Volume 54, Number 5 February 2009 Contra Costa County 2008 Big Year • Denise Wight On February 5 Denise Wight will share her adventures as she completed her 2008 Contra Costa County Big Year. Why did she decide to do a county Big Year? Denise had left her job in San Francisco in October of 2007 so that she could spend time teach- ing and birding in the East Bay. When Bob Power sent out an e-mail inviting others to The Dusky Warbler, join him in an Alameda County Big Year, found by Emilie Denise decided that it might be fun to see Strauss on October 9 how many species she could find in the at Point Isabel, was, county nearest and dearest to her heart, the by far, the best bird county in which she grew up, Contra Costa. on Denise’s 2008 Denise points out that Contra Costa County Contra Costa Big is located on the Pacific Flyway and boasts Year list. many diverse climates and birding habitats. Photo by Bob Lewis It stretches from the San Francisco Bay to the San Joaquin Delta at the western edge of birded for 24 years, Denise knew which and everything associated with them, is the Central Valley and includes our beloved species she would most likely see, then refreshed.” So, how did Denise do during Mount Diablo and the Orinda hills where guessed how many of the less likely species her Big Year? Denise will share some of her she played as a child. she might encounter. She set a personal goal birding adventures as well as insights into Before committing to the idea of a Big of 225 species. She was planning to keep how the listing experience affected her bird- Year, Denise checked the Contra Costa the count to herself, sharing it with a few ing. Join us and find out how many species County page on Joe Morlan’s website and birding friends, but Bob Lewis suggested Denise encountered. found that Steve Glover held the record for that she follow Bob Power’s lead and make BIRDING INFORMATION the most birds seen in the county in one the quest a friendly competition by inviting Jay Holcomb, Executive Director of year, 255 bird species seen in 998. Having others to join and post their monthly results IBRRC, the International Bird Rescue Re- on a web page. Sharing sightings would be a search Center in Fairfield, will bring us up great way to add new species, which might to date on the ailing Brown Pelicans. Adult Meeting Schedule, otherwise be missed. Hugh Harvey was birds, thin, weak and disoriented, are ap- The next general meeting of Mount one of the competitors who actually saw a pearing from Baja California to the State of Diablo Audubon Society will be species that Denise missed! Washington. There is some evidence that a Thursday, February 5, in the On April 20th, Denise joined Steve neurotoxin, domoic acid, is connected to Camellia Room of The Gardens at Glover for a Contra Costa County Big Day. the problem but it does not seem to be the Heather Farm, Walnut Creek. They started in Tilden Regional Park at 7:00 pm Birding Information primary cause. IBRRC is working with the 7:25 pm Announcements 4:45 am, listening for owls, and ended their Dave Caron Lab at USC to investigate the 7:40 pm Refreshments,* door prize, day at 8:40 pm at the Byron Airport. It was causes. In addition, Jay will discuss the In- 8:05 pm Speaker: Denise Wight Denise’s personal best birding day with 66 troductory Wildlife Emergency Response * Please remember to bring a cup. species. The best bird of the day was a Soli- classes available to the public during the Thursday, March 5: tary Sandpiper, a species that she had not months of February and March. Jay will David Wyatt seen in Contra Costa County in 11 years. give us a visual tour of the IBRRC facilities Bats of the Sutter Buttes Denise says. “Each day I’m in the field, and discuss the wide range of emergency my interest in learning more about birds treatment provided by IBRRC. DEDICATED TO HABITAT CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION the Quail —— February 2009 Observations mob). Up to five Lewis’s were at the north Welcome end of Los Vaqueros Reservoir on 11/9 By Steve Glover (DW). An apparently pure “Yellow-shafted” New Members Submit Contra Costa County sightings to Northern Flicker was in Knightsen /20 Dana Gallo Pleasant Hill Steve Glover at [email protected] (DE). A Pileated Woodpecker was near Arnold Gilbert Walnut Creek or (925) 997-1112. the Canyon School on Pinehurst Road on A Evelyn Ivey Martinez Greater White-fronted Goose 2/ (JL). continued at Heather Farm, Walnut Alan Krakauer Richmond A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was