My 2&#A2;:
I vote for deleting the post. I think the DFG staff has a list for mass-emailing; it just cuts out the op for comments, & it obviously isn't being used for that!
~Caroline

On Aug 19, 2008, at 12:46 AM, QT - Kim Fryer wrote:

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hi Folks,
We have been getting annoying SPAM postings on the board lately and I think perhaps it's time we retire the whole thing.
Seeing the last legitimate post was June of last year, it seems the board has served its purpose.
We have two options:
Disable further posts but leave the board up for those who like to remenisce or
Remove the entire board.
If you don't have my e-mail address, please respond here. I don't want to get SPAMMED by someone discovering my e-mail address in the message board.
If I don't hear from anyone by the end of the week, I will delete the board.
Thanks to all who contributed!

Our Red-tail triplets (Euc nest on western rookery border discovered by Lesley) are fledging asynchronously as expected: Alpha on
approx. Friday the 15th, Beta on Sunday the 17th, with only Zeta remaining as of yesterday. Tony (the dark morph Dad) and Carmella were both in attendance on Sunday. Many thanks to all our diligent reporters: Shirley, Caroline, Linda, Pat S., Tricia. Cheers, Jeana

jeanna: I have updated my owl box info ( as that is all I have) in the binder...

is the owl trip going?

shirley

Shirley, I found that if you walked down the road ( toward Watsonville) to the next driveway across the road from Beckys gate (not the driveway directly across ) and looked up to the tangle of branches stretching over the road, you can see it. Sometimes.
Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com
>From: QT - shirley Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey To: QT topic
>subscribers Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board Date: 16 May 2007
>19:55:24 -0700
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

If you stand at green gate, and face left (toward town) on the road, the RS nest is about 50 - 75 feet west in a euc crotch hanging over the road. It's hard to see! Jeana

today I watched the ( dad) red morph r-t hawk fly to the nest and leave food for the young. The female landed about 4 trees away and was later seen on a snag looking for more food.

How far away from the green gate is the r-s hawk nest? I have seen them in the area but did not see them today....

We have finally located the Red-shouldered Hawk nest up by Becky's gate. Check with Linda or Jeana for exact location - it's very hard to see. This will become Raptor Nest # 33. We observed both RS
adults in feeding mode on Mother's Day! Sadly, we believe that the Pine family nest of RTs has been taken over by a Great Egret, twice observed on nest this Sunday. However, the Euc RT family was observed by many of us from the Rookery berm, also in chick-feeding mode. Jeana

Will check the nests again next Monday May 8th...saw only adults this week. Thanks, Shirley. I'm so grateful for all these sharp eyes! Jeana

Today while doing other things I saw one of the red-tailed hawks go to the nest we see from the 'boardwalk' and feed what I think are 2 chicks.......not sure

the w/t kites below the barn were there today and eventually I saw 4 fly around that area.....too far away to see if the

We have numbered the "new" nests, both of which were occupied by different females on March 24th. The one visible from the North Marsh Trail (and from rookery boardwalk) is 31, the one near granary and visible from CCC driveway is 32. Jeana

while giving a tour today we saw the red tail hawk take nesting material to her nest by the granary--also saw the red tail go out of the nest at the rookery board walk.....not sure what numbers you have assigned

Those sneaky RT's. We still are figuring out which nest they are actually using, but suspect the "new one" (named "Lesley's" as she discovered it) visible from North Marsh service road behind
rookery. Thanks, Jeana

Jeana: I forgot to forward my findings...on Saturday when giving a tour I was showing the people the hawk nest near the rookery; then I showed them the GBH's that were in the pines. Suddenly all 6 herons took off. Then we watched the red-tailed hawk land in one of the nests !!!!!! I was horrified that it was going to eat an egg or something; after about 30 seconds it took off with nesting material it stole from the GBN nest !!!
Both barns have owlets ( two in each that I can see) cannot see in my other box due to angle, but Tricia hears the owls in the woodlot in the evening before she leaves.
I am recording my raptor info in the log book as I keep forgetting to e-mail to you when I get home.
shirley

Jeanna: box #1 probably has an owl, however not able to confirm due to position of box
             box #5 in small barn has barn owl mom either sitting on eggs or brooding very young owls
             box #7 mom and two young in box ( barn owls)
             box #8 was probably the mom or dad just roosting and not being used for young

While doing our first raptor survey of the year, Caroline and I
discovered an entire family of Red-legged Frogs in the guzzler on the access road below Elkhorn Road and behind the Rookery (close to nestbox # 19: BOwl). We counted a large Mama frog and seven
youngsters. Their golden "brows" were quite prominent in the morning sun. What a treat! Jeana

We are officially numbering the new RT nest that Shirley, Deirdre, Caroline and others have found #31. In pine by Service road near the old lodge. Congratulations all you sleuths! Jeana

Jeana: on Sat Deirdre & Bill saw the red-tailed hawks in the pine as you come down the service road by the old hunting lodge...yesterday we saw the male (?) standing guard in a pine about 30' from the one with the nest. So I think your team has a hit

I have had a suspicion so I checked my owl boxes today-----yep I have an adult in box 7 the first. box in the large barn. The season has begun

i will not list the species seen ai the Morro Bay Bird Festival, however we saw 116 species on our day trip( Sat) the highlite was the Eastern Phoebe on the Cal Poly campus.
The weather was cold!!!!!!!!!!!
shirley

Yesterday ( Tuesday) three of us drove up highway 1 to the Burleigh State Park mentioned in the Sentinal recently. Driving from Watsonville and returning the same route we saw:
Red-shouldered Hawks
Western Scrub Jays
American Robins
American Coots
Great Blue Herons
Rock Pigeons
Brewers' Blackbirds
Double-crested Cormorants
European Starlings
Ret-tailed Hawks
American Crows
American Kestrels
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebes
Mallards
Say's Phoebes
White-tailed Kites
Raven
Mourning Doves
Great Egrets
Snowy Egrets
Northern Shoverlers
Blue-winged Teal
Black Phoebes
Killdeer
Northern Flickers
Brown Pelicans
Golden-crowned Sparrows
Bushtits
Northern Harriers
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Red-winged Blackbirds
Ruddy Ducks
Western Gulls
Heerman's Gulls
Ring-billed Gulls
Eared Grebes
Western Grebes
Surf Scoters
Common Yellowthroat
White-crowned Sparrows
House Finch
     while at Burleigh State Park, in San Mateo County, without repeating any of the above we saw:
Ruby=crowned Kinglets
Fox Sparrows
Song Sparrows
Steller Jay
Townsend Warblers
Anna Hummingbird
Spotted Towhees
Belted Kingfisher
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
Wrentits
    while the numbers were disappointing at the park it would appear with the reparian habitat, the alders & willows that this would be a great warbler area in the spring. It is extremely brushy/chapparal and staying on the road/trial is a must.

      without repeating any of the above

This seems like a good year for Bitterns - we saw several as well and watched one stalking along ditchside for about 15 minutes. We missed the BOwl though.

Yesterday ( Wednesday) prompted a trip to the Merced Wildlife Area even though Wed. is a 'hunt' day in areas around here. Leaving Watsonville on 129 to 101 to 25 to 152 and the MWA we saw:

Rock Pigeons
Brewer's Blackbirds
European Starlings
Mourning Doves
Red-tailed Hawks (everywhere)
American Robins
Western Scrub Jays
American Crows
American Kestrels ( everywhere)
Great Egrets
Golden-crowned Sparrows
Lesser Goldfinch
House Finches
White-crowned Sparrows
Song Sparrows
White-tailed Kites
Red-winged Blackbirds
Mockingbirds
Double-crested Cormorants
Mallards
Pied-billed Grebes
Turkey Vultures
Red-shouldered Hawk
Great Blue Herons
Bufflehead
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Eared Grebes
Black Phoebe
Anna Hummingbird
American Coots
Ruddy Ducks
Western Meadowlarks
Tri=-colored Blackbirds
Common Goldeneyes
Greater Scaup
Ring-billed Gulls
House Sparrow
Black-necked Stilts
Black-crowned Night Herons
Canvasbacks
Cinnamon Teal
Gadwalls
White-faced Ibis
Wilson's Snipes
Killdeer
Common Moorhens
Dowitchers spp.
Dunlin
Western Sandpipers
Yellow-billed Magpies
Snowy Egrets
Northern Harriers
Yellow-headed Blackbird ( at dairy on Henry Miller Rd)
Northern Shovelers
Tree Swallows
Least Sandpipers
Great-tailed Grackles
Long-billed Curlews
Canada Geese
Raven
without repeating any of the above - at the Merced Wildlife area we saw:
Northern Pintails
Snow Geese (about 10,000 )
Ross's Geese
Northern Flickers
Great Horned Owls
Cooper's Hawk
Common Yellowthroat
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Lincoln Sparrows
Sandhill Cranes
Greater White-fronted Geese
American Pipits
American Wigeon
American Bitterns (2)
Green-winged Teal
Greater Yellowlegs
Avocet
Burrowing Owl
Bald Eage --when it flew over everyone scattered!!
a quick stop at the San Luis Wildlife area produced:
Loggerhead Shrike
Savannah Sparrows
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Wood Ducks
Say's Phoebe
if I counted correctly we tallied up 85 species !!!
Shirley

Yesterday I went with a friend to the Panoche Valley area - just needed to go birding I guess. The weather was great and we had a good time although we missed two target species: the mountain bluebird and phainopepla; the chuckar were also elusive, but they are difficult most of the time anyway.
Starting outside of Watsonville and stopping at the reservoir we saw:

Bufflehead, Gadwall, Mallards, Red-tailed hawks, Wilson's snipes, European Starlings, Great Blue Herons, American Crows, Ravens, California Towhees, Belted Kingfishers, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Brewer's Blackbirds, Rock Pigeons, Red-winged Blackbirds, Coopers Hawks, Golden Eagles ( 4 in all), Western Meadowlarks, Say's Phoebes, American Kestrels and Western Scrub Jays.
We stopped at the Paicines reservoir and observed the following:
Great & Snowy Egrets, American Coots, Double-crested Cormorants, Ruddy Ducks, Black Crown Night Herons, Res-shouldered Hawk, Ring-neck Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Yellow-billed Magpies, Common Mergansers, Western and Pied-billed Grebes, Black Phoebe, White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bewick's Wren, House Finch and of course the Bald Eagles !
Heading out toward Panoche Valley and including that area we saw:
Bushtits, Western Bluebirds, Roadrunner, Nothern Flickers, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Acorn Woodpeckers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Prairie Falcons, Long-billed Curlews, Say's Phoebes, Burrowing Owls, Northern Harrier, Loggerhead Shrikes, Horned Larks, Sage Sparrows, Tri-colored Blackbirds, California Quail, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Turkey Vultures, Dowitcher spp, Eared Grebes and Common Goldeneyes.
Hopefully I did not repeat and birds and if so I think we saw 66 species.

For those of you who continue to read our docent newsletter:

the auction produced a total of $ 796.00. Not bad when you consider that only 31 of us were bidding !!!!

Thanks again to Craig and also to his new assistant Steve

I had a chance to see the memorial tree and it is splendid! Thanks again to all of you that made it happen...........

Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com

From: QT - shirley <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com> Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com> To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
Date: 27 Sep 2006 08:24:46 -0700
>--QT------------------------------------------------------------- > Reply by email or visit > http://www.quicktopic.com/18/H/Z3nmjs4n5ey/m489 >-------------------------------------------------------------- -- > >FYI : the memorial tree was placed on the wall >yesterday....looks great, of course that is my personal opinion >_________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe: http://www.quicktopic.com/18/X/Z3nmjs4n5ey >Start your own topic in 20 seconds: http://www.quicktopic.com |QT

Thanks Shirley for your facilitation of this memorial. It's
comforting to know that one day I'll be a leaf. Jeana

FYI : the memorial tree was placed on the wall yesterday....looks great, of course that is my personal opinion

could not resist the temptation to visit Zmudowski beach to see if I could find the Bobolink-----------YES there were also WCSP and MAWR plus lots of other day to day birds.
At Jetty Road there was a Clark's Grebe with all the expected birds; high tide sort of put a damper on this spot.
also visited Moon Glow Dairy; was excited to see 6 shovelers and all the usual
birds; although I did not find the Solitary or Baird's sandpipers--

If you do not receive the MBB postings every day then here is an update for today ( the 6th)=====at Natural Bridges the warblers are EVERYWHERE--today in additon to Wilsons & Townseds we saw a Canada Warbler & and Hooded Warbler in addition to all the regular birds------------CHECK IT OUT

Shirley you have done a great job in spearheading this
project..congratulations! JDLT

Wow! thanks for the update. ..Do we know where it will be placed? Jeana

For those of you who still receive this message board: the memorial tree is finished and on its way to the reserve. Anticipated time of arrival is late this week or next week. Then the installation will have to be scheduled.......

shirley

HURRAH! Thanks Shirley and Plant Ladies for this update. So happy that two owlets made it. And we are sure of minimum one from the crotch nest behind rookery. So they will be able to date and mate locally. Will be interesting to see what ensues. Jeana

Jeana: on Friday the plant ladies watched the two young barn owls fly out of the barn from the rafters--guess that means they have fledged

shirley

I guess I'm lucky - Cruzio filtered them out and I haven't gotten any. they are really good about that. Jeana

Hi all,
It seems those cheap drug pushing scum bags have found our site. (pardon my language but I REALLY HATE those guys!)...
Thanks to Shirley's quick action in alerting me, I deleted them. Unfortunately, they will probably be back. If you happen across any of these ads posted to our site, either contact Shirley so she can get hold of me, or send me an e-mail directly. My address is on the back page of the latest Slough News. I don't want to publish my address here because the only thing I hate more than SPAM is more SPAM!
Back to all things Slough-y.

Carry On!
Kim

Shirley: I saw a "first generation" young adult on the Sunday morning tour...hanging out in the rafters. But did not see any action in the box. Jeana

jeana: on the 7th I could not see the owls and was ready to give up------on the 8th I checked again and there are at least two in the box in the large barn= so she did double clutch

Thought I would share a few birds from Silver Lake In El Dorado County with you. The first day all I did was watch the Stellar Jays and American Robins from the cabin porch as coming from sea level to 7,200 feet took the wind out of me. The first evening I was happy to see about 20 Common Mergansers on the lake along with lots of Canada Geese. A walk now and then turned up white-breasted nuthatches, a brown creeper, Williamsons' sapsuckers, northern flickers, dark-eyed juncos, white-crowned sparrows, American crows, hermit thrush, hairy woodpeckers, mountain chickadees, song sparrows, red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, barn swallows, western tanagers, Nashville warblers, spotted sandpipers, black-headed grosbeaks and a Cassin's finch. On my last night I walked down to the boat dock and was rewarded with a beautiful sunset and two Osprey flying low over the water!! The wildflowers are in bloom and the butterflies are all over the place taking advantage of the nectar. A very rewarding week with no TV and cell phones do not work due to the granite bowl Silver Lake sits in.

Hi All,
I was on my way to the feed store and did a detour at Sierra Azul on East Lake/152. It is really a great show they have going on there! Really inspiring stuff especially when you get a look at the price list.
Take an hour and take a look. The installations are there until the end of June.

On the 31st I again checked the barn--male left immediately.....female was in rafters giving me a great talking to; again decided not to force her to leave so will keep checking as I think there is a second clutch.........as usual there is always an owl in the small barn, however have not seen anything that makes me think of a second clutch but will continue looking

Shirley, thanks so much for sharing that! You were right, they must be double-clutching. I'm coming out next week to check again on our Shmoo GH owlet behind rookery, but we're sure it has fledged. The BOwl in # 19 was apparently late this year as she was also in the box last we looked. This has been a great owl year but I'm still
wondering about the kestrels, kites and hawks. The Carneros RT pair were still sitting last we looked. Jeana

Jeana: I was at the slough for an early morning count and stopped by the large barn to check on the box in back...........( 27th).....before I was ready the male owl flew from the front of the barn to the rafters about half way back...then I saw the female standing in front of the entrance to the back box....then she flew out to the rafters. They did a bill to bill thing then a pirouttte down toward the groung twirling around one another then she went back up to the rafters and he landed --then took off to the woodlot. The female really started scolding me for being there..she was in the rafters and even though I wanted to look inside the box I think she either has eggs or very young owlets so I only went as far as the restroom building and she continued to scold me very profusely--I decided to leave her alone. This was the greatest experience I have had with any owls --quite amazing.

shirley

Yesterday ( 21st) I attended the dedication of the new PRBO building in Petaluma. Behind the building is the Shollenberger Wetlands Park, a 2.2 mile enclosure which is a public park open to walkers, joggers, birders and dog lovers: it is also home to quite a few birds/ducks. A quic walk arount this wetlands produced the following: Canada & Cackling geese, gadwalls, mallards, pied-billed grebes, double-crested cormorants, black-crowned night herons, a great egret rookery, snowy egrets, American coots, killdeer, American avocets, black-necked stilts, Caspian terns, Forster's terns, mourning doves, cliff & tree swallows, marsh wrens, song sparrows, Brewer's & red-winged blackbirds, American goldfinch, house finch and about 2 dozen Mute Swans who nest here. I even saw a nest with 4 eggs ( boy are they big eggs!). Sixteen of the 25 listed birds/ducks nest here and the nests were extremely busy.
Unfortunatley I missed the tour of the inside of the building because I did not return in time for the tour, however I understand it is quite amazing. The luncheon was a feast and I had time to visit with Grant Ballard, who helps me every year with the point count!
I would encourage everyone who loves to bird to visit this area, especially with all the nesting activity going on right now.

Take a look at this new study on sea otters in the slough....


Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com

From: Josh Pederson <Josh.Pederson@noaa.gov> To: mbnms_bcombers@willamette.nos.noaa.gov Subject: What's New on SIMoN -- May update
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 09:29:09 -0700
>What's New on SIMoN > >Please see the attached HTML newsletter for new monitoring >information and features available to you on the SIMoN website. > >Thanks, > >Josh > > > > > >Josh Pederson >SIMoN Outreach Specialist >Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary >http://www.mbnms-simon.org >http://www.oceanobs.org >josh.pederson@noaa.gov > > >

On Monday I watched one very large brown-and-white GHOwlet trying to share the small crotch nest with its Mom. Face still white - good views. Tight fit. The Campagna nest sem to have two owlets still, a bit smaller, but also mixed coloring... changing fast! Jeana

jeana: the owls in the small barn fledged 4-27-06 at least 2 that I know of

red-shouldered hawks still in woodlot 6 but cannot find a nest--just hear them--yesterday at Bolado Park we actually saw a red-shouldered hawk nest!

It is time to go birding!!!! Today Caroline and I made the trek to Lone Tree Road in Hollister. Starting in Watsonville we saw:
Ruddy Ducks
Double-crested cormorans
barn swallows
tree swallows
snowy egrets
great egrets
mallads
European starlings

At the sewage ponds near Hollister we saw:

gadwalls
mourning doves
Brewers' blackbirds
northern shovelers
Caspian terns
dowitcher spp.
avocets
red-necked phalaropes
black-necked stilts
cinnamon teals
red-winged blackbirds
white-tailed kites

Moving on to Loan Tree Road 35 new species!

house finch
red-tailed hawks
house sparrows
oak titmice
mockingbirds
yellow-billed magpies
turkey vultures
acorn woodpeckers
western kingbirds
meadowlarks
black phoebes
lark sparrow
acorn woodpeckers
American crows
western scrub jays
western bluebirds
American kestrels
chestnut-backed chickadees
Coopers hawk
juncos
American robins
black-headed grosbeaks
California quail
golden-crowned sparrows
Bullocks orioles
Wilsons warblers
lesser goldfinch
white-crowned sparrows
western tanagers
hermit warblers
California towhees
Stellars jays
pacific slope flycatchers
spotted towhees
loggerhead shrike
red-shoulderd hawk

On Santa Ana Road we added:

northern harriers
cliff swallow
immature bald eagle

On Hwy 25 at the reservoir it was very quite but we added:

common yellowthroat
pied-billed grebe
American coots

We then drove up Fremont Peak, however we did not find any NEW species so it looks like our total was 61 with 35 on Lone Tree Road.

