Date: 10/21/25 8:43 pm From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Contra Costa Christmas Bird Counts
Hi Birders,
We hope you will join us and Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance on one of our two Christmas Bird Counts this year.
On Wednesday, DECEMBER 17th will be the EAST CONTRA COSTA Christmas Bird Count. This count circle covers some western delta, eastern foothills of Mt. Diablo, and decreasingly agricultural and increasingly suburban Brentwood, Knightsen, and surrounding areas.
Please email <mdba.cbc.east...> to get involved!
On Saturday DECEMBER 20th will be the CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA Count. This count circle primarily covers the northern flanks of Mt. Diablo and its foothills, the marshes along the Carquinez Strait and SW Suisun Bay, and suburban Walnut Creek, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, etc.
Please email <mdba.cbc.central...> to get involved!
HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!
Compilers Julie Starr, Chris Ortega, and Ethan Monk
Date: 10/20/25 9:17 pm From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Pt. San Pablo/Molate flight 10/18
A bit of a late report, but to be complete, and perhaps especially of
interest for other "flight-watchers" in the Bay...
On the 18th with clear skies and ~7-10mph NE wind at dawn, I headed to Pt.
San Pablo to watch flight. I was there from 7:18 to 9:38, which is
basically an identical time and the identical date as a similar
exercise last year. Completely coincidental. I reported that email to the
listserv and reply to it with this one, so that list can be found below.
Some counts of note:
B-t Pigeon: 1
Gr-Yellowlegs: 3
Hairy Woodpecker: 1 local, uncommon here
Northern flicker (no ssp./R-S/intergrade): 5/9/5
Say's: 1
Tree Swallow: 2 adults, unusual, in my experience VG swallows are by far
the dominant swallow on the Richmond bayshore in Oct. I have seen Tree
rarely before in Oct.
Starling: 98
Varied Thrush :18
Hermit Thrush: one in active migration; it is rare (for me) to see Catharus
actively migrating during the day.
Robin: 113
Waxwing: 41
Pipit: 19
Purple Finch: 14
Siskin: 2
Lawrence's Goldfinch: 2 flying over early in morning, ea. one separated by
~30 min. Later in morning, a pair came in together and landed on the hill,
where they spent a while before heading off. So four total.
Am. Gol: 2
Meadowlark: 3
R-w Blackbird: 6
R-w/Tricolored: 22
Cowbird: 1 male
Brewer's: 15
Y-r Warbler, no ssp: 24
Myrtle: 19, I was surprised to have this many.
Audubon's: 19.
A challenging count today. Some days, most of the things are going one way,
some days not. Many birds migrate up the peninsula coming from Richmond and
cross into Marin, but many turn around and head back. The first flock of
robins I saw on this day (~20 birds) headed up the point past me, heading
as if to cross the bay into Marin. 2-3 minutes later, ~20 robins came back
going south towards Richmond... oh, the flock must have turned around when
it was out of sight. About 30 seconds later came a flock of 30 Robins,
coming from Marin, going towards Richmond.
While I am here, some other Richmond odds and ends from recently. Oct. 15th
with Derek Heins, a late Warbling Vireo and a Yellow Warbler were at Booker
T. Anderson. Also October 15th, was a Bewick's Wren singing vigorously from
the dog park cypresses west of the parking lot at Pt. Isabel. This is the
only Bewick's Wren I have ever seen here in now well over 100 visits. The
Bewick's Wren was not present the 12th. Some of you keeping track will have
been aware of the group of 6-10 R-n Phalaropes at Landfill Loop. The 12th
there were 17 of them. On the water were plenty G-w Gulls and some mutts. I
pinned down Olympic and Cook Inlet among them. An arrival nominate type
Red-winged Blackbird was with a flock of bicoloreds that same date at
Landfill Loop (and while this paragraph is about Richmond, the 11th there
was an arrival nominate male at Holland Tract). And going way back to the
4th, there was a Common Poorwill in the scrub at Miller/Knox. I have seen
Common Poorwill once before in Richmond, also October 4th, but in 2020, at
Booker T. Anderson.
