February - Rare and Awesome Birds!

        On February 1st, my dad and I again went searching for Short-eared Owls in Coyote Valley. As we were driving there, an adult COOPER'S HAWK flew overhead, allowing us to ID it by its long wings and tail, which was a new bird for the year for me. I got a nice shot of a WESTERN MEADOWLARK:

        As you may have expected, we did not find the Short-eared Owls for a third time. That only makes me want to see them more!

        On Sunday, February 2nd, my dad, brother, and I again visited Shoreline Park, but this time the Charleston Slough area. We were there for only thirty minutes, because it began raining on us. Maybe not good for us, but it definitely was for nature and the birds! Over the next week or so, we would get several more rain showers, and even a small amount of snow on the mountains around us. At Charleston Slough and Coast Casey Forebay, the first bird I added was BLACK-NECKED STILT. This was a special bird for me because it brought me halfway to my goal of 200 for the year. I have a feeling that the next 100 birds will be harder... I then counted GREEN-WINGED TEAL, LEAST SANDPIPER, MARBLED GODWIT, GREATER SCAUP, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and CINNAMON TEAL, putting my list at 106.

       It rained again next weekend, but that didn't stop me from trying to see two rarities being reported close to my house - Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hermit Warbler at Greystone Park. It drizzled the entire time I was there, and I didn't catch a glimpse of either bird, but I did manage to add one new bird to my list - PURPLE FINCH.

     On the local listserv, SouthBayBirds, reports of Bald Eagles at Vasona Lake County Park came in during that weekend. On Wednesday, my dad went out to find the Bald Eagles, and had success. After school, my brother and I joined him to try to re-find them. The first birds I added were ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS that were feeding on buds on the trees. As it started to darken, a huge shape flew over the lake, and my dad called out, "Bald Eagle!" I turned my binoculars on it, and it indeed turned out to be the symbol of America! The BALD EAGLE alighted at the top of a eucalyptus, allowing for some distant photos.

        That Friday, I again traveled to Greystone Park to try my luck with the kinglet and the warbler. After about an hour of looking, I finally found the HERMIT WARBLER flitting about in a pine!

       On Saturday, I had originally planned on going out to Sanborn County Park and Lake Ranch Reservoir to look for woodland birds like Pileated Woodpecker and Red-breasted Nuthatch, but my dad had seen a Burrowing Owl at Sunnyvale Baylands the day before. We decided to go chasing the owl.

       I couldn't resist a smile as I saw the first owl on my lifelist! BURROWING OWL:

       Even though the Burrowing Owl stole the show, other birds at Baylands included ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, NORTHERN FLICKERS, and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, which were new for me. I also probably missed out on a Marsh Wren that sang right in front of me, but wouldn't come out. 

        After going to Sunnyvale Baylands, I went on vacation for a week in Southern California, so I didn't bird in the county. Upon coming back, I went to Shoreline once more, and this time I found a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, an easily found bird I had missed last time.

February Summary:
Birds seen: 87
New birds: 15
Big Year count: 113

Now, its time to finish off the waterfowl, gulls, sandpipers, and ducks, and get ready for spring migration. See you in March!

January Summary

       I did not go birding the weekend after my three day weekend - too many school things to do! I did, however, go to my local Almaden Lake and Los Alamitos Creek Trail on Friday afternoon after school. I had 97 birds for the month, and would try to get to 100, even though I knew it would be close to impossible.

       My grandpa drove me to the lake, and I started off at once, seeing a COMMON MERGANSER.

       Moving down the trail, I got all of the common woodland birds - HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN, CEDAR WAXWING, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,  EUROPEAN STARLING, BUSHTIT, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, OAK TITMOUSE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and many SPOTTED TOWHEES. This must be the county hotspot for Spotted Towhees! It was here that I spotted *;)* my first one, back in May of 2013. The trail looks quite different in winter:

      As we turned back, I saw a large murder of at least 40 AMERICAN CROWS passing overhead. Wow! Walking along the hill covered with California chaparral, I heard a rustle in the bushes, and focused my binoculars through a fence. With their long, down-curved bills, the CALIFORNIA THRASHERS could not be mistaken for anything! It would have been great to get a photo, but the thrashers melted into the chaparral as soon as they saw me. I did get a shot of an overly fluffed-up WESTERN SCRUB JAY:

       Farther back down the trail, I encountered a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW that posed for me:

       It was dusk when I arrived at the half dried-up lake, and I saw the gulls that had been roosting on the island earlier had now been replaced by DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and CANADA GEESE were everywhere, together with more Common Mergansers, AMERICAN COOTS, and MALLARDS. I also saw my second SPOTTED SANDPIPER of the month on the exposed sandbar.