If you want to go the entire Lone Tree Road is very birdy-----however--way up toward the end there is a road marker with 69 at the top and JO 23 down the side -- stop and get out of your car as this was the MOST BIRDY AREA and we probably did not ID all birds. This is where the orioles, tanagers, bluebirds and a hawk nest with 2 babies ( probably red-tailed) are located....
Also,for you flower people, there are so many different plants in bloom even if you do not bird------go now as this road gets hot very early in the season

the owlets in the small barn are still present. I still see two but keep checking in case there are more
the kites that have been below the overlook have moved to woodlot 1 for this year as there has been no activity in the oaks below the overlook
everytime I go into woodlot 6 ( behind the v/c) the red-shouldered hawks scream and fly around but I cannot find the nest.

Both GHO nests had two owlets this afternoon when I checked: # 25 as scoped from Campagna Way looking north, and the "new" euc crotch nest behind the Rookery as scoped from Becky's Gate upper road. This is amazing considering the discouraging hunting weather we've been
having. I could see not activity in #19 Barn Owl nest today, but the female RT is still brooding on Elkhorn/Carneros nest visible from road. Her mate was on guard today as well. Jeana de la Torre

Thanks! I heard a BOwl in the night here recently, flying up the avenue and rasping as it went! I'll be out of town this coming week visiting Alison, but am hoping to do route A raptors when I return. Caroline let me know if you have any signtings? Jeana

Jeanna: per Tricia who checks in the evening--one barn owl baby did survive from the back box in the large barn and is being fed by parents. Two babies survived out of box one ( this is the box I cannot see into) they are in the woodlot being fed by parents There are at least two in the small barn that have not left the nest yet.

Shirley: There was an adult BO flying out of back box Sunday morning about 10:15. Also I noticed a pair of Titmice near their nest box, as one is coming around the corner after Cattail Swale and just off the left side of the trail before you get to the cement hanging
nestbox (couldn't see any number). Caroline: you were right. Saw a pair of Starlings bringing nesting materials to Box 9 on Sunday
morning.
Where are those Kestrels? Jeana

jeanna: still at least two babies in the small barn

Our crotch-nest GHO is persevering and still brooding behind the rookery! I couldn't get a good look at the Campagna Way one today, maybe she was scrunched down as it was windy. Nest # 30 (Carneros RTs) had a female on it, with male standing by. Shirley filled me in on the Rookery monitoring, so will do this occasionally as well as long as I'm in the back 40. Caroline I'm planning to do plant ladies on the 14th (unless it's pouring) as I have a Friday off for a
change! Cheers, Jeana

On a wonderful outing between the deluges my women's group went to Pt. Lobos on Saturday. We walked the China Cove area and were
delighted to see so many wildflowers already in bloom including BF Trefoil, Hedge Nettle and lots of poppies. We also saw a Black
Oystercatcher on the rocks, and both Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants in full breeding plumage. I was surprised to observe two pair of nesting Can Geese as well, very close to the big bird rock. Jeana

you never know what you will see while at the slough: yesterday while the slough was closed a gobbler and two hen turkeys were strutting down the main path and off down long valley trail. The male was of course, showing his stuff to his two "girls"
down at the big barn while the sad news is 3 babies have died and I cannot see anyone in the box I did see one of the long-tailed weasels..

Jeana / Linda / Caroline: since you are doing raptors behind the rookery would you be able to add the rookery survey while there? we are doing it this year from the back of the rookery and it is quite busy right now with GBH and GE and D/C corms...all making nests..please advise..the form is quite simple this year

I wonder if our GHO in the upper field is foraging down to the barn? We are doing another sweep next week and perhaps should look for pellets under her tree. Jeana

jeana: another owl was on the ground and devoured by someone--that makes 3 --also; I was not sure if there were 3 or 4 owletts but I thought 4------today after loosing three I did not see any babies in the box--Tricia is going down to listen before she leaves tonight

I have tried twice to include some web site address in message to this list server; what am I doing wrong?
Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com

Here are the web sites from the Rhino auklet message
Other interesting information and photos may be found at the following sites: < http://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/bertram/triangle/rhau.htm
> <
http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Likely/likely-Auklet-
 Rhinoceros.html> <
http://www.answers.com/topic/rhinoceros-auklet
>.

Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com

I am forwarding this fascinating email from Andrew DeVogelaere about seabirds. The first website listed below from sfu.ca is full of info. Once in it, be sure to visit the climate change part, ( http:/www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/triangle/climate_change.htm )

Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com

From: "Andrew DeVogelaere, PhD" <andrew.devogelaere@noaa.gov> To: COMBERS Beach <mbnms_bcombers@willamette.nos.noaa.gov> Subject: Rhino Auklets die-off
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 21:34:17 -0800
FYI

Begin forwarded message:

From: Mjrauz@aol.com
Date: March 22, 2006 7:44:17 PM PST
To: ca_mbinterests@willamette.nos.noaa.gov
Cc: john_piatt@usgs.gov
Subject: Rhino Auklets



Bird die-off perplexes scientists - ------------------------------------- Hundreds of the seabirds known as rhinoceros auklets have washed up on the Southern Oregon coast, and scientists have not settled on an explanation for the die-off. The birds seem to be in good shape off California and Washington, a researcher said. "The questions in my mind are: is this something that's widespread in Oregon? Is it a freak event, like a storm or something that's going to last longer?" said seabird researcher Dr. Julia Parrish, an associate professor of biology at the University of Washington. Explanations include a storm that killed lots of birds as they were gathering for breeding season, and warming ocean waters that are inhospitable to the bird's food source. There were no reports of an increase of dead auklets elsewhere, said Parrish, executive director of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team. Beach observers said the birds started washing up this month [March 2006] off Southern Oregon, and hundreds of carcasses, as many as 20 to 30 a mile, were reported last week. The birds live most of their lives at sea. They are scrappy, constant fliers and look like little footballs, almost pointy on the ends, black on top and white underneath. - -- ProMED-mail < promed@promedmail.org >
[Rhinoceros auklets (_Cerorhinca monocerata_) are medium sized birds, about 550 grams, mostly grey/black and white. They have a prominent horn on their bill during breeding season. They are most often found from British Columbia, Canada down through Washington State and Oregon. The cause could be a number of things mentioned in this article or even domotic acid that is responsible for the die-off of these birds. We look forward to a definitive report regarding the cause. Other interesting information and photos may be found at the following sites: < http://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/bertram/triangle/rhau.htm > < http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Likel...let-Rhinoceros.html > < http://www.answers.com/topic/rhinoceros-auklet >. - Mod.TG]


--------------------------------------------------------
Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D.
Research Coordinator/SIMoN Director
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
299 Foam Street
Monterey, CA 93940, U.S.A.
    (831) 647-4213 Phone
    (831) 647-4250 FAX
andrew.devogelaere@noaa.gov
www.mbnms-simon.org
www.montereybay.noaa.gov

Yesterday was the last trip to Merced for this year. The weather cooperated but the snow/ross geese were not to be found anywhere; one sandhill crane flew over the area looking quite lost.

Before reaching the wildlife area there were some elk at the bottom of the San Luis dam and along the way we saw red-tailed hawks, European starlings, red-shouldered hawks, American crows, western scrub jays, morning doves, black Phoebes, red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, great and snowy egrets and mallards. At Soap Lake the white pelicans, bufflehead, ruddy ducks, double-crested cormorants, Canada geese, song sparrows, American coots, white-tailed kites, tree and violet-green swallows were in nice numbers. Continuing on we saw yellow-billed magpies, turkey vultures, meadowlarks, pied-billed grebes, American kestrels, rock pigeons, white-faced Ibis, black-necked stilts, gadwalls, killdeer, great blue herons, northern shovelers, greater yellowlegs, belted kingfishers and several great horned owls.
At Merced ( without repeating above) there were white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows, marsh wrens singing and sisplaying, moorhens, house sparrows, cinnamon and green-winged teals, yellow-rumped warblers, American pipits, least sandpipers, northern harriers, cliff swallows, mockingbirds, a sora, American robins, hermit thrush, 3 American bitterns, over a hundred black-bellied plovers( many of whom were showing breeding plumage), dunlin, common yellowthroat, American avocets also in breeding plumage, dowitchers, ring-necked pheasants, loggerhead shrike and northern flickers.
At San Luis reserve we found ring-necked ducks, spotted towhees, a pair of Swainsons hawks in a courtship climg and dive with wings tucked in which was quite spectacular, a Coopers hawk, California quail, wood ducks, American wigeon, Forster's terns, great-tailed grackle and a raccoon and a coyote.
For the entire trip we saw 9 great honred owls; 6 of them on nests. Great blue heron nests in trees at San Luis and the red-tailed hawk is back on the water tower at the corner of Turner Island Road and Henry Miller Road.
I think for me the most interesting sightings this trip was a duck we had to look at our books to ID -- see Sibleys on page 76 for a Gadwall going into breeding plumage--I had never seen one before.
If I counted correctly that is about 72 species.... a nice way to end the season at Merced.

Thanks for the info: It will be very interesting to see which raptors do well, and who do less well, in fledging normal clutches this very wet year. Jeana

two baby owls have died--appears they were evicted from the box in the big barn...will be interesting to see if this bad weather makes it hard for parents to find enough food for everyone.

have not seen babies in box 1 however Tricia has heard them at night before she leaves--box is very difficult to see into and they have to be fairly large to see

I was hoping so..on our latest look we are still seeing the two GHOs #24 and #25...the RTs on the "new" #30 were not sitting yet at
Carneros, but we still have hopes. No definite Barn Owls as yet, although suspected activity in #19. On Sunday Linda and I watched a pair of Kites arguing with a pair of Red-Shouldereds on Long Valley - they seem to be favoring the oaks there. Jeana

Jeana: are each of the 3 routes reporting on this venue or am I the only one--was hopeing to hear what others are finding
today I heard the 2 r/s hawks that were assinged #26 in 2004 in woodlot 6 today---sure would like to find their nest, but hunted extensively in 2004 and nover found it

saw 2 w/t kites--one with nest material in the general area of 5 fingers, but they would not land while I was in the area

Thanks Shirley - we'll check it out again today.

today the telephone pole with the Kestrel box on it had a Kestrel sitting on top of the pole....not sure if male or female and it flew away as we approached on my tour

today the large barn has 4 owlets
the small barn still has 2 that I can see

shirley,

i can donate some time; will watch the weather and catch a moment before sun.
thanks for the reminder,

kathryn

> From: QT - shirley <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com>
> Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com>
> Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 10:50:22 -0500 (EST)
> To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
> Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

is anyone interested in monitoring the rookery? yesterday there were 15 GBH and 12 were in pairs, some bringing sticks and neck stretching.
shirley

checking boxes on 3/1------------2 chicks each in the small barn and big barn---there may be more barn owl chicks as they grow bigger - but that is it for now

Shirley your e-mail keeps coming back to me: smurph2@mac.com. Do you have a new address? Jeana

Thanks, Shirl. J. Team B needs to get out and check our GHO nests. On Friday, February 10, 2006, at 09:29 , QuickTopic daily digest wrote:
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

Jeana: did my first round of raptor boxes as I suspicion the owls have eggs--------#5 the small born: owl in the barn but not in the box #6 has never been used, however I saw nest material in it; this is the box next to the small barn in the oak tree. #8 the box in the large barn toward the back has pellets under it so don't know if they are going to move from the front or not
will keep you posted

shirley

Thanks for this report, Shirley. It will be interesting to see if the kestrels use this box or the one they used last year by the
outhouse. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Jeana
On Saturday, February 4, 2006, at 09:07 , QuickTopic daily digest wrote:
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

What a great birthday yesterday. I walked with my plant lady friends then lunch at Moss Landing Cafe but while on the walk at the slough: The wild cucumber is in bloom and the first patch is at the bottom of the hill as you start to the big barn. The trillium is in bloom at Cattail Swale; it is about 30 to 40 feet off the trail on the hillside opposite the road.
There were 2 kestrels near the box where the trail goes to the island or the rookery ( they nested there 2 years ago) one great blue heron was in a dead pine tree at the rookery and two more were in the dead pines near the granary ( where cormorants used to rest last year)...also a red-tailed hawk was carrying nest material to a tree at the edge of the rookery ( where it expanded last year).
After a delicious lunch I decided to treat myself to and check out Moon Glow Dairy and sure enough the vermilion flycatcher was there--so brilliant that it was like a neon light.
shirley

Outstanding job of posting, Shirley! One thing we learned Saturday was that the spelling of Cosumnes did not include "n" as the third letter in the name. [compare the name in paragraph one and three.]

On the preceeding message I left out the recorder for the trip--Caroline Rodgers...........I think I will slit my throat,,,,,,,,,my apologies Caroline

shirley

As advertised in the docent newsletter nine of us left the reserve on Saturday, January 28th and drove to the Cosumnes River Preserve where we were met by former reserve docent Tricia Bippus. She took us on the reparian walk and the crossover to the wetlands area.

But first let me list all the birds seen between leaving the reserve and reaching the Cosumes preserve: Wild Turkeys, American Crows, Western Scrub Jays, European Starlings, Turkey Vultures, Rock Pigeons, Mourning Doves, Red-tailed Hawks, American Coots, Bufflehead, American Avocets, Gadwalls, Northern Shoverlers, Black-necked Stilts, Brewers' Blackbirds, Common Ravens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great Egrets, Double-crested Cormorants, Western Meadowlarks, Northern Mockingbirds, House Sparrows, Yellow-billed Magpies, Killdeer, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teals, Mallards, Cinnamon Teals, Pied-billed grebes.

When we arrived at the Consumnes preserve we had to don our cold weather gear as it was very COOL and windy, but everyone was game to follow Tricia on the walk. Without repeating birds/ducks already listed we saw: Sandhill Cranes, Nuttalls' woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warblers (everywhere), Spotted Towhees,a Great Horned Owl sitting on a nest, Annas' Hummingbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglets ( some flaring the ruby crown), Common Goldeneyes, White-fronted Geese, Northern Flickers, White-cronwed & Gold-crowned Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Cooper's Hawk, Bushtits, Oak Titmice, Black Phoebe, Lincoln Sparrow, Wilsons Snipe, Violet-green Swallows, American Wigeon, Canada Geese, Juncos, Eared Grebes, Common Moorhens, Tundra Swans, House Finch, Belted Kingfisher, White-tailed Kites, Osprey, and a Red-shouldered Hawk.

After taking a break for lunch we proceeded to the Turner Road Vintners where one section of the winery holds 30 MILLION gallons of wine!!!! We met Lee who gave us a tour of their 25 acre wetlands. This is an amazing project as the waste water from making the wine is pumped to a pond with 3 aeriators, then moved to another pond with 2 more aeriators, then moved to a third pond before being pumped thru an area where cattails absorb more of the "trash" and then the water goes thru an area with bulrushes for further processing. At this point the water is purer than the Mokulmne river water, however it is not released but used to water the landscaping. Since this first winery wetlands was built several other wineries have included a wetland to process their wastewater; pretty cool heh??? Anyway, while at the winery and taking Lees' tour we saw: Lesser Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Bonaparte's Gulls, Common Mergansers, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night Herons, American Pipits, Forster's Terns, Lesser Scaup, Marsh Wren, Greater Yellowlegs, Song Sparrows and a Peregrine Falcon.

By now we were quite cold and maybe a little overloaded with birds/ducks but could not stop yet as we had arranged to meet Dave at the Woodbridge Road preserve for the "fly in" of Sandhill Cranes; quite spectacular even though rain had entered the picture by this time. Dinner was next with bedtime quickly following as we had more to do on Sunday.

Sunday morning we met at the lobby of the motel and re-grouped for the trip to the Merced Wildlife Area. When I arrived in the lobby Anita & John Radov where already there, we were quickly joined by Alex & Colette Darocy, followed by Leonard Davis, Sarah Howell and Jackie Kourassis. All present and accounted for we were off! At the Merced Wildlife area we were joined by Patricia McQuade and Cindy Scott. As we approached the entrance to the area we were greeted with over 5,000 Snow & Ross's geese; quite an impressive sight! After that introduction we proceeded around the 5 mile loop. Again, without any repeat listings we saw: California Towhees, Fox sparrows, Hermit Thrush, Sora, Blue-winged Teal, Black-bellied Plovers, White-faced Ibis, Loggerhead Shrikes, White Pelicans, Least Sandpipers, Ring-necked Pheasants ( one of which insisted on racing us down the road), Dowitcher spp., Savannah Sparrows, Tri-colored Blackbirds, an immature and mature Bald Eagle, Long-billed Curlews, Common Yellowthroat, Downy Woodpecker, Dunlin, a Merlin. Great-tailed Grackles were seen on our way to the San Luis Wildlife area where we added Wood Ducks, Say's Phoebes, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and California Quail. If my count is correct this made 104 species of birds/ducks for the trip. Not included in the count are deer, Tule elk, coyotes and at the winery they have Black Swans, Mute Swans and Muscovy Ducks; also I think I forgot to mention Sunday had absolutely gorgeous weather as well as the company of so many great birding enthusiasts!!

Shirley Murphy

Shirley, Thank you so much for facilitating Kathy's visit... I
really enjoyed her presentation and learned a lot! I'll be using this venue for the raptor survey coordination so raptor folks please sign on if you're not already.
Jeana
On Tuesday, January 10, 2006, at 09:19 , QuickTopic daily digest wrote:
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Thanks for the good info.

Kathryn

> From: QT - shirley <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com>
> Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com>
> Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 08:57:14 -0500 (EST)
> To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic+subs@quicktopic.com>
> Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

For those of you who still have our message board on your computer: I hope you will come tonight for our speaker, Kathy Biggs. I heard her about 5 or 6 years ago and have been trying to have her come to our meeting. She is not a scientist or researcher asking for help but a person who got hooked on butterflies and dragonflies and taught herself what they need....she has written a small book and created a haven for these creatures in her yard.
She is fun and entertaining so I hope to see you there---at 7:30 pm instead of 8:00 pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND BIRDING TO ALL... LOVE, JEANA
On Friday, December 30, 2005, at 09:07 , QuickTopic daily digest wrote:
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

In between storms three of us decided it was time for another visit to the Merced Wildlife area and San Luis--so off we went, and yes the weather held all day and we came up with 86 species of birds plus barnyard critters and those who have gone to heaven.
We started with Brewer's blackbirds, red-tailed hawks everywhere, western scrub jays, rock pigeons, American crows, European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, Stellars jay, great egrets, Say's phoebe, black phoebe, Savannah sparrows, snowy egrets, American kestrels, mallards, white pelicans, northern pintail, double crested cormorants, black-crowned night herons, great blue herons, black-tailed kites, yellow-billed magpies, ravens, ring-billed gulls, loggerhead shrikes, American robins, eared & horned grebes, meadlowlarks, house finch, house sparrows, killdeer, canvasback, ring-necked ducks, northern shovelers, gadwalls, western grebes, cinnamon teals, pied-billed grebes, ruddy ducks, American coots, bufflehead, black-necked stilts, white-faced ibis, great-tailed grackles, least sandpipers, white-crowned sparrows, Bonaparte's gulls, American pipit, yellow-rumped warblers, northern harriers, greater yellowlegs, black-bellied plovers, blue-winged teal, snow geese, Ross's geese, sandhill cranes, marsh wrens, American avocets, bushtits, dunlin, mockingbirds, long-billed curlews, Cooper's hawk, golden-crowned sparrows, great horned owls, sora, moorhens, green-winged teal, tree swallows, white-fronted geese, downy woodpecker, Wilsons snipe, long-billed dowitchers, 5 ring-necked pheasants, lark sparrows, northern flicker, wood ducks, red-shouldered hawks, American wigeon, horned larks, merlin, redheads, scaup spp, ruby-cronwed kinglets and Canada geese---then the daylight went out and we could not see anymore.
Also on any list that Marth makes we have other items: Roadkills included possum, skunk, coyote, calf, barn owl & rabbits. Other live animals included ground squirrels, sheep, cows, horses, chaickens, cats, dogs, barnyard geese, goats and white pigeons; this was followed by three coyotes and the Tule elk.
Thanks to Caroline for driving, Marth for recording and myself ( Shirley) who had a great time.

