Sunnyvale Baylands is a great park for birding in the fall.
Each year, many warblers, flycatchers, and vireos come through, and
there is always a chance of finding a rarity that will cause birders
from all over the county to flock to the park, staring either high up in
the eucalyptus trees or cottonwoods, or into the depths of the the test
garden. I've never had the experience of seeing a true rarity here, and
that's not really what I came for on September 21st (though that
certainly would have been a nice bonus).
I came to get two birds I'd missed in spring migration: Western Wood-Pewee (shameful, I know) and Swainson's Thrush (not as shameful). Also, I really wanted to see the Willow Flycatcher, another migrant which is often found in Sunnyvale Baylands in September.
We arrived at 10:35, and began birding the test garden, which is the best place to see the Willow Flycatcher. My dad, brother, and I slowly walked around the perimeter of the garden, and then walked the path through the middle of the garden. The best birds here were a Townsend's Warbler (my first of fall) in a flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and about five White-crowned Sparrows singing near the picnic area (also my first of fall). There was no trace of a Swainson's Thrush, even when I looked in the same Pistache trees in which I had found them in last September.
Slightly disappointed, we moved on to Baylands Grove. Here, we found many more good birds. For the first fifteen minutes we were there, it seemed to be as uneventful as last time. Then, I noticed a small, green-gray bird flicking its tail on one of the branches. I lifted my binoculars up to check for an eyering - no meant Willow or Western-Wood Pewee (they don't usually flick their tails, though, but I didn't know that then), and yes meant Pacific-slope. Turns out that there was an eyering, and short primary projections and a noticeable yellowish tinge to clinch the ID of Pacific-slope Flycatcher. In a space of about ten minutes, I found three more of these flycatchers in the grove (all with eyerings), but no Willows.
I then noticed movement in one of the trees, and it turned out to be an Orange-crowned Warbler. A nice, year-round bird, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Suddenly, I noticed a medium-size bird fly into one of the trees in the grove. Immediately putting my binoculars on it, I saw the spotting on its light breast, and its darker back. A thrush! Closer inspection showed that there was a reddish tinge on the sides of its tail, a good eyering, the spots on its breast were dark, and no buffy spectacles - a textbook Hermit Thrush. This was my first Hermit Thrush of the latter half of the year for me, and a rather early one at that. I wasn't entirely surprised because one had been reported here earlier during the week. The thrush decided to annoy me by taking flight as soon as I focused my camera, so I didn't get a single photo.
The remaining highlights of the day were a very Loggerhead Shrike sitting on a pole in the marsh (awesome surprise), Downy Woodpeckers in the eucalyptus trees near the test garden, and a Warbling Vireo in the test garden on the way back to our car. No luck with Western Wood-Pewee, Swainson's Thrush, or Willow Flycatcher... As we were walking out of the park, I thought to myself: Let's be honest - I'm trying again.
Summary:
Birds seen: 29
New birds: 0
Big year count: 181
Next, we headed to Baylands Grove. Here, I heard a familiar winter
sound - the "chek" call of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. It took me a while
to realize what it was, having not heard any at all over the summer. The
first sign of the day that winter is coming. Also in the grove were
House Finches, Western Bluebirds, and several Pacific-slope Flycatchers.
By the cottonwoods near the entrance booth, there was a flock of about 10 Golden-crowned Sparrows - another sign of the imminent winter. At about 8:30, we got to the cottonwood row. There were already three birders there. One of them told me that a Western Wood-Pewee had been seen in one of the trees in the row earlier this morning! I couldn't believe my luck! My dad and I spent about thirty minutes staring at the treetop. We found some good birds: several Pacific-slope Flycatchers, three or so Yellow Warblers, and two Warbling Vireos. Both birds moved around so much that we couldn't take a photo. No Western Wood-Pewee was to be found.
I decided to spread out my search a bit, and walked over the the playground surrounded by eucalyptus trees. There, I found my FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Lincoln Sparrow, a Downy Woodpecker, and a Townsend's Warbler, which was photogenic, as was the morning view across the lawn.
No matter how hard we searched for that Western Wood Pewee, we just couldn't find any trace of it. We had to be at my brother's soccer match at 10:00, so we ended our search, and visited the Sunnyvale WPCP for about 20 minutes, where a Sabine's Gull (super rare!) and a Bank Swallow had been reported this week. My first visit there went unsuccessfully, though I met a woman who had seen the Sabine's Gull fly off and land in a channel, but hadn't been able to relocate it. I also familiarized myself with the place, in case I had the chance to go there again tomorrow. The scenery here was also beautiful in the morning:
Summary:
Birds seen: 28
New birds: 0
Big year count: 181
Good birding,
Sergey Pavlov
I came to get two birds I'd missed in spring migration: Western Wood-Pewee (shameful, I know) and Swainson's Thrush (not as shameful). Also, I really wanted to see the Willow Flycatcher, another migrant which is often found in Sunnyvale Baylands in September.