Summary:
Birds seen: 33
New birds: 1
Big Year count: 98

Summary of January:
January was a great month in terms of numbers for me. Even though I didn't reach 100 in my county in one month, I did get my highest number so far in a month in Santa Clara County, starting out with 98 birds for my 2014 Big Year. This number lacks many easy birds that should be gotten at the bay. While going over my Big Year plans, I realized that I focused too much on passerines and not enough on ducks, gulls, and shorebirds. I will have to change that later this winter with some trips to the bay. And, yes, I will grit my teeth, and attempt a trip to Ogier Ponds (or another gull-gathering place), and try to get gulls for my Big Year. ;) I hope February brings many more good birds and experiences.

Good birding,

Sergey

Coyote Lake County Park

       The day after seeing the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Ed Levin, my dad and I traveled to Coyote Valley once more, this time in the evening, to try to find the elusive Short-eared Owl being reported by some at dusk in the fields at the end of Laguna Ave. As you may have predicted, no luck. :( I've never seen an owl, but really want to this year...

      Anyways, the day after that (Monday), I had a day off at school. My brother and dad would go carp fishing at Coyote Lake, in the southern part of the county, and I decided to accompany them. I'd look for any woodland birds that could be new for me, Bald Eagle at the reservoir (!), as well as Rock Wren (a Code 4 for our county) and Rufous-crowned Sparrow at the lake's dam. On the road to the lake through the hills, I saw my first FOY of the day -- a flock of CALIFORNIA QUAIL crossing the road in front of our car! Our next new bird was the introduced WILD TURKEY, also seen on the road. Photo was taken through the windshield.

              Upon seeing the lake, I was dismayed to see it had partly dried up because of the lack of rain. We are having a drought here in California, in contrast to the East and Midwest, this winter. Because of this drought, the amount of birds has decreased noticeably, but rains should be coming soon in February. The lake was still scenic, though.

 

      On the lake, there was perhaps the biggest number of EARED GREBES I have ever seen (at least 50, even more COMMON MERGANSERS (at least 70), a COMMON GOLDENEYE, a WESTERN GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and RUDDY DUCKS.

       Also cruising above the lake were about five RING-BILLED GULLS. The one closest to me gave me great views, and, to my surprise, showed a tiny, yellow, unmarked bill, as well as its small size compared to the surrounding Ring-bills. MEW GULL! I immediately thought. Closer inspection confirmed the lifer! I felt really proud for identifying a gull (and a lifer) in flight! Seeing no Bald Eagles, I moved on to birding the oak woodland habitat.

       It provided ample ACORN WOODPECKERS, OAK TITMICE, CHESTUNT-BACKED CHICKADEES, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, two STELLER'S JAYS, WESTERN SCRUB JAYS, and many DARK-EYED JUNCOS, as well as a surprise HUTTON'S VIREO that wouldn't let me take a good photo because of a branch.

 

More photos, including an AMERICAN CROW harassing a RED-TAILED HAWK:

       Unfortunately, no carp were caught by my dad or brother, and it started to become quite hot. We packed up, and my dad drove me to the dam, where I would try for Bald Eagle, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Rock Wren. The first bird I saw on the dam's rock faces were some GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. However, a smaller bird moving to the left on the rocks away from the reservoir caught my eye. My face split into a wide grin beneath my binoculars held to my eyes - ROCK WREN!

       The Code 4 was surprisingly cooperative (in contrast to the sapsucker), and let me observe its behavior thoroughly, take some good shots, and even compare it to a nearby much smaller BEWICK'S WREN. A professional photographer would have gotten much better shots, but still, enjoy:

 

       No Rufous-crowned Sparrow or Bald Eagle (next time!) were found near the dam, but I was very satisfied with the Rock Wren. Two lifers (Mew Gull and Rock Wren) and two FOYs (California Quail and Wild Turkey) made this one of the best days of my Big Year so far, as well as getting some nice photos.

