morning, I saw an adult bald eagle perched on a tree near Fairfield. Not sure of the best way to describe the location, but there is a large seasonal pond in some grazed open space close to where Air Base Pkwy crosses the Capital Corridor tracks. This is a bit NE of Fairfield proper as far as I can tell. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fairfield,+CA&sll=37.76108,-122.435589&sspn=0.135981,0.33474&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fairfield,+Solano,+California&ll=38.274542,-121.991565&spn=0.00844,0.020921&t=h&z=16 While it might be going to far to call this a regular perch, I've seen eagles here repeatedly over the past couple of years. Alan Krakauer, Richmond/DavisSubject: Townsends' Solitare, Mokelumne Day Use Area, SJ. Co. From: "Frances Oliver" <hummer52 AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:08:49 -0800 Today, Steve & Diane Rose went to the Mokelumne Day Use area looking for the Am. Dipper that has been there since 10/24/09. While looking for the dipper they found a TOWNSENDS' SOLITAIRE first! From Diane: My eyes were glued to the water but Steve saw another bird which turned out the be a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. I didn't see it at first and had a half hour of frantic looking. It was in the tall cottonwoods across the river from the green enclosure. We were standing slightly up river at the brown park bench on the river when we saw it. Unless my records are wrong, this may only be the 3rd county record for SJ Co. The first Townsend's Solitaire was found by David Yee at Lodi Lake on 5/17/01. The next solitaire was seen in Lockeford by Celeste Pryor during our SJ Big Year on 12/14/01 and seen by many obs. until the 31. If anyone else has other records, please let me know. Congrats to Steve & Diane Rose, who seems to be doing more county birding than I. Frances Lodi, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Merced Co. - O'Neill Forebay BLACK SCOTER From: Kathryn Parker <jandkparker AT mindspring.com> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:22:08 -0800 This morning, the BLACK SCOTER was still at the O'Neill Forebay
in Merced Co. Bill Zachman, Jeanne Ridgely, Al DeMartini, John Luther
and I all scanned and rescanned the flocks of birds. It was John with
LuLu who finally spotted our quarry on the far side of a scaup flock
off the boat ramp next to campsite #5. It was probably there in front
of us all the time, but unless you can see the bill it is not obvious.
Once we found the bird, it was difficult to keep in view if it
put its bill out of sight. It looks very much like a female scaup, and
hung out with the scaups. Once we found it, we could see that even
with its head tucked, it is a tad larger than the scaups and a bit
darker.
Kathy Parker
Los Gatos
Subject: Continuing Black Scoter in Merced CountyFrom: Jim Lomax <birds AT violet-shrike.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:02:42 -0800 Here is an excerpt from my countybirders report. I never use other forums but was advised that some of you may not get countybirders but would want to know about this bird still in the central valley. So here it is: > "I began scoping from the southeast shoreline > after entering the Medeiros area of O'Neill Forebay. This is located > just north of the junction of Hwy 152 and Hwy 33 off the west side of > Hwy 33. Specifically, I worked between picnic sites #5 near the boat > ramp and site #8 scanning thousands of ducks and coots. Most of the > ducks were both Scaup and Ruddy Ducks with a few Redheads, Ring- > necked, a Mallard, a Wigeon, several kinds of grebes, Horned, Eared, > Pied-bill, Western, and Clark's. A little after 10 AM, Kent Van Vuren > arrived and we worked in earnest for the next 4-5 hours all about the > south end of the Forebay east to west and back. During the course of > the day we saw one Red-breasted Merganser, one Common Loon, and one > Long-tailed Duck. Part of the problem were several high powered > manhood boats cruising just below the sound barrier and scattering > the birds every half hour or so. These people were allegedly fishing > and found it necessary to get back and forth about the Forebay at > warp speed. By early afternoon, we were getting tired and my left eye > was beginning to see dark duck shaped dots when I wasn't looking > through the scope. > > But Kent saved the day. Suddenly around 2:30 PM, with his binoculars, > he saw a bright orange bill and called me. I did my own imitation of > warp speed getting over to where he was, which was between picnic > area #5 and Hwy 33 and up on the bluff somewhat. There, finally, was > the beautiful male BLACK SCOTER. It was easy to see why we couldn't > find it. It appears to be a first year male with still some mottled > dark brown plumage mixed in with the black and when it turns away > from you, it is impossible to tell whether it is one of the female > scaups or another duck. You almost have to be watching it with the > scope to keep track of it. With the naked eye, it will have to be > very close to shore to see it. If you go to look, look for that > orange bill. It's like a beacon, but you must be looking at the bird > and it must be sideways to you or facing you. And you should go since > most of us will probably be dead before another one shows up in > Merced. This might be the first county record (found yesterday by Ken > Schneider). It is also an opportunity for those keeping a central > valley list. Oh, and take plenty of friends." Jim Lomax [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Stockton CBC, December 20 From: "Jim Rowoth" <rowoth AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:54:08 -0800 All, Please mark your calendars, and consider yourselves invited to participate in the Stockton CBC on Sunday, December 20. Our count has been going continuously for over 40 years, and it is centered at the intersection of I-5 and Hwy 12. The count circle includes large swaths of the San Joaquin delta, vineyards, Lodi, the NW corner of Stockton, along with numerous city & county parks. Please contact me if you'd like to sign up, or if you need additional information. Hope to see you in the field! Jim Rowoth Stockton [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Beal's Point, Folsom Lake From: "Ron" <rpozzi AT surewest.