Wow...the docents are racking up the moola! Congrats all! Jeana On Saturday, December 17, 2005, at 09:00 , QuickTopic daily digest wrote:

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< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hi Shirley,
Thanks for the info. It was a very good event. Thanks, too to Celia for her part. She's starting a new tradition, hope.
Best,
 Marian
>
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

for those few who still receive the docent web info.....you are the first to know that we cleared $1,088.00 at the auction on Tuesday...thanks to everyone who participated
shirley

On Tuesday ( 25th) a trip to MERCEDWILDLIFE AREA produced the following: American pipits, cattle egrets, snowy egrets, great egrets, great blue herons, American coots, SANDHILL CRANES, white-crowned & gold-crowned sparrows, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows, mourning doves, house finch, mockingbirds, purple finch, white-faced ibis, northern flickers, black-necked stilts, willets, northern pintails, greater & lesser yellowlegs, tree swallows, northern shovelers, black phoebes, greater white-fronted geese, western meadowlarks, northern harriers, green-winged teal, cinnamon teal, marsh wrens, American avocets, dunlin, dowitchers, Lincoln sparrow, lesser yellowlegs, yellow-rumped warblers and Bewick's wrens. What was not present yet were the snow geese !!!!!!!! It was refreshing to see so many cranes this early and to know that the ducks are coming .......I suggest a trip in about two weeks when the snow geese should be arriving.
At San Luis area in addition to some of the above mentioned birds we saw: turkey vultures, a moorhen, Nuttall's woodpecker, wood ducks, ruby-crowned kinglets, least sandpipers, western sandpipers, loggerhead shrikes, mourning doves, California towhees and California quail. At other places to and from these two areas we also saw: Brewer's blackbirds, European starlings, white-tailed kites, 2 Osprey, mallards, yellow-billed magpies, Say's phoebes, rock pigeons, white pelicans, pied-billed grebes, western grebes and double-crested cormorants and a raven.
Yesterday( 26th) at Lone Tree Road in Hollister I saw: red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, western bluebirds, one wild turkey, 4 deer and 5 wild pigs, mockingbirds, loggerhead shrikes, savannah sparrows, western scrub jays, American crows, California towhees, California quail and lots of small sparrows I could not get close enough to ID.

Yesterday Caroline and I decided we had to go birding. We stopped at Jetty Road first and picked out a red-tailed hawk, breat blue herons, great & snowy egrets, Forsters' terns, eared grebes, long-billed curlews, Brewers' blackbirds, marbled godwits, lesser &western sandpipers, sanderlings, willets, western & ring-billed gulls, mallards, semi-palmated plovers, black-bellied plovers, dunlin, brown pelicans, double-crested cormorants, black phoebes, house finch, Heermans gull, western grebe, belted kingfisher and a COMMON TERN. This took a while to ID as it is a juvenile going into pre breeding plumage!
We then drove to Andrew Molera, however, wind became a factor in finding some of the small birds: American kestrels, turkey vultures, American crows, western scrub jays & Stellar jays, ruby-crowned kinglets, chestnut-backed chickadees, California towhees, song sparrows, sharp-shinned hawk, European startlngs, golden-crowned & white-crowned sparrows, Townsend warbler, northern flickers, red-breasted merganser, bushtits, oat titmouse, acorn & hairy woodpeckers, Bewicks wren, mourning dove, rock pigeons, killdeer, Brandt's cormorants, black turnstone,American dipper and a clay-colored sparrow.
It was a very nice day even with the wind......
shirley

Thanks so much for the heads up, Shirley. This morning Linda and I drove up to the southern entrance to Swanton Road, and there it was right across from the back end of Swanton Berry Farms store. We watched it for about an hour, getting good scopes and observing its harrassment by both male and female harrier, RT Hawk and a pair of kestrels. Of course we had to treat ourselves to a berry cobbler afterwards to celebrate! NB: the young male harrier was absolutely the most handsome one I've ever seen - beautiful feathering. We watched it "stamping" several times during the morning, speculating it was practicing killing a snake. Jeana

today, August 15th at 9 am I found the Caracara on Swanton road. Followed it about 2 miles and then at 10 am decided I had seen enough and it would not let anyone close enough to get a picture. If you want to try,,,start looking as soon as you start on Swanton and continue until you reach the organic farm about 2 or 3 miles in......mostly on the inside vs ocean side of Swanton, however, check both !!

From Jeana DLT

Tried to post this on Elkhorn sleuths with no success, but wanted you all to know that there's a very large mixed flock of Caspian, Elegant and Forster's Terns at Aptos Creek mouth-Rio Beach.  I watched young
Caspians begging for food - there seemed to be a goodly number of them, so their breeding must have been successful somewhere.  
The flock I saw was over 200 birds.  Jeana

Does anyone have Jeana's new e-mail address? She sent it to me and I lost it again. I need to make a change to her account so she can get e-mail alerts for the message board.

Went on a road trip to Mono Lake and then down the Nevada side to Las Vegas.
Saw lots of gulls at Mono Lake. Being a non-birder, I have to say that they were all "gull-like" but beyond that, I have no idea what I was looking at.
My total score of wildlife viewing in Nevada was a dead coyote and a bunny under a bush in a graveyard. Hmmmm...maybe I should read something into that.

A drive up to Fremonts' peak did not produce much in the line of birds except a winter wren threw me a little.......the surprise was all the wildflowers still in bloom....had to come back and ask the plant ladies for names so this is late --globe lilies, Chinese houses, coast pretty face, Mariposa lily, chemise and tom cat clover were the most noticable....

Correction to Shirley's posting. We saw lots of blue eyed grass and not blue dicks. Best wildflower was the bicolor native lotus, common name witches teeth.

hello--I feel that this is my private line to communicate with all of lyou other docents----someone must be going someplace and want to sharej!!!!!!! anyway
Alex, Colette and I decided to make the trip to Andrew Molera today--very windy!!!!! so here is our report on birds and I forgot to list the plants:
At he Carmel Sewage treatment plant we were allowed to see mom and 6 baby Cal. quail and some morning doves, Euration starlings, rock pigeons and Brewer blackbirds. moving down the coast to Andrew Molera we saw tree and cliff swallows, black headed grosbeaks, Calif and spotted towhees, Pacific slope flycatchers, Wilson's warblers, Allen and Anna's hummingbirds, American crows, oak titmice, chestnut-backed chickadees, Stellars' and western scrub jays, song sparrows, warbling vireo, purple finch, western gulls, ring-billed gulls and a couple of Bonapartes' gulls, downy woodpecker, reb=breasted mergansers, Swainson's thrush, bushtits, Bewick's wren, ash-throated flycatcher, Nuttall's woodpecker, American robin and we then drove back up to Point Lobos where we saw juncos, pygmy nuthatches, turkey vultures and two great blue heron sitting on top of the kelp to fish !!---I forgot to start keeping track of the wildflowers, however they were still magnificent at Point Lobos with lue dicks, coast pretty face ( ?) and a handsome dudleia above the restroom at Whalers' cove---please check with Colette about all the others and these listings as I am still a "plant lady in training".

I feel bad that I am the only one posting here as I know several of you are making trips----
On May 28th there is a historic symposium about Edward Ricketts at the Stanotn Center--if anyone wants to go
today at Zumowski there was a winter plumage red-necked loon that caught my eye ( thought it was an albino for a secong? then at Moonglow there was a cattle egret in with the cows (((ironic?)))also in additon to all the regulars there were tri-colored blackbirds--they have mowed the levee !!!! in case anyone wants to go
shirley

Last week at the slough I saw a gorgeous Rufus Hummingbird at the bottom of Long Valley loop.

This weekend I went to Morro Bay and for those of you who know the area I birded the spit by the marina across from the state campground. In one hour I saw: dunlin, western sandpipers, red-shouldered & red-tailed hawks, Canada geese, common loon, white-crowned sparrows, Bewick's wren, spotted sandpiper ( with spots), eared grebe, cliff & tree swallows, Wilson's warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, Calif & spotted towhees, marbled godwits, mourning doves, willets, song sparrows, black-bellied plovers, brown-headed cowbird looking for a nest, Anna's hummingbirds all over the place, brown pelicans, double-crested and pelagic cormorants, Brandt, great & snowy egrets, greata blue herons, Caspian terns, black skimmers, turkey vultures, killdeer and black-crowned night herons, In the campground across the road I saw western tanagers, belted kingfisher and a. Nuttall's woodpecker. This was all in one hour and 30 minutes and this is the time of year when all the migrants have left !!!!!!!!
Of course no trip to Morro Bay would be complete without a trip to the rock---yes the peregrine falcon was on his/her nest and the canyon wren was singing away while a red-throated loon swam in the outflow of the energy plant and a black oystercatcher was lounging amongst thousands of gulls ( almost all western)

The docents who went on the Carrizzo Plains trip were not disappointed in the wildflower show ! Although not a plant person per se I have tried to list everything recorded by Marth Kenner and Caroline Rodgers as best I could:
Starting on hwy 58 and on into Carrizzo and back out we saw: low blue lupine, Cal. poppies, buttercups, fiddleneck, popcorn flowers, owls clover, mustard, ceanothus, blue dicks, vetch, goldfields ( everywhere), wallflower, bush poppy, wild cucumber, Indian paintbrush, ceanothus, elderbery, filaree, tidy tips, coreopsis, phacelia, tall lupine, purple bush lupine, desert dandelion, Canada milk vetch, scalloped phacelia, chia, bladderpod, cupped monolopia, miners' lettuce, baby blue eyes, blue witch, larkspur, dwarf lupine, loco weed, red maids, wild rhubarb, pickleweed ( at salt lake) , mock heather, dudlea, clarkia, special purple mustard, dodder and thistle sage along with a pea ( thing) which we did not identify.
Now some of us just have to bird at the same time so we saw: greater yellowlegs, European starlings, Brewers' & red-winged blackbirds, great egrets, mallards, red-tailed hawks, western gulls, surf scoter, marbled godwits, double-crested cormorants, western grebes, killdeer, turkey vultures, rock pigeon, great blue herons, meadowlarks ( everywhere we went) American crows, house sparrows, yellow-billed magpies, American kestrels, wild turkey, Calif. quail, western scrub jays, western kingbirds ( everywhere) mourning doves, northern flickers, acorn & Nuttallw' woodpeckers, loggerhead shrikes, ravens, white-crowned sparrows, northern Bullocks oriole, spotted towhees, house finch, long-eared owl ( heard at night), Lawrences's goldfinch, lark sparrows, phainopeplia, purple finch, cliff swallows, horned larks, roadrunners , barn owl, bushtits, northern harrier, Savannah sparrows, American avocet, sage sparrow, western sandpipers, burrowing owl, prairie falcon, golden eagle, black & Say's phoebes, rock wren, western bluebirds, lesser goldfinch, mockingbird, yellow rumped warbler, ladderback woodpecker, Canada geese, pied-billed grebe, snowy egret, Forsters' tern, black-necked stilts, cinnamon teal and bufflehead.
No trip with Marth would be complete without a list of :
road kill--cats, skunk and cottontails. Reptiles: western fence lizard Unusual creatures: ostrich and in iguana. Dual sightings means more than one thing at a time: western kingbird with a worm. and for critters: sea otter ( as we were leaving home) horses, sheep, cows, dogs, ground squirrels, deer, goats, donkey, desert cottontail, jack rabbits, kangaroo rats, tule elk, long-tailed weasel, 8 kit fox and 13 pronghorns !!!
Please excuse typo errors or incorrectly spelled flowers ---
Shirley

Another viable Great-Horned Owl nest, with sitting Mom, popped out at us yesterday while surveying. It is in the "crotch nest" in a euc behind the rookery, just west of the "kestrel" nest box and best visible from the "high road" accessible thru Becky's gate. This nest was active two years ago, then dormant last year. Jeana and Linda

Hey Shirley! Went on a drive that started over SanJuan Grd Road and spotted an immature Golden Eagle perched on a fence. We knew we were gonna have a good day. Headed on towards Hollister and turned off at Cienega Road. What a display of golden fields and purple bush lupine, jaw dropping..then over Gloria Grd Rd .. very good road. no traffic, just cows and a variey wildflowers,a little early for some but I saw Monkey Flower,Fiesta Flower,Larkspur,Pacific Pea,Fiddleneck,Johnny Jump Ups,Nightshade,Owl's Clover,Indian Paint Brush, Blue eyed grass,Shooting Stars,Blue Dick,Popcorn Flower,Bush Poppy, Calif.poppies and Lupin galore and of course our favorites at ESR, Miner's Lettuce,wild Radish, Hedge Nettle, wild Cucumber, Buckwheat,Shephard's Purse, it's still early. it only took a couple of hours and we had a great time!! happy hunting

what a surprise I got doing my owl boxes today---the first box in the large barn has a minimum of 3 BIG chicks; about 3/4 the size of an adult..while they still have fuzzy looks the facial feathers are starting to show....one of the parents was resting in the box at the back of the barn also.
a ( wild?) turkey was wandering around in woodlot 4 which is across from our buildings and close to the new pump house.

Took my Dad up Lone Tree a week ago, too, Shirley. It was glorious. The flowers are just starting to come into their own. I've been birding when I can. A weekend bicycle ride in the rain through Santa Ana Valley/Quien Sabe failed to turn up any Ferruginous Hawks, but the Golden Eagles are pairing up.

North San Benito County is absolutely soaked -- under water. Spotted my first Cattle Egret of the year (in Santa Clara County) today, in the company of 10 Snowies.

in between the rain yesterday I took my dad up Lone Tree Road to see if the wildflowers were in bloom---will be one or two weeks before they are in full bloom although the poppies and lupine were great. Looking at birds was fun with kestrels, meadowlarks, song sparrows, scrub jays, magpies, crows, western bluebirds, four wild turkeys and the burrowing owl decided to come out also.
Has anyone else been out during these storms?

bloom--pardon the interuption....the purple bush lupine were spactacular and the poppies were great--the ranger stated that the flowers will either be at their heighth this weekend or next........since I did not have a "plant lady" with me I cannot identify all if the other flowers--fiddleneck, blue dicks, mustard, wild radish etc and many more I cannot I D........time to go if you haven't already.

The sun was out and so were Caroline and myself. We took off for the Gloria/Camphoria road but did not locate the longspurs....oh, well it was a beautiful day and we saw: 2 coyotes, jackrabbits and thousands of squirrels plus - starting on hwy 101: mourning doves, rock pigeons, red-winged blackbirds, great blue heron in the center divide!, American kestrels, red-shouldered hawks, European starlings, western meadowlarks everywhere!, red-tailed hawks bringing nesting material to their nest in a eucalyptus on Gloria road, Savannah sparrows, house finches, juncos, black & Say's phoebes, white-crowned sparrows, American & lesser goldfinch, Brewer's blackbirds, lark sparrows, horned larks, a pair loggerhead shrikes sharing food, yellow-billed magpies, northern mockingbirds, American crows, Canada geese, greater yellowlegs, American coots, mallards, turkey vultures, northern harrier, killdeer, cinnamon teal, California towhees, cliff swallows, western scrub jays, Anna's hummingbird. We then paralleled 101 on some small roads and went over San Juan Grade and up to Fremonts Peak to see California quail, western bluebirds, oak titmice, acorn woodpeckers, band-tailed pigeon, Hutton's vireo, wrentit and house sparrows. Finished off by passing Anzar pond for the hooded mergansers.
If you have not taken your first wildflower trip of the year please consider Fremont Peak: houndstooth EVERYWHERE, zigading, buttercups, shooting stars, yellow violets, filaree, baby blue eyes, milkmaid, Indian warriors, coyote mint, ceanothus, bush poppy, purple bush lupine plus regular lupine, popcorn flowers, wild cucumber, blue dicks, California poppies, sticky monkey flower, bee plant, miner's letuce, vetch, fiddleneck and fiesta flowers---these were seen just riding up and back down from Fremont Peak and pardon the spelling as I am not a plant person.
shirley

Well Alex, Colette and I decided to make another journey to the Merced Wildlife area....from Castroville to the beginning of Henry Miller Road we saw: red-tailed hawks, western scrub jays, turkey vultures, mourning doves, European starlings, Brewer's and red-winged blackbirds, black-necked stilts, mallards, American crows, meadowlarks, American kestrels, American coots, Forster terns, great egrets, tree swallows and bufflehead.
From Henry Miller road to the Merced wildlife area we saw: yellow-billed magpies, American avocets, snowy egrets, song sparrows, ring-billed gulls, Ferouginous hawk, gadwalls ( more at the wildlife area), pied-billed grebes, northern harriers, loggerhead shrikes, tri-colored blackbirds, rock pigeons, double-crested cormorants, cinnamon teal, American wigeon, northern pintail, great blue herons, killdeer and just before we entered the wildilife area ( and in the wildlife area) about 10,000 snow geese.
In the wildlife area itself we saw: more snow geese, about 5,000 sandhill cranes, white-faced ibis, greater white-fronted geese, cinnamon teal, marsh wrens, American robin, white-crown ed & golden crowned sparrows, northern shovelers, black phoebes, yellow-rumped warblers, white-tailed kites, northern flickers, Says' phoebes, mockingbirds, tree swallows, pied-billed grebes, long-billed curlews, great horned owls, ruddy ducks, yellowleg spp, American pipits, house sparrows, black-bellied plovers, barn owl, ruby-crowned kinglets, dunlin, long-billed dowitchers and a Coopers hawk. ++++when you make a left turn to reach the overlook about 3/4 of a way thru there is a great horned owl nest in the trees to your right---
At the golf course in Stevinson we saw: moorhens, wood ducks and a belted kingfisher and more great horned owls. Unfortunately we did not see the sora or rail---but hey, not too bad for a nice day in the field--coming back on140 toward I5 we were surprised by seeing someones pet Ostrich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the thanks, Alex. It's a lovely spot. If you can, spend some time there at sunset. Great Horned Owls frequently call from the woods. I have permission to pass in the eucalyptus forest. Given its age, and the decadent growth, I wonder if it might hold some of the same species as the Moonglow forest? Haven't had time to check.

A trip back to SBT from southern California yesterday gave opportunity to take Hwy 25 from King City. No time to stop, but there were three Tundra Swans at Dry Lake (which is definitely not dry right now). The waterfowl at Paicines Reservoir were close to the pullout for a change, but no time to spot. I did see one Bald Eagle on the far side of the lake -- at 60 mph. Wildflowers are emerging. March in Panoche Valley should be a spectacular display.

Thank you Mark Paxton for your posting on Anzar Pond. This is a new spot for us. Marvelous looks at the FLOCK of Hooded Mergansers as well as a pair of Ring necks.

cabin fever got me and my mom and Cecilia so we took off for the Merced Wildlife area--no rain ---starting at Henry Miller road and into the wildlife area and back: European starlings, great & snowy egrets, red-tailed hawks, Brewers' blackbirds, western meadowlarks, Canada geese, great blue herons, white pelicans, turkey vultures, American crows, coots, pigeons, red-winged blackbirds, American kestrels, yellow-billed magpies, double-crested cormorants, mallards, mourning doves, Forster's terns, ring-billed ducks, ring-billed gulls, gulls spp, black-necked stilts, house sparrows. On Henry Miller road before reaching the wildlife area we had 30+ cattle egrets and 100+ white-faced ibis, yellowlegs spp, loggerhead shrike, belted kingfisher, killdear, northern pintails, gadwall, cinnamon teal, green-winged teal, norhern shovelers, white & golden crowned sparrows, over 6,000 snow geese, over 2,000 sandhill cranes, marsh wrens, greater white-fronted geese, black phoebes, great horned owls, northern flickers, Americn pipits, song sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, dowitcher spp.,black-bellied plovers, least sandpipers, Wilsons' snipe, American avocets, house finch, moorhens, Ferruginous hawk, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, Copper's hawk, white-tailed kite and a couple of moorhens.....The number of snow geese and sand-hilled cranes was a delight to see as they have been in short numbers the last couple of years when I visited the reserve...

