April 2000 Field Journal

4.7 [SFBirds] Friday's birds
Kevin and I headed out this morning and had a nice morning. A CASPIAN TERN
at Crissy was overshadowed by the GRAY WHALE that was quite close to short
near the east end. Do migrant whales come into the Bay to feed? Or is it
lost?

At Battery East, we did Rich one kingbird better with three WESTERN
KINGBIRDS posing prettily from their roosts near the cliffs. Presumably,
they were staging for the crossing of the Gate. There were several other
passerine species there as well.

At the Wrentit overlook, Kevin found a RED-NECKED GREBE starting to molt
into alternate plumage while Kobbe and Upton yielded at least two lingering
VARIED THRUSHES and a HOODED ORIOLE in one of the fan palms.

Tennessee Hollow, the flat area below Lover's Lane containing the lower end
of El Poulin creek had another Hooded Oriole, this one quite a bit more yellow.
Might we assume this is a first spring bird?

Kevin refound the BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER at Mountain Lake and a TURKEY
VULTURE was soaring over the lake proper. The willows were also quite
birdy.

Crissy Field
Caspian Tern
Gray Whale

Battery East
3 Western Kingbird
Lesser Goldfinch
Wilson's Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
American Goldfinch

Wrentit Spot
Red-necked Grebe

Kobbe & Upton
Purple Finch
Varied Thrush
Hooded Oriole

Tennessee Hollow
Hooded Oriole

4.9 Mines Road
I5
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Raven

MP 0.8
Grasshopper Sparrow

MP 1.4
Savannah Sparrow
Western Kingbird
Horned Lark

MP 3.5
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Bullock's Oriole
Costa's Hummingbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
European Starling
White-crowned Sparrow

MP 4.0
California Towhee

MP 4.5
Yellow-billed Magpie
California Quail
Mallard

MP 4.8
Tree Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

MP 5.2
Lesser Goldfinch
Western Bluebird
Rock Wren
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
American Kestrel

MP 10.0
Killdeer
Anna's Hummingbird

Frank Raines
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Oak Titmouse
House Finch
House Wren
Western Scrub-Jay
Acorn Woodpecker

ORV Area
Black-headed Grosbeak
Black Phoebe
Nuttall's Woodpecker

MP 20.7
California Thrasher
Violet-green Swallow
Turkey Vulture

MP 23.7
Pied-billed Grebe
American Coot

Junction
Rufous Hummingbird
Lark Sparrow
White-breasted Nuthatch

San Antonio Road
Lewis' Woodpecker

Fire Station
House Sparrow
Phainopepla

Mines Road
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren
Golden Eagle

4.15 - 18 South Texas
4/15
I made a beeline towards hill country, notwitstanding the terrible traffic I had to negotiate to get out of San Antonio. Along RM 1340, BLACK VULTURES were easy to pick out even while driving. It was nice to see SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHERS again; of course they were not present when I was here in January.

Somehow, the ominous severe weather which was predicted that afternoon managed to stay just north of me, and I arrived at Kerr Wildlife Management Area with the sun peeking through the clouds. I started the auto tour slowly with the windows down and found a fairly birdy area near the first cattle guard. I heard a song that I didn't recognize, but at first couldn't locate the bird. However, I kept at it and found a singing GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER, of course singing a different song from that which was on the Peterson CD. I managed a decent look but it flew before I managed to get a photo.

It's quite birdy near the residence on the refuge, and I manage to pick up ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, CHIPPING SPARROW and EASTERN PHOEBE among other birds. However, the big surprise was a heard-only PLUMBEOUS VIREO, its slightly buzzy song contrasting markedly with that of Cassin's Vireo, of which we have plenty in my neck of the woods.

Shortly after the residence, I heard a song which fortunately did sound like one on the Peterson CD. I listened carefully and then got out of the car. The bird was quite distant, but nonetheless flushed from the dense thicket in which it was singing. I managed to pick it up in flight and saw its jet black cap. It then landed even farther away for about two seconds before flying out of sight. I guess I should be lucky at all that I saw the BLACK-CAPPED VIREO in addition to hearing it.

4/16
After hightailing it from Hill Country down to Laredo the previous day (not recommended), I nonetheless managed to get to San Ygnacio before 8:00 AM. The cemetery was overrun with blackbirds, but there was a BLACK-THROATED SPARROW singing in the field. I walked towards the river and immediately recognized the song of WHITE-COLLATED SEEDEATER. Getting a good look was another matter. I finally walked down towards the noisy irrigation pump at the river and one flew from the bare branches on one side of the road to the other, affording a decent look. Another was singing right at the river, but alas I could not get on it.

I ran into some other birds (the first I had seen) at Zapata and we struck out on WCSE there. However, a LONG-BILLED THRASHER is singing in plain view. Once again, Falcon Dam is dead as a door nail with only GREAT KISKADEES to amuse me during the visit. The El Rio RV Park is it's usual, uh, funky place, with the burned-out RV adding to the charm of the spot. However, BROWN JAYS are easy to find there. MUSCOVY DUCK had been reported earlier that morning, but was not there when I was there. A HORNED TOAD brought back memories of a childhood pet and COUCH'S KINGBIRDS were easy to see near Salineño. My luck with MUDU continues; I miss them by about five minutes at the river at Salineño.