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:17:56 -0000 November 11, 2009 Greetings Birders, This morning at Folsom Lake (Beal's Point) there was a juvenile BALD EAGLE perched on some rocks along the shoreline. Hiking along the water's edge towards the Granite Bay boat launch area I observed a total of 7 BONAPARTE'S GULLS loosely associated with a 50+ mixed gull flock. The gulls were occupying two small, nearshore island areas in Placer County. Good Birding Ron Pozzi Granite Bay, CASubject: White Pelicans in West Sacramento From: "Ann" <naburris AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:18:09 -0000 This morning on my walk at least 40 White Pelicans flew directly over me. The location was the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail that runs north south beside the water retention pond on the north side of Lake Washington Blvd and Stonegate Dr. There were two pelicans in the water there but the others did not land while I was in the vicinity. I talked to another walker and she said that she had seen them around the same time yesterday. Ann Burris West SacramentoSubject: Tundra Swans and Questions From: "CaliKat" <naturesgrl AT webtv.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:51:44 -0000 The movement of Tundra Swans has become so common I likely won't report on them again. In the 15 minutes I was outside this morning between 6:45 and 7, I saw 6 flocks, all flying NW. The smallest flock had 5 and the largest had approximately 35. I have been seeing them every day but activity always increases before a rain. I wonder... do they ever fly in really large flocks like the Snow Geese or are these perhaps family units they fly in? Do we know why they so often fly not much higher than the tree line? I rarely see geese flying as low as a Tundra Swan. Also this morning there were movements of flocks of geese flying NE but too high for identification. Good Birding, Kathryn Sanderson Olivehurst Yuba CountySubject: Merced Birds (and W.R.Bat?) 11-07-09 From: Matthew Dodder <mdodder AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:09:18 -0800 All, I led my Palo Alto Adult School birding group to Merced NWR on Saturday. Highlights included hundreds of Sandhill Cranes, Greater White-fronted, Ross's and Snow Geese. We found large numbers of White- faced Ibis as well, but no unusual Raptors other than a female Merlin at the newly-named Bittern trail (strange name considering there are no cattails to provide cover for the species...). A full report can be found at: http://www.birdguy.net/reports/paas_fall09.html On a more curious note, we spotted an interesting Bat along the creek trail behind the restrooms. I know nothing about Bats, but this one was large, and remarkably bright reddish orange. My various mammal books make me think it might have been a Western Red Bat. Is this correct? Are these common?? Luckily, Sonny Mencher was able to get a photograph. If anyone can identify this beautiful little mammal, I'd be very grateful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyjeff/4091418568/in/ set-72157622647454425/ Off line responses are probably best. . . . Matthew Dodder http://www.birdguy.netSubject: Chestnut-collared Longspurs in Colusa County From: "jaegermaestro" <jaegermaestro AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:00:37 -0000 At my job site this morning at about 7:00 I flushed a small flock of nine longspurs near the edge of a vernal swale in Colusa County off of Delevan Road near the town of Maxwell. This was a relatively brief encounter as they flew off into the endless expanse of farm fields, but I could tell most of them had a good deal of white on the tail (but not nearly all white as in McCown's), and at least a couple of them had some black smudging on the belly, leading me to believe at least a good portion of the flock were CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS. Once they got up into the cloudy dawn sky it was tough to discern anything about the rest of them except that all nine birds looked exactly the same (as in none of them were pipits or larks). There were also three GOLDEN EAGLES, a FERRUGINOUS HAWK, a PRAIRIE and a PEREGRINE FALCON in this area today. Dan Williams SacramentoSubject: Re: adult Glaucous Gull at Yolo Landfill From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:32:59 -0800 I mean Rd 28H. Steve Hampton ________________ Resource Economist Office of Spill Prevention and Response California Dept of Fish and Game PO Box 944209 Sacramento, CA 94244-2090 ----------------------------------- (916) 323-4724 phone (916) 324-8829 fax >>> "Steve Hampton"Subject: adult Glaucous Gull at Yolo Landfill From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:03:54 -0800 Nov 10 A lot of gulls are in at the Yolo County Landfill, and some presumably remember the deli counter from last year. Most surprising was an adult GLAUCOUS GULL with all white primaries and still a mostly white head. From Rd 29H, the bird preferred the upper left (nw) area of the big pond, in and near the water. This is the earliest date for this species in Yolo; in fact, the first November record. Also present were about 400 Herring Gulls and a few Gl-W and Thayer's Gulls (only one juv of each, but a few adults) and one apparent juv Gl-W x Herring. It seems like most of the Thayer's, esp first year birds, have yet to arrive. Last week there was a Rock Wren at the red gate at the beginning of the Davis Wastewater Treatment Plant driveway. good birding, Steve Hampton ________________ Resource Economist Office of Spill Prevention and Response California Dept of Fish and Game PO Box 944209 Sacramento, CA 94244-2090 ----------------------------------- (916) 323-4724 phone (916) 324-8829 faxSubject: Re: [sjbirds] Threats to California Birds by Jordan Wellwood San Joaquin Audubon General Meeting tomorrow From: k1mize AT aol.com Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:59:28 -0500 Kasey and all: I won't be able to make it tonight. My Dad had a stroke last night and is in critical condition at St. Joseph's. Please keep us in your prayers. Kurt -----Original Message----- From: Kasey FoleySubject: Lapland Longspurs in Shasta County From: ERPFROMCA AT AOL.COM Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 23:47:43 EST Zach Smith and I spent the past two days re-assessing habitat along our Sacramento Valley Raptor Survey routes. Today we found at least two Lapland Longspurs along Leopard Drive in Shasta County associating loosely with Horned Larks. Yesterday we found a Red-breasted Merganser on Thermalito Afterbay just south of the Hwy 162 bridge (nr Oroville, Butte County). Also of some interest from a behavior point of view in Butte yesterday was a Short-eared Owl flying high with a small flock of blackbirds (Afton Rd about a mile west of Riceton Hwy). The blackbirds were NOT chasing the owl, the owl was not chasing the blackbirds, they were just flying around together for no discernable reason. Had our first of season Rough-legged Hawk on Leopard Drive as well. A Merlin on Millville Plains (Shasta) and another on Paskenta (Tehama). Lots of Lewis's Woodpeckers all over in appropriate habitat. Ed Pandolfino Carmichael, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Madera Co. From: Kathryn Parker <jandkparker AT mindspring.com> Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 18:36:16 -0800 This morning I did some birding in Madera Co. I first drove Rd. 208 east of Hwy 41. The promised LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS were there. Starting about 2.5 miles out on Rd. 208, I started seeing woodpeckers. Especially around 3 miles out, there were Lewis's Woodpeckers everywhere. I parked next to an oak, and have never had so numerous, or close, views of those beauties. There was also a bluebird. It flew from a fence up into an oak before I got a look at it. Since I have both for the county already, I did not try very hard to find it again. I then drove Rd 208 west of Hwy 41 about 6 times. Did not see any Sage Sparrows, but there were VESPERS SPARROWS among the many Lark and Savannah Sparrows. A MERLIN made a quick fly-through. At the Madera Water Treatment Plant, there are very few ponds with any appreciable water. One however, sported a COMMON LOON in basic plumage. It even tootled a couple of times. The only interesting duck was a small flock of Canvasbacks. There was another MERLIN standing in one of the empty ponds. Berenda Reservoir had only coots, ruddies and a few Ring-necked Ducks, but lots of water. Kathy Parker Los GatosSubject: Threats to California Birds by Jordan Wellwood San Joaquin Audubon General Meeting tomorrow From: Kasey Foley <kaseyfoley AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:15:43 -0800 (PST) Please don't miss the meeting Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 7:30 pm at 3700 Pacific Avenue, Central United Methodist Church, in Stockton. Jordan Wellwood “Threats to California Birds”  Jordanis the Central Valley/Sierra Nevada Conservation Coordinator for Audubon California. She will discuss the major threats that birds face in California and what Audubon is doing to protect the landscapes that birds will need in order to thrive in the future. She will also share opportunities for local citizens to get involved and make a real difference in their communities.  Jordanstarted with Audubon California in January of this year as Conservation Coordinator for the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. Prior to Audubon, she worked on conservation policy in Sacramento. She holds an Honors Bachelors of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo in Canada. Jordan works with local chapters on a variety of conservation projects, as well as at the state level on Audubon’s priority projects for the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. She is passionate about cycling, yoga, cooking, and conservation!  Kasey Foley, Program Chair San Joaquin Audubon Society [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Putah Creek CBC on Sunday, Dec 20 From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:52:47 -0800 You are all invited to participate in the Putah Creek CBC on Sunday, Dec 20 and to come to the compilation potluck and hear tall tales that evening at the Senior Ctr in Davis (7th and A). This count is centered near Lake Solano and includes parts of Putah Creek, Lake Berryessa, Pleasants Valley Rd, foothills, canyons, orchards, valley floor, and the whole town of Winters. There are options for hiking, biking, boating, walking, and car-ing. Part-day options are also available. Registration is informal-- simply make arrangements directly with one of our veteran Area Leaders at: http://www.yoloaudubon.org/article/98/christmas-bird-count You can also sign up at our pre-count ID Workshop (and annual raffle) at 7:30 pm on Wed, Dec 9, at the Senior Center. Contact me if you have any questions. NEW! Check out the Google Earth kmz file at the link above, allowing you to glide over the count area, see each Area up close, and see the boundaries. all for now, Steve Hampton, Compiler Steve Hampton ________________ Resource Economist Office of Spill Prevention and Response California Dept of Fish and Game PO Box 944209 Sacramento, CA 94244-2090 ----------------------------------- (916) 323-4724 phone (916) 324-8829 faxSubject: Merced County 11/7-09 From: kent Van Vuren <VanVurenK AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:37:02 -0800 From top of the hill, Prunedale
Yesterday I journeyed over to Merced county for a half day of birding.
At San Luis Res. I had a Brown Pelican, Bonaparte's Gulls and one
adult Western Gull.
At the O'neil Forebay west end I had an Osprey and a White-breasted
Nuthatch (rare for the
forebay area.
At Dinosaur Pt. rd I had a Red-breasted Sapsucker.
Like Joe Devine, I was surprised at the changes to Merced NWR,
especially near the old
Meadowlark Trail (now Bittern Trail). Very little water at the pond
and observation
deck area across from the trail.
