SAN BENITO COUNTY TODAY

Hello, Birders,

Grabbed my latte, and headed out for some local birding this morning. Seems like most of my birding is outside of the country these days. Didn't find anything terribly unusual, but had a lot of fun watching all of the newly fledged residents. Areas I birded: PAICINES RESERVOIR (PR), BROWN'S VALLEY ROAD (BV), SANTA ANITA ROAD (SA), SANTA ANA VALLEY ROAD (SAV), LONE TREE ROAD(LT). I spent most of my time on Lone Tree Road, and tallied a nice bird species list and one live RATTLESNAKE, coyote, and black-tailed deer.

Highlights of the day included:

BALD EAGLE- adult male & adult female at PR; and one adult circling high on SAV. The nesting pair did not nest this year, at least not in the nest that they have used since our discovery in 2004.

WESTERN GREBE-5 at PR, unusual in summer (?).

ROCK WREN-6 with fledged young on BV. First time that I have seen them on this little-traveled, grassland road.

SAY'S PHOEBE-4 with fledged young on BV.

WESTERN BLUEBIRD-32, many fledged young on SA.

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW-2 singing on SA. First time on this road for me. 6 on LT, at the usual spot where they have nested for the past 12 years. 

OAK TITMOUSE-23 on SA, many fledged and dependent young.

YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE-8 on LT, many fledged young.

GOLDEN EAGLE-1 adult on LT.

CHESNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE-14 on LT, a few fledged young. I don't know when they began nesting in this location, but they seem to be extending their range in the county.

HUTTON'S VIREO-1 on LT.

WARBLING VIREO-3 on LT. 

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER-2 on LT.

LAZULI BUNTING-2 on LT.

RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW-1 on LT.

CALIFORNIA THRASHER-3 on LT.

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE-2 on LT.

BLACK PHOEBE-3 on LT with one dependent young.

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK-1.

Lots of the usual suspects around, including many BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, WESTERN KINGBIRDS, etc. It was disappointing to see that someone dozed the coyote bushes at the pullout at Paicines Reservoir. It was only a few bushes, but this was a great migrant "trap" in fall migration, and exactly where I saw the Palm Warbler last August. It looks very, very dry everywhere!

Here comes summer,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter