Subject: Point Reyes and Mt Diablo
Date: Mar 26 13:00:28 2001
From: Paul Webster - PWebst25 at concentric.net


Barb and I got wanderlust, so on March 17-18 we went to California and
spent two days birding Point Reyes National Seashore just north of San
Fransciso. I also spent the morning of March 19 at Mt Diablo State Park,
about twenty miles east of Oakland. Millions visit Pt Reyes, but as it
was very early spring we hoped most of them would be somewhere else --
perhaps pursuing the Common Ringed Plover that has been attracting eager
birders to the south part of the park near Stinson Beach. Pt Reyes
covers a large area and three days would be a minimum to bird it, though
we thought five days might be better for us because we don't like to
hurry. We also didn't to go out to the Point, because park visitors
have to leave their cars and visit the outer park and lighthouse area
via shuttle bus. This is environmentally good, we thought, but too
time-consuming considering the weekend crowd that numbered in the
thousands. So with only two days to bird there we decided to save the
west end for another trip. On Saturday we birded Tomales Bay and Abbot's
Lagoon; we had time Sunday for Olema Marsh, Sky Trail, and Limantour
Spit/Drake's Estero. Many of the winter resident birds had already
left, and most of the migrants and summer residents hadn't arrived yet,
but we felt we were in one of the best birding areas around as we still
saw about 80 species at Pt Reyes, even without doing the lighthouse
area. Highlights for us included a lone Brown Pelican over the ocean, a
Black-legged Kittiwake flying past above the beach, and a
Black-shouldered Kite who couldn't decide whether to stoop near us and
so hovered above while we moved out of his way.

Mt. Diablo at almost 4000 ft is a major landmark that fortunately is a
large state park, because developments in Concord, Walnut Creek and
Danville would otherwise have clawed their way up its slopes. I picked
Mitchell Canyon on the north side of the park for its dry mixed
oak/conifer woodland. This is a beautiful area supported by an active
volunteer organization that seems associated with the Mt Diablo Audubon
Society.

Except for some early morning fog at Pt Reyes all three days featured
beautiful warm weather -- in the mid 70's at Mitchell Canyon--, so warm
that California had rolling blackouts. In about three hours at Mt Diablo
I had about 25 species, including a pretty Sharp-shinned Hawk perched in
a large oak and a Lawrence's Goldfinch singing from just above me in a
conifer. California may be crowded, but there is still good birding
there, even in the Bay Area. Total species: 102.