Kent Van Vuren
Subject: Dipper continues at Mokelumne River Day Use AreaFrom: "Don Marsh" <marsh_don AT att.net> Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:03:14 -0000 This afternoon I re-found the Dipper first reported by Liz West, et al. on October 24th in Eastern San Joaquin County. It was in the exact location as described in that posting; about 1/3 mile below the dam near the green colored equipment exclosure. Also of interest were 2 Lewis Woodpeckers near the fish ladder, and 3 Fox Sparrows in the brushy areas near the westernmost parking area. Good Birding, Don Marsh Amador County, CASubject: Herring Gull and Rough-legged Hawk in Sutter From: Jennifer Rycenga <gyrrlfalcon AT earthlink.net> Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:31:20 -0800 Today we continued our fun times in Placer and Sutter counties. At Folson Lake (granite point), we were surprised at how low the lake levels were. Had all five expected grebes, plus one BONAPARTE'S GULL. Passerine activity was vigorous - nearly unending. We had great looks at a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW along the rock-lined causeway, and one ROCK WREN near the shore. In Sutter County, on Brewer Road near Wise (just over the border from Placer), there was a flooded field with one CATTLE EGRET, one ROUGH- LEGGED HAWK, and one adult HERRING GULL. At Sutter NWR, we did not refind the Wood Stork. The numbers of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and NORTHERN PINTAILS impressed us. Good smattering of other duck species, but we were surprised to find only four SNOW GEESE. In answer to the person who posted about Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes, we had plenty of SANDHILL CRANES in Sutter on Saturday. Some we could hear from Bobelaine; more were located along West Butte Road. My pictures of the Shrike we saw on Saturday are now in the Shrike album on CV Birds. Visually it is dubious; behaviorally the bird acted like a Northern Shrike. Jennifer Rycenga Half Moon Bay, CASubject: Tundra Swan Movements More Frequent From: "wordtiller" <naturesgrl AT webtv.net> Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:23:11 -0000 I am still seeing Tundra Swans flyover and they are more frequent now. There was a very small flock of 5 flying south at 6:40am yesterday morning. This morning a flock of 19 flew over at 6:45am, also flying south. There is also a lot of goose movement in very large flocks and flying very high, but I have not seen any Sandhill Cranes as yet. (If you saw the unsigned version of this post, I apologize. It got away from me.) Kathryn Sanderson Olivehurst Yuba CountySubject: Tundra Swans More Abundant From: "wordtiller" <naturesgrl AT webtv.net> Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:17:35 -0000 I am still seeing Tundra Swans flyover and they are more frequent now. There was a very small flock of 5 flying south at 6:40am yesterday morning. This morning a flock of 19 flew over at 6:45am, also flying south. There is also a lot of goose movement in very large flocks and flying very high, but I have not seen any Sandhill Cranes as yet.Subject: Sutter County: White-throated Sparrow, possible Northern Shrike From: Jennifer Rycenga <gyrrlfalcon AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 19:57:48 -0800 Peggy Macres and I spent the day in Sutter County, enjoying the beautiful day and fall colors. We started at Bobelaine, where we refound the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW around the roses near the end of the South Fork Trail. This had to be the most nervous and unobliging flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS I've ever sifted through, but eventually we both got diagnostic looks at the bird. Had over forty species at Bobelaine. The spot where the White-throated Sparrow can be found features a fallen log on the river side of the trail; I propped up a fallen twig on it, and tied a ribbon of grass around it, to mark the spot for future searchers. At the Sutter Cemetery, there was a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER among a plethora of CEDAR WAXWING and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. We then drove around the Sutter Buttes, following the pathway of Pass- West Butte-North Butte-Pennington. At the corner of West Butte and North Butte there was a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, our first-of-season. Then, at about 3.6 miles east of that corner, we watched a bird that we both felt certain was a NORTHERN SHRIKE, but since looking at our pictures, we are less certain. It perched consistently at the top of the tallest oak between a farm house and an open field. It bobbed its tail up, and in our binoculars the hook on its bill seemed very prominent. We saw the white rump, but with only the National Geo with us, we were unaware that this is not a consistent field mark. The best look I got at the bill, it appeared to be of somewhat lighter color near the base of the lower mandible. However, the amount of black on the face seemed to enclose the eye (a fact confirmed by our photos), while I never got a clear look at whether or not the black continued across the bridge of the bill. So we are officially indecisive at this point, although on the basis of behavior it was acting much more like a Northern Shrike than a Loggerhead. As I mentioned before, this farm field is on the south side of North Butte, 3.6 miles east of West Butte, and .3 west of the intersection of North Butte with Almond Orchard Road. Anyone who wants to see these pictures, just ask. At an open partially flooded field along Pennington Road, there were LEAST SANDPIPERS, one DUNLIN, and one LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER among several dozen KILLDEER. Long skeins of WHITE-FACED IBIS going to roost were a thrilling way to end the day; we heard a GREAT HORNED OWL a few moments later, when we had stopped to ID a hawk and take pictures of the Sutter Buttes at twilight. Good birding - Jennifer Rycenga Half Moon Bay, CASubject: Cosumnes birds- 7 Nov., 7 warblers From: "John and Glennah Trochet" <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 13:00:40 -0800 Dear Birders, I made my nearly habitual visit to the Tall Forest and vicinity at the Cosumnes River Preserve this morning. It was 34 degrees at the Accidental Forest before sunrise, when I found a dusky flycatcher, another late empid. Fog put a damper on things until it broke up around 08:50. I was in the right place when the sun broke through, suddenly in the company of the first and best of three good mixed flocks. This one had orange-crowned warbler, yellow warbler, Audubon's warbler, black-throated gray warbler, Townsend's warbler and hermit warbler in it, plus western tanager. Two purple finches flew over while I was working through the birds. The other flocks also had black-throated gray and Townsend's warblers in them. With myrtle warbler and common yellowthroat thrown in, it was a very decent day for parulids for Cosumnes in November. 