Best,
Ethan Monk
On Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 8:41 PM Ethan Monk <z.querula...> wrote:
> Given strong N/NE winds over night, I headed to Pt. Molate to see what
> would fly over. I sat in one spot from 7:05-9:40, after which point the
> flight died considerably. Below are some counts of note:
> Wigeon-2
> Band-t Pigeon: 50
> Collared-Dove: 1
> Turkey Vulture: 65
> Sharp-shinned: 1
> Bald Eagle: 1
> Red-tailed Hawk: 3
> Flicker: 28, 4 of these looking to be "intergrades"
> Merlin: 1
> Peregrine: 1
> Say's: 1
> G-c Kinglet: 3
> Starling: 49
> Varied Thrush: 3
> Waxwing: 9
> Pipit: 17
> Purple Finch: 11
> LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH: 1
> White-throated Sparrow: 1
> Savannah Sparrow: 16
> Meadowlark: 322
> R-w Blackbird: 56
> R-w/Tricolored: 1
> Brewer's Blackbird: 112
> Blackbird sp. : 26
> Yellow-rumped Warbler (no ssp. determined): 28
> Myrtle Warbler: 2
> Audubon's Warbler: 24
>
> From my watch, I observed the "Seattle Harmony" head under the Richmond
> Bridge and north into San Pablo Bay, being trailed by 12 Heermann's Gulls,
> the most Heermann's I had ever seen in the East Bay... and then later in
> the morning along the same route came the (much less imaginatively named)
> "Petrochem Supplier" being trailed by about 40 Heermann's Gulls!
>
> On a different note, Anna's Hummingbirds in the winter and spring make a
> high pitched, descending "peer!" call while perched. The literature as far
> as I can find calls this a juv. begging call. I don't think this is right,
> but either way, I heard my first Anna's "peers" of the season this
> afternoon at Meeker Slough.
>
> Otherwise, some passerine migrants are hanging on, I had a smattering of
> Yellow Warblers around today and one Warbling Vireo, on the late side now,
> at Booker T. Anderson.
>
> Ethan Monk
>
Date: 10/17/25 9:25 am From: Milo Linaman via groups.io <linamanlearn...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Western Screech Owl
10/17/25
I was woken up last night by an unusual sound coming from my back yard that I'm pretty sure was a Western Screech Owl! I live in Oakland near High and Brookdale.
Date: 10/14/25 1:22 pm From: Douglas Vaughan via groups.io <gdougvaughan...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] White-breasted Nuthatch
WBNU on our patio west of the Berkeley Hills was unexpected. Red-breasted is common, Pygmies occasional over the past decade, usually in small flocks. The White-breasted flew actively from an adjacent garage wall to a suet feeder to a seed feeder, then gone.
Date: 10/14/25 4:33 am From: Bob Richmond via groups.io <bobrichmond94544...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] South end of Monarch Street.
A Red Phalarope was seen from the south end of Monarch street in the old Alameda Naval Air Station. It was in the Seaplane Lagoon. Bob Richmond, Alameda
Date: 10/12/25 10:42 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Harlequin Duck
He’s now up on the beach below the pier on Brooks, the beach all the sad summering ducks sleep on. He is now only with two scoters.
Ethan
> On Oct 12, 2025, at 10:01 AM, Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> wrote:
>
> Go to Vincent Park, Shimada would have better light but parking tight. Not visible from ferry terminal and far from islabel. But in an hour light will suck from Vicent.
>
> Ethan
>
>>> On Oct 12, 2025, at 9:42 AM, Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> wrote:
>>>
>> This morning Tara McIntire found a Harlequin Duck with the scoters in the Lee of Brooks. The bird is currently visible from Isabel but viewing will be better from Vincent Park/Lucretia Edwards area until the light gets bad. And it is floating that way anyways. Considering I picked through this same scoter flock (~50 birds) about three times this morning prior to Tara finding it, I’d guess it came in today, and then maybe might not stay long. But just a guess!
>>
>> Ethan
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
Date: 10/12/25 10:01 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Harlequin Duck
Go to Vincent Park, Shimada would have better light but parking tight. Not visible from ferry terminal and far from islabel. But in an hour light will suck from Vicent.