If you take the Sentinel then you know about the article in Thursdays paper about the 289 acres of land between hwy 1 and San Andreas Rd where the Vista View pullout is located; if not you may be able to go online to the Sentinel in the local news section for Thursday.
Anyway the DFG is accepting public comment on the future of this parcel along with the Ellicott Slough section of San Andreas Rd. The comments must be received by Feb 18 th so I am using this venue in hopes of reaching some of you.
This area is the breeding site for the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and prime habitat for the Calif. tiger salamander and the endangered robust spineflowe4r plant.
Comments on wildlife, habitat conservation, public use, recreation, wildfire suppression, prescribed burns, rights-of-way, law enforcement and facilities management along with public outreach would be welcome.
At present both of these parcels are not open to the public; should they be? who should be able to enter? walkers/hikers/birders and horses or bikes? Since money is short should it be open on predetermined days or all the time?
The subject line should state Ellicott Slough and then go on with your comments. Phone 916-414-6502 or fax 916-414-6512 or e-mail FW1Planning-Comments@rl.fws.gov.
The Coastal commission meets Feb 17th to review the property so make your comments soon111111111

Reading all the MBB forced me to take the Panoche Valley tour yesterday - I was not disappointed:
At the pond just before going over the bridge to Hollister there were so many ducks I had to stop: northern shovelers, ruddy ducks, scaup and a dozen Bonapartes gulls started my day.
Paicines reservoir had one of the bald eagles, Canada geese, mallards, coots, American wigeon, northern shovelers, Brewer's and red-winged blackbirds, western bluebirds, great blue heron, great egret, scaup, pied-billed grebes, American kestrel, red-tailed hawks, European startlings, American crows and black phoebe.
On J 1 or heading toward Panoche: the great horned owl was in the cliff opening, ravens, yellow-billed magpies. About 100yards past the big cliff I again found the phainopepla and a roadrunner. Turkey vultures, western scrub jays, Say's and black phoebes, loggerhead shrike, golden-crowned sparrows, song sparrows, wild turkey, house finch, Calif. quail, acorn woodpeckers, white-crowned sparrows and more phainopepla across from the P/W ranch entrance. The pond at Summit ranch had red-breasted merganzers and across from the McCullough Bros ranch sign is a bank with a nest, could not tell who was in it. Up in the Panoche valley there were lark sparrows, meadowlarks and about 100 yards after turning on Little Panoche road I saw a dozen mountain bluebirds. I finished at Mercy Hot Springs with 3 long-eared owls and I guess there are even more but I decided to head home.

Let us know what you decide, Kim. The way you described movement "soaring over open fields," still says harrier to me. Alex, I thought of Osprey, too, but ruled out WTKI because Kim described the birds as light gray underneath.

This morning, on the way to work, just of Frazier Lake Road in San Benito County, I spotted Burrowing Owl in a new location for me. Still quite a few colonies around San Benito -- thank heavens.

It sounds like a white tailed [black shouldered] kite. Could be osprey or maybe they are gulls. Go back to your binocs, Kim.

Hmmmm, that hawk sounds a lot like male Northern Harrier. Possible?

I've got to do the Lone Tree trip soon -- it's only minutes from home, but it's not one of the "usuals."

Awright you birdy folk! I have a pair of raptor-like birds flying around that don't seem to match anything in my bird book. HELP!

They are about the size of a California gull with light grey underside and most of the wing, black cap on head, black on shoulders and wing tips. I forgot to check the shape and color of the tail.
They seem to like soaring over open fields and I haven't seen them land anywhere.

Any theories? Anything else I should look for to identify?

Colette and I took a ride up Lone Tree road today to verify Shirley's sightings. She got them all correct. However, no owl. We did see a hugh flock of meadow larks and lots of lark sparrows and a golden eagle. No roadrunner.

Oops!!!!!!!!! forgot the western bluebirds !!!!

A ride up Lone Tree Road in Hollister today failed to find the roadrunner, however there were Say's & Blk Phoebes, Cal Towhees, y/r warblers, g/c sparrows, house finches, Brewers' blackbirds, meadowlarks, Am. kestrels, r/t hawks, Am crows, 2 wild turkeys and a reward of a burrowing owl !!

For those of you who did not attend the monthly meeting I want to let you know that there is a desalination plant meeting at the slough this Wed the 18th from 6:15-7:30 pm.........space is very limited so if you want to go you MUST contact Becky to see if space is available.......Becky is trying to arrange for CalAm ( the water company) to come to the Feb meeting, however that is not a guarantee !!

Of course, before I do that, I have to relocate "something large" that's living under the cottage. I got a lecture from Mark when I took off with the flashlight the other night..."you don't know what it could be" to which I responded "about the only thing I'm afraid of are Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears, neither of which I have seen walking the dog...oh...and bees" His response..."it COULD be a mountain lion!" (tee hee!)
So I'm picking up a live trap this weekend and see what we get. Stay tuned!

Jeana, if Tricia can't find a place for her, I can probably find a home either at my house or at the pre-school at La Selva. Do you know if they get along with chickens?

Since the big blow ( we had 40 mph winds here) last week we and our immediate neighbors have had a female Turkey in our yards who
obviously is looking for a friendly "flock" and a good home. She is not tame but can be "herded." Her wings are not clipped. We would all like to see her placed where she can be sort of free range and not slaughtered for dinner. I have consulted Tricia Wilson on this but thought I'd put out the word. Jeana

In between showers I stopped at Harkins Slough today and saw coots, ruddy ducks, no. shovelers, yellow-rumped warblers, black phoebe, red-winged & Brewers' blackbirds, Eu. starlings, pied-billed grebes, green-winged teal and the two redheads ( which is why I stopped ) More gulls than I could count so gave up on them and one deceased Virginia rail.

At Jetty road there were ruddy ducks, bufflehead, great & snowy egrets, great blue herons, red-tailed hawk, pied-biled grebes, goldeneyes, brown pelicans all over, surf scoters and eared grebes plus lots of seals and an otter.

For such a short stop at both places I was very happy as I know there were a lot more species

yesterday while driving by Strawberry Rd where it intersects with Elkorn I spotted hundred of dowitchers and 8 blue wing teal !

Thank you Alex for the heads up at Henry Coe Park. Although this posting is late I wanted to mention that the Vermillion Flycatcher was still at Moon Glow Dairy on Monday along with an American pipit. A report of two bald eagles at the Paicines reservoir prompted me to drive up that way after visiting my father and I found one of the bald eagles flying around the lake with 40-50 white pelicans way down at the far end. Very little water in the reservoir

Red was the color of the day at Henry Coe State Park [by Morgan Hill] today. Red crossbill, red breasted nuthatch, red breasted sapsucker and red headed acorn woodpecker. I had forgotten what a marvelous place this was.

We were following in Shirley's tire tracks on Tues. at Merced NWR. Shirley did a very thorough job with very little to add. BB plovers, golden eagle, mersh wren, and yellow headed blackbird. Plenty 0f ibis and marvelous flocks of snow geese and sandhill cranes didn't disappoint.

After the wind storm on Sunday I looked out the window Monday morning and saw sunshine and the paper said clear--so off I went to Merced Wildlife Area and what a treat!!!!
Upon entering I was greeted by the great horned owls then continuing on with pied-billed grebes, American white pelicans, great blue herons, great & snowy egrets, white-faced ibis, greater white-fronted geese, snow geese ( by the thousands) Canada geese, green-winged teal, mallards, northern pintails & northern shovelers everywhere, cinnamon teal, gadwalls, ruddy ducks, turkey vulture, white-tailed kites, northern harriers working the fields, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawks everyone one looked, American kestrels by the dozen, American coots, sandhill cranes by the hundreds ( with 8,000 as the count for this month), killdeer, black-necked stilts, American avocets, greater yellowlegs, least sandpipers, long-billed dowitchers, gulls, mourning doves, northern flickers, tree swallows, scrub jays, yellow-billed magpies, American crows, ruby-crowned kinglets, northern mockingbirds, American pipits all over the roadway, loggerhead shrike, European starlings, yellow-rumped warblers, California towhees, song sparrow, golden-crowned & white-crowned sparrows & Savannah sparrows, red-winged & Brewer's blackbirds, western meadowlarks, house finch and just as I made the last turn a Peregine Falcon !! Great day and great place !!!

Today Colette, Marth and I went birding in the Santa Ana Valley{by Hollister} and had a once in a lifetime experience. The common bird of the day was GOLDEN EAGLE. We counted 37{there could have been more, it's not easy to count that many!} For good measure there was also a prarie falcon, several ferruginous, many kestrils and the usual redtails. Go if you can, it's a great spot.

Forgot to post from Friday afternoon at Jetty Road, but you should stop by if you like birding.
Yesterday ( Monday) Caroline and I made one of many yearly trips to the Merced Wildlife Area and even with overcast and rain we had a pretty good day.
Leaving Caroline's and listing until we reached the wildlife area we saw: white-tailed kites, mallards, buffleheads, pied-billed grebes, double-crested cormorants, white-crowned sparrows, western grebes, belted kingfishers, black phoebe, house finch, European starlings, cattel egret, American crows, red-tailed hawks, rock pigeons and mourning doves. On swy 129 we added turkey vultures, violet & tree swallows, American kestrels, and soap lake provided crows, mallards, Canada geese, great blue herons, ruddy ducks, northern pintails and a mockingbird. We now are getting closer to the wetlands and Merced wildlife area so I will list everyone in one group: more red-tailed hawks, meadlowlarks, American crows, European starlings, tir-colored/Brewer' s& red-winged blackbirds, yellow-billed magpies, American kestrels, loggerhead shrike, mallards, pied-billed grebes, cinnamon teal, northern shovelers, gadwall, white pelicans, Bonaparte gulls, black-crowned night herons, green-winged teal, canvasbacks, great & snowy egrets, great blue herons, white-faced Ibis, white-crowned & gold-crowned sparrows, black-necked stilts, cinnamon teal, greater white-fronted geese, northern pintails, coots and moorhens, killdeer, yellow-rumped warblers, Savannah sparrows, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, American pipits, greater yellowlegs, black phoebes, snow geese, blue-winged teal, least sandpipers, avocets, sharp-shinned hawks, long-biiled dowitchers, dunlin, mourning doves, sandhill cranes, song sparrows, ruby-crowned kinglets and a coyote. Moving over to San Luis ( without repeating any of the above) we had red-shouldered hawk, northern flicker, long-billed curlew and OF COURSE a great horned owl which we missed at Merced. Also the elk and another coyote. All in all a great day of birding!!

well the curiosity got the cat....after I left the slough on Friday I went by Moon Glow Dairy....yes the vermillion flycatcher is still there and gorgeous....HE is partly red as shown in the Nat'l Geo and put on quite a show while I watched.

This morning a gorgeous Harrier put on quite a show for my tour, as well. Jeana
On Sunday, October 10, 2004, at 05:14 , QT - shirley wrote:

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Yesterday on my tour at the slough we saw two of the Great Horned Owls, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, northern flickers, Cooper's hawk and a Peregrine falcon in addition to all the other birds/ducks. It appears our raptors are here for the winter months ( albeit the r/t hawks never leave....

Although very dry a ride up lone tree road in Hollister provided the following: Say's phoebes, western meadowlarks, yellow-billed magpies, western scrub jays, mourning doves, American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, the roadrunner and lots of sparrows who flew before I could i d them...

My friend who is a Park Ranger at Joshua Tree and I explored the Westside, including Wilder Ranch Tuesday morning the 24th. On Wilder Beach there was a large mixed flock of Elegant and Forster's Terns and a hunting White-tailed Kite. It was a misty morning so not many passerines in view. At Younger Lagoon we counted about 80 Red-necked Phalaropes and 7 Great Egrets, a pair of Gadwalls and a dozen Western Sandpipers. At Natural Bridges 32 more RN Phalaropes and several Monarchs, one of which was depositing eggs on the milkweed leaves as we watched. At Neary Lagoon a Kingfisher (female) as well as a pair of Wood Ducks and a very officious Greylag (I think) Goose herding a large gaggle of Mallards. We also saw two Red Slider Turtles and a large Pond Turtle. Jeana de la Torre

Today ( the 24th) Caroline and I took a drive up hwy 1 to Pescadero with a side jaunt up Swanton Road. Not a century day, however we saw: European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves, loggerhead shrikes, red-tailed hawks, killdeer, chestnut-backed chickadees, western scrub jays, California towhees, house finch, song sparrows, Brewer's blackbirds, black oystercatchers, western gulls, brown pelicans, Heerman's gulls, American crows, red-necked phalaropes, pied-billed grebes, American coots, mallards, belted kingfishers, black phoebes, great blue herons, Townsend's warblers, yellow warbler, dark-eyed juncos, hairy woodpecker, pygmy nuthatches, Bewick's wren, turkey vultures, cinnamon teal, great egrets, northern harriers, white-tailed kite family, lesser goldfinch, barn swallows, elegant terns, willets, black turnstones, double-crested cormorants, pelagic cormorants, western gulls, marbled murrelts, marbled godwits, western sandpipers, long-billed curlews, common mergansers, green herons, snowy egrets, greater yellowlegs, wrentit, marsh wren, semi-palmated plovers and caspian terns. Quite an interesting day I would say. Caroline & Shirley

A little late, however last week on Santa Ana road in Hollister I saw an immature Golden Eagle and a "stuffed" pheasant....someone had placed an old pheasant on a fence post --I did a U turn thinking it was live; then realized it was stuffed...was kind of exciting for a minute.....

At Harkins Slough on Sunday the usual birds were seen, however a Virginia rail was seen along with white-faced Ibis and dowitchers are now coming in with least & western sandpipers; about 35 white pelicans were resting on one of the mudflat areas and the red-necked phalaropes were very entertaining....

Thanks for this travelogue. I was in the Tetons and Yellowstone about 8 years ago and loved it, altho' I was a bit shocked about the Beverly-Hillsization of Jackson Hole. Loved the Lodge at the Tetons and we also spent some time in Cody, Wyoming. Where are those lava beds? Jeana
On Sunday, July 25, 2004, at 06:20 , QT - shirley wrote:

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I have a greater appreciation for bird migration having just driven 2 + days to reach the Tetons!!! For those willing to read the following I have listed birds seen at the Grand Tetons plus Yellowstone and then Idaho and Oregon as I return home down the California coast.
The Grant Tetons are indeed grand ! everyone needs to see them and Yellowstone at least once in their lives.
Seen at the Tetons: western grebes, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, Canada geese, American wigeons, red-breasted mergansers, ospreys, bald eagle, northern harriers, prairie falcon, ruffed grouse, American coots, sandhill cranes, killdeer, northern flickers, willow flycatchers, barn and northern rough-winged swallows, gray jays, Clark's nutcrachers, black-billed magies, American crows, common raven, mountain chickadees, red-breasted & white-breasted nuthatches, ruby-crowned kinglets ( singing), American robins, European starlings, yellow warblers, MacGillivrays' warbler, common yellowthroat, western tanagers, chipping sparrows, Savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-crowned sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, red-winged & Brewer' & yellow=headed blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds and house sparrows. Most of these birds were in breeding plumage and singing!! Moving on to Yellowstone ( without repeating birds already listed) brown pelicans, trumpeter swans, mallards, lesser scaup, ruddy ducks, red-tailed hawks, spotted sandpipers, Wilson's phalarope, hairy woodpeckers, violet-green swallows, Swainson's thrush & hermit thrush and yellow-rumped warblers. I wish I could list all the flowers but the sheer volume at both places left me speechless..also seen were deer, elk, marmots, a black bear with a cub; no moose as they were in the high country--but bison standing beside the road like they were movie stars!! Of course all of the geysers were fantastic!! Coming across Idaho we saw rock pigeons & mourning doves western kingbirds, cliff & barn swallows, Wilson's warblers, western meadowlarks and house finches. Coming down the Oregon coast in addition to a family of nutria ( basically a very large rodent ) we added belted kingfishers, Steller's jays, wrentits, western bluebirds, turkey vultures cedar waxwings, spotted towhees & California towhees. As we came down the California coast we encountered great & snowy egrets, red-tailed hawks, California quail, black oystercatchers, killdeer, ring-billed gulls, western gulls and lots of memories that will last a lifetime!!!!!
We also visited Craters of the Moon where the volcanic activity is mind boggling and came thru the McKenzie pass which is even more bizarre than the Craters, in that at the craters the lava is spread over hundred of miles as there was nothing to stop it when the volcano blew; at McKenzie there were other mountains and you have 10' high walls of lava on one side of the road and a forest on the other side !!
All in all it was a great vacation with beautiful weather except for one evening of lighting, thunder & rain but we stayed dry in the tent after cooking dinner under an umbrella !!!!!! Shirley

Just back from a trip to the Columbia River Gorge and saw lots of great flowers there. The Columbia Tiger Lily,Crimson Columbine, tons of purple vetch, huge Cow parsnip, a lavander bush lupins,dogwoods, and many,many more...of course there's the birds too, a nesting osprey being fed by another osprey was great,they're fun to watch fish too. Another fun site was a common merganzer and her brood rafting the Rogue River, a green heron hanging out on the shore and two kingfishers swooping in and out of a little island in the river, vacations are great!!!!!!!

Missing the wildflowers? Want one last shot before summer? Lake Tahoe is ablaze with mountain wildflowers: of those I know ( very few) lupines, paint brush were the most common but so many other white, pink, blue colors that I wish I knew them all. Most birds were the same as here with the exception of black-billed magpies, Clarks' nutcracker and mountain chickadees. Also had fabulous weather.
shirley

A little late with this posting, however two Fridays ago while the plant ladies were doing their walk we spotted one white pelican in the south marsh area; however it had black on top of the head and part way down the nape.....after looking at the bird closely we decided it was not mud but feathers..........Caroline and Marth Kenner decided to research the bird books, and after checking European and Asian bird books they both ( independent of one another) decided to check the Sibley book----yep, sure enough there it was...post-breeding or summer plumage . After 15 years of seeing white pelicans at the slough I finally saw something different .........!!!!!!

A drive to Pescadero and back was interesting in that at Waddell Creek ( at low tide) I saw 7 whimbrels and 3 long-billed curlews foraging at waters edge. A quick stop in Pescadero for a sandwich which I ate in the parking lot of the church just before you cross over the old bridge ( heading north) was a delight...willows, pines and oaks brought out juncos, black phoebes, CHBC's, Wilson's warblers & an orange crown plus one I could not ID as it moved too fast and a female black-headed grosbeak ( heard the male) plus song sparrows --all in a 15 minute stop...the great blue heron rookery has at least 12 nests...I was scoping from Pescadero Road and then realized if I drove up to the new bridge on hwy 1 and pulled into the Pes. State beach parking lot I could endanger myself by running across hwy 1 and there is a path which leads to a levee which 2 people were on and the view from there should be great ( Mel--picture opportunity ? ) ..the small road up to Butano park still has quite a few wildflowers, especiall forget me nots....a great day for a ride.

There were also two RL frogs in the guzzler near Cat-tail Swale
Sunday, one in the water and one on the edge. Jeana
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< replied-to message removed by QT >

Thought a post might prompt some of you to follow Shirley's lead and visit Fremont Peak. We started birding (Santa Cruz Bird Club trip)in the park, right at the small roundabout, at 7 a.m. Saturday. Migrants were singing everywhere. From one spot, we had singing Warbling Vireos, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Wilson's, Orange-crowned and Audubon's Warblers. Good numbers of Hermit Warblers around the campground. Several pair of Rock Wrens visiting crevices around the peak. A pair of House Wrens were carrying insects to their nest, in which young could be heard. Wildflowers are still looking great, the weather was perfect and the park was nearly empty.

Day use fee is $3.

I watched 4 great blue heron nests today for about 20 minutes and finally saw 2 chicks in two different nests;;...so they are just now big enough to start seeing.
The 3 RLFrogs were in guzzler 8 again today; two are dark and the largest one is quite tan; Steve was working on the fountain and they were just hanging out at the guzzler until too many of us came to take a look.

went to the slough today to take a nice quite walk with the plant ladies.....got to the bottom of the hill and around in front of the large barn...then we had a helicopter over above the Packard property flying about 20' off the ground...they then moved down to the pickleweed and then came over the main channel to our side of the slough...still very low...make a few passes by the railroad tracks and then suddenly flew over the new bridge and at 10-15'off the ground circled the entire south marsh/rookery section -had birds taking off everywhere..we called the helicopter number up to the reserve and kept going..there were two guys and they finally headed toward Parsons' slough and then down the main channel...when we left, we had not heard who they were but the warden had found the helicopter...then...where the south marsh trail joins the island/rookery trail we saw two Kestrels on a pole...then they decide to copulate!! and then she flew directly to the box attached to the telephone pole ( that no Kestrel has used that we know of) and went in.....then at guzzler #8 which is the one you see when walking toward Catteil Swale we found 3 red-legged frogs...took picture and gave to Greg...when we got back to the center P G & E was there with a truck to put the baby barn owl back in the box in the large barn....in doing that they counted 4 more in the box ( plus the one that died) means she had 6 to start with and now 5...T. Wilson will check later tonight to see if the smallest one stays in the box or not...so knowing that one kestrel box has kestrels I checked the box near where they were drilling the new well and picked up about a dozen small pellets which I left with T. Johnson to analyze if they are from another kestrel....too much excitement for me so I came home before anything else happened.