Not to tarry, I needed to head on to Santa Ana NWR. During the heat of the afternoon, the GRAY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT was elusive, but later in the afternoon, it popped up right at the trail and posed for three different photos. I also managed to record it. The Monkey Flower near the old manager's residence was alive with hummingbirds; this BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD was quite cooperative. As I walked past Willow 1 on my way back in, I struck up a conversation with John McClung. This was quite convenient as the CLAY-COLORED ROBIN started singing while we were chatting. I returned to the visitor center just in time to get a find photo of a PLAIN CHACHALACA.

4/17
I started the morning at Anzaldulas County Park, where there were at least three separate TROPICAL PARULAS singing in the canopy of the park. Getting a decent photo was another matter. The GRAY HAWK made an appearance carrying nesting material as did an unseen NORTHERN-BEARDLESS TYRANNULET, but the ROSE-THROATED BECARD reported earlier that morning eluded everyone that I talked to. A brief sojourn to Weslaco lead to nice looks at a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER. I returned to Santa Ana mid-afternoon and endured debilitating heat and humidity to head to Cattail Lake. En route, I had a nice study of a BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. At the lake, I was finally rewarded with a brief view of a breeding-plumaged female MASKED DUCK. I tried not to worry about running out of water on the way back with vultures circling around me. :-)

4/18
The Inn at El Canelo provided stunning looks at FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL and CAVE SWALLOW, which almost made the fee seem worthwhile. A brief trip to Laguna Atascosa yielded no migrants only a few birds in the heat and humidity before I embarked on the long, and frankly boring drive back to San Antonio.

106 species seen:
Least Grebe (14)
Pied-billed Grebe (10)
Neotropic Cormorant (12)
Great Blue Heron (7)
Great Egret (4)
Snowy Egret (10)
Little Blue Heron (14)
Tricolored Heron (10)
Reddish Egret (17)
Cattle Egret (17)
Green Heron (10)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (12)
White-faced Ibis (10)
Black Vulture (2)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (10)
Blue-winged Teal (7)
Cinnamon Teal (14)
Masked Duck (14)
Ruddy Duck (10)
Osprey (17)
White-tailed Kite (10)
Gray Hawk (11)
Red-shouldered Hawk (12)
Broad-winged Hawk (11)
Swainson's Hawk (3)
White-tailed Hawk (15)
Merlin (4)
Wild Turkey (3)
Sora (10)
Common Moorhen (10)
American Coot (6)
Black-necked Stilt (10)
American Avocet (10)
Willet (17)
Spotted Sandpiper (10)
Long-billed Curlew (17)
Laughing Gull (18)
Royal Tern (17)
Mourning Dove (3)
Inca Dove (7)
White-tipped Dove (3)
Red-crowned Parrot (13)
Greater Roadrunner (8)
Barn Owl (7)
Great Horned Owl (15)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (15)
Lesser Nighthawk (3)
Chimney Swift (10)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird (10)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (10)
Ringed Kingfisher (9)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (7)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (5)
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (11)
Eastern Phoebe (3)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (3)
Brown-crested Flycatcher (14)
Great Kiskadee (6)
Couch's Kingbird (4)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (2)
White-eyed Vireo (13)
Black-capped Vireo (3)
Plumbeous Vireo (3)
Green Jay (7)
Brown Jay (7)
Black-billed Magpie (2)
Purple Martin (3)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (9)
Cave Swallow (15)
Barn Swallow (2)
Tufted Titmouse (11)
Cactus Wren (9)
Bewick's Wren (3)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3)
Clay-colored Robin (10, 13)
Long-billed Thrasher (5)
Curve-billed Thrasher (15)
American Pipit (3)
Cedar Waxwing (3)
Orange-crowned Warbler (3)
Nashville Warbler (3)
Tropical Parula (11)
Golden-cheeked Warbler (3)
Black-throated Green Warbler (10)
Black-and-white Warbler (13)
American Redstart (13)
Common Yellowthroat (10)
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (10)
Summer Tanager (3, 18)
White-collared Seedeater (4)
Olive Sparrow (5)
Chipping Sparrow (3)
Field Sparrow (3)
Lark Sparrow (3)
Black-throated Sparrow (4)
Lincoln's Sparrow (10)
Northern Cardinal (3)
Red-winged Blackbird (4)
Western Meadowlark (16)
Great-tailed Grackle (1)
Bronzed Cowbird (7)
Brown-headed Cowbird (3)
Altamira Oriole (9)
House Finch (1)
Horned Toad (8)

Locations:
1) I10 (Apr 15)
2) RM 1340 (Apr 15)
3) Kerr WMA (Apr 15)
4) San Ygnacio (Apr 16)
5) Zapata (Apr 16)
6) Falcon Dam (Apr 16)
7) Chapeno (Apr 16)
8) Salineno Short Cut (Apr 16)
9) Salineno (Apr 16)
10) Santa Ana (Apr 16)
11) Anzaldulas (Apr 17)
12) Santa Ana (Apr 17)
13) Weslaco (Apr 17)
14) Santa Ana (Apr 17)
15) El Canelo (Apr 18)
16) Hwy 77 (Apr 18)
17) Laguna Atascosa (Apr 18)
18) Hwy. 37 (Apr 18)

4.30 [SFBirds] Re: [SFBirds] lazuli buntings
Jay Withgott wrote:
>
> My wife and I had a pair of Lazuli Buntings at the summit atop Mt.
> Davidson this morning, the male serenading the female. (Do they nest
> there?)

I don't recall any sightings from '98 from Mt. Davidson, but I could be
wrong. There was a male in '98 in Glen Park Canyon than hung around for
awhile; I don't recall if there was a female. Nevertheless, I'd guess that
they have bred in the few suitably grassy habitats left in SF.

Perhaps Dan S. can shed more light on this.

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