Birding San Benito County: Sep 29, 2008 with Jon Dunn

Howdy, Birders,

Following the Monterey Bay Birding Festival, on Monday, September 29, Jon Dunn and I went to birding in San Benito County for a few hours with the idea of ticking off some county birds for Jon, and of course, having fun. Seems Jon is getting interested in the county birding that is so popular in California. 

We met at VISTA PARK HILL in downtown Hollister, off Hill Street. It was pretty quiet, but we did manage WESTERN TANAGER (2), ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD (10), NUTTALLS' WOODPECKER (2), WESTERN WOOD-PEEWEE (1), BLACK PHOEBE, SCRUB JAY, OAK TITMOUSE, BUSHTIT, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (4), YELLOW WARBLER (1), CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (1- FOF), EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, MOURNING DOVE, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

At the HOLLISTER INDUSTRIAL PONDS we found: EARED GREBE (2- FOF), GADWALL, MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER (300), RUDDY DUCK, BLUE-WINGED TEAL (2), AMERICAN KESTREL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1), BLACK-NECKED STILT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, MARSH WREN (1), CALIFORNIA THRASHER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, BEWICK'S WREN, and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.

On SANTA ANA VALLEY ROAD, Jon spotted the FOF FERRUGINOUS HAWK. We zipped up SANTA ANITA ROAD to add ACORN WOODPECKER, CALIFORNIA QUAIL and YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE. But, the real show was on lower QUIEN SABE ROAD where a quartet of eagles was fighting over a rabbit kill!! Two BALD EAGLES, one adult, and one possible HY, had the rabbit, but two GOLDEN EAGLES stole the rabbit from them. The adult golden eagle mantled the prey with incredible intensity. Not one of the other eagles dared to come near!

At PAICINES RESERVOIR, we added: CANADA GOOSE (the greater white-fronted geese had left), GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK (1 female), RING-NECKED DUCK (1 male), BLUE-WINGED TEAL (1), RUDDY DUCK, PIED-BILLED GREBE, CLARK'S GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, TURKEY VULTURE, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, PECTORAL SANDPIPER (1), HOUSE WREN (1), WESTERN BLUEBIRD, WESTERN TANAGLER (1), SONG SPARROW, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, HOUSE FINCH, and LESSER GOLDFINCH. While we were at the reservoir, two delightful ladies, Shirley Murphy and Caroline Rogers, pulled up. They were also out birding, and we exchanged notes. 

At SOAP LAKE in the northern part of the county, we found: GADWALL, MALLARD, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, SNOWY EGRET (1), NORTHERN HARRIER (1, HY), AMERICAN COOT, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (1), KILLDEER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS (21), LESSER YELLOWLEGS (1), LEAST SANDPIPER (50), LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (23), BURROWING OWL (1), SAY'S PHOEBE, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, WARBLING VIREO (1), VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, MARSH WREN, CHIPPING SPARROW (1), SAVANNAH SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, and VIRGINIA RAIL.

It was a pleasure to spend the day birding my home patch with Jon.

Have fun,

Debi

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

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