Thanks, Shirley, for the report! I'm leading a Santa Cruz Bird Club trip up to Fremont Peak tomorrow morning, and work's prevented me from doing any scouting. Can't wait. We begin along the road just outside the park (I'll have a sign on my car, and I'm tall and balding so I'm easy to spot as some of you already know) at 7 a.m., if anyone else is game.

Should be good for some chaparral species as well as the migrants you mentioned. Rock Wren are also expected, but anything can turn up around the peak this time of year.

Wed a quick ride up to Fremont Peak revealed quite a few wildflowers; however I did not have any of the plant ladies with me so if you want to see them---go now as they will not last much longer. As we started up the canyon we had wild turkeys, Calif quail and as we climbed to the top we heard/saw Wilson's warblers, wrentits, black-headed grosbeaks, song sparrows, American goldfinch near the observatory, juncos, a raven and so many western bluebirds in the oaks near the camp area/parking lot that I could not count them. All in all a nice ride.

on 4/16/04 9:21 AM, QT - Mark Paxton at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

Mark: the loon was at Kirby both mornings, however moves around later in the day.....I am excited that Greg was at work and could document what I reported because I know how hard it is to get people to believe what you see.....needless to say I am delighted that Don backed up Greg's pictures so there can be no doubt.....I would try again tomorrow morning, but as you know birds do whatever they want...thanks for the e-mail.
shirley
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Wow! Shirley, you must know that a Yellow-billed Loon IN the slough proper is quite an event. I am unaware of any records that far inland. Cool! Does anyone know if the bird is still present? It would be worth playing hooky from work this afternoon for a quick trip over. Thanks for the post.

on my way to the slough this morning I stopped at Kirby Park and saw a yellow -billed loon....I then drove to the slough and got Greg to come and take a picture...first one I have ever seen in the slough.

Today the great horned owl was in the tall tree at the winery on the corner of 25 and Panoche--I think that is the correct corner designation--the babies are still in the bare cliff; and when I pulled over to look at the babies I watched a bobcat cross the road behine me in my rear view mirror..

thanks to the docents and staff who purchased books last night at the meeting; we are depositing $19.00 more into our account from the sale of used books!!

Reading the postings about the ( west ) Pinnacles forced Alex, Colette, Elenita and myself to ride up there yesterday. Well, we did not see a condor or a praire falcon, however we had a great time. Elenita is listing the flowers/plants in bloom and I am listing the birds and some of the butterflies : sharp-shinned hawk, rock pigeon, European starlings, American crows, red-winged blackbirds, northern harrier, house finch, Brewers' blackbirds, mourning doves, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, white-crowned & golden-crowned sparrows along with song and Savannah sparrows, yellow-billed magpies, a roadrunner, American kestrels, western kingbirds, California quail, California & spotted towhees, western scrub jays, tree/violet-green/northern rough-winged swallows, white-tailed kites, meadowlarks, horned larks, Anna's & Allen's hummingbirds, western bluebirds, Lazuli bunting, oak titmice, northern flicker, black phoebe, blue-gray gnatcatcher on her nest !, black=headed grosbeak, dark-eyed junco, raven, white-throated swift, California thrashers, yellow-rumped warbler, wrentit, house wrens, bushtits, house sparrows, lesser goldfinch, killdeer and on our way out of the park, three phainopepla in an oak tree with mistletoe. We also saw several butterflies ( some we identified but some are still being studied ) sara orange tip, swallowtail, California sister, pygmy blue, common blue and checkerspot. One gorgeous butterfly with glowing orange antennae !

I chose to ignore the sign at Long Valley loop and walk down -- just because....between where the work was done and the bench that is there is a lovely patch of lupine......gorgeous!!!

at the docent meeting Tuesday there will be several books for sale that have been donated: there will also be a few of the books removed from the library: however the really great books will be auctioned at the December auction.......bring your money or checkbook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today at west struve slough while working with 5th graders from Amesti school I had the opportunity to see 3 American bitterns fly in and land in the reeds...that was great, however after a short time 2 bitterns moved closer to us ( still in the reeds) and the male showed the expanded white patches on his back...called repeatedly until the female eventually came to his calling site; at which time they copulated..then disappeared for awhile..the male then re-appeared and we watched him ( head erect) for more than an hour..could not see where the female went. So, it appears that American bitterns may indeed, nest at West Struve Slough when the conditions are right...what an exciting day---this is in addition to many other ducks and terrestrial birds we all saw.
At Elkhorn Slough ( later today) I saw a green heron at Cattail Swale...my first of the year.....

Hi Shirley and Co.,

The rookery used to be on the west side of the swale, and eucs were used. Some blowdowns occurred, and the action shifted to its present location.

Even though I live in Hollister, I've not been up Lone Tree this spring, but I LOVE that road. Been bicycle birding on Quien Sabe and Santa Ana Valley/Santa Anita Roads quite a bit, though. If you can get there soon, check the north end of Santa Ana Valley -- there are acres and acres of shooting stars blooming.

Another San Benito County note: Debi Shearwater located a Bald Eagle nest in the county, but because of its sensitive nature, prefers not to divulge its exact location. We've been checking in on the family, however, and are hoping for fledglings soon!

On Tuesday I was again on Lone Tree Road with mockingbirds, magpies, sparrows, hawks, kestrels and 3 wild turkeys and that roadrunner !! s/he was in the middle of a large field of grass catching bugs and totally unconcerned that we were watching.

Yesterday I drove up highway 1 and stopped at the Pescadero turn off and looked across the marsh to the huge eucalyptus grove on the other side and saw a fairly large rookery of great blue herons--maybe they will use eucalyptus at the slough when the pines give out?

It was fabulous...one minor detail: the Swifts we saw were
White-throated. Jeana
On Monday, April 5, 2004, at 07:44 , QT - Annie Mc wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

The birds on the Pinnacles trip were fantastic - we pretty much saw everything we went to see: golden eagles, yellow-billed magpies, Am. kestrels, red-winged blackbirds, Ca. quail, house finches, Western kingbirds, red tailed hawks, violet-green/ tree/cliff/barn swallows, starlings, N. harrier, phainopepla, white-breasted nuthatch, mourning doves, Am. crows, common ravens, cedar waxwings, W. meadowlarks, scrub jays, W. bluebird, turkey vultures, golden-crowned sparrows, black phoebe, Ca thrasher, ash-throated flycatcher, wren sp., Ca towhee, prairie falcon, canyon wren (heard, not seen), orange-crowned warbler, Anna's hummingbird, Pacific- slope flycatcher, ash-throated swifts, N. flicker, and last, but most certainly not least: California condor #87 - he waited 'til the end of the day, but hey! Better late than never...great day, great fun, great company.

Annie will post the fabulous bird sightings for a trek to the West Pinnacles, but we also saw many wildflowers: Many Zygadedes, hillsides of Buckbrush, drifts of owl's clover, johnny-jump-ups, goldfields, fiddlenecks and poppies coloring swaths of slopes. Roadsides graced with yarrow, red thistle, paint brush, filaree, wild cukumber and blue/purple lupines. A few monkey-flowers, bush and stream; bright patches of shooting stars, shiny buttercups, blue witch. Up on the Balconies trail the rock faces were draped with succulents- live-for-ever?- not yet in bloom, but wallflowers were in the draws, larkspur bloomed along the trail with blue-dicks, popcorn flowers and chinese houses. A wild clematis (virgin's bower) was in full bloom. The welcomed shady bits of trail had lovely snaggles of fiesta flower, and healthy populations of poison oak! Vetch and lomatium and wild parsley (?) (we were a little vague with this group) rounded out the flowers noted.
I probably missed some, so go see for yourselves soon, before the heat wilts us all.
Caroline

The Plant Ladies plus one had a very successful combined wildflower and birding trip to southern Monterey county and San Benito County. Wide variety of bloomers--no spectacular vistas but plenty to see. Here are the highlights: Sky lupine are fairly abundant along the roadsides. Gloria road gave us Elderberry,sticky monkey,Calif.poppy,fiddleneck,cow clover, bush lupines,tree tobacco,blue witch,deer weed,miniature lupine, Chinese houses,lace pod,yarrow,lots of shooting stars,tomcat clover,Indian paintbrush, lomatium,wild pea,miner's lettuce,Sanicle,wild cucumber,pearly everlasting,black sage,white and blue fiesta flower,larkspur,bush poppy,woodland stars, blue dicks,milkmaid,zygadine,saxifrage,butter cups,popcorn flower,caenothus,gold fields,Johnny jumpups,peppergrass,owls clover. Along route 25 there were clematis,wall flower,mule eared daisy. Lots of hoary cress,unfortunately. Up Lone Tree road we added woodmint,creekside mimulus,hounds tongue,purple sanicle,false Solomon's seal,giant trillium, butter and eggs,baby blue eyes, fuschia flowering gooseberry. There were some incredible patches of these flowers and this is just the beginning of the season. should be a good wildflower year.
















zygadene

Our own docents - Elenita Mathew and Caroline Rodgers along with some other artists are presenting a show at the Copy Bean on Main Street in Watsonville starting Thursday April 1st and lasting all month. The artists reception will be Thursday April 8th from 6 pm to 8pm for those of you who wish to see the talents of our own peers and maybe imbibe (?) a little.

Today Alex, Colette, Elenita, Laura and myself took a ride down 101 to Gloria Road on a wildflower trip; I am reporting on the birds we saw and Colette will list the flowers. So we saw American robins, western bluebirds, mourning doves, American crows, rock pigeons, house finches, mallards, European starlings, Brewer's blackbirds, Savannah sparrows, horned larks, lesser goldfinches, tree swallows, meadowlarks, American goldfinches, turkey vultures, lark sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, Lawrence's goldfinches, red-tailed hawks, western kingbirds, Bullocks oriole, California quail, western scrub jays, northern flickers, dark-eyed juncos, ravens, barn swallows, killdeer, yellow-billed magpies, red-winged blackbirds, American coots, violet-green swallows, bushtits, black phoebe, oak titmice, California & spotted towhees, a phainopepla, yellow-rumped warblers, coopers hawk, song sparrows, American kestrel, white-tailed kite and turning onto hwy 25 at the reservoir we saw great blue herons, great egret, northern harriers, Canada geese and the red-tailed hawk nest with mom in it but missed the bald eagle. At the corner goint to Blossom Hill Winery we saw a great horned owl in a tall tree next to the old pump house and continued down the road to see the baby owl in the cliff. We then drove back down hwy 25 to Fairview and over to Lone Tree Road and saw golden-crowned sparrows, golden eagle, Say's phoebe, chipping sparrow, Stellar's jay and another roadrunner! Also seen were hundreds of squirrels, plus rabbits and deer plus what I believe to have been a badger; however it was a very long ways from us.

Yesterday I drove over Pacheco Pass and noticed lots of poppies and shooting stars..
Today I took my parents on a ride up Lone Tree Road in Hollister to check for flowers: poppies , some lupine and fiddleneck but a bit too early for this road; however I also saw 4 wild turkeys, red-tailed hawk, kestrel, magpies, crows, sparrows spp and some lark sparrows and for the first time ever in all the years I have traveled this road a ROADRUNNER...

In our most recent raptor monitoring, we were delighted to find a Great Horned Owl parent and nestling in Nest #25, the one that had Red-tails last year, visible in the eucs overhanging the North
Marsh, when scoping west from the corner of Campagna Way. Linda Jordan, Jeana de la Torre, Caroline Rodgers

WOW--what a day to go birding. Starting at Jetty Road then Moss Landing Wildlife Area and continuing on to the Del Mar beaach before heading to Roberts Lake and then Laguna Grande with additional stops at The Frog Pond and Laguna Seca and a final stop at Locke Paddon Park we saw 80 species of birds/ducks.
Starting at Jetty & MLWA we saw black-bellied plovers in breeding plumage, snowy egrets, great egrets, marbled godwits, eared grebes, bufflehead, long-billed curlews, American kestrels, willets, great blue herons, western gulls, Canada geese, white-crowned sparrows, western meadowlarks, house finch, red-breasted mergansers, surf scoters, double-crested cormorants, western grebe, belted kingfishers, European starlings, Brewer's blackbirds, killdeer, American avocets in breeding plumage, Brant's cormorants, common loon, Savannah sparrows, greater yellowlegs, cinnamon teal, black phoebes, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, Forsters' terns, red-tailed hawk, American crow,. Moving on to Seaside and beyond; white-winged scoters, Heerman's gulls, rock pigeons, peregrine falcon sitting in the U of the Embassy Suites, sora rail, golden-crowned sparrows, song sparrows, ruddy ducks, pied-billed grebes, yellow-rumped warblers (Audobon), Townsend's warblers, dark-eyed juncos, chestnut-backed chickadees, red-shouldered hawk, turkey vultures, western scrub jays, American coots, ruby-crowned kinglets, bushtits, mallards, Wilson's warblers, downy woodpecker, Bewicks' wren, Pacific-slope flycatcher, cedar waxwings, American goldfinch, Anna's hummingbird, tri-colored blackbirds, common yellowthroats, western bluebird, wild turkeys, acorn woodpeckers, northern rough-winged swallows, barn swallows, California gulls, black-necked stilts, wrentit, common raven, California towhee, California quail, northern mockingbird, American robin, blue-winged teal and an Allen's hummingbird. Thanks to Caroline for making this a great birding day and EVERYONE#####
GO BIRDING !!!!!!! Caroline Rodgers and Shirley Murphy.

if you haven't been out lately - check the rookery: about 10 great blue herons plus one egret were in the trees yesterday ( 3/12) but on the way in on Elkhorn at north marsh area there were probably 100 + egrets feeding in the shallow water...plus a lot of other birds/ducks, these just stood out more.
the bluebirds & swallows are still discussing who gets which box..hope they make the decision soon.

forgot to mention on Thursday ( the 4th) that there is a dual between the tree swallows and western blue birds as to which box each will use for nesting; appears the bluebirds are hanging on to the box on the inside of the fence of the maintenance yard....perhaps someone can continue to watch the action and report back if this is the final decision.

while the plant ladies did their walk today; we saw the great blue herons starting to claim their territories at the rookery!!!! Not ready to nest build yet, but claiming a particular spot...

I love the ocean and the rewoods; however every now and then I must go to the desert. Took a short trip to Tucson and on my first day at Saguaro monument ( east) saw a javalina plus curved-billed thrasher, American crows, ravens, cactus wrens everywhere! gila woodpeckers, verdin, house sparrows, phainopepla, northern cardinals, mourning doves everywhere you went. Anna's hummingbirds and lesser goldfinch.
The second day my friend took me to Madera Canyon and in less than 1 hour I saw: American kestrels, Allen hummingbirds, red-naped sapsuckers, western scrub jays, bridled titmouse, white-breasted nuthatches, dark-eyed juncos, white-crowned sparrows, house finch and red-tailed hawk plus many of the other birds already listed.
The third day I played golf and while navigating the course saw mallards, coots, American wigeon, Gamel's quail and vermilion flycatchers plus many other species already listed.
I will not list the birds seen at the desert museum as most of them are caged....there was one redhead in an area that was open to the outside.
Would you believe two days in the 80's ?
Nice to go and nice to come home.

I echo Trudi, Mel and Alex's comments. It was a very nice trip. Standing on the bluff overlooking the rookery was pretty stunning seeing the last time I was there as a kid, it was nothing more than the bachelors who couldn't get dates.
Being one who plans day trips for 46 people at a time, I know first hand how much work goes into putting these things together. Of course, I have the benefit of having all my attendees captive on a bus!
Thank you Jackie and everyone else who was involved! It was a good day all around!
(plus I got to "red-line" my Miata on the way back!)

Oh! And speaking of turkeys...occasionally, when I go to Carmel, there is a flock (?) of wild turkeys that roost in the center divide just before Sand City. Took me a couple of trip to figure it out. I don't know too many birds...but I know turkeys!

Took a ride out Lone Tree road in Hollister yesterday and was quite pleased with the birding. several western bluebirds highlighted the day with Calif towhees, kestrels, red-tailed hawks, yellow billed magpies, western scrub jays, meadowlarks, savannah plus w/c and g/c sparrows and some other sparrows I could not get close enough to make a decision. Alas, I was too late in the day for wild turkeys!

thanks to Jackie for making all the plans and it was terrific , day, weaather, and seals. lunch was fun too. lets do more of these, great to be with people. time for a weekend trip. it has been a couple of years since we went to sacramento wildlife aarea.
Trudi and Mel

QT - alex <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com> wrote:
< replied-to message removed by QT >

An intrepid group braved forcasted storms to bird the Merced and San Luis WLAs today. High winds kept many birds down, but by lunchtime at Merced we'd seen starling, kestrel, TVs, Red-shouldered Hawk, Western Meadowlark, crow, Great & Snowy Egret, GBH, 2 Blad Eagles, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, coot, RT Hawk, Canvasback, DC Cormorant, shoveler, Pied-billed Grebe, Cinn. & GW Teal, Mallard, Brewers & Red-wing Blackbird, avocet, stilt, LB Dowicher, Greater & 1 Lesser Yellowleg, Killdeer, WF Ibis, Sandhill Crane, YB Magpie, WS Jay, several GH Owls, Snow Goose, White-fronted Goose, Amer. Pipit, YR Warbler; Tree Swallows very busy over the Merced ponds. WC & Savannah Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Wh.Pelican, Horned Lark, pintails, Blk Phoebe, Gadwall, Ring-bill Gull feasting on a crawdad (it's nearly lunch for us too!), red-shafted No. Flicker, Sora, Mockingbird. As most of us organized lunch in the car, a Bittern flew over & stalled in the wind - a great look. Hermit Thrush appeared briefly. Mobs of Blk-bellied Plover & Dunlin foraged in the pond as the predicted rain hit. Ferruginous Hawk held still for ID.
Over to San Luis through torrential rain, dwindling to drizzle as we arrived; finally ceasing. Belted Kingfisher greeted us there, followed by Wood Duck, Spotted Towhee,WT Kite, RN Pheasant, RN Duck, Ca.Towhee, Cooper's Hawk, Ca Quail, Rock Pigeon, Sharp-shinned Hawk. Stopped at O'Neil Forebay en route home for Clark & Western Grebe, Scaup sp., Com. Goldeneye, House Finch (finally!), Amer Goldfinch, and the ever-popular MoDo.
Thanks to driver Shirley Murphy, spotters Pat Raugust (with new binocs), Alex Darocy & Colette King.
-Caroline Rodgers.

In a light drizzle (bless the AWD), the Back-40 Bird-monitoring team observed a Barn Owl in her box behind the rookery, and a nesting pair in the upside-down box at the North Marsh overlook. The male took off just as Linda was looking for pellets, and flew full tilt just over her head! At the nest visible from Campagna Way, we saw a buffy female Red-Tail doing some house-cleaning. Linda, Jeana, Caroline

Caroline and I made a trip to the Panoche area and saw about 55 species of birds and a coyote. Mourning doves, European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, Brewer's blackbirds, western scrub jays, song and savannah sparrows, white-crowned sparrows everywhere, oak titmice, lark sparrows, house finch, western meadowlarks, a roadrunner that allowed exceptional views, California quail, dark-eyed juncos, ruby-crowned kinglet, lesser goldfinch, horned larks, killdeer, western bluebirds and on the BLM road off Panoche we had about 50-70 mountain bluebirds with their neon blue colors! American pipit, phainopepla in the oaks where the mistletoe is at, snowy & great egrets, great blue herons, white pelicans, American coots, black & Say's phoebes, American wigeon, ruddy ducks, pied-billed & western grebes, bufflehead, common mergansers, double-crested cormorants, ring-necked ducks, greater yellowlegs, American avocet, common goldeneye, white-tailed kites, red-tailed hawks, loggerhead shrike, American kestrels on all the roads, northern flicker, turkey vultures spreading and drying their wings in the sun, 2 bald eagles at the reservoir, American crows, ravens, yellow-billed magpies, acorn woodpeckers, ferruginous hawk that gave superb views and a golden eagle. Great day and great company....go see the mountain bluebirds !!!!!!!!

Speaking of herons - I noticed on my way to work this morning that there were over a dozen gbh's in the Harbor eucs. Seems kind of early for them to be seeking out nesting sites???

Are herons and egrets on the endangered list? We just took a trip to Eureka and was amazed at all the herons and egrets in the fields looking for lunch! They sure don't seem too endangered there!

So noted Alex...I'll let you know next time so you can join me. I guess it was a bit much to haul the whale carcass back to my backyard. Not sure how to get the smell out of the Miata...Febreeze perhaps?
I won't go too public that Agnes was .... the horror!.... off leash!

