Natural History Wanderings

Golden Gate Audubon reported that the Oakland Christmas Bird Count set a new report with 184 species. Some highlights included

• A Painted Redstart, that has been hanging out in a yard in Berkeley
• A “Vega” form of Herring Gull and a Glaucous Gull, which shared the rare bird award for the day.
• A Swainson’s Thrush, unusual for this time of year, reported in Moraga.
• A Golden Eagle sighted eating a jackrabbit in Alameda.
• Two separate pairs of Rugy-crowned Kinglets that were spotted wrestling, talon to talon.

A posting on the East Bay Birds List added:

Other unusual species participants were happy to find included a handful of Snowy Plovers along the Alameda shoreline, a single Ruddy Turnstone that flew over San Leandro Bay, Surfbirds along Emeryville’s rocky shoreline, and three Red Knots at the end of the Albany Bulb. All these shorebirds have become increasingly scarce, and have been missed on many recent counts. Single Ross’s Geese were found in Oakland on Hanover Street near Lake Merritt, near Chuck Corica Golf Course, and at Middle Harbor Park. Single Black-throated Gray Warblers were found on Encina Place in Berkeley, and in Oakland’s Lake Merritt and Mountain View Cemetery areas. Two Hermit Warblers were found in the Oakland Hills. The continuing male Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt and the Common Gallinule at Lafayette Reservoir were also found yesterday.

Heermann’s Gull and Pine Siskin were the only ‘common’ species not reported at the compilation dinner. If you saw, or see, either of these species — or any other unusual species — from Thursday, December 12 through Wednesday, December 18, please send me details.

Read more at: Oakland CBC nets 184 species | Golden Gate Audubon Society