35- 40 wild turkeys constituted the largest flock I've seen so low on the preserve. I also had a heard-only sapsucker species and a Say's phoebe. The peregrine was atop the Bruceville Road tower when I came out to the gate. Best, John Trochet Sacramento [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Great-tailed Grackle Central Valley Records From: ERPFROMCA AT AOL.COM Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 13:46:14 EST If anyone out there has observations of Great-tailed Grackles that fit the criteria listed below, please send me any info you have on dates and locations. In each case I'm looking for records from the Central Valley portions of these counties. Thanks Ed Pandolfino Carmichael, CA Tehama County Any records in winter (Dec-Feb) or any evidence of breeding Sutter County Any records in winter (Dec-Feb) or any evidence of breeding Glenn County Any evidence of breeding Madera County Any records in winter BEFORE January 2004 Fresno County Any records in winter BEFORE January 27 2002 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Sage Thrasher, SJ Co found by the Roses' and posted to County Birders 11/5/09 From: "Frances Oliver" <hummer52 AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:52:27 -0800 Hi Birders, The Sage Thrasher was at the NW corner of the Lodi WTP. At the time we saw it, the bird was sitting of the stack of tractor tires very near that corner. If you continue west on the road on the north side of the Lodi WTP, there was a Burrowing Owl. Diane and Steve Rose Grass Valley, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Cosumnes birds- 6 XI 09 From: John and Glennah Trochet <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:18:37 -0800 Dear Birders, This morning I returned to the Tall Forest and vicinity at the Cosumnes River Preserve in southern Sacramento County. The woodland block itself was very slow. But around the perimeter were a few few things of minor note: a gnacatcher, two tan striped white-throated sparrows and two purple finches. I also found a spotless towhee, well, spotless except for the tail. Unfortunately there wasn't a nice white patch in the folded primaries, either. On the north side of Desmond Road there are several shallowly flooded fields with waterbirds, mostly waterfowl. One of the adult greater white-fronted geese had a bright orange bill, as bright as the legs. The six white geese were all Ross's. The pergrine falcon was on the Bruceville Road microwave tower. Sometimes the falcon is there but well concealed on the north side. But today it was on the west side and obvious from a remote vantage point. Best, John Trochet -- John Trochet Sacramento, California trochetj AT gmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: White-throated Sparrow in Bobelaine Sanctuary From: "bluebirds2you" <sami182 AT wavecable.com> Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:23:07 -0000 This bird was first seen by me on Sunday as I was scouting for a Yolo Audubon trip. It was again seen by 4 members of the trip this past Wednesday 11/4. I believe it is a white-striped morph. http://www.sacramentoaudubon.org/bobelainesanctuary.html If you plan to try to relocate it, you will need to go toward the south edge of the sanctuary on the South Fork Trail. Once you reach the gate that marks the boundary of the property, retrace your steps. After you passing two slight bends on the meandering trail, look for a large thicket of dry wild roses on the river side of the trail. This distance is about 1 short city block from gate (my estimate of distances leave much to be desired). It was een preening about 10:30. Good Luck, let me know if you find it. Ciao, Sami LaRocca Woodland, CA 530 908-0288Subject: Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area-Yellow Headed Blackbirds From: "Ann" <naburris AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:16:23 -0000 On our noontime Discover the Flyway tour of the wetlands yesterday, with a group of 23 children from Pioneer Elementary, we found a male American Wigeon and three Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The site of discovery was the pond west of Parking Lot C. Other ducks sighted were; Mallards, Gadwall, Shoveler and Cinnamon Teal. The Wigeon was still there when we left. The blackbirds were only there for a short while. Ann Burris West SacramentoSubject: Lincoln WTP - Hooded Merganser, Bonaparte's Gull From: "Chad Aakre" <chadaakre AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:56:56 -0000 I saw some notable birds today at the Lincoln Wastewater Treatment Plant Ponds during a lunchtime survey. Most notable were a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS and a single BONAPARTE'S GULL in the west ponds. The following were also observed: CANADA GOOSE GADWALL MALLARD CINNAMON TEAL NORTHERN SHOVLER CANVASBACK RING-NECKED DUCK BUFFLEHEAD HOODED MERGANSER COMMON MERGANSER RUDDY DUCK EARED GREBE WESTERN GREBE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT GREAT BLUE HERON GREAT EGRET RED-TAILED HAWK AMERICAN KESTREL KILLDEER GREATER YELLOWLEGS BONAPARTE'S GULL CALIFORNIA GULL HERRING GULL ROCK PIGEON AMERICAN PIPIT SAVANNAH SPARROW WESTERN MEADOWLARK BREWER'S BLACKBIRD LESSER GOLDFINCH AMERICAN GOLDFINCH As long as I am posting... here are some recent sightings which I was too lazy to post about... sorry. - 11/4/09 - Napa River near St. Helena I observed a MERLIN and FOX SPARROW. - 11/1/09 - Scott Road, El Dorado County, about 2.5 miles north of Latrobe Road Intersection, near Rancho Murieta. Lots of LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS in the Blue Oak Savanna in the area. Chad Aakre Granite Bay Placer CountySubject: Tuolumne County - Calif Thrasher From: "whzerd1" <dummy1 AT hughes.net> Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:26:10 -0000 While scouting Sector 8 of the Groveland CBC circle (December 17th CBC date) with Sal Salerno, we found a California Thrasher in the open area in Big Oak Flat along Hiway 120. The spot is commonly referred to as the "scar" as it was originally supposed to be a commercial development. Only an abandoned gas station structure exists now. If you park on the South side of 120 there is a short stub of a road into the area. Facing South the bird was on the west side of the area where all the scrub and manzanita bushes are almost to the tall pines bordering the west side. This is well to the right of the gas station. Sal whistled, and I played an iPod after we saw a larger than towhee brown bird skulking through the base of the bushes. It popped up soon after and scolded us thoroughly. Jeanne Ridgley went there soon after and could not relocate it. I feel confident it will remain in the area for awhile - there was wrentit activity in the same area. Bill Zachman Groveland, CA Tuolumne CountySubject: RE: White Pelicans in W. Sacramento From: "Perrone, Michael" <mperrone AT water.ca.gov> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 08:28:09 -0800 I work near the waterway in question and can tell you that white pelicans are regular foragers in the waterway. Their numbers peaked in mid-summer at 140 and have recently fallen to only one or two, presumably because the water is now too shallow for them to swim in. The cormorants and p-b grebes have moved away, too. Instead, in the last couple of weeks dowitchers and greater yellowlegs have invaded, with 300 l-b dowitchers yesterday and up to 30 yellowlegs recently. Judging from the water line on the legs of the waders, nearly all of the water is only one or two inches deep and much of the (former) water is now mud. A few pelicans and grebes still use the pond just west of Enterprise Blvd, next to the fast-food franchises. It's a lovely spot. For you Yolo County big-day birders, the waterway always has moorhens. Michael Perrone Department of Water Resources Division of Environmental Services 3500 Industrial Blvd. West Sacramento CA 95691 (916) 376-9788 mperrone AT water.ca.gov From: central_valley_birds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:central_valley_birds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of jerredgunn Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 10:06 AM To: central_valley_birds AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [CVBirds] White Pelicans in W. Sacramento Yesterday I saw 4 White Pelicans circling on the W. Sac side of the causeway. There is a waterway that parallels Industrial Blvd in W. Sac, and I found 3 of the pelicans standing on a sandbar behind 3650 Industrial. I used to work in W. Sac and have seen White Pelicans circling around this area before, but it's been a couple of years. Jerred Gunn Sacramento [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: recent Cosumnes birds From: "John and Glennah Trochet" <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 08:02:12 -0800 Dear Birders, I have visited the Tall Forest and vicinty at the Cosumnes River Preserve a few times in the last week, with some modestly interesting finds. 29 October- "whitting" Empidonax, red-breasted nuthatch, blue-gray gnatcatcher, black-throated gray warbler, Townsend's warbler (3), western tanager, slate-colored fox sparrow, purple finch. I tried to refind the black-backed lesser goldfinch with a stop at Valensin Ranch on the way home, but I did not succeed. At Valensin a pair of common ravens flew over, each carrying a walnut. 31 October- I found presumably the same whitting empid; it was a late willow flycatcher. Other birds included gnatcatcher, black-throated gray warbler (2), Townsend's warbler (5), Wilson's warbler (1, possibly 2), western tanager and purple finch. Three of the many orange-crowned warblers appeared to be the very drab nominate race. 1 November- peregrine falcon, Eurasian collared-dove (2), black-throated gray warbler, Townsend's warbler, hermit warbler, tricolored blackbird, yellow-headed blackbird (12), great-tailed grackle, purple finch. 3 November- yellow-shafted flicker, black-throated gray warbler, Townsend's warbler (5), hermit warbler, slate-colored fox sparrow (2). The flicker had a gray crown and nape, brown face and red band at the nape, plus intensely yellow flight feathers. There was no moustachial mark. The red at the back of the head seemed a bit skimpy, but otherwise the bird appeared to be a typical yellow-shafted bird rather than an intergrade. I haven't had a varied thrush yet this season, and the only winter wrens went through in early October- none since. Best, John Trochet Sacramento [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Fwd: Interest in winter observations of Swainson's Hawks and Harlan's hawks From: "John and Glennah Trochet" <trochetj AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 07:31:34 -0800 Dear Birders, The following message was on Cal Birding List. I forward it to CVBirds on behalf of Mr. Sullivan. Best, John Trochet Sacramento Birders I'm interested in photographing adult Swainson's Hawks this winter for a study I'm working on regarding molt. If anyone finds any Swainson's spending the winter in the Central Valley please let me know, as I'd like to make an attempt to relocate them for photos. I'm also interested in any observations of Red-tailed Hawks that you think might be Harlan's, regardless of where they are in the state. Please feel free to forward this on to more regional lists! Thanks for the help Brian -- =========== Brian L. Sullivan Pacific Grove, CA eBird/AKN Project Leader www.ebird.org www.avianknowledge.net Photographic Editor, Birds of North America Online http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 Photographic Editor, North American Birds American Birding Association www.americanbirding.org bls42 AT cornell.edu 609-694-3280 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: White Pelicans in W. Sacramento From: "jerredgunn" <jerredgunn AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:05:51 -0000 Yesterday I saw 4 White Pelicans circling on the W. Sac side of the causeway. There is a waterway that parallels Industrial Blvd in W. Sac, and I found 3 of the pelicans standing on a sandbar behind 3650 Industrial. I used to work in W. Sac and have seen White Pelicans circling around this area before, but it's been a couple of years. Jerred Gunn SacramentoSubject: Wood Stork in Sutter From: "John Sterling" <jsterling AT wavecable.com> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:19:42 -0800 Jeff McCreary reported to Chet Ogan that he saw a juvenile Wood Stork soaring over the check station area at Sutter National Wildlife Refuge. It headed nw toward the bypass area of the refuge. This was on Sunday. Bird may still be around!! John Sterling VVVVVVVVVV 26 Palm Ave Woodland, CA 95695 cell 530 908-3836 jsterling AT wavecable.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Glenn & Tehama Co. From: "Frances Oliver" <hummer52 AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:07:00 -0800 This past weekend, Jim Rowoth, Liz West & I headed up to Trinity Co. On the way we birded the area around Black Butte Lake. After reading the report by Lowell and all the Lewis' he saw, we thought we'd check out the area. We turned off Newville Rd (Rd 200) onto Rd 206 and drove toward Orland Butte CG. The LEWIS' WOODPECKERS were numerous in the area along the creek bed on the S side of the road. We eventually counted about 30, thought I'm not sure how accurate this count was. At one time we even had 5 Lewis' standing on a rock! Too bad my camera wasn't handy it would have made a great photo. 