Today I dug up lilies from woodlot 6 and put them in a wheelbarrow--if anyone wants them they are in the maintenance yard...soon to be gone....there are also lilies by the ESF office that need to be removed...if you want any please ask Kim, Cammy or Andrea and they will give you approval to remove them.

Sat . the weather was beautiful and the white pelicans at north marsh plus great & snowy egrets, great blue herons and all the other ducks was marvelous.....get out and see!!!!!!!!!

I thought you knew that it is illegal to pick up anything on the beach. Please leave it lie.

Happy New Year to all!
I have spent a few delightful days wandering around our little center of the universe and am doubly convinced that we are indeed that. Took the car and Agnes of Dog and headed north yesterday. After a couple of hours being bullied in traffic in S.F., we headed for the coast. Took a break to stretch our legs at Ocean Beach. I was amazed to see what a dump it was. The requisite seagulls of course...but also pigeons on the beach digging through trash! We are so fortunate to have such nice beaches locally. We had to detox by heading out to Moss Landing where dolphins were playing out by the jetty. Also...and this is specifically for Alex...with the rough seas lately, lots of beach glass in the surf! I got quite a handful just strolling along. Mostly green but also a few pieces of coveted cobalt blue along with some shell fragments of the most impossible purple!
Hope everyone had a nice holiday!
-K

Well, the weather was iffy, the company delightful and the Black Rail on strike....Caroline & I made a trip to the Baylands yesterday for high tide and the possibility of seeing the infamous black rail; who decided not to cooperate. What we did see however, was delightful. Turkey vultures, northern harriers, northern shovelers, American coots, mallards, ruddy ducks, ring-billed gulls, greater scaup, pintails, avocets, black-necked stilts, canvasback, great & snowy egrets, willets, yellowlegs, black crowned night herons, great blue herons, dowitchers, pied-billed grebes, gadwall, American bittern and a life bird for me: the clapper rail ( as a matter of fact 4 ). Also seen were song sparrows, black phoebe, Brewer's blackbirds, golden-crowned and white-crowned sparrows, common yellowthroat and a beautiful merlin. Then the rain returned and we headed home.

Hi, Folks on the QT message board,
I'd like to remind you that the next Conservation Book Club meeting will be on January 21st at 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Reserve conference room. Don't miss it. We will be discussing the book,"Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner, in case you forgot. If you don't feel like reading the whole mighty tome, Don't worry, you can check out the videos from the Watsonville Public Library. I have waded through it all as well as the videos, and I think it is a must read/see for all active conservationists. Such scandaous boondoggles and pork barrel shinannigans our trusted elected officials allowed to happen! It may not make you happier to have read it, or seen the video, but you will be wiser.
We will be picking out another book for the March meeting and we will be setting the date. Your input is crucial to the process. It is important that we pick books that folks want to read.
I might add that those of us who have been coming have enjoyed simple but tasty snack food at these events, so bring something that makes you salivate and talk. Everybody has a good time.

Best wishes for the holidays,
Marian

On my way home from Jackson I swung by Merced Wildlife area and saw most of the items listed for Dec 4th; without the bald eagle....very few cranes.
the best news is I talked with one of the guys that run the place: in the entire area 3 weeks ago they counted 10,000 cranes and also geese, due to the rains the birds are scattered all over in small groups...the next great news is that there is an agreement between Fish & Game and the duck clubs that F & G will not cut the corn down until duck season is over--because that will draw them away from hunting areas and into the reserve...they plan on cutting the corn starting in Feb. which is late but I guess duck season ran one week later than last year--so birding should be good in Feb. I also drove thru San Luis but instead of the Tule Elk loop I took the waterfowl loop--I was not as impressed with it until the very end when I saw about 7 swans--they were quite a ways away so not sure--the immature looked more like trumpeter than tundra but without a scope I could not confirm.

shirley

Will despite my fears I drove to Ano Nueve to join Todd Newberry in a raptor walk......IT DID NOT RAIN...however extreme overcast to the point of being misty and very windy......we saw red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, northern harriers, white-tailed kites, ravens, turkey vultures and a song sparrow....at the pond we also saw coots, ruddy ducks, eared grebes, brown pelicans, western & Calif gulls; the highlight for me was a red-tailed hawk 'kiting' over the water catching the updraft from the bluff and EATING what ap[eared to be a mouse or vole. S/he transferred the animal from talon to talon while tearing it apart in mid-air.......even Todd was impressed!!

Despite the overcast skies Caroline and I set off for the Los Banos area yesterday; however before leaving her home area we saw 6 Wilson's snipe. The others birds listed were either seen on the way over, on the way back or at the Tule Elk loop at San Luis or at the Merced Wildlife area. They are not listed in any semblance of order or importance:
American pipits, mallards, turkey vultures, orange crowned warblers, American coots, American kestrels, black phoebes, savannah sparrows, lark sparrows, northern shovelers, northern shrikes, California quail, great blue herons, pied-billed grebes, American crows, white-tailed kite, white-crowned & golden-crowned sparrows, canvasbacks, northern harriers, European starlings, Brewer's and red-winged blackbirds, white-faced Ibis, barn owl and great horned owls, meadowlarks, yellow-billed magpies, great and snowy egrets, double-crested cormorants, black-necked stilts, American avocets, loggerhead shrikes, tree swallows, mourning doves, yellow-rumped warblers, green-winged and blue-winged teal, northern pintails, cinnamon teal, northern flickers, killdeer, marsh wrens, Lincoln's sparrow, hermit thrush, moorhens, ring-necked pheasants, mockingbirds, ruby-crowned kinglets, song sparrows, least sandpipers, greater yellowlegs, short-billed dowitchers, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, American goldfinch, juncos, horned larks, common merganser, dunlin, ring-necked ducks, gadwall, long-billed curlews, greater white-fronted geese, sharp-shined hawk, Coopers' hawk and of course, sandhill cranes and snow geese. As we entered the Merced area we noticed the snow geese were very disturbed and unsettled. Then we saw the bald eagle flying over and the mystery was solved. The weather remained heavily overcast all day but with about 73 species ( and I am sure others not seen) we felt it had been a successful outing.

With dubious skies Caroline and I joined Todd Newberry and the S.C.Bird Club on Sunday at Jetty Road. Thru a fine mist we located: common loon, eared grebes, brown pelicans, pelagic & double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, great and snowy egrets, mallards, northern pintails, surf scoters, bufflehead, red-breasted mergansers, American kestrel, black-bellied plovers, black-necked stilts, American avocets, willets, whimbrel, long-billed curlews, marbled godwits, ruddy turnstones, western and least sandpipers, dunlin, short-billed dowitchers and gulls ! California/Heermann's/mew/ring-billed/herring/Thayer's/western and a 1st year glaucous-winged bull. Moving on to other species: Forster's terns, black phoebe, Say's phoebe, yellow=rumped warbler and a white-crowned sparrow. At this time Caroline & I drove to the reserve and saw several western scrub jays, American robins all over the place, American crows, white-crowned sparrows, California and spotted towhees all from the parking lot. The rain started coming down in earnest so we called it a day. Todd was scheduled to go to Kirby Park but it was hide tide and we saw nothing and did not wait for Todd ( if he came in the rain). All in all a great bird day considering the weather....

Thanks Alex: and on Friday Kathryn H. and I went out in the MLML boat and counted egrets/herons/ducks while the student & instructor did shorebirds. Thousands of sandpipers & hundreds of dunlin plus western & Calif and ring-billed & Bonaparte's gulls and both snowy & great egrets, great blue herons, northern shovelers, pintails, green-winged teal, greater scaup, double-crested cormorants and 1 Brant c. plus otters and seals mallards, pied-billed grebes, eared grebes and western grebes...that is all I remember and that it was quite COOL......

Check out Cattail Swale. With only about an inch of water and lots of mud, there was a nice flock of feeding dowitchers.

Soooooo.....Why not move the potluck/auction up a month? I'm sure things will go a lot faster with a few cocktails under our belts.

And I guess there still IS a glitch in the system...I'll take a look at it next time Agnes and I are out there.

Meanwhile...stay out of the porno sites with my name. I have enough trouble as it is. >:-)

OK, so typos are catching. I jumped the gun on the auction, which of course is in Dec. The erosion control still is on Tues., Nov 11, which is the docent meeting, but not potluck/auction. I think it's time to call it a day.
See 'ya,
Tricia

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hi all,
This is a correction of a message sent to all docents regarding the brush matting erosion control project. The day is TUESDAY Nov. 11 (docent potluck/auction day), not Mon.
 Kim, if this message says it's from you, there's still a glitch somewhere.
Hope to see you all at the auction!
Tricia W.

I caught a PBS special several months ago that I am assuming was based on the book. It was a true eye opener for me! I had known about many "parts" of the great water grab but had never known how all of them worked together.

I agree....a MUST see or read (I guess if it's a book club, you probably should read it).

Friends;
 I am deep in reading the book, Cadillac Desert, by Marc Reisner. It is a long and heavy tome, but well worth the effort. Most of you probably have read it, but in case you haven't and do want to participate in the Conservation Book Club event on JANUARY 21ST, 2004, then I have a suggestion; it can be found on video at the Watsonville Public Library. I think it is a terrific, must read book for all of us who care about the future protection of what's left of the Earth. See you soon, Marian

Does anyone have any more information on the "reckless driving accident" at Moonglow yesterday (posting by D. Roberson on MBB ) ? I hope it wasn't anyone we know. Jeana

Took my mom for a ride yesterday and in visiting my dad we ended up going to the Pinnacles...HOT HOT HOT. Just from the road we saw black tailed deer, wild turkeys and wild pigs/boars IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY....too many quail to count and gave up counting the acorn woodpeckers near the visitors center.

Following Shirley's lead, I spent my morning off Wednesday exploring the Westside. At Lighthouse Field there was a very handsome juvenile Kestrel perched atop a Cypress and Monarchs flitting around the eucs. On the rocks at the end of Almar was a single Black Oystercatcher. At Natural Bridges, more Monarchs: I watched a female nectaring on a milkweed flower, and an airborne menage-a-trois become a couple. It was a morning of insectivores. Between markers 3 and 5 there were a family (or small flock) of Pygmy Nuthatches insecting the dying pines along the trail, a Yellow Warbler and a Wilson's in the willows, and an Empid which could have been either a Hammond's or a Dusky, I couldn't tell for sure- just caught a glimpse. I'm inclined toward Hammond's as the eye-ring was pronounced and the plumage didn't look particularly worn. Further along was a Red-breasted Sapsucker boring holes. More Monarchs were feeding on the Marsh Baccarus, there was a mixed flock of finches (mostly Lesser Gold- and House) near the pond, and a lone Killdeer foraging for brine flies. Just as I was wondering where the raptors were, a Cooper's Hawk soared over the parking lot. Lovely morning. Jeana de la Torre

Yesterday ( 30th) I visited the Westlake pond to see if anyone other than coots, mallards and red-winged blackbirds were in attendance; alas no one else.
Moving on to the UCSC arboretum for a short visit I saw a red-tailed hawk fly over plus western scrub jays and California towhees everywhere with chestnut-backed chickadees in good attendance and a Bewicks' wren scolded me quite nicely. An "Oregon" junco led me to the Anna and Allen hummingbirds who were everywhere. One other hummer would not sit anywhere so I was not able to I D it, however it was nice to see so many hummers in one place.
Moving on to Younger Lagoon I only found killdeer and mallards; no one else was home while I visited.
Natural Bridges was very interesting when entering from Delaware and walking behine the eucs: a kestrel was eating a mouse, a young peregrine had just caught a morning dove and a raven was extremely vocal about the falcon being there. None of the warblers were moving so my other birds were the chestnut-backed chickadees, Calif. & spotted towhees, dark eyed 'Oregon" type juncos. The pond had both scrub and Stellar jays plus mallards and a female pintail and a male wood duck. The monarchs are returning with about 250 in attendance plus some caterpillars and chrysallis in the enclosure by the visitors center. Time was short at each point so I am positive I missed some of the smaller birds, but a beautiful day....!!!

Ooooooohhhhh....did you get a chance to reunite the woman with her purse?

Sorry I missed it....back on my fall schedule. I had to work on Saturday... :-(
Sounds like you did a fine job!
My favorite memory was working with Barbara Poole the first year I did it and we went along the Kirby Park Nature Conservancy trail. I was up on this hillside hauling out some really juicy trash when Barbara informed me I was standing in a thicket of poison oak. Fortunately, I was still not reactive then and came out none worse for wear.
Of course, Alex crawling down hillsides and us making a fireman's line to pull him and a gross of tires back out was kind of fun too. And the time I yealled at a speeding car only to discover later it was Sam Farr and his entourage. Ooops!

Great time with coastal cleanup. Best turnout of people ever. Our best finds: enough car parts to assemble a whole car, 2 fine televisions, a toilet seat and a woman's purse complete with wallet and ID. Gatherers---Alex and Colette, Marth and Michael and Ellie Satow.

Had 4 men from Minnesota on my tour today and after the slough we went to Moon Glow Dairy where we had the usual plus a pectoral sandpiper and one of the men also does butterflies - so the Western pygmy blue was a new one for him.....should have seen the pictures he took...I have a card and will check out his web page and post it for anyone interested..also went to Pajoro river mouth for the snowy plover...I think they went away happy and have a pelagic trip tomorrow....

I had a fabulous time! Just the right proportion of "alone time" and being with my Sloughy friends. Nothing like catching a little nap to the rumble of the engines and the rocking of the boat. Although, I think riding the swells on the way back was my fave.
Oh...and the time that we had to hit the "brakes" and reverse engines to avoid a whale that was heading right at us was pretty cool! Hearing the blows and even feeling the vibration on close ones was pretty amazing.
I took a trip out about a year ago and we found a bunch of dolphins (Heidi estimated about a 1000) and we could hear them sound off the hull. That was great too!

Thanks Kathryn's mom for having her on a good Whaling day. My birthday is in mid November...any takers?

Thanks to everyone who had a chance to go out and watch the whales and birds Sunday. The docent count was excellent, especially with such short notice. It was a pleasure to share my birthday with all of you. A special thanks to the still anonymous donor who paid for my ticket.

Kathryn Hannay

On a whale-watching boat trip out of Moss Landing with Sanctuary Cruises, a group of docents from Elkhorn Slough and friends were treated to incredibly close looks at surfacing and feeding Blue Whales, some of which came up right next to our boat, displaying flukes, pectoral fins and mouths. The weather was perfect, seas were calm, and bird-spotters also saw at least 50 adult and immature Murres, thousands of Sooty Shearwaters feeding and one immature Rhinosceros Auklet, which also swam right next to the boat. Several times we were able to observe a parent Murre interacting with young (calling and response). A most rewarding trip. Jeana de la Torre

Yesterday ( 31st) Caroline and I joined Todd Newberry and the S.C.bird club at Jetty Road and then Moon Glow Dairy for some birding. Starting at Jetty Road: pied-billed grebes, brown & American pelicans, couble-crested/pelagic/Brandt's cormorants, great blue herons, great & snowy egrets, mallards, surf scoter, red-breasted merganser, black-bellied plovers, semipalmated plovers, willets, long-billed curlews, marbled godwits, sanderlings, western & least sandpipers, red-necked phalaropes, Heermann's gulls, ring-billed & western gulls, Caspian & elegant terns, barn swallows, song sparrows, Brewer's blackbirds were all in attendance. Moving on to Moon Glow Dairy: brown & American pelicans in the 100's, great blue herons, mallards, great & snowy egrets, turkey vultures, white-tailed kite, northern harrier, red-tailed & red-shouldered hawks, American coots, killdeer, black-necked stilts, American avocets, least & western sandpipers plus one pectoral sandpiper, red-necked phalaropes, ring-billed gull, rock doves,black phoebes, loggerhead shrike, American crows, northern rough-winged swallows, barn swallows, chestnut-backed chickadees, pygmy nuthatches, brown creeper, European startlings, Townsend's warbler, Wilson's warbler, California towhees, song sparrows, brown-headed cowbirds, red-winged + tricolored blackbirds and Todd saw an immature yellow-headed blackbird which Caroline and I missed; house finches and house sparrows were in abundance. Caroline & I then left the group and went to Zmudowsky beach for lunch and saw a marsh wren, sora, American goldfinches and white-crowned sparrows. By now we were birded out and called it a day. Many thanks to Todd for his expertise and patience.

I love the Internet!
I have spent the last few days keeping an eye on the "Panda-Cam" from the San Diego Zoo where they just had a new baby born on the 19th. Not only do they have a live video of the enclosure, they installed a camera in the birthing den. A few times a week, they show a short video of Mom in the den caring for baby. The noises are facinating and it's amazing to see how instantly maternal they become. Check it out: http://Sandiegozoo.org/pandas/pandacam/index.html
folow the links to the videos. I'll warn you, depending on how your computer is set up, you may need to add Real Player or some such streaming video software...but it's free and just make sure you follow the instructions!
Enjoy! I'm off to see if they have a condor-cam!

Today ( wed) was a drop dead gorgeous day for birding and starting at Andrew Molera: at the birding lab they had a wrentig, song sparrow, yellow & Wilson's warblers; moving on down the path toward and at the ocean: oak titmice, acorn woodpeckers, red-tailed hawk, American crow, house finch, western scrub jay, band-tailed pigeons, red-shoulderd hawk, Wilson's warblers all over the willows, Bewick's wren, bushtits, chestnut-backed chickadees; but alas not the Great Tit listed yesterday. Violet green swallows and Vaux swift. At the river mouth: double-crested and pelagic cormorants, common merganser, brown pelicans, western & Heerman's gulls. Moving down to Big Sur for lunch we saw American robins, Oregon junco and Stellar jays. Coming back up by way of the Coast road: western scrub jays, red-shouldered & red-tailed hawks, American kestrel, slate juncos, belted kingfisher, possible golden eagle and a California condor. Stopping by a yard at Alameda & El Camino in Monterey we saw lesser goldfinch spotted towhee but not the female red-breasted grossbeak. Back home at the Pajaro river mouth: brown pelicans and about 65 white pelicans. Ring-billed, Heerman and western gulls, marbled godwits, willets, dowitchers, black-necked stilts, semipalmated plovers, double-crested cormorants, red-necked phalaropes, great egrets, caspian terns, two osprey, greater yellowlegs, killdeer, red-tailed hawk, snowy plovers all over the beach, sanderlings running in and out with the waves, whimbrel and Brewer's blackbirds and a belted kingfisher. What a day of birding.....from Caroline Rodgers and Shirley Murphy.

FYI birders...Jeana

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Alexander Gaguine <gaguine@baymoon.com>
> Date: Sun Aug 17, 2003 09:10:49 US/Pacific
> To: MBB <mbb@biology.ucsc.edu>
> Subject: [MBB] A Blueprint for the Future of Migratory Birds
>
> Dear MBB - a conservationist friend sent me this letter from the US
> Fish and Wildlife Service; I thought it, and the linked website listed
> near the bottom, might be of interest to some.
> Alexander
>
> Dear Partner in Bird Conservation:
>
> There has never been a more exciting time in bird conservation. We are
> conserving millions of acres of upland and wetland habitats throughout
> the
> Hemisphere for migratory birds. We are employing adaptive harvest
> management to guide regulatory decision-making for waterfowl. And we
> are
> working across geopolitical boundaries, sociocultural divides, and
> taxonomic interests to develop and carry out conservation plans for the
> majority of the continent's bird species of concern.
>
> We, the Service, and you, our partners and constituents, are making
> considerable strides for migratory birds on a host of fronts. But, as
> you
> know, we still face great challenges: habitat loss and deterioration
> continue to harm bird populations and a host of other threats continue
> to
> cause direct loss of bird life, such as pesticides and other
> contaminants,
> wildlife diseases, such as West Nile Virus, entanglement in fishing
> lines,
> and collisions with towers and other structures. We face challenges of
> controlling overabundant populations as well.
>
> To deal these challenges, the Service has produced A Blueprint for the
> Future of Migratory Birds, a draft strategic plan to strengthen and
> guide
> the Service's Migratory Bird Program over the next ten years.
>
> The Service is keenly aware that effective management of migratory birds
> depends upon the collective efforts of many individuals, organizations,
> and
> nations. That is why it is absolutely essential that the Service develop
> its migratory bird strategic plan in consultation with the many partners
> and constituents who share interest and active involvement in conserving
> these international avian treasures that have been entrusted to our
> care.
>
> As a valued partner and/or constituent, you are key to making this
> effort a
> success. From whatever your vantage point, we ask that you please
> provide
> your views and recommendations on this draft plan. Your input is
> important
> to us and to the future of migratory birds!
>
> Please access the draft strategic plan entitled A Blueprint for the
> Future
> of Migratory Birds and provide comments by October 10, 2003 at the
> following internet address
> http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/mbstratplan/mbstratplan.htm.
> We look forward to hearing your recommendations regarding the future
> migratory birds!
>
> Thank You,
> Paul Schmidt
> Assistant Director,
> Migratory Birds and State Programs

Just wanted to let everybody know that my new e-mail address is eqm@sbc.net( I decided to go for the dsl).Also. I just got a new letter from Eleanor Van Vechten which I'll bring to the plant-walk tomorrow.

