Hi,
Rosita Harvey asked me to post on her sighting of a Phainopepla at the top of Castle Rock. (37.8794185, -121.9729849).
Steve Buffi
I went and saw the Snow Bunting yesterday. I located the bird not long after I arrived by following the direction of someone's camera. Unfortunately, the person who was photographing the bird at the time approached too closely and the bird flushed. It took a while before I was able to relocate it. After that I was able to follow the bird around for over an hour, always asking other observers to not approach too close. People PLEASE admire the bird from a distance! And PLEASE ask others to do the same if you go and see someone trying to walk up on the bird, a "better photo" is not THAT important!
Also, PLEASE try to be mindful of the Burrowing Owls. I was walking along the south side of the southern ditch and didn't see a BUOW at the entrance to a burrow until it flew, almost at my feet. While you're wandering around Mt Trashmore please try to avoid large mounds of bare earth, as they mark the entrances to potential owl burrows.
Thanks.
--
Happy birding, and, as always, may the light be with you,
Ralph Baker, Riverbank, CA
Great sequence Clyde.
On Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 05:23:28 PM PST, Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis@...> wrote:
Great Blue Heron captures a Yellowfin Goby
On Wednesday afternoon at 1:07 pm with the tide ebbing (2.2ft) in Meeker Slough, I was able to photograph a Great Blue Heron pull a fish out of the mud and swallow it whole. I have seen this happen a couple of times, but this was the first time I could capture the action, shooting 20 frames per second with my Nikon Z9. It was also the first time that I could get such a clear shot shot of the fish that iNaturalist could instantly identify the as a Yellowfin Goby. Yellowfin Gobies are native to Southeast Asia and were first found in California in 1963. As an invasive species it is a good thing this Great Blue Heron has them on the menu.
An album of seven photos showing 2 seconds of action: stalking, capture, extraction, shaking, dropping head first, and down the hatch is on Flickr at
Claude Lyneis
cmlyneis@...
Great Blue Heron captures a Yellowfin Goby
On Wednesday afternoon at 1:07 pm with the tide ebbing (2.2ft) in Meeker Slough, I was able to photograph a Great Blue Heron pull a fish out of the mud and swallow it whole. I have seen this happen a couple of times, but this was the first time I could capture the action, shooting 20 frames per second with my Nikon Z9. It was also the first time that I could get such a clear shot shot of the fish that iNaturalist could instantly identify the as a Yellowfin Goby. Yellowfin Gobies are native to Southeast Asia and were first found in California in 1963. As an invasive species it is a good thing this Great Blue Heron has them on the menu.
An album of seven photos showing 2 seconds of action: stalking, capture, extraction, shaking, dropping head first, and down the hatch is on Flickr at
Claude Lyneis
cmlyneis@...
🤦🏼♂️
Snow bunting (flushed twice by separate photographers)
W. meadowlarks
Hermit thrush up around the bunting area
Lots of savannah sparrows
White crowned sparrows
Say’s & black phoebes
Scores of Bonaparte’s gulls
Cinnamon teal pair
N. shovelers (hundreds?)
American wigeons
Coots
Black oystercatchers
Least sandpipers
Lots of marbled godwits
Bufflehead
Ruddy ducks
Harriers
Kites
Red tails
and more!
There was a small camp chair left up in snow bunting territory by the fabric ditch. I took it with me
Give a holler if it’s yours.
Lewis
Thank you.
Message from the Moderator:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have received some comments and one complaint about birders and bird photographers chasing the Snow Bunting around at Mt. Trashmore. This is a friendly reminder from your moderator for everyone to cut out the bad behavior.
Vagrant birds need a certain amount of space to do their routine and find their preferred spots as they try to navigate an unfamiliar environment. While chasing and harassing “rarities” is never a good idea - it’s actually a supremely bad idea when the bird in question is stationary and possibly setting up to overwinter and unlikely to just to fly off at any moment.
This Snow Bunting in particular has (or had) no fear of humans. The best strategy for getting a “great shot” is to observe its habits and let it get comfortable, while you lie in wait (preferably behind a blind). Those great shots that you’ve seen from the first couple of days were people who lay in wait patiently and let the bird walk up toward them. Chasing it around Mt Trashmore is counterproductive. Worse, this little white blob might get picked off by a hawk or a Burrowing Owl at any time. Please don’t be that guy.
