Natural History Wanderings

Updated

This past Sunday I participated in the Oakland Christmas Bird The 15-mile count circle includes Berkeley as well as Oakland. There were over 300 participants and the preliminary total is 173 species.

I got up early and went out with the owlers as 2:15 am. which  included hearing a Long-Eared Owl in Redwood National Park and seeing a Northern Screech Owl in Claremont Canyon. The Owlers also heard Western Saw-Whet Owl and Great Horned Owl, but didn’t succeed in finding a Barn Owl. Other highlights for me were seeing   the Wood Ducks, Green Heron, Black-night Crowned Heron and Blackbird flight at Lake Temescal and seeing a Merlin and Red-shouldered Hawk at Claremont Country Club.

Read the Golden Gate Audubon description of this year’s count and see photos at Our 75th Oakland CBC — damp but successful

Submitted by Dave Quady Oakland Christmas Bird Count compiler on the East Bay Birding Yahoo Site:

Oakland’s 75th annual Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society, recorded about 173 species on Sunday, including some nice rarities. The many field observers (more than 300 people registered; not all actually took part) experienced better weather than forecasts suggested, and some 40 feeder watchers contributed additional sightings. Afterward more than 150 folks enjoyed fine food at the warm, high-spirited compilation dinner.

Virginia Rail was the only regularly occurring species that we apparently missed on Count Day. If you detected or detect a Virginia Rail or any rarity during Count Week (Thursday, Dec 17 through Wednesday, Dec 23), please let me know.

Participants reported a female Long-tailed Duck off Treasure Island; one Snowy Plover at Middle Harbor Park and others in Alameda; a Ruddy Turnstone near Pt. Isabel; small numbers of Red Knots along the Alameda shoreline, the Berkeley waterfront and near Garretson Point; an immature Glaucous Gull at the Davis Street transfer station; a Long-eared Owl in Redwood Reg. Park; and a male Black-headed Grosbeak back for its second winter at private feeders in Claremont Canyon. Red Crossbill — last reported in 1996 — was chosen as the count’s best bird; there were two crossbills on the St. Mary’s College campus and 15 more in Leona Heights.

My co-compiler, Bob Lewis, and I thank the area leaders, our two boat captains, count participants in the field and at home, GGAS staff, and the many volunteers who helped in numerous ways for another very enjoyable Oakland CBC. You can read more about the count and enjoy some fine photographs in today’s San Francisco Chronicle and on the Contra Costa Times’ website.

Please join us for Oakland’s 76th CBC on Sunday, December 18, 2016.