Who're you callin' OLD!?!?!

Hi Shirley and everyone....sorry I had to miss the meeting - our public library/Live Oak Neighbors met last night also with our Supervisor and head of Redevelopment Agency. Since only the "old guard" seems to subscribe to this forum, may I suggest you also post your notice on the all-inclusive Elkhorn docents forum that comes from DFG? Cheers, Jeana On Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 09:33 , QT - shirley wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

At the monthly meeting last night a nominating committee was formed. Since we do not know everyone I am placing this request on the message board. If you are a docent who would like to be considered for nomination to an office ( listed on the back of our monthly newsletter ) please e-mail me direct or leave a phone message. I will then present your name to the nominating committee..
e-mail smurph2@mac.com phone 476-3622

You are right Jeana. In the present regime ALL environmental issues are political issues as well.

I guess this desalination issue felt more like environmental rather than political, although it seems like they have become increasingly
enmeshed.....at any rate, info was my intent. Jeana
On Saturday, August 9, 2003, at 03:57 , QT - Shirley Murphyandanderson wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hey folks...this was originally posted by Jeana and I cleaned it up a bit so it's easier to read...of course, it throws the thread all askew and Shirley's response to the original message begins on message #203.


Begin forwarded message:
> 1. Fw: CA COASTAL COMMISSION WARNS OF OCEAN WATER RISKS FROM DESALINATION
> LOS ANGELES -- Companies are lining up to help California squeeze salt from the sea in its quest for new water sources, but the agency that would approve the projects says tapping the ocean could pose serious problems for the coastline.
> In a report to its board of directors, the California Coastal Commission warns that allowing desalination plants to proliferate could threaten marine life, spur development in sensitive habitats and turn what has long been considered a common good -- the ocean -- into a commodity.
 The commission's board of directors is reviewing the report during its monthly meeting in Huntington Beach this week. A 60-day public comment period will follow.
 <http://www.newsday.com/news/science/wire/s...,0,6685092.story>;

> - - - - - - - - -

 Desalination Has Pitfalls, Study Finds

 Using the ocean to help meet California's drinking water needs could lead to destruction of marine life and turn a public resource into a private commodity, according to a California Coastal Commission report released Thursday. Desalination also could remove a major obstacle to development, putting more of a burden on local infrastructure and sensitive habitats, the commission report said. The report, unveiled at a commission meeting in Huntington Beach, the site of a proposed desalination plant, is a first attempt by the state agency to clarify some of the major concerns about using the ocean as a source of drinking water.
 (08/08/03) LA Times
 http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-
desal8aug08,1,61135
 93.story?coll=la-news-environment
 Group warns of desalination risks (08/08/03) Contra Costa Times
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/living/science/6486804.htm

I don't recall anyone saying the board couldn't be used for general political issues. However, if it is to do with internal politics (ie-ESNERR issues), those should be presented to parties concerned in the proper protocol.

Meanwhile...is it too late for me to enter the election for Governor?

on 8/9/03 12:15 PM, QT - Jeana De La Torre at
qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

thanks Jeana for the info......I say let L A do whatever they want as long as they do not get anymore Northern Calif water; however I agree we cannot allow a desalination plant inside of the Monterey Bay......OOPS!!!!forgot this message board is not for politics....
< replied-to message removed by QT >

on 8/4/03 3:56 PM, QT - Alex at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:
good for you Alex; we used to see them at the slough also
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Alex, how did you know that. you are so well informed about so many things. you never cease to amaze me. Thanks for the tip on the motel . we made reservations and are excited about Cape May.Maybe you guys will be there when we are. Around oct 19
Trudi

QT - Alex <qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com> wrote:
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Special sighting: The smallest butterfly in North America---Western Pygmy Blue, in the pickleweed at Kirby Park.

In case you were wondering, my last posting was supposed to say Congrats Shirley at the top, but those words did not make it through cyberspace.

What a great photo of your nest-box and Chickadee eggs in the latest Tidal Exchange! It looks like you have successfully solved the light problem in using the mirror technique. Very clear photo..Cheers, Jeana

Hi y'all, sorry about my auto message being repeated over & over - I didn't know it would do that. Anyway, it won't do it any more because I am back. Had a pretty relaxing trip to Hawaii, but unfortunately tore a muscle in the back of my leg the first day out in the surf. My Mom found me a good massage therapist who at least got me functional for the duration of the trip. Other than that it was beautiful - saw about 18 different birds - nothing too unusual - we had a pair of mynas nesting in an upper corner on the deck of the condo where we stayed and they were a ton of fun to watch. Hope to be seeing you all soon!

Plant ladies: I forgot to mention that at Tuolumne Meadows last week, the flowers were in full bloom; just in case you need a place to go !!!!!!

Hello my friends - I will be on vacation for 2 weeks July 12-27, and unable to access my e-mail for the most part, so I am asking that you please limit e-mails to my box during that time and avoid large attachments as my storage space is limited. Thanks, and ALOHA! Annie ;-)

YOU WENT TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD: ZION. But the day I was there I had the opposite experience - a light snow (it was the middle of March). Such incredibly beautiful rock formations, and I remember seeing an entire band of wild turkeys. I also got snared in by the amazing rock store near there. Cheers, Jeana
On Tuesday, July 22, 2003, at 06:38 , QT - shirley wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

While the message board is for local news I wanted to share my camping trip with everyone ( birds that is) so I left here and drove to Needles on July 7th and it was 115 degrees; not birding. Left the next morning and went to Show Low , Az where I started my tent camping in 93-100 degree weather; birding was from 5 to 7 am before it got too hot. Starting at the Fool Hollow Lake campground: double-crested cormorants, great blue herons that had obviously nested there, mallards, turkey vultures, American kestrel family and two mornings I watched an Osprey get breakfast. Killdeer, spotted sandpipers, marbled godwits, mourning doves waking me up every morning, great horned owls at night, Anna's and more rufous hummingbirds than I have seen in one place before, acorn/downy/hairy woodpeckers, northern flickers, black & Say's phoebes, ash-throated flycatchers and more western kingbirds than I could count ( their calls at 4:30 am were not truly appreciated! Steller's & western scrub jays but the Pinyon jay eluded me for the entire trip. American crows and common raven everywhere, violet-green and barn swallows, pygmy & white-breasted nuthatches, American robins everywhere, western bluebirds, Townsend's solitaire, northern mockingbirds, western tanagers, lark sparrow, chipping sparrows galore and dark-eyed juncos. Black-headed grosbeaks, western meadowlarks, red-winged & Brewers blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, Bullock's orioles, house finch, lesser goldfinch and house sparrows. I then went to the Grand Canyon where bird watching is difficult due to the sheer beauty of this canyon. However Bewick's wrens, mountain chickadees and California Condor #53 did catch my eye in addition to quite a few of the birds listed at the campground. Driving 80 miles an hour does not leave much room for birding so the next stop was Bryce Canyon ( another stunning place which detracts from birding) the only new birds were white-throated swifts, and black-billed magpies. At Zion nat'l park I saw a family of wild turkeys and Cordilleran flycatchers a hermit thrush, yellow warbler and song sparrows. From Zion we made a mad dash across Nevada to get to Tonopah ( 115 degrees) and the next morning stopped at Mono Lake, already too hot to bird so up to Tuolumne meadows where we finally reached the high 80's and rested....the only new birds were the mountain chickadee and the mountain bluebird.
I have seen pictures and videos of the 4 Nat'l monuments/parks before, however nothing prepares you for the Grand Canyon or Bryce or Zion, although we have other areas in California that prepare you for Yosemite I always stand in awe of the work that Mother Nature has done. I urge everyone to see these gorgeous areas at least once in their life. Sorry the bird list is not more extensive but I was busy soaking in the beauty of these four magnificient areas.

That's a fairly blatant hint of your destination!
Have fun!

Hello my friends - I will be on vacation for 2 weeks July 12-27, and unable to access my e-mail for the most part, so I am asking that you please limit e-mails to my box during that time and avoid large attachments as my storage space is limited. Thanks, and ALOHA! Annie ;-)

The recent "Bay Nature" magazine (July-Sept) has a great cover story on paddling Elkhorn Slough by our very own Lisa Easly Zaretsky, photos by the talented Paul Zaretsky. It's well written with correct info (you know how rare that is!). Check it out.

Yeah...I noticed there was considerable "disinformation" regarding the conversion to natural gas. The implication being that Duke did it after they took over from PG&E.
However, I seem to recall some official-like person about 5 years ago letting us know they would be burning off the last of the fuel in the tank farm. They said it would take about 3 months and there would be a darker discharge than we were used to seeing. I guess they were right.
Apparently, this was a tank they were in the process of taking apart. I wonder at what point they were "supposed" to drain off the fuel? Before or after they lit the blow torch? Can't wait to see the investigation report on this one!
Hopefully, there will be little impact on the environment and thankfully, it sounds like no one was hurt...yet.

The coverage today on KSBW has turned into an infomercial for Duke! Jeana

Linda and I discovered it while surveying about 5 p.m. Tuesday..just in time for the explosions! At the Reserve, they decided to cancel the meeting, unfortunately not in time to notify folks. Advisory is still to avoid breathing outside air! Jeana
On Tuesday, July 8, 2003, at 09:13 , QT - Kim Fryer wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Ah....the curse of the many e-mail accounts...!

Anyone out there being affected by this Duke Energy fire?
I was up in Aptos around 6:00 and it was pretty hazy and slightly stinky in the canyons.
Of course, here in Watsonville, it's kind of unnerving to see that thick plume of smoke out my kitchen window.

For those of you doing PRBO point counts, and entering the data on-line, I have discovered by time-consuming trial-and-error that one must enter points and times for every bird entry, otherwise only the first bird entered for each point and time shows up on the final tally. (Go to "browse/edit your count" and check it out). Jeana

THAT'S A GREAT STORY, SHIRLEY, AND THANKS FOR THE ROOKERY INFO. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE HERONS ARE HOLDING THEIR OWN DESPITE THE
DEMOGRAPHIC UPHEAVALS. GLAD TO HEAR IT. JEANA
On Wednesday, June 18, 2003, at 01:55 , QT - shirley wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

For those who participated and those interesed in the results of the rookery count on June 10th - I have an unofficial count of nests and babies SEEN: Great Blue Heron nests 17, babies seen 21 Great Egret nests 22 with 31 babies seen; 49 Double-crested Cormorant nests and 24 babies seen. Note: only babies seen could be counted; there were more but mothers either had them covered or they were too small to be seen, or they just did not want to be counted.
Today ( 18th): I had the pleasure to watch a black headed male and a light (gray) headed female junco start a nest on the ground in woodlot 6. She was very busy gathering material and he was watching her all the time; when she flew more than 30' away he flew to where she was and then returned with her and watched from up above while she arranged the nesting material. Two episodes of flying together and crashing to the ground to copulate occured and then more nest building. Hopefully they will finish the nest; she will lay eggs and they will complete the process before a predator finds the nest.

on 6/16/03 2:12 PM, QT - linda jordan at
qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

this one was too far away for positive nose look.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Shirley; did you happen to notice if either of the otters had a bloody nose? The last time I saw an otter in the pans ( 2 yrs ago) it was a female with the telltale bloody nose. I think they might use the pan area to get away from the amorous males. Linda J

Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com



>From: QT - shirley
>Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey
>To: QT topic subscribers
>Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>Date: 15 Jun 2003 20:45:13 -0000
>

Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Friday while walking with the plant ladies an otter was observed in the big lagoon ( the area closest to the rookery) it had an orange tag on the left flipper and a pink on the right.
Today while doing the low tide shorebird survey another otter was in the 5 pans area ( which is on the other side of the levee from the big lagoon)--this otter was not tagged.
Looks like the otters have decided there is good eating in the inner reaches of the slough?

stopped by the Moss Landing Wildlife Area off hwy 1 today and saw: black-necked stilts with babies, American avocets with babies, western gulls sitting on nests ( one is to the right as you walk along the levee to the overlook) and I forgot how many snowy plovers--Carlton said this is a very good year for plovers and there are lots of babies.

Hey folks!
Great use of the forum to remind us of upcoming events.

Just a gentle reminder about using the "forward" feature from your e-mail...it will forward the entire message...including e-mail addresses of other recipients.

In order to maintain privacy, please make sure you either copy and paste messages into the forum or sign in and edit the personal info out of the message.
Thanks!

Hi Everyone,
> A0;
> I am writing to extend a personal invitation to the Volunteer Research
> Forum on Tuesday, June 10th from 5-7pm.A0; We will provide dinner and an
> opportunity to discuss highlights from our past year's monitoring
> efforts.A0; If you know anyone who is interested in learning more about
> the Research & Monitoring programs, pleaseA0;encourage them to attend
> this event.
> A0;
> In addition, we will be conducting a team census of the heron & egret
> rookery from 2-5pm (prior to the dinner). If you haven't had a chance
> to check out the colony, this is a great opportunity.A0;
> A0;
> Thanks for all of your hard work.A0; I hope you can join us on Tuesday,
> June 10th!
> A0;
> Rebecca
> A0;
> A0;
> Rebecca Goldman
> Ecological Monitoring Coordinator
> Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
> 1700 Elkhorn Rd.
> Watsonville, CA 95706
> (831) 728-2822
> rebecca@elkhornslough.org

No yellow headed blackbirds although there were over 50 a couple weeks ago

As Shirley says, Moonglow is booming. We saw 12 different species of babies. Nice variety of ducks. Best bird---red necked phalarope in breeding plumage. Only thing missing---chairs so we could just sit and enjoy the spectacle.

Moonglow dairy: once you get past the overgrown brush and see the ponds it is OK.....coots with babies, mallards with babies, American avocets with babies, black-necked stilts playing like killdeer with the broken wings and a couple of babies, killdeer, ruddy ducks with babies, a pair of green-winged teal ( did not see young), a female duck in the reeds across from pond 2 that definitely had a nest in the reeds--best description I can give is a northern pintail by color and neck length, however they are not suppose to breed here! Lots of red-winged blackbirds but I did not find a yellow headed or tri-colored today...

Tuesday while monitoring birds I saw a western tanager in the willows at Cattail Swale...only one and only one short sighting - but they are so brilliant you cannot make a mistake on that one.

That DOES sound like fun. Unfortunately, I haven't been to any South County beaches since they banned dogs. I understand the reasoning behind the ban but for me, there's no point in going to the beach unless I have my pal with me.

And I'm really good at finding dead things. :-)

Beachcombers is a NOAA organization that monitors the sanctuary beaches once monthly. The beach sections are 2-3 miles long and you walk them with a partner, noting bird and mammal beachcast found. It takes about 2-4 hrs. You learn a lot about birds (dead ones unfortunately) and can be an "early warning" to ecological problems that may occur. Linda

Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com



>From: QT - Trudi Stone
>Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey
>To: QT topic subscribers
>Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>Date: 22 May 2003 19:53:15 -0000
>

Protect your PC - Click here for McAfee.com VirusScan Online
< replied-to message removed by QT >

which group is this? it sounds interesting

< replied-to message removed by QT >

FYI.......Linda Jordan


Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com



>From: "Hannah Nevins"
>To: mbnms_bcombers@willamette.nos.noaa.gov
>Subject: BeachCOMBER training schedule
>Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 16:02:29 -0700
>
>May 20, 2003
>
>Greetings COMBERS,
>
>As you know we are recruiting volunteers for our next training
>session which will be condensed into two full weekends this year,
>Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 2pm. See schedule below if youÂ’d like to
>drop in for a refresher on bird and mammal identification or to
>share your experience with the rookies. If you know anyone else
>interested, have them contact Jen Parkin 647-4214 or me 771-4422.
>
>COMBER training schedule:
>
>Saturday May 31 – Introduction to seabird and mammals in Monterey
>Bay.
>Survey design and methods: Why is good data important?
>
>Sunday June 1 – Seabird identification & natural history
>
>Saturday June 7 – Marine mammal identification & natural history
>
>Sunday June 8 – Sea Turtles, beach safety, oil documentation, review
>of birds and mammals & field trip
>
>I may ask you to bring new COMBERS out on surveys during mid-June
>and July surveys, if you are interested in helping, let me know.
>
>So far we have great interest in the program (over 20 people), so
>depending on the number of people that make through the entire
>course, we may have a good pool of folks as alternates and may
>expand to a couple new beaches. Stay tuned.
>
>Enjoy the lovely weather,
>Hannah
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Hannah M. Nevins
>*****
>Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
>8272 Moss Landing Road
>Moss Landing, CA 95039
>lab 831-771-4422/ fax -4403
>(***new lab number***)
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
>http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail
>
>

MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.

great time of year isn't it. They are still really fuzzy.

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Trudi: thanks for the heads up..today I was doing a shorebird count & woodlot 9 by the rookery so I decided to also do a rookery count......you and Mel are correct...what I saw was: 13 heron nests with a total of 10 chicks and about 45 egret nests with at least 7 babies. I have trouble with the cormorants due to size, so do not know if there are babies yet or not......

4 blue heron babies today, 2 in one nest. Mel was by Becky's taking pictures and he thought he saw 5 GBH babies and 2 egret babies although seems early for those. Anyway nice day at the slough. white pelicans over head. the sealion was swimming by the walk by cattail swail

QT - Kim Fryer wrote:

>
>
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Thanks Jeana,
Mark convinced me NOT to take the kitten to work on Monday and a phone call later in the day explained why...he was busy giving her the bottle and letting her have the run of the house. He finally took her in to Purr just before I got home.
The vet assured me that young kittens are fairly easy to place and I shouldn't worry about her not getting a home.

The shearwaters are back, and this beautiful spring morning there were hundreds settled down on the water just off shore - along with gazillions of Western grebes, loons, cormorants, gulls, pelicans and the odd surf scoter in an extended feeding frenzy. To cap it off, a distant splash caught my eye, followed by 1-2-3 more big out-of-the-water spy-hops by a whale!
We do live in the cosmic center...

Good for you, Kim - another Cinderella cat! We had great tour
also...about 26 people, seeing a pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks by little barn, White Pelicans and an Osprey soaring, and one Red-legged Frog in a guzzler. Congrats to all who made this another great M Day! See you all in June. Jeana
On Sunday, May 11, 2003, at 10:44 , QT - Kim Fryer wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Cool day at the Mother's Day event today! Had one lady on the driving tour who...to quote my old boss..."would complain if she had a new rope to hang herself with". But that was more than made up for with the couple, one of whom was deaf and the other his interpreter and the mother and daughter couple from England and two women who were old friends and very enthusiastic about EVERYTHING!