Pied-billed Grebe 6 at Olema Marsh & Abbot's Lagoon
Horned Grebe 1 at Tomales Bay near Inverness
Eared Grebe 2 at Tomales Bay SP
Western Grebe c. 30 at Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
Double-crested Cormorant c. 8 at Limantour Spit
Brown Pelican 1 over ocean at Limantour Spit
Ruddy Duck c. 30- Abbot's Lagoon & Limantour
Canada Goose 3 west of I-880 near San Leandro
American Wigeon c. 6 at Drake's Estero
Mallard c. 18 at Pt Reyes
Cinnamon Teal c. 24 at Olema Marsh & Abbot's Lagoon
Canvasback 2 females in pond at Limantour Spit
Ring-necked Duck 2 on Tomales Bay near Inverness
Greater Scaup 1 in bright sunlight at Tomales Bay SP
Lesser Scaup c. 60 on Tomales Bay
Surf Scoter c. 100 Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
White-winged Scoter c. 12 on Tomales Bay
Bufflehead c. 50 Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
Red-breasted Merganser 4 in Drake's Estero
Snowy Egret 4 in Tomales Bay & Drake's Estero
Great Blue Heron 8 in Tomales Bay, Olema Marsh & Limantour
Great Egret c. 8 in Tomales Bay & Drake's Estero
Turkey Vulture Scores seen from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo
Osprey 3 over & near Tomales Bay
White-tailed Kite 2 seen at Tomales Bay SP & Olema Marsh
Northern Harrier 2 at Abbot's Lagoon & Olema Marsh
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 by I-580 near Pleasanton
Red-tailed Hawk c. 8 seen from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo
American Kestrel 2 at Pt Reyes 3/17; 1 at Mt Diablo 3/19
California Quail 6 near Inverness
American Coot c. 200 at Pt Reyes
Marbled Godwit c. 50 Tomales Bay & Drake's Estero
Long-billed Curlew 2 at Drake's Estero
Greater Yellowlegs 1 at Drake's Estero
Willet c. 50 at Tomales Bay & Limantour
Spit
Long-billed Dowitcher 2 at Tomales Bay near Inverness
Sanderling 1 seen at Drake's Estero
Black-necked Stilt 1 just west of I-880 near San Leandro
Black-bellied Plover 2 at Drake's Estero
Killdeer 1 near Abbot's Lagoon
Ring-billed Gull Limantour Spit
Western Gull Limantour Spit
Thayer's Gull Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
Black-legged Kittiwake 1 seen over beach at Limantour Spit
Red-throated Loon 2 at Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
Pacific Loon 1 at Tomales Bay
Common Loon several at Tomales Bay & Limantour Spit
Rock Dove Olema Marsh and several freeway bridges
Mourning Dove 2 seen near Inverness
Rufous Hummingbird Tomales Bay SP & Sky Trail Pt Reyes
Allen's Hummingbird 1 at Shield's Saltmarsh, Tomales Bay
Belted Kingfisher 3 seen: 1 at Tomales Bay & 2 at Olema
Marsh
Acorn Woodpecker 3 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Downy Woodpecker 2 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Northern Flicker 3 at Olema Marsh and Tomales Bay SP
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1 at Tomales Bay SP
Black Phoebe c. 6 from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo SP
Steller's Jay 1 heard at Sky Trailhead, Pt Reyes NS

Western Scrub-Jay scores seen from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo
American Crow Scores seen at Point Reyes
Common Raven 1 seen near Inverness
Western Bluebird 2 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt. Diablo SP
Hermit Thrush 1 at Shield's Saltmarsh, Tomales Bay
American Robin several at Pt Reyes
Northern Mockingbird Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
European Starling too many from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo
Pygmy Nuthatch 2 at Tomales Bay SP
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Marsh Wren scores seen & heard all over Pt Reyes
Bewick's Wren 2 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Winter Wren 1 at Sky Trail
Bushtit c. 10 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt.
Diablo SP
Tree Swallow c. 12 at Tomales Bay & Olema Marsh
Violet-green Swallow c. 12 at Abbot's Lagoon
Cliff Swallow 1 seen at Olema Marsh
Ruby-crowned Kinglet about 12 from Pt Reyes to Mt Diablo
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 seen at Tomales Bay SP
Wrentit 1 seen Abbots Lagoon, heard at Sky
Trail
Chestnut-b. Chickadee Tomales Bay SP & Sky Trail
Oak Titmouse c. 24 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
House Sparrow Several seen near Mt Diablo SP
Lesser Goldfinch Several at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Purple Finch 3/17/01 several near Inverness
Yellow-rumped Warbler several seen Pt Reyes & Mt Diablo SP
Townsend's Warbler 2 at Tomales Bay SP
Common Yellowthroat Several at Olema Marsh & Limantour marsh
Fox Sparrow 1 at Tomales Bay SP
Song Sparrow both light & dark forms at Pt Reyes
White-crowned Sparrow many seen at Pt Reyes
Golden-crowned Sparrow c. 10 at Olema Marsh, Pt Reyes
Dark-eyed Junco Pt Reyes & Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo
Savannah Sparrow 1 at Abbot's Lagoon, Pt Reyes
Spotted Towhee 2 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
California Towhee 1 at Mitchell Canyon, Mt Diablo SP
Red-winged Blackbird many at Tomales Bay, Olema Marsh, Limantour
marsh
Western Meadowlark 1 at Abbot's Lagoon, Pt Reyes
Brewer's Blackbird c. 3 dozen at Park HQ, Bear Valley Rd, Pt
Reyes
Brown-headed Cowbird Tomales Bay SP