September 2005 Field Journal 9.3 [SFBirds] Clay-colored Sparrow at Lobos Dunes
This morning, I found a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at Lobos Dunes. I was attracted to the bird initially by it's very thin tsik call, and readily found the bird foraging with the White-crowned Sparrow flock on the boardwalk east of the parking lot.9.8 [SFBirds] Common Merganser
David and I had it around 2:00. I don't think it'll depart between now and sunset...9.9 [SFBirds] Least Flycatcher in the East Wash this morning
This morning, Hugh Cotter and I had a LEAST FLYCATCHER in the East Wash. Description follows:An smallish, big-headed, greenish-brown empid, noticeably smaller than the Pacific-slope Flycatcher in the vicinity. The eye ring was conspicuous; slightly broader at the back and broken above the eye in the quadrant nearer the bill. The bill was short to medium in length with quite a bit of yellow on the mandible. The primary projection was quite small and the wing bars showed strong contrast relative to the wing panels. I thought there was a slight yellowish wash on the wing bars, but Hugh through that they were clean white. The bird was not heard to vocalize.
In terms of identification, Western Flycatcher can be immediately eliminated by direct comparison as can Traill's Flycatcher by the presence of an significant eye ring. Hammond's Flycatcher can appear big-headed, but usually has an almost entirely dark mandible and long primary projection. Dusky Flycatcher doesn't give me the impression of being large-headed, should be larger with an unbroken eye ring and usually has a dark mandible. Gray Flycatcher would be very pale, with a longer bill, flicks tail down, and would appear larger. Acadian and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers are even less likely; Acadian Flycatcher has long primary project and Yellow-bellied usuallly shows a prominent yellowish wash on the wing bars in fall in California. Buff-breasted Flycatcher has not been recorded in CA.
[SFBirds] More from the East Wash
Between the Least Flycatcher and being late to a meeting, there were a few other things I forgot.Pacific-slope Flycatcher 6-8
Willow Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler 2-3
Yellow Warbler 1-2
Townsend's Warbler
Warbling VireoAlso, there was a very interesting hummingbird that I didn't identify. It showed an all green back, clean white underparts with a strongly marked vest and a "hunched" posture when perched very reminiscent of the Costa's Hummingbird from years past. But I only had a 3-5 second view before it headed. Hugh then showed up and we went back to the Least Flycatcher. It was also raining lightly when Hugh and I were there. Go figure...
9.13 Re: [SFBirds] Late Afternoon Chain of Lakes
hukar are occasionally sighted in various locations in the city and, uh,
not likely to be wild. The nearest population that some people count is
near Shotgun Pass (San Benito or Fresno county; I don't have a map here),
but those too may well be escapees from a nearby game preserve. Other than
that, I can't think of anywhere north of Inyo county that has a population
that is plausibly wild.>
> Of presumably less 'tickable' interest was a CHUKAR next to the 5-
> Fulton bus stop on Fulton just north of North Lake. Any convincing
> arguments as to the 'countability' of the bird are welcome for my
> county list, but I'm going on the assumption that this is too far from
> established populations to represent natural dispersal.9.17 [SFBirds] Not much to add...
...but after the Vesper Sparrow and an unsatisfying look at the Blackburnian
Warbler, I did manage to (re)find a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at Fort Miley. I'm
guessing this is still the bird from last weekend, though I don't know how
we'd know for sure...9.19 [SFBirds] Nothing Unusual...
...big year participants hit delete now.On Bay View Hill, there were the following birds of local interest.
Western Wood-Pewee
Western Tanager
Wrentit (at least 2, including one about 20 feet from me at eye level)
Western Meadowlark, at least 2 high in a euc at the top of the hill
Spotted Towhee9.24 [SFBirds] Rare Bird Roundup
Highlihgts were a FERRUGINOUS HAWK and a possible PRAIRIE WARBLER.
Voice notes follow for the FEHA follow:Below is a complete list for the eastern Presidio:
Mallard
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Brown Pelican
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Small falcon
Ferruginous Hawk
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Selasphorous hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Prairie Warbler ???
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
California Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch9.25 [SFBirds] PRBO Big Day List...
...includes birds from the Farallones. Total was 146 species in the county
on a sunny, warm but still day.Brant (FI)
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Surf Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Pink-footed Shearwater (FI)
Buller's Shearwater (FI)
Sooty Shearwater (FI)
Brown Pelican
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Wandering Tattler (FI)
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone (FI)
Black Turnstone
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper (FI)
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin (FI)
Wilson's Snipe (FI)
Red-necked Phalarope
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Elegant Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Murre
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl
Great Horned Owl
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher (FI)
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Tropical Kingbird
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch (FI)
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Townsend's Solitaire (FI)
Swainson's Thrush (FI)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush (FI)
Wrentit
Northern Mockingbird
Sage Thrasher (FI)
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler (FI)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler (FI)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (FI)
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee (FI)
California Towhee
Chipping Sparrow (FI)
Clay-colored Sparrow (FI)
Brewer's Sparrow (FI)
Vesper Sparrow (FI)
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Bobolink (FI)
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House SparrowHome
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