The dumped kitten is doing fine. We stopped at the vets on the way home...she's about 3 to 4 weeks old, blue eyes and once she had a big dinner, very active. She's still nursing and took the bottle quite well (meaning more on the inside than the outside)...she's currently curled up in an old sweatshirt with a bottle full of warm water. Purrs like a motorboat.
If I have convinced anyone to take her, call me. She goes to Project Purr in the morning. She can't stay with us as we already have two cats...one 18 years old and one that's 20 pounds. Add 70 pound, 2 year old Agnes of Dog and we have a full house!

on 5/7/03 12:27 PM, QT - Mark Paxton at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

Congratulations Mark on a job well done.....both you and all the people who were involved. I am anxious to see if Monterey County placed first... shirley
< replied-to message removed by QT >

"Way to go, Moss Landing and ESNERR teams! I was an inadvertant beneficiary of Caroline's experience on Rick's team as on Tuesday she showed us the Snowy Egret nesting area near Zmudowski Beach...what a treat! Congratulations to all concerned. Jeana
On Wednesday, May 7, 2003, at 12:27 , QT - Mark Paxton
wrote:------------------------
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Several of you were helpful in doing some "e-scouting" for last
> Friday-Saturday's ABA "America's Birdiest County" effort. By
> way of an update, my area was the ESNERR itself -- 1,400 acres.
> Count for the 24 hours was 112. Our Moss Landing area team,
> captained by Rick Fournier, logged 153, the top team total for
> the county.
>
> The county total was .... 246! This definitely puts Monterey
> County in the running as America's birdiest. Official notice
> will come in the July issue of ABA's newsletter, "Winging It."
> Don Roberson did a superb job of organizing the count, and Big
> Sur Ornithology lab benefits by receiving a portion of
> registration fees.
> Good birding,
> Mark
> _________________________________________________________________
> To unsubscribe: http://www.quicktopic.com/18/X/Z3nmjs4n5ey
> Start your own topic in 20 seconds: http://www.quicktopic.com |QT
>

Hi everyone,

Several of you were helpful in doing some "e-scouting" for last Friday-Saturday's ABA "America's Birdiest County" effort. By way of an update, my area was the ESNERR itself -- 1,400 acres. Count for the 24 hours was 112. Our Moss Landing area team, captained by Rick Fournier, logged 153, the top team total for the county.

The county total was .... 246! This definitely puts Monterey County in the running as America's birdiest. Official notice will come in the July issue of ABA's newsletter, "Winging It." Don Roberson did a superb job of organizing the count, and Big Sur Ornithology lab benefits by receiving a portion of registration fees.
Good birding,
Mark

on 5/4/03 6:11 PM, QT - Troodles at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

Trudi: good for you, I have been looking each week, but babies are so hard to see; thank you for 'scouting' them out....I will take a longer look next time.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

saw my first blue heron baby today. it is in the 2nd tree to the left. the first is cormorants, and then the herons. very cool

trudi

QT - Alex wrote:

>
>
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

on 5/1/03 10:59 AM, QT - linda jordan at
qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

no, just a hunch that as big as her head is she is not a new mom.... over and out
< replied-to message removed by QT >

If Rebecca Goldman is about (ask at the VC desk) she knows where the nest is and how to find it......Linda J


Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com



>From: QT - Mark Paxton
>Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey
>To: QT topic subscribers
>Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>Date: 30 Apr 2003 19:07:14 -0000
>

The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Shirley, how can you tell that the great horned owl has been around awhile? Does the facial plummage change as they get older? Thanks, Linda Jordan


Linda Jordan jordanlinda@hotmail.com



>From: QT - shirley
>Reply-To: QT topic 18-Z3nmjs4n5ey
>To: QT topic subscribers
>Subject: Elkhorn Sleuths Message Board
>Date: 29 Apr 2003 21:03:10 -0000
>

MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hello everyone,

Would any of you who have spotted the Great Horned Owl be available either after about 3:30 Friday or any time Saturday to point me in the right direction? It would be nice to add this one to the slough list for the America's Birdiest County competition. I'm around the reserve all day Saturday -- handling Rick F's early bird walk and counting birds. Once again, if any of you want to join in for some/all of the effort (described below) cool!
Mark

I have a CEU training on Friday all day, but Caroline knows where the nest is. Jeana
On Tuesday, April 29, 2003, at 03:32 , QT - Elenita wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

on 4/29/03 3:32 PM, QT - Elenita at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

I would love to be with you but I don't think I will make it.....you have to go up the road to Becky's house then take the mowed trail next to where she had her dog.....go about 1000 yrds and look up into a euc....it is hard to find the first time.....if anything changes I will try to be there.... < replied-to message removed by QT >

Whee! Sounds like spring is busting out all over. Will you be on the walk on Friday to show us the nest?
Elenita

Jeanna & Linda: I walked by your great horned owl area and found the nest.....she is a beauty!!! From the looks of her head she is not a 'new' mom but has been around a few years...I cannot find the red-shouldered hawks but keep looking in my woodlot...my barn owls are about 7-8 weeks old...thanks Jeanna for the look at the book.

Hello,

Walked every trail at the reserve yesterday, scouting for the Birdiest County effort this Friday and Saturday (anyone interested? e-mail me at mark@eddata.com). Besides 23 American White Pelicans there was little of note. Nuttall's Woodpecker was somewhat unusual for the site.

Three Brown-headed Cowbirds were around -- ugh.

I'm curious to know what's happened to the Cliff Swallow colony around the admin. complex. None of the nest pots had any activity yesterday, and the only swallows around the large meadow were Barn and Tree. What's up?

And again, check my post lower on the list for details about the county competition. San Diego and Santa Barbara have teams, so our work's cut out for us!
Mark

THANK YOU, Shirley, for the advice about listening for the baby
chickadees in my nest! It worked...I stood directly at the base of the tree, kept my head down (no eye contact) and the parent eventually flew into the nest and I got to hear an almost miniscule peeping noise from several (must be very small) mouths! A great treat. Many
thanks...Jeana

Hi everyone! I was in a rush to get home to guests yesterday and forgot to enter in the sightings log - searched Cattail Swale for the green heron and turned up a black-crowned night heron instead! Also, saw a single cedar waxwing just sitting all by himself for a very long time at the bottom of the hill in the willows. He was just lovely! Saw at least 2 dozen white pelicans as well. There is a small wren building a nest in a pipe in the back of the big barn - has anyone else seen it? I think it is a Bewick's, but not sure - speedy little devil!

Independently, Linda Jordan, Shirley Murphy and I all saw Whtie Pelicans in flight over the slough - counted about 15 or so. In addition, our a.m.tour saw a Peregrine in aerobatics above the south Marsh, an Allen's Hummingbird at Cat-tail Swale and a lovely three-foot gopher snake on the path. Also for raptor enthusiasts, a Great-horned Owl has taken up the vacant nest in the eucs behind Becky's house and to the right. Jeana

Hello everyone,

Rick Fournier has enlisted me to cover the reserve during the "America's Birdiest County" competition May 2 and 3. If you're not familiar with it, it's pretty much as described. Monterey County definitely is a contender. It's a fund-raiser, with some of the proceeds going to Big Sur Ornithology Lab. Cost to participate is $35, and includes a countdown dinner at the Wild Bird Center, BSOL membership and some swag, I believe.

The adventure begins on Jetty Road around 3 p.m. Friday, resumes before sun-up on Saturday and ends with dinner Saturday.

The reason for the post is to ask if any of you are game. I'd like at least a couple partners, and y'all are very familiar with the reserve and its residents. Since time will be limited, and we are playing to win, it would be super to have some interest among the most dedicated/sharp-eyed among you birders, but anyone willing to spend that much time in the field is welcome.

We'll walk quite a bit, and spend some time birding the reserve from Elkhorn Road, just so any of you who are interested know in advance. It also would probably be best to keep the numbers down to a carload for the portions of the count done from the road.

If any of you are interested, please e-mail me directly at mark@eddata.com

Thanks, and good birding.

I think the wasp nest is removed...we did not see it on Tuesday. Jeana On Wednesday, April 16, 2003, at 02:39 , QT - shirley wrote:

Jeana and I saw our first (in the slough) white-throated sparrow while doing our raptor survey behind Becky's house, Tuesday 4/15.

The cycle continues. We as the observers are lucky to partake in it < replied-to message removed by QT >

Oops, forgot....doing the south marsh overlook today; the Caspian terns are back and picking their spots.

At the slough today Jan ( new staff) found a nest and we both looked at it and I think it is a bushtit nest. If giving tours this weekend, look for a pendant shaped nest in the willows on the left side, at the bottom of the trail after you pass the small barn. You will be down at the bottom and almost be making the turn; it is about 8-10' high and blends in nicely...saw some bushtits but not at the nest and what looked to be a yellow warbler ( did not the best view)...the green heron continues at Cattail Swale, but until the wasp nest is removed don't think you should try to hard!!!

/m127
Great! Maybe we should take a look at the "Off Road Adventure" sites....they probably say that the Reserve is great for mountain biking and 4 wheeling! ACK!

Just some more info on the geo-caching thing - if you check out the website and find the "isla de umunnum" coordinates, you will also discover that they consider the site accessible by kayak, and there is a picture of a very cute terrier named Reggie sitting on top of the shell mound over the pond! That is what I found to be a little disturbing - how many others will think it's okay to kayak to the island and bring their pets? I passed the info on to Marian last week so they will look into it somehow.
By the way - much thanks to everyone for the get well wishes. I am feeling better although still sporting a few bruises and some achy ribs. I'm on the mend! ;-}

On our "tour" Sunday, Linda and I checked out the site by the bridge, where the new bench is proposed. Actually, we both thought that an 8-footer would not be too big....many of the other ones are that size, including the one by the LV trailhead (the 'Phoebe bench"). Jeana

Trudi: I went with the plant ladies on Friday and the green heron showed itself...beautiful...on my way out to the slough I stopped at Kirby park and an otter was within 10 feet of the edge chomping away on clams or mussels...I felt like I could touch the otter it was so close and yes we are lucky to live in this area....

today at CatTail Swail the Green Heron was there in all it's brillance. Also a cinnamin teal, one lone Canadian goose and a wigeon. The rookery was busy with copulating and nest building. Also California Quail went running past by the bar. We live in a great place

Trudi

QT - Shirley Murphyandanderson wrote:

>
>
>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

on 4/11/03 1:12 PM, QT - Kim Fryer at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

I have heard of this project, but did not really believe it
worked.....thanks for verifying the project.....
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Can you ask for anything cooler? Walking around in the outdoors AND being able to be a nerd at the same time! It IS alot of fun if you are fan of treasure/scavenger hunts.
You get the coordinates from the geocache site and you plug those coordinates into your GPS and have it lead you there...
The usual routine is, once you find the cache site, you either leave something in trade, leave a note to another cache site, or whoever gets there first closes that particular game.
Some of the cache sites are actually the view as the reward. Way cool!
Via (the AAA magazine) had an article about it a few issues ago.
Hand-held GPS devices can be had for anywhere between $120-$1000 (and don't ask me the about the difference in pricing)...and West Marine has loads of them. Maybe they'd let you try one out.

Edited by author 04-07-2003 08:19 AM
While on tour yesterday with Ken we ran into 4 young folks who asked us a few questions about the reserve then informed us that they had made a "geo-caching" exploration out to Isla de Umunnum where they found a "tupperware type" box filled with goodies and a log of visitors - they took out a CD to keep and added something of theirs. The geographic coordinates for the geo-cache sites can be found on the web and are all over the world. Next the kids were off to another site to find more(and leave) stuff. Is anyone else aware of this? I found it a bit surprising, myself. If you want to see more about this check out www.geocaching.com.

Hunter-Liggett trip: we saw approximately 50 species of flowers and birds with a complete listing to appear in the newsletter; however--if you did not go on the trip but like wildflowers GO NOW!!!! The drive down 101 was not too eventful, however once you turn off on Jolon Rd. STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS...then just after you go thru the gate at H/L you will see a "sea of flowers" you would not believe--if lucky we may have this picture on Tuesday evening MAYBE....the list of what we saw will also be at the meeting if you want specifics before the newsletter comes out.

I didn't realize until I read it twice that Alex had replied to my posting so that everyone could read it. So, I will say to all what I replied to him individually. I understood from Shirley that Marth has the most complete group lists for both birds and wildflowers, and so was the most logical one to report for the group as a whole. I only meant to report what our car saw on Friday, and the highlights of the Saturday for us. This in no way negates our appreciation for the arrangements Jackie made, the input from the group as a whole, or the individual contributions people made in bird ID-ing, sharing food, the caves and ponds, scoping, etc. It was a fine two days. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings, and, in the future, Alex, if you have an individual response, how about making it so. Thanks and happy birding to all, Jeana
On Sunday, April 6, 2003, at 11:45 , QT - Alex wrote:

>
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Jeana---Were we on a docent fieldtrip together or am I mistaken?

This is only part of the adventure, of course. There was an impressive wildflower component which I would be happy to add to and the picnic at the Indian rocks was enjoyed by all. Thanks to all for the lovely, sensual experience.

Three Santa Cruz birders made a pilgrimage to Hunter-Liggett Friday and Saturday by way of Carmel Valley. In addition to the incredible display of wildflowers on the journey, birding highlights included the
following: Wild Turkey, Green-Winged Teal, Bufflehead, No. Flicker and Calif. Quail at Carmel River mouth ponds; Western Bluebird, Ring-Necked Duck, Yellow-billed Magpies, more Wild Turkeys and a convocation of 30 or so Acorn Woodpeckers in a Valley Oak on Carmel Valley Road. At Hunter-Liggett, which is a palette of wildflowers right now, we saw a pair of Golden Eagles on an unidentified avian kill, Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, a flock of about 75 Band-tailed Pigeons, a lone Coyote, Ruddy Duck in blue-billed glory, and a Black-throated Grey Warbler at the "Indian Cave." On Ferguson - Nacimiento Road were Bullock's Oriole, Sora, Am. Wigeons, Ruddy Ducks, Ring-Necked Ducks, Cinnamon Teal and a herd of about 50 Elk grazing in a meadow filled with Lupine, Owl's Clover, and Goldfields. To top the day, from the patio at Nepenthe we could see three Calif. Condors soaring on the updraft at ridgetop about a mile away! Jeana de la Torre, Linda Jordan, Margo Cruse

Thanks everyone, for the hopeful thread. What seems to be a conspiracy of world events and the mounting calamities visited upon several friends and relatives have me feeling increasingly out of sorts. Instead of the usual joy at the new arrivals of migrants each day (Hermit Warbler, Bullock's and Hooded Oriole and Black-headed Grosbeak in San Benito County this week), I've been dwelling on our losses.

Ran into Bill Bousman yesterday, and he noted that Lazuli Bunting used to be a yardbird in Santa Clara County. In the early part of the 20th Century, the gravel wash along Panoche Road in Paicines held breeding Yellow-billed Magpie (Roberson). Least Bell's Vireo? Forget it.

The optimism expressed here is a balm, and I resolve to bird San Benito County this weekend with a renewed smile rather than a grimace.

Thanks,
Mark

Amen..Jeana
On Wednesday, April 2, 2003, at 03:27 , QT - Trudi Stone wrote:

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on 4/2/03 3:27 PM, QT - Trudi Stone at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

Trudi: having just finished reading Silent Spring, I wonder how any animals have been able to cope with our incredible urge to spray anything we do not undestand.....yes I love the fact that the birds ( that we can monitor) continue on with their lives--as those we cannot monitor----too bad we humans cannot understand how the world should work.....shirley < replied-to message removed by QT >

isn't incredible in this unpredictable world, the birds go on with their cycle and we can count on them to be here . one thing to count on that gives me a smile < replied-to message removed by QT >

I forgot to mention that on Monday when I surveyed the rookery---the double crested cormorants have returned and are nesting.....

A few corrections to Elenita's report. Trip was along Cachauga Road to Los Padres dam on the Carmel River. The red lupine was the stinging lupine. Peak wildflower bloom looked like a week or two away so think about going. The tricolors were at Laguna Seca along with red maids, coast pretty face and lots of blue eyed grass.

Lupines eh, Jeana? I thought it was hydrangeas and banana peels! Whatever...
On Sunday we saw the green heron in Cattail Swale again - hard to spot unless it moves but very well worth the effort to search it out!

Lovely evocative report, Elenita..can't wait 'til Friday! Does anyone remember back to the '70s when it was rumored that smoking lupine made you high? The really "loopy" part of it is that I can't remember if (a) I tried it or (b) if it did !! Such is the senior brain. Please no comments about how I destroyed brain cells with lupine! cheers, Jeana On Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at 12:24 , QT - Elenita wrote:

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Lupines make us loopy.
A trip to Cashagua Park in Carmel Valley with Alex, Collette and Dierdre yielded red lupine (new to me), fields of lupine and poppies, johnny jump-ups. Lots of wildflowers in a short walk up to the dam. Only flower lacking was the bush poppy seen on Gloria Grade. A side trip into Arroyo Seco yielded a flock of tri-colored blackbirds just after we'd turned in. Gorgeous views of country back of Big Sur. Thanks, Alex, for skillful driving on winding roads so we could look.

raptors: the r/s hawks that I still think are using a nest behind the adm bldg. have gone silent--I saw one come into the woodlot about 15' high and land on a limb then work s/he way up higher where I lost the bird...but it is where the nest is so I think they are still there.
bird box monitors: looking very quickly thru the binder I think we have about 38 nests...several have hatched this past 4-5 days..and the others will probably be soon. This usually is the case, all at once then we wait to see if a second brood will be tried. I have found one male that was banded in 2000 --if you have time and binoculars with you --after the babies are hatched both parents need to feed...that is when you may see a colored band on one leg or the other--if you do would you please let me know....

on 3/29/03 2:37 PM, QT - Elenita at qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

hoorey for you --and thanks to Kim....
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Hurray! The message came through. There are times when my computering skills are woefully inadequate. Thanks, Kim, for adding me to the group and thanks, Shirley, for reporting on all the stuff we saw. Good job!

for those people going on the Hunter Liggett wildflower trip--have you been before and what should we expect to see? I just drove down hwy 1 and was disappointed in that it is all chapparral with literally no flowers. If I don't see you before Sat. will see you then for flowers!!

This is a test to see if Elenita gets e-mail alerts about the messages in here.

Elenita, can you see me?

This was a spectacuar feat of reporting! Congratulations on all fronts: flowering, birding and writing. Jeana
On Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at 04:59 , QT - shirley wrote:

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The Blooming Birders, AKA the plant ladies ( Deirdre, Colette, Caroline, Elenita and Pat R ) plus Alex and Shirley decided to take a wildflower trip on Gloria Road. Here are the results: sky & bush lupine and miniature lupine, mustards, fields of poppies, wild radish all over the place, fiddleneck, cow & owl clover, filarre, wooley vetch, California sagebrush, black sage, bind weed, blue witch, monkey flower, sassafraes, woodland star, miners lettuce and miniature miners lettuce, shooting stars like you would not believe, lomatiun, Indian paintbrush, blue dicks, wild cucumbers climbing anything they can, white & purple fiesta flower, pepper grass, yarrow, delphinium, watercress in the creek by where we had lunch, woodmint, milkmaid, the bush poppies were spectacular!. Star lily, bee plant, popcorn flowers everywhere, maripos lily, mellica grass, fields of goldfields, deerweed, wallflower, buttercups, California wild rose, yellow salsify, creamcups, deerbrush ( white ceanothus), gooseberry, johnny jump ups (violets), dodder, whorehound, snowberry and a plant that was letter keyed out to be golden eardrops AKA inside out flower....( good work Deirdre & Colette).
While we were on Gloria Road the "bloomers" also birded: American, lesser & Lawrences' goldfinches, meadowlarks, Brewer's & red-winged blackbirds, house finch, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, horned larks, immature golden eagle, mourning doves, California quail, Anna's hummingbirds, European starlings, kestrels, western kingbirds, Stellar & western scrub jays, western bluebirds, yellow-billed magpies, killdeer, acorn woodpeckers, mallards, American coots, Cooper's hawk, white-crowned & golden-crowned and song sparrows, American crows, juncos, black phoebes, California towhees and ravens. We also saw a western pond turtle and 3 butterflies: green hairstreak, buckeye and Sara orangetip.
We then joined hwy 25 and added wild turkey, yellow-rumped warblers, loggerhead shrike, and a flock of over 50 long-billed curlews in a field. Tidy tips, baby blue eyes, pearly everlasting and (white) whorled lupine added to the plant list.
Turning on Lonoak Rd. we added lark sparrows, greater yellowlegs, over 100 cliff swallows, northern flickers, mockingbird and 3 cute burrowing owls. We also added chia, tamarisk ( Ugg) and phacellia to the plant list. We then turned on hwy 101 and headed for home, weary but elated.......Thank you Alex for driving and keeping us on task....not easy.....If there are spelling errors, I accept responsibility as a neophie plant person.........

on 3/25/03 8:01 AM, QT - Jeana De La Torre at
qtopic+18-Z3nmjs4n5ey@quicktopic.com wrote:

I have known that a pair of red-shouldered were in woodlot 6 but because their hearing and sight is so above ours, I could never figure out where the nest was........right behind the adm bldg and about 50' from the barn owl and about 50'from the CBCH nestbox 65...........all in one
area_____?????what does that tell us humans???? I would love to show you where the nest is so that you can watch it from the parking lot......will be posting our observations from today trip on hwy 25 thru Pinnacles & beyond for wildflowers tomorrow......
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