2 ROCK WREN'S eventually competed for our attention. Beyond the turnoff, the Lewis' began to drop off in numbers. Lots of the usual Oak woodland species were flitting around the trees. At the overlook (S side of Black Butte Lake) we saw about 50 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, pelicans, the usual grebes, and 6 DUNLIN with a huge number of LEAST SANDPIPERS. Back at the corner of 206 & 200A, we went SW on 200A. Eventually we found a VESPER'S SPARROW on the fenceline. We continued our drive back along to the Tehama side of Black Butte Lake. Here we found a few more LEWIS' around the BB Lake office. Not much was found at the overlook. At the ponds at the base of the Lake, we found a few COMMON SNIPE, more DUNLIN, and a few GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Good Birding! Frances Lodi, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Possible “Prairie” Merlin near Larchmont Park, Sacramento co. From: "naturestoc" <Naturestoc AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:17:00 -0000 Hi All. Today I photographed a Merlin near Larchmont Park that may be a "richardsonii" subspecies (Prairie Merlin). The bird flew over me, I cranked off a few shots, it flew on into the nearby neighborhood and I was not able to relocate it! Below are a couple of links to the photos. What do you all think? http://naturestoc.smugmug.com/Nature/Raptors/DLB9553/701608474_2XSj6-XL.jpg http://naturestoc.smugmug.com/Nature/Raptors/DLB9554/701608305_Smoex-XL.jpg Dan Brown, Sacramento, www.naturestoc.smugmug.comSubject: Raptors around the San Joaquin Valley, 1-2 Nov From: "zsgavilan71" <zsgavilan AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:29:48 -0000 Over the past two days, Ed Pandolfino and I did some habitat ground-truthing on our raptor survey routes in the San Joaquin Valley. We didn't really see anything crazy good, but had some noteworthy sightings. We had Ferruginous hawks in Stanislaus (1 SE of Oakdale), San Joaquin (1 at Flood/Waverley), Merced (1 east of Le Grand) and Kings County (3 in the York/Pyramid Hills roads area). A juv. Red-shouldered hawk in the middle of a cotton field in Kings Co. Two Golden eagles (Kings Co and Flood/Waverly). Two Prairie falcons (Flood/Waverly). One Peregrine (Kings Co, near the Gyrfalcon spot). Also had quite a few Vesper sparrows in Mariposa Co. (West Westfall Rd, White Rock Rd). The Kent-Jersey Pond between Fresno and Kettleman City had three Willets, two Wilson's and one Red-necked phalarope, a few Snowy plovers, a Lesser yellowlegs, 4 Horned grebes along with many Dunlin, LB dowitchers, Gr. yellowlegs, Least sandpipers, avocet, stilts, some eared grebes and wf ibis. a few Gadwall, L. Scaup and Canvasbacks were there as well. Zach Smith Davis, Ca.Subject: Merced County From: kent Van Vuren <VanVurenK AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 22:02:15 -0800 From top of the hill, Prunedale Yesterday (Oct. 31) I birded the western part of Merced County. At Dinosaur Pt. Road I had an adult male Phainopepla (rare in this area). At the east end of the O'neil Forebay I had a pair of Cinnamon Teal (rare for the forebay), 6 Orange-crowned Warblers, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon. At the Gustine Sewage Ponds I came upon one Pacific Golden Plover, 12,000 Northern Shovelers (in the big holding ponds), 600 Bonaparte's Gulls and 10 plus Whimbrels out in the airport fields. Along Gun Club rd., lots of shorebirds and ducks including one Lesser Yellowlegs. Kent Van VurenSubject: Golden Eagles over Rancho Cordova area From: Dan Kopp <rey_ality AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:19:28 -0800 I observed two Golden eagles this afternoon around 2:30, for several minutes, soaring above Mather Field. I was standing on N Mather Drive and Bear Hollow Drive and they were to the south of that area. There is a nice marsh/wetland area there along N Mather Drive that I was going to check out when I saw the eagles circling above. I remeber someone reporting a Golden Eagle in this general area within the last year. There were lots of raptors in this general area, including four kites seen at once and one harrier working the marsh. There is a paved trail that goes to the south side of the marsh area and that area is also accessible by Mather Field Rd. Probably a good spot for Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous and Rough-legged hawk and maybe even Short-eared Owl. I didn't fully explore it as I was with relatives who were ready to wrap it up; good little marsh area though. Dan Kopp Sacramento _________________________________________________________________ Windows 7: It works the way you want. http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/windows-7/default.aspx?ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen2:112009 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Hooded Mergansers in farm pond north of Davis From: "bluebirds2you" <sami182 AT wavecable.com> Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:12:22 -0000 I stopped by the pond on CR 103 just north of CR 28H yesterday and saw four females and one male Hodded Mergansers, FOS. Sami LaRocca Woodland,CASubject: White-throated Swifts From: Manfred Kusch <makusch AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:20:05 -0800 I don't know whether this is noteworthy, but traveling yesterday east of Marysville I observed about 10 White-throated Swifts feeding above and downstream from the HW 20 bridge crossing the Yuba River. Manfred Kusch Davis/Winters makusch AT ucdavis.edu 707-678-1027 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Loon & grebes at Lake Natoma From: "Craig Swolgaard" <cswol AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:52:40 -0800 Birders- While taking a bike ride along the east side of the lake I saw my first loon for the "winter." Also four horned grebes. I saw a couple grebes in the distance (toward Negro Bar) that might have been eared grebes as well. There are a few hundred gulls congregated together near the little island just down from the bluffs, but nothing really stood out. Also, a quick look at a merlin passing overhead close to Willow Creek / bike trail. I checked the loon out from across the lake (~175 yards) with my binoculars and assume it is a common loon. Anyone with a spotting scope who wants a good at it should view it from the east side of the lake this afternoon, as it remained on the other side, just down from the island and close to a large mound of dredge tailings. The best access is Parkshore Drive (off Folsom Blvd., turn at the Lake Forest Cafe). The access parking is closed but street parking is good and its a short walk to the bike trail using an asphalt trail. Turn left at the bike trail and look for a big mound of rocks on the other side of the lake. Good birding, Craig Swolgaard