       It is now well into February in actual time, so I'll post the rest of January as one trip report, and the beginning of February as another. In a week in February (15th to the 22nd) I will be going to Southern California and maybe Arizona. I hope to get my ABA 200th lifer during that trip!

Summary:
Birds seen: 36
New birds: 4
Big Year count: 97

Sapsuckers at Ed Levin County Park

       The day after I got my lifer Wilson's Snipe at Oka Ponds, I went with my dad and brother to Ed Levin County Park in the northeastern corner of the county to look for a rare Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, as well as add some other birds to my yearlist, including the more common Red-breasted Sapsucker.
       Upon getting there, the first parking lot didn't provide much of interest, except some unidentified overhead swallows, several NUTTALL'S WOODPECKERS, and a HERMIT THRUSH.

       Next, the three of us walked around the Sandy Wool Lake (named after a settler), which proved to be a much "birdier" area. Birds we saw included a GREAT BLUE HERON, BUFFLEHEADS, and a cooperative BLACK PHOEBE.

       As we went farther around the lake, I decided to look in a pepper tree, and was rewarded with my first FOY of the trip - a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER! I couldn't get a shot, though, because the bird was just too skittish... (more later)

        My dad pointed out a big bird soaring over the lake, and I identified it as an OSPREY - another bird new for my Big Year! I couldn't get any good photos, because I still haven't mastered my camera completely, but I did get this one:

A RUDDY DUCK with two DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS in the background:

A juvie RED-SHOULDERED HAWK:

       I also spotted my favorite warbler, the TOWNSEND'S, taking a bath in the water in some cattails. I got really annoyed at it, because it flitted about five feet from me, but wouldn't let me take a single good shot because of the branches. It gave me impressive views, though, and is still my favorite warbler, despite the incident!

        Almost around, I first spotted two females, and then a male, RING-NECKED DUCK - my third FOY! I got a nice shot, too:

       We then moved on to the Spring Valley Area of Ed levin County Park, where my brother photographed the MALLARD, and I the Hermit Thrush:

 

       Also, to our great surprise, we found another, this time adult, Red-shouldered Hawk munching on a coot in plain sight! Look at that huge, full crop! This was my first time seeing something like this happen!

      My brother, dad, and I ate lunch and walked around the Spring Valley Pond, but didn't find any new birds. Next, we had to decide what to do: drive to Calaveras Reservoir to look for nesting Bald Eagles, or look for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Ed Levin. We decided on the latter, because the sapsucker is rarer than the eagle.

       According to reports on the listserv (South Bay Birds), the sapsucker was being found reliably in a dirt parking lot with pepper trees. We asked a hiker where that might be, and he pointed out the lot some 500 feet down the road. We drove there, and parked in the middle, before spreading out to check the five or so pepper trees. My brother called to me about five minutes after we started, waving his arms excitedly, but when I got to the pepper tree he was looking at, all I saw was a Red-breasted Sapsucker, even though my brother swore it was a Yellow-bellied.

       My brother and I worked the pepper trees for another 20 minutes before he called out, and I caught a brief glimpse of a sapsucker flying from one tree into another. It began giving "mew" calls, but I read in my field guide that the Red-breasted sounded almost exactly the same. It flew some more between the pepper trees and some oak trees, giving me only a fleeting glance at its striped, mostly free-of-red head. I was quite sure it was my YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, but I wanted a much better look, and, if possible, a photo.

        The bird did not cooperate for another two hours (no kidding!), which included us standing around the lot for about thirty minutes while the sapsucker stayed, not making a sound, in the oak trees. I entertained myself by taking a nice shot of a Red-breasted:

As we were about to leave, the sapsucker flew into some leafless trees, and my brother and I ran from our car, and managed to get a lousy, but 100% confirmatory, look at the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! As it winged off into an oak on the side of a hill, I even got a bad photo!

       This trip was a great success, with me getting four FOYs, and some nice photos of some birds that I had never previously photographed, even if we didn't get to go see the Bald Eagles. My county yearlist now stands at 93. It would be great to get to 100 in a month, something I've never done before!

Summary:
Birds seen: 44
New birds: 4
Big Year count: 93