at Los Creek through at least 11/7 (HH). A Vaqueros Reservoir on /9 (DW). Jerry and Nancy Mix Concord single Snow Goose was reported from the Not entirely unexpected but always Dennis and Sharon Randall Alamo Albany Crescent on /0 (ES). A Brant, welcome was a cooperative Townsend’s Mary and John Ricksen Walnut Creek a species which has been found decidedly Solitaire at Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Devin Roberts Oakland more often in recent years in the county, Park 2/7-4 (JH, mob). Ed Schoenberger Moraga was at Meeker Slough near Point Isabel A Sage Thrasher was a nice find on Byron George Shelby Lafayette on /9 (DH). A Cackling Goose was at Hot Springs Road on /7 (HH, EL). Newhall Park, Concord on / and two Leslie Spellman Walnut Creek Nashville Warblers are virtually unknown more were at Heather Farm Park on /27 Danny Swicegood Benecia in the county in winter but one in Richmond (both HH). Cackling Geese have proven Stephen Taylor San Ramon 2/4 may have been attempting to winter to be fairly common and reliably found in (fide DQ). A lingeringYellow Warbler was good numbers in east county, particularly a surprise in Knightsen on /29 (DE). President’s Corner around Holland and Palm tract. Jimm Edgar Once unknown in the county but now A flock of 2 Tundra Swans was noted Mount Diablo Audubon has been annual, a Clay-colored Sparrow was at flying south around Point Isabel, Richmond deeply involved, as I am sure many of you Point Isabel, Richmond on 11/24 (AD). on 11/5. The flock later returned and know, with the situation at Rossmoor where A Swamp Sparrow made a very rare continued north (ES). This may be the first a permit has been issued to kill 50 Acorn suburban appearance in Alamo 2/-4 record for the Richmond area. Woodpeckers. In early November when we (JR). Single White-throated Sparrows learned a permit had been issued, we im- As many as five male Eurasian Wigeon were at Alamo /5-30 (JR), Point Isabel, mediately formed a task force to deal with were at the Albany Crescent on 11/7, a Richmond 11/9-25 (BL, mob), San Ramon the issue. MDAS member, Diana Granados very high total for the East Bay (SD). Three /20 (DW), and Walnut Creek 2/2-4 was asked to chair the task force. I am Blue-winged Teal were at Contra Loma (LG). A well-watched Harris’s Sparrow deferring my “President’s Corner” slot this Reservoir near Antioch on 11/30 (PS). was at Point Isabel /6-24 (SD, mob). A male “Common” month to have Diana bring you up to date Green-winged Teal Judi Cooper, Al DeMartini, Nel was photographed at McNabney Marsh on where we are currently (See Page 4). Benningshoff, Sheila Dickie, Dick Erickson, on / (H&JK). This is just the second Laura Gee, Steve Glover, Hugh Harvey, individual ever found in the county. 2008 MDAS CBCs Derek Heins, Homer and Judy Kessler, The two MDAS 2008 Christmas Bird An estimated 4000 Canvasbacks at Clifton Johan Langewis, Eugenia Larson, Bob Counts are history. The east county count Court Forebay near Byron 11/2 and 11/27 Lewis, Frances Oliver, Roger Polk, Dave on December 7 had 32 counters in the was a very high count for the county (SG, Quady, Jean Richmond, Paul Schorr, Ellen field. We ended up with 36 species which DW). The resident maleHarlequin Duck Simms, Emilie Strauss, Denise Wight is about average. A new species for the was seen at the Richmond Marina on count was Eurasian Collared Dove which /6 (JC) and again on 2/20 (RP). A male has been expanding its range. Though Barrow’s Goldeneye was at Clifton Court ( nonnative birds, they have established Forebay near Byron on 11/2. Twelve populations and are being counted on bird more Barrow’s were at Martinez Regional Shoreline on /24 (HH). A male Hooded counts. A second new bird was Thayer’s These two related spe- Gull, seen at Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Scott Merganser was out-of-place on Clifton Court Forebay on /2 (SG). cies are often difficult to and Claudia Hein’s group in Round Valley identify on their own, but A Red-necked Grebe, rare but annual in had some birds we have only seen once or when seen together are the county, was at Point Isabel, Richmond twice in the nine years we have done the noticeably distinct. The call of the /22-25 (DQ, ES). east count: Wrentit, Varied Thrush and first is a series of three or more loud Hairy Woodpecker. Mountain Bluebird The American Bittern continued at the notes; that of the second is three or has only been seen two out of the nine Antioch Municipal Reservoir on 2/ (JH) fewer—usually two—notes.