Folsom, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: possible yellow-shafted flicker, N Davis, 29 oct From: "zsgavilan71" <zsgavilan AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:59:15 -0000 Birded a bit around Davis this morning. Not much in the way of uncommon birds but lots of activity. A female hooded merganser was at the North Pond as well as a few purple finches, a myrtle's yellow-rumped warbler, a house wren and wilson's snipe. While talking to friends near the footbridge east of Northfield Ct. I caught a glimpse of a passing flicker that I was 90% sure was a yellow-shafted. The sun made the underwings look washed out, but the impression was yellow, not orange. I could not re-find the bird after my friends left. zach smith davis, ca.Subject: Lewis's Woodpecker Irruption From: "intivar360" <intivar360 AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:41:46 -0000 Several Audubon CA staff just completed our first annual Bobcat Ranch Lewis's Woodpecker survey with 206 total birds despite the windy conditions! Vance Russell Audubon CA Landowner Stewardship Program WintersSubject: Pacific Golden-Plover at Woodland From: "Steve Hampton" <shampton AT ospr.dfg.ca.gov> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:20:25 -0000 For the record, Jonathon Widdicombe reports a Pacific Golden-Plover at the Woodland Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oct 26. Steve Hampton Davis, CASubject: Ferruginous hawk, Lark sparrow, Robinson Rd, 26 oct From: "zsgavilan71" <zsgavilan AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:05:58 -0000 Yesterday, while looking (in vain) for the Mountain plovers at Robinson/Flannery, I picked up my first likely-to-stay-put-for-the-winter Ferruginous hawk of the season near the osage orange trees on Robinson. A lone Lark sparrow was also along the road in the same vicinity. Zach Smith Davis, Ca.Subject: Spectacular Lewis's Woodpecker display From: "intivar360" <intivar360 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:56:25 -0000 Very cool you saw so many Craig. There seems to be many around this year. I had almost 60 counted in one day on a limited portion of Audubon Bobcat Ranch last week. We're hoping to do a survey later this week to get a more accurate picture of how many are here. Vance Russell Audubon CA WintersSubject: tanager and warbler in Davis From: "Perrone, Michael" <mperrone AT water.ca.gov> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:21:26 -0700 On Oct 24 a western tanager was just east of Slide Hill Park in Davis and the next evening a black-throated gray warbler was at the west edge of the cemetery near Pole Line Road. Michael Perrone Department of Water Resources 3500 Industrial Blvd. West Sacramento CA 95691 (916) 376-9788 mperrone AT water.ca.gov [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Merlin in Davis, Yolo Co From: "Adamson, Roger" <rhadamson AT ucdavis.edu> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:51:41 -0700 Yesterday, Oct 24, I ran into Peter Armstrong in north Davis who reported seeing a Merlin in the area where we have had them for several years (perhaps Peter will give separate report). Today I saw one fly by my home on Catalina, not far from Peter's home, and followed as it flew east. I found an adult male Columbarius perched in a low tree on the green-belt at the east end of Balboa, north Davis, at about 6:30 pm, today, Oct 25th. Let's hope they are here to stay for the season. Roger Adamson DavisSubject: Spectacular Lewis's Woodpecker display From: "Craig Swolgaard" <cswol AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:16:36 -0700 Birders- My wife & I were treated to a spectacle today. While taking a drive in SE Sacramento County we saw what amounted to a huge cloud of well over 100 Lewis's Woodpeckers over oak woodland. They were off the paved portion of Michigan Bar Road south of Cosumnes River. The woodpeckers were scattered over a huge area to the north of the road. We had noticed a few Lewis's Woodpeckers flying around close to the road, but once I aimed my binoculars further out I could see dozens and dozens of them at heights from just above the trees to perhaps 1000 feet up. Awesome!! I think I remember another post last year describing a similar scene. We drove Meiss Road and Latrobe Road as well and saw nothing else of note, save a couple ravens off Meiss. Lots of grassland birds out right now- we saw no wintering hawks yet. Good birding, Craig Swolgaard Folsom, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: RE: [sjbirds] Dipper at Mokelumne River day use area From: "David Yee" <davidyee AT lycnet.com> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:35:59 -0700 This morning the Am. Dipper was at the same spot described by Liz. John Luther and Jim Lomax had already seen the bird and quickly pointed it out to me. It fed actively in this area for well over an hour. This area is very easy to find as described. Over the past 30 years several dippers have been reported in SJ from this area as well as along the Calaveras R., but this is the first time within this time that one has been refound after the initial sighting. Best, David Yee -----Original Message----- From: sjbirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:sjbirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Liz West Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 1:18 PM To: SJBirds; Central Valley Birds; County Birders Subject: [sjbirds] Dipper at Mokelumne River day use area SJ county birders, Lynette Buckman, Joanne Katanic and I found a dipper in the Mokelumne river just opposite the green fenced in area. It was in the shallow area on the south side of the river, it also flew up river out of sight. It was still present at 12:20 PM. The Mokelumne River can be reached from Hwy 12. Turn on McIntire Road there will be a sign for the fish hatchery follow the road to the end and turn right. Turn left at the old entrance station park at the third parking lot. Liz West Galt, CA ------------------------------------ To Post a message, send it to: sjbirds AT yahoogroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: sjbirds-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.comYahoo! Groups LinksSubject: Dipper at Mokelumne River day use area From: Liz West <elizwest AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:17:50 -0700 SJ county birders, Lynette Buckman, Joanne Katanic and I found a dipper in the Mokelumne river just opposite the green fenced in area. It was in the shallow area on the south side of the river, it also flew up river out of sight. It was still present at 12:20 PM. The Mokelumne River can be reached from Hwy 12. Turn on McIntire Road there will be a sign for the fish hatchery follow the road to the end and turn right. Turn left at the old entrance station park at the third parking lot. Liz West Galt, CA |