I know a lot of photographers are not members of EBB-Sightings. But please, lets as a community, always put the welfare of the bird first. Especially the Snow Bunting, which with a lot of luck, may try to spend the winter here.
Thanks,
Aaron Maizlish
EBB-Sightings Moderator
I finally made it down to Hayward Regional Shoreline to see the Snow Bunting today. It was at Mt. Trashmore where it was associating with meadowlarks on the top of the plateau. My impression from the earlier reports was that it was very cooperative. That wasn't entirely my experience. Its meadowlark companions flushed at every flyover kite or harrier and as a result the snow bunting hopscotched over pretty much the entire top of the plateau while I was there. I never got closer than 100 feet. Still, this was the first one I'd seen in 25 years!
Good birding,
Alan Krakauer
Richmond CA
Alan Krakauer Photography
I went chasing the reported Black-and-white Warbler at Lower Codornices Creek early this afternoon. Just west of the 5th Street footbridge I found what I thought was a likely suspect foraging on the ground in a mixed flock with other warblers and crown sparrows, just as had been described. My photos though clearly show a Black-throated Gray, a nice bird to be sure this time of year, but no eastern rarity. Some excellent birders have reported a Black-and-white at this spot, so both species may be around. If so, what a harmonic convergence! Here's my checklist with photos of the BTGW:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S203629512
Hello birders!
If you're like me, you put off tasks until they have to be done. Well, now the time has come when you have to sign up for the Oakland CBC. Registration closes this Sunday 1-Dec.
Please register by 1-Dec. While there are always extenuating circumstances, we know you want to avoid imposing on your volunteer CBC coordinators with a late, manual, time-consuming sign-up.
Thanks!
Dawn Lemoine
Viviana Wolinksy
Hi all,
The 2024-2025 Sherman Island Christmas Bird Count will take place this year on Saturday, January 4th, 2025. The count covers regions around Rio Vista, the Montezuma Hills Wind Farm, Robinson and Flannery Roads, and multiple delta islands (including Sherman, Ryer, Twitchell, Bradford, Bethel, and Jersey). All ages and skill levels are welcome.
If you are interested in participating in the count please contact me at
shermanislandcbc@...Happy CBC season,
Logan Kahle
Lee,
Other friends have seen it near the burrow. But, I expect it may need to hunt in a wider area. Besides, I am sure that it hasn't read the information about its refuge, unfortunately. Very nice photo!
Erica
Hi:
This morning I spotted a ruby crowned kinglet on the ground along the iron Horse Trail behind the Alamo Safeway.
It's time to flush out more participants for the Richmond CBC! Our first three years, we've seen great success with this count circle (see last year's
trip report), so we encourage you to register and represent the 4th Annual Richmond CBC.
And this year it's on Sunday, December 29th, and what's better than spending the end of 2024 participating in the nation's longest running community science bird project?? (Nothing, the answer is nothing)
Check out the count circle
here! You can request an assignment in one of our 18 count areas and we'll do our best to be accommodating.
Here are the links:
Feeder Watcher (bird from the comfort of your own neighborhood if you live in the circle)
Count Dinner If you have any questions or are having trouble registering, please feel free to contact Derek or BreeAnn for help.
Let's have another fantastic Richmond CBC, and register today before we break out the mob tape!
BreeAnn and Derek
Richmond CBC Co-Compilers
I was surprised to see a Burrowing Owl this morning in Cesar Chavez Park at the diagonally opposite side of the park from its enclosure. It was on the west side, only about 30 feet above the main trail in an area with unleased dogs not very far from it (fortunately, they did not seem to notice it). GPS location was 37°52'19.13" N 122°19'21.23" W. It seemed perfectly healthy. I do not know if it is thinking of residing in this section, or just looking around. Perhaps this is not an unusual sighting for this owl, but I am posting in case it is relevant to the ongoing discussion about adequate protections for this species at the park.
Good birding,
Lee Friedman
Snow bunting still there feeding Monday noonish in same location—south culvert at Mt Trashmore.
Kevin Owen
Oakland
Feeding along west end of south culvert.
Lots of folks out here but no longspurs YET
DM
SF
Sent from my mobile - please excuse nonstandard typography.
Is this sighting one that ought to be submitted to the California Birds Records Committee?
I did not know quite how rare the sighting was at the time (and in fact was under the impression that it was a LALO in different plumage) so apologize for not getting the word out earlier.
regards, Erica