Las Gallinas Land of Many Wonders 11.06.05

For a "looks like it might rain" kinda day, that turned into non-stop birding excitement. I'm glad as many of you came up north as did. Las Gallinas is one of my favorite birding places in the bay area, and now you know why. Diversity and abundance.

Highlights: Birding by Ear had one diehard student of the art. We weren't disappointed. Golden-crowned Sparrows were in full voice. Fox Sparrows were chupping, and Hermit Thrushed were tsuping, an American Kestrel came a-keking, and we had our first encounters w/Clapper Rail and Virginia Rail for the day (but not our last).

The regulars were treated to a diversity of dabbling ducks. Cinnamon Teal the handsomest? Northern Pintail? Green-winged Teal? Mallard?!!!!!! Everyone should have a favorite duck. Raptor action brought us 8 species? or was it 9? Two falcons, two buteos, two accipiters, Northern Harrier, White-tailed Kite, and Turkey Vulture. O.k., 9. And pretty gorgeous looks at all of them. Neat "study" birds were provided by the Scaup (which one was it?), Pipit (which one?), Grebe (well?), and Dowitcher. And if we didn't have enough to look at, I had to try and drum up a couple of rails. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

BBE=Heard during "Birding by Ear" portion of the class.

ES = Early show (or, Seen during Birding by Ear portion of the class.

1. Canada Goose
2. Gadwall
3. American Wigeon
4. Mallard (BBE)
5. Cinnamon Teal
6. Northern Shoveler
7. Northern Pintail
8. Green-winged Teal
9. Lesser Scaup
10. Ruddy Duck
11. Pied-billed Grebe
12. Eared Grebe
13. American White Pelican
14. Double-crested Cormorant
15. Great Blue Heron
16. Great Egret
17. Snowy Egret
18. Black-crowned Night Heron
19. Turkey Vulture – V is for Vulture. Wings held in a high dihedral.
20. White-tailed Kite
21. Northern Harrier
22. Cooper's Hawk
23. Sharp-shinned Hawk
24. Red-tailed Hawk
25. Red-shouldered Hawk
26. American Kestrel (BBE)
27. Merlin
28. Clapper Rail
29. Virginia Rail (thought it was going to jump on Ione's shoe)
30. American Coot
31. Killdeer (BBE)
32. American Avocet
33. Black-necked Stilt
34. Greater Yellowlegs (BBE)
35. Dowitcher spp.
36. Least Sandpiper
37. Ring-billed Gull
38. California Gull
39. Mew Gull
40. Rock Pigeon
41. Morning Dove (ES)
42. White-throated Swift (Bonus flock; always a treat)
43. Northern Flicker (ES)
44. Acorn Woodpecker (ES/BBE)
45. Black Phoebe (BBE)
46. Say's Phoebe
47. Loggerhead Shrike
48. Western Scrub-Jay (ES)
49. American Crow (BBE )
50. Common Raven (BBE )
51. Chestnut-backed Chickadee BBE
52. White-breasted Nuthatch BBE)
53. Marsh Wren (BBE / ES)
54. Hermit Thrush ES/BBE
55. Northern Mockingbird
56. American Pipit
57. European Starling
58. Yellow-rumped Warbler
59. Common Yellowthroat ES
60. Spotted Towhee ES / BBE
61. Lark Sparrow ES
62. Dark-eyed Junco ES
63. Fox Sparrow
64. Song Sparrow
65. White-crowned Sparrow
66. Golden-crowned Sparrow
67. Red-winged Blackbird
68. Brewer's Blackbird
69. House Finch
70. Lesser Goldfinch ES / BBE

    Class cumulative Fall species total: Judeges are still working on these un-audited totals. Stay tuned! And you are marking these in your little blue books, aren't you?

    If I missed something, I'm completely relying on the team to remind me.

    bob power

    

    November 6th, 2005