We arrived at 10:35, and began birding the test garden, which is the best place to see the Willow Flycatcher. My dad, brother, and I slowly walked around the perimeter of the garden, and then walked the path through the middle of the garden. The best birds here were a Townsend's Warbler (my first of fall) in a flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and about five White-crowned Sparrows singing near the picnic area (also my first of fall). There was no trace of a Swainson's Thrush, even when I looked in the same Pistache trees in which I had found them in last September.
Slightly disappointed, we moved on to Baylands Grove. Here, we found many more good birds. For the first fifteen minutes we were there, it seemed to be as uneventful as last time. Then, I noticed a small, green-gray bird flicking its tail on one of the branches. I lifted my binoculars up to check for an eyering - no meant Willow or Western-Wood Pewee (they don't usually flick their tails, though, but I didn't know that then), and yes meant Pacific-slope. Turns out that there was an eyering, and short primary projections and a noticeable yellowish tinge to clinch the ID of Pacific-slope Flycatcher. In a space of about ten minutes, I found three more of these flycatchers in the grove (all with eyerings), but no Willows.
I then noticed movement in one of the trees, and it turned out to be an Orange-crowned Warbler. A nice, year-round bird, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Suddenly, I noticed a medium-size bird fly into one of the trees in the grove. Immediately putting my binoculars on it, I saw the spotting on its light breast, and its darker back. A thrush! Closer inspection showed that there was a reddish tinge on the sides of its tail, a good eyering, the spots on its breast were dark, and no buffy spectacles - a textbook Hermit Thrush. This was my first Hermit Thrush of the latter half of the year for me, and a rather early one at that. I wasn't entirely surprised because one had been reported here earlier during the week. The thrush decided to annoy me by taking flight as soon as I focused my camera, so I didn't get a single photo.
The remaining highlights of the day were a very Loggerhead Shrike sitting on a pole in the marsh (awesome surprise), Downy Woodpeckers in the eucalyptus trees near the test garden, and a Warbling Vireo in the test garden on the way back to our car. No luck with Western Wood-Pewee, Swainson's Thrush, or Willow Flycatcher... As we were walking out of the park, I thought to myself: Let's be honest - I'm trying again.
Summary:
Birds seen: 29
New birds: 0
Big year count: 181
* * *
I did try again - next Saturday, September 27th. This time, I got there
much earlier - at 7:40. Once more, there was no shortage of good birds.
We started out in the test garden again. One of the first birds I saw
was a thrush, and I got very excited, because Swainson's Thrushes had
been recently reported from the park. I followed that thrush around for
the next five minutes, and found that there were actually two. They were
moving around between the pine trees and the test garden, and I managed
to take a couple of photos of one with a berry in its beak. In the
field, I was almost sure it was a Swainson's, but on the photographs it
looks like a Hermit with the red on its tail and the eyering. Foiled
again!
By the cottonwoods near the entrance booth, there was a flock of about 10 Golden-crowned Sparrows - another sign of the imminent winter. At about 8:30, we got to the cottonwood row. There were already three birders there. One of them told me that a Western Wood-Pewee had been seen in one of the trees in the row earlier this morning! I couldn't believe my luck! My dad and I spent about thirty minutes staring at the treetop. We found some good birds: several Pacific-slope Flycatchers, three or so Yellow Warblers, and two Warbling Vireos. Both birds moved around so much that we couldn't take a photo. No Western Wood-Pewee was to be found.
I decided to spread out my search a bit, and walked over the the playground surrounded by eucalyptus trees. There, I found my FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Lincoln Sparrow, a Downy Woodpecker, and a Townsend's Warbler, which was photogenic, as was the morning view across the lawn.
No matter how hard we searched for that Western Wood Pewee, we just couldn't find any trace of it. We had to be at my brother's soccer match at 10:00, so we ended our search, and visited the Sunnyvale WPCP for about 20 minutes, where a Sabine's Gull (super rare!) and a Bank Swallow had been reported this week. My first visit there went unsuccessfully, though I met a woman who had seen the Sabine's Gull fly off and land in a channel, but hadn't been able to relocate it. I also familiarized myself with the place, in case I had the chance to go there again tomorrow. The scenery here was also beautiful in the morning:
Summary:
Birds seen: 28
New birds: 0
Big year count: 181
Good birding,
Sergey Pavlov
