Date: 4/13/25 5:06 pm From: Matthew Dodder via groups.io <mdodder...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Hot Spotters trip report
The Hot Spotters, the second of my four Birdathon teams this year, ventured out Saturday morning for a 4-hour, three destination tour. Team members included Carolyn Straub, Steve McHenry, Daniel Whol, Allison Morantz, Joan Loney, Amanda Newlove, Christopher Klein, Kelly “Cricket” Dodder, and myself. We also had a visiting birder from New York who tagged along for a while and got several lifers!
We began at Ed Levin’s Spring Valley section to search for continuing birds like the Phainopepla, Lawrence’s Goldfinch as well as expected birds like Chipping Sparrow, Golden Eagle, Rufous Hummingbird. We were quite happy to find our FOS Ash-throated Flycatcher and a continuing Says Phoebe. At least two Western Kingbirds were present near the picnic area and tons of Tree Swallows.
Next we stopped in briefly at the Dog Run in the Sandy Wool portion of Ed Levin. Among the new birds were a single Lark Sparrow, Great-tailed Grackle and at least 5 Grasshopper Sparrows that were low enough on the Agua Caliente hill trail to make it feasible for our limited time. No Lazuli Buntings or Rufous-crowned Sparrows were heard from our low listening post beside the dog run.
Finally, we drove 20 minutes or so to reach the Don Edwards EEC. There we were able to get a number of birds unlikely at the previous two stops. Namely, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated Plover, a single Snowy Plover, tons of Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, and Western Grebes that we scoped in A18 from the corner of the Native Garden. As luck would have it, we also heard a Virginia Rail in the slough beside the entrance road.
We ended up with a very satisfactory 99 species but missed some obvious birds. Perhaps the Subspecies trip in a few weeks will correct that but they will be using a different route.
Thank you to everyone who pledged their support for our team. Your donations will go directly (and entirely) to our Education Program so we can continue to inspire young people to care about birds and learn how to protect it for the future.
Matthew Dodder (he/him)
Executive Director
Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance
22221 McClellan Rd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-252-3748
<director...>
scvbirdalliance.org
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