Looking every which way for birds at Baldwin Creek
The most recent reports are listed first. Not all trips have write-ups.
West Santa Cruz, February 29, 2008
This morning's Santa Cruz Bird Club got off to a good start with an adult
COOPER'S HAWK perched over our starting place, and shortly thereafter got even
better, with the immature male AMERICAN REDSTART emerging and giving everyone
good close views. A bit further down the entrance road a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
perched close to the group, providing a good comparison with the fresh-in-memory
Cooper's. Near the butterfly boardwalk a WINTER WREN was in full song.
At Antonelli Pond David Sidle spotted a GREEN HERON at the edge of the
willows, and most or all in our group had a good look before it flew. BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS were tucked away all over the willows, and we ended up counting
at least 7 or 8. A MERLIN zipped by us, and then was gone, in a matter of a
second or so. One VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW was flying around over the pond, and a
MARSH WREN was singing in the tule/cat-tail marsh. Numerous AMERICAN ROBINS
and CEDAR WAXWINGS were flying in all directions.
Then we moved on to West Cliff. Searching the area around Woodrow, we
watched the various expected gulls and diving birds; a FORSTER'S TERN was nice, but
shorebirds seemed absent, and a high surf splashing on the rocks made the
chances of finding much of anything seem slim. We finally noticed some moving
well up the coast from where we were, and were planning on heading in that
direction, but then a lone small dark sandpiper flew by, the ROCK SANDPIPER. We
located it on a rock near Woodrow, and it cooperated by staying on that same rock
for quite some time, allowing an extended study of it. Even passersby
jogging along the path stopped and enjoyed scope views of this bird.
Finally some of us checked the wharf, but by then the water was calm and
birds were few, so no Black Scoter or any thing else unusual, but we did add
COMMON GOLDENEYE and a BELTED KINGFISHER to the list for the day. Altogether we
managed to find 79 species.
Steve Gerow
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, February 20, 2008
This trip had three meeting times to accommodate owling and daytime birding. Significant rain the night before left the forest drippy, and we had to contend with a few showers after sunrise, but the sun was peeking through by the end of the morning. Three of us managed to make the 5:00 a.m. meeting time to seek nocturnal forest owls. Western Screech-Owl was heard right away, and we found another, too. Two Northern Saw-whet owls put on a nice vocal display right – one right overhead – but they eluded viewing. A 6:30 a.m. meeting time added one more birder, making us a party of four. We went to a spot where I’d had a Northern Pygmy-Owl on the preceding days, and it cooperated nicely, calling on cue. We managed to see it fly back and forth between the tall tree crowns, wings whirring between glides. Six Wood Ducks flew over, and as sunrise came (such as it was for us under the clouds) we heard the birds of the forest awaken as varied voices chimed in for the day.
By our 7:30 meeting time we swelled to seven birders. We wandered the woods near park headquarters and Blooms Creek Campground, finding many of the forest denizens, but with birding dampened overall by the drips and showers. We pinned down a Pileated Woodpecker drumming and calling in a large redwood, but circumstances prevented good views of the top of the tree. Still, it was great to be at ground zero for its amazing drums! We also had many Varied Thrush, and glimpses at Wood Ducks swimming on Opal Creek. The “bird of the day” (for me, anyway) was a Yellow-rumped Warbler at Redwood Trail. This was only the second one I’ve ever found in the interior part of the park during the winter, as they shun extensive forests at that season.
With the weather improving, we dutifully tried for the Williamson’s Sapsucker that had been up at China Grade, although it had been more elusive than cooperative over the preceding week. We missed it, but had a Red-breasted Sapsucker, and lovely views across the mountains. We concluded near Sky Meadow in the late morning, but the birds had quieted. A few mixed flocks were there, and we had great looks at Purple Finches.
David Suddjian
West Cliff Drive, February 15, 2008
Calm and clear weather greeted this morning's Santa Cruz Bird Club field trip
to West Cliff Drive and vicinity. We covered West Cliff from Woodrow to
about Swift Street, finding a good variety of shorebirds and swimming birds. The
Rock Sandpiper failed to show up (has anyone seen this bird since early
January?) but we did find the wintering WANDERING TATTLER, first spotted by Phil
Brown near Swift Street. SURFBIRDS were the most abundant shorebird, with close
to 40 of them, mostly in one loose flock working up and down the coast.
Perhaps the best bird of the day was a RED-NECKED GREBE, also picked out by
Phil Brown, swimming with various other diving birds off the end of Almar
Avenue. A total of 6 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS (a lone female, and a flock of 3
males and 2 females) seemed a lot for a short stretch of West Cliff, leading us to
wonder if they might be starting to migrate. Other birds of some note
included a MARBLED MURRELET and a FORSTER'S TERN. The blackbird flocks had at least
6 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, not particularly of note, but the first on a club
field trip for the "Big Year."
It was also a good morning for sea mammals, with BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS close in
and GRAY WHALES a little further out, plus the usual Sea Otters, Seal Lions,
and Harbor Seals.
After West Cliff, we checked Bethany Curve Park, where we found nothing too
unusual, but there was a nice chorus of calls and songs from the multitudes of
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES feeding in the sycamores and other trees, plus some CEDAR
WAXWINGS and other things.
