Birders,
It was a lovely day on the mountain except for the many bugs that bit and tortured most of the participants. In next year’s newsletter we should have a reminder to bring bug spray on this trip in particular.

I found an abundance of crows during the morning and think they might be affecting the numbers of birds in the area. Highlights of the day may have been the excellent views of Purple martins and Violet- greens over the pond and fields and teenager coots on the pond and perhaps the Western pee-wee which posed for the group and showed all his sides. Up close and personal.

21 birders helped to find the following :

Doane Pond and environs:

Mallard
Red-tailed hawk
American coot
Band-tailed pigeon
Hummingbird species
Acorn woodpecker
Western wood-peewee
Stellar’s jay
American crow
Purple martin
Violet-green swallow
House wren
Western bluebird
American robin
Common yellowthroat
Spotted towhee
Song sparrow
Dark-eyed junco
Red-winged blackbird

Nature trail and camp ground:

Red-tailed hawk
Acorn woodpecker
Nutgall’s woodpecker
Pacific-slope flycatcher
Ash-throated flycatcher
Stellar’s jay
American crow
Common raven
Violet-green swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
House wren
Wrentit
Western bluebird
American robin
Spotted towhee
Dark-eyed junco

Picnic area and park entrance:

California Scrub-jay
Western bluebird
Dark-eyed junco
Bullock’s oriole

This may come to 31 species for the day. Eve Martin has thoughtfully posted two reports on ebird if you are inclined to check them out. They include three photos.

Good birding,
Sally Sanderson