The “5-Milers” was scheduled for Wednesday, April 22. It’s a new kind of Birdathon team, encouraging participants to bird within a 5-mile radius centered around their homes. The team consisted of Mary Ann Allan, Peg Albrets, Bob Bolles, Dan Bloch, Jim Dehnert, and myself. We coordinate in advance so as to avoid overlapping efforts when possible.
We’re still shy of satisfying our $1000 goal, so if you wish to sponsor us, here’s how:
Brown Creeper. Photo by Barry Langdon-Lassagne
Tree-tree beautiful tree, beautiful tree. There it was again. It had been there earlier on the edge of my consciousness. I was standing under a large eucalyptus tree in Steven Creek County Park, searching its shaggy bark and upper branches for a roosting Great Horned Owl. My focus was on the visual: seeing a shape, a feathery brown lump that wasn't tree. That was when the faint, thin, high-pitched voice of the Brown Creeper spoke to me from a nearby oak.
I didn't need to see the creeper to know it was there. The owl was another matter. It would likely be silent, so only a view with my binoculars would do. You can count a bird on your birdathon species list if you are able to identify it by sight or by sound. Knowing the songs of woodland birds is a big advantage, what with all those shrubs and leafy trees to hide in.
Birding our local oak woodlands in spring is a delight...and a challenge...to the senses. At the Stevens Creek Tony Look Trail Head, I was overwhelmed as I stepped from the car in the early morning. A chorus of dozens of birds descended upon me in a jumble of warbles, trills, chips, buzzes, mews, seeps, drums, flutes, and whistles. As I relaxed in the cool fragrant air, the individual songs began to separate and each owner came to my mind's eye. Some I would eventually find with my bins. Others remained only voices in the tangled green.
My favorite birdathon memory? Being graced with the little Brown Creeper's song, as I looked (in vain) for a Great Horned Owl.
~ Mary Ann
First thing in the morning, as I walked to my parked car, I saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch in the top of a cedar across the street. It may well be the same bird that is singing as I type this report. It shows up irregularly at our home.
I next went to Cuesta Park just two miles from my home. As soon as I opened my car door I could hear the Pygmy Nuthatches in the redwoods overhead. Patience provide a brief look as the tiny birds flew from tree to tree. There were other fun birds in this urban park such as Hairy Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a lone Band-tailed Pigeon.
A quick trip to Rancho San Antonio produced Ash-throated Flycatcher, Warbling and Hutton’s Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, but no hoped-for Lazuli Bunting. The trail where I suspected they could be found lay just outside my 5MR so I didn’t explore it. It is one of my favorite spring migrants, but it will have to wait until this weekend… This was the first location where I encountered very many people. Many were wearing masks like me, and everyone was very courteous with personal distance and patient with the new trail rules.
From there I rushed to Ulistac where I added a few birds I knew could be found easily such as Red-shouldered Hawk, California Thrasher and Hooded Oriole. This was my approach for most of the 4-hour window…. Going where I knew the birds we easy to find. It was a little rushed, but fun.
The Alviso area produced a nice surprise, an adult Peregrine Falcon was terrorizing Shorebirds along the entrance road to the EEC. Among the birds were quite a few Semipalmated Plovers, but also one Snowy Plover—a year bird for me! In the nearby fields I also spotted two Golden Eagles and an American Kestrel.
At Shoreline Lake I found a few Black Skimmers on their island as well as a good number of Forster’s Terns. The muddles were filled with Shorebirds, many of which were in glorious alternate plumage, but the Dunlin stood out as did a few Black-bellied Plovers.
I miss birding with all my friends, my class, and Audubon members. I look forward to when we can do that again. But in the mean time, creating “virtual” teams, and staying connected through texts, emails, cellphones and zoom has kept me going. Let’s keep doing that, even after the pandemic passes.
End result was I managed 91 species on my own during the 4-hour window, which added 14 new birds to my team’s total count of 131 species. We all worked hard, and coordinated our circles in advance to avoid overlap. Not a bad list of species before lunch!
My 6th, and final Birdathon team “The Lax Returns” heads out next week, Wednesday, April 29. Please join or sponsor on the Birathon 2020 Team Page
eBird lists:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686584. Neighborhood
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686608. Cuesta Park
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686668. Rancho San Antonio (wear a mask, please)
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686697. Ulistac Natural Area
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686748. Gold and Elizabeth
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686770. Alviso Marina Park (bathrooms open)
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686804 Don Edwards entrance road (don’t leave your car unattended if gate is locked!)
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686822. Arzino Ranch view
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686853 Shoreline lake
https://ebird.org/checklist/S67686890. Shoreline Park entrance road (no Meadowlarks today?!)
~ Matthew (my glasses won’t stop steaming…)
This was my first Birdathon. Because of COVID-19, it was not a "normal" one. We had to bird separately, which wasn't as much fun as going together. It was a glorious day weather-wise, sunny and not too hot. Since I'm relatively new at Big Days and Birdathons, this is the largest number of bird species (75) I've ever seen in one day by myself! (I actually saw three more species walking back to my car after the four hours were up.) I wore a mask around my neck, but only put it on once or twice when I was on a narrow trail passing someone. In general, I managed to avoid areas with people. I plan to join next year's Birdathon when it will be more normal.
~ Bob