Finally, a few of us continued on to the wharf, where we had great close
views of the BLACK SCOTER that is wintering in that area, plus close up
comparisons of EARED, HORNED, WESTERN, and CLARK'S GREBES (all seen from one spot,
though they were diving a lot, so we never had all of them in view simultaneously.)
Steve Gerow
Sunset State Beach, February 12, 2008
Nine birders met on a lovely morning to sample some of the varied offerings of Sunset State Beach. The beach is the favored staging area for gulls heading inland to two nearby landfills, and at 8:00 a.m. the gulls were already streaming inland at a rate of about 200 per minute. Even so, a huge flock of thousands of gulls was still assembled on the beach, stretching for about ¾ of a mile! We took the time to work through part of the flock hoping for a Glaucous Gull and hoping against hope for a Slaty-backed. Those species did not cooperate, but it was a nice study opportunity with several Thayer’s Gulls and Herring Gulls amid the more common species. We enjoyed nice views of a number of White-winged Scoters off the northern beach access, with 41 tallied in one scan. This alone would be an exceptional count for the county, but later, viewing off the southern beach access, there were larger flocks that raised the day’s tally to a staggering 215 White-wingeds! Consider that most winters over the last 15 years, just 5-10 would be considered a high count in Santa Cruz County for this declining species!
Later we walked through part of the campground and along the road leading to it, and then drove down to the marsh. There were a wide variety of landbirds, with much song and some nesting activity. Of interest were several singing Purple Finches, about 10 Pine Siskins, and one Orange-crowned Warbler. Tree Swallows were singing and defending a snag from Pygmy Nuthatches, indicating that local breeders were now present. We had great looks at a pair of nuthatches excavating holes in a pine snag. Singing Nuttall’s White-crowneds (the local breeders) were in full voice, and some couldn’t even be bothered to stop singing, even though our birding party stood nearby not more than 15 feet away.
David Suddjian
Forest Owling at Nisene Marks, February 11, 2008
Another evening foray for owls, this time to the Forest of Nisene Marks. Nine of us walked out Aptos Creek Road as the day ended. A Northern Pygmy-Owl called on cue, 15 minutes after sunset, and we had a conversation. Thirty minutes after sunset some unsolicited “ksew” calls from a Northern Saw-whet Owl gave a Western screech-Owl cause to complain with a series of barks. A little later we began playing recordings of screech and saw-whet to elicit responses. Before we heard from the intended “targets,” a Barn Owl called several times as it passed over us. After a few stops with nothing, a pair of screech-owls finally gave a nice duet, and next we had a single screech that we were able to view as it perched in a redwood. The last owl was a vociferous Northern Saw-whet Owl, still sounding off as we walked out of the canyon.
David Suddjian
Waiting for the Long-eared Owl at O’Neill Ranch Open Space, February 3, 2008
It was a party of three this evening on the quest for the Long-eared Owl: me, myself and I. After waiting a little while at the designated meeting spot, I strode up the hill on my own to watch and wait for the emergence of a Long-eared Owl from its roost. The chill of the cold northwest wind was offset by the frequent passage of varied birds flying by, and others calling and singing at the end of the day. A pair of wintering White-tailed Kites put on a great show along the ridge. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks drew fire from the local American Kestrel, then from a passing Sharp-shinned Hawk, then from a feisty adult male Peregrine Falcon, and last from a zippy Merlin. The Peregrine was a special delight as it soared circles over the perched Red-tailed duo, cackling its challenge against the sunset clouds. A Cal. Thrasher sang vespers and a Lincoln’s Sparrow popped up then down. A Great Egret and Great Blue Heron both stalked a mowed grassy area beside a nearby house. And gulls kept flying by.
About 10 minutes after sunset a Long-eared Owl emerged from the acacias and began quartering over grasses and brush in the gully that hosts its roosting grove. In moments a second Long-eared was out, too. Both hunted the gully for quite a while, and perched side by side for a few minutes. Then we (me, myself and I) turned to head down the hill.
David Suddjian
Meder Canyon, February 1, 2008
The appearance of the sun was welcome for the six participants on this morning's Santa Cruz Bird Club field trip in Meder Canyon, and bird activity was high--dozens of YELLOW-RUMPED and TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, AMERICAN ROBINS, etc. The rarest bird was a bright NASHVILLE WARBLER in the willows around the upper canyon spring area, though it disappeared into the thick growth up the hill before most in the group could get a look at it. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was also in this area, (and almost as uncooperative). The numerous Townsend's Warblers, however, rewarded us with many close views.
At least three newly-arrived male ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRDS were around the upper
canyon eucalyptus, including one displaying. Hints of the upcoming breeding season were also provided by a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK carrying a limb into a eucalyptus, and adding it to the beginnings of a
nest platform visible near the top of the tree. Further down, the upper side road gave us good opportunities to study several male and female PURPLE FINCHES, as well as a number of other canyon regulars. For what it's worth, the creek in one mid-canyon stretch is flowing fairly strongly right down the middle of the service road, so a walk through here currently involves crossing the creek a few times, and edging around a gullied-out
spot (not that difficult, but it adds a sense of adventure. . .).
Steve Gerow
