VOL. 64, NO. 5 FEBRUARY 2019
THE QUAIL
Mt. Diablo Audubon Society | www.diabloaudubon.org 8 pm Program: Next Meeting: Bald Eagles FEBRUARY 7 The Mt. Diablo Audubon America's official bird since Society will meet 1782, the Bald Eagle became Thursday, Feb. 7, in the a symbol of freedom and patriotism for good reason: Camellia Room of The this majestic bird has a fierce Gardens at Heather Farm beauty. Once on the brink of in Walnut Creek. extinction, the Bald Eagle is 6:30 pm Doors open now a protected species 7:00 pm Birding Info enjoying a comeback. 7:25 pm News Photonaturalist Jeffrey Rich has chronicled the daily lives articles have appeared in 7:40 pm Snacks & Raffle of America's favorite bird, and Audubon, National Wildlife, 8:00 pm Main Program he’ll uses these images to Ranger Rick, and on the “Bald Eagles in the Wild” share insights into their National Geographic habitat, feeding, mating and website. With degrees in life care of their young. He will science and wildlife biology, also share stories of people he teaches science to middle Inside and high school students in who have helped eagles and President’s Column 2 been inspired by them. Redding. He also leads photo Bird Wide Web 3 tours, where clients capture The author of Bald Eagles in Upcoming Trips 4 the Wild, Jeff regularly works intimate and beautiful Trip Reports 5 with scientists to document moments in nature. See 7 their work. His photos and jeffrichphoto.com. Wild Birds New Classes 7 Observations 8 7 pm: Bat Boxes Young Birders Club 10 Joshua Gamez will report on CBC Report 10 his Mt. Diablo Audubon- Q and A Puzzler 11 supported Eagle Scout Action Alert 11 project, installing bat boxes at Big Break Regional Shoreline Plus: Grayson Creek birders in Oakley. complete a year December of surveys. 2018 p. 6 2 Our “Patch” MT. DIABLO AUDUBON SOCIETY BOARD President Only 10 minutes from our Antioch home is the entrance to Contra Paul Schorr, [email protected], (925) 757-5107 Loma Regional Park, an area of 776 acres, where my wife, Nancy, and I most Vice President often set out to do some local birding. The park includes a variety of Kent Fickett, k.fi[email protected], (415) 269-4277 habitats: the reservoir itself; the shoreline of exposed muddy areas, cattail/ Secretary tule marshes, and riparian woodlands; and the surrounding hillsides of open Carol Pachl, [email protected], (925) 253-0675 grasslands and California savanna. With such a mix of habitats, it is no Treasurer surprise that our species total for this suburban park is currently 148. Steve Buffi, (925) 938-0929 As we approach the park from Frederickson Lane, Programs & Legislative Action Ariana Rickard, [email protected], (347) 754-0143 we begin to anticipate the frequently encountered Field Trips birds that seem to welcome us along this birdy route. Hugh Harvey, (925) 935-2979 Along the fence-lined road, we often find Say’s and Conservation Black Phoebes, American Kestrels and Western Nancy Wenninger, [email protected], (925) 938-7987 Bluebirds. Depending on the season, sometimes the list Education includes Loggerhead Shrike, blackbird species Maren Smith, [email protected], (925) 322-9477 including Tri-colored, Western Kingbird, Burrowing PRESIDENT’S Sales CORNER Owl, Western Meadowlark and recently a Rock Wren. Cathy Castillo, [email protected], (925) 209-6665 After checking in at the kiosk, we usually proceed to Membership the Channel Point parking lot, which provides close access to views of the Virginia Hamrick, [email protected], (925) 945-7761 reservoir, Loma Island and surrounding areas. If we are there during the Volunteer Coordinator morning, we often have coffee and a breakfast sandwich while scanning the Brian Murphy, [email protected], (925) 937-8835 reservoir for possible new arrivals. Occasionally, we will park in the large Publicity & Social Media Rosalie Howarth, [email protected] open gravel parking lot south of Channel Point parking lot and check out the nearby trees, quail brush and open grasslands for birds frequenting Young Birders Juan Pablo Galván, [email protected] those areas. Members-at-Large Our birding itinerary almost always includes a visit to Loma Island Bill Chilson, [email protected] (EBB), (510) 619-6692 Michael Eliot, [email protected] (925) 798-0303 where we have encountered some rarities, the most notable being a Mike Mecham, [email protected] (925) 381-4650 Northern Waterthrush in 2011. In past winters, the flocks of crowned The Quail Editor sparrows have occasionally included White-throated Sparrows also. Near Lori Patel, [email protected] the island, a wooded area comprised of cottonwoods, willows, and Raywood ADVISORY ash trees has yielded surprises such as Golden-crowned Kinglet, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Webmaster & Calendar Dal Leite, [email protected] Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Red-breasted Sapsucker. Observations Editor Springtime affords opportunities to see nestlings and fledglings of Maury Stern, [email protected], (925) 284-5980 Bullock’s Orioles, Barn Owls, Great Horned Owls, Red-shouldered Hawks, Hospitality Cooper’s Hawks, Anna’s Hummingbirds, American Robins, Bushtits, Western Kathy Kellogg, [email protected], (925) 228-2690 Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Lesser Goldfinches, Killdeer, Black Phoebes, Citizen Science & CBC Common Gallinules, Pied-billed Grebes, Mallards and Canada Geese. Elizabeth Leite, [email protected] Sometimes fellow birders alert us to newly found species, such as the Sage Email Meeting Reminder Barbara Vaughan, (925) 376-8732 Thrasher that was discovered by Teri and Chris Wills in 2014. The bird remained long enough for many others, including us, to see. Honorary Advisor Jean Richmond, (925) 837-2843 The reservoir itself has afforded excellent views of many species of waterfowl, including geese, ducks, grebes, pelicans and cormorants, as well as wading birds and fish predators such as Osprey and Bald Eagles. The MDAS Board meets at 6:45 pm at Wild Birds Unlimited in Pleasant Hill on the second Thursday of With such outstanding birding opportunities, it is not surprising that every month except July and August. Contra Loma serves as the destination for the springtime MDAS-sponsored The Quail is published monthly except in January, July No Child Left Inside field trips. and August by the Mt. Diablo Audubon Society, PO Box 53, Walnut Creek, CA 94597-0053. I know that many of you hold dearly to your local “patches,” and I hope that you will feel free to share them with me sometime. Happy Birding in 2019.–Paul Schorr www.diabloaudubon.org www.facebook/mtdiabloaudubon www.meetup.com/Mount-Diablo-Audubon-Society