Ethan
> On Oct 12, 2025, at 9:42 AM, Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> wrote:
>
> This morning Tara McIntire found a Harlequin Duck with the scoters in the Lee of Brooks. The bird is currently visible from Isabel but viewing will be better from Vincent Park/Lucretia Edwards area until the light gets bad. And it is floating that way anyways. Considering I picked through this same scoter flock (~50 birds) about three times this morning prior to Tara finding it, I’d guess it came in today, and then maybe might not stay long. But just a guess!
>
> Ethan
>
>
>
Date: 10/12/25 9:42 am From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Harlequin Duck
This morning Tara McIntire found a Harlequin Duck with the scoters in the Lee of Brooks. The bird is currently visible from Isabel but viewing will be better from Vincent Park/Lucretia Edwards area until the light gets bad. And it is floating that way anyways. Considering I picked through this same scoter flock (~50 birds) about three times this morning prior to Tara finding it, I’d guess it came in today, and then maybe might not stay long. But just a guess!
Date: 10/10/25 4:27 pm From: Kat Palermo via groups.io <katarinapalermo...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Queer Birders meet up at Coyote Hills this Sunday 10/12 at 8:30 am
Hi birders,
I've organized another queer birder meet up. This time at Coyote Hills Regional Park. We will meet by the Visitor Center at 8:30 am this upcoming Sunday 10/12.
All are welcome regardless of how they self-identify. All we ask of you is to come ready to be kind to others.
Hope to see some of you there on Sunday! See attached flyer below.
Bill Kezer and I biked/birded Clifton Court in very calm winds, with our best sighting being a Lewis's Woodpecker flying south on the northeast side. This is the 248th species reported at this hotspot which is #1 in Contra Costa county. Clifton Court lost two of its biggest fans this year when Jerry Britten and Srikant Char both moved out of the county, but their frequent trips out there resulted in a lot of great sightings in recent years. Lewis's Woodpeckers have been tough to come by this year in Contra Costa, with a few at Vollmer Peak on Sept 23 and 15 at Bishop Ranch Open Space on October 5th.
As expected the forebay was full of American Coots (I put 5,000) and try as we did we couldn't find a swallow that wasn't a Tree among the 3,000 swallows we reported. Also of interest were a handful of Wilson's Snipe and a pair of Red-necked Phalaropes.
This is a Willet, with afternoon sun making its legs look more yellow than
they actually were.
Zac Denning
Albany
On Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 12:41 PM Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Saturday afternoon at Meeker Slough and a low tide I photographed a bird
> with yellow legs, but not a Greater Yellowlegs. Today after several
> reported sightings of Pectoral Sandpipers there I wonder if it might be
> one. Is there an expert out there who can ID this bird?
> Thanks
>
>
> https://flic.kr/p/2rxLMaF >
> Claude Lyneis
> <cmlyneis...>
> https://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodad > Flickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P >
>
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Date: 10/6/25 12:42 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Sandpiper Meeker Slough
Saturday afternoon at Meeker Slough and a low tide I photographed a bird with yellow legs, but not a Greater Yellowlegs. Today after several reported sightings of Pectoral Sandpipers there I wonder if it might be one. Is there an expert out there who can ID this bird?
Thanks
Date: 10/3/25 2:51 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Chestnut-sided Warbler at Creekside Park in Albany
While birding with Ed Yong at about 9am, I found a juvenile female
Chestnut-sided Warbler this morning at Creekside Park in Albany.
I first spotted it at (37.8978491, -122.3048576), looking down from the
upper trail (not far below the first hairpin turn in the trail), and I got
Ed looking for it as well. The bird was frustratingly skulky, fast moving
and tough to follow as it moved through the densely wooded area. It was
foraging low to mid canopy in oaks, in the vicinity of a large mixed flock
of chickadees, kinglets and warblers in the canopy. It always stayed at a
lower height than the main flock, flying with occasional acrobatic swoops
in between bouts of foraging mostly hidden in dense clusters of oak leaves.
It remained in this area by itself (on the lower northeast slope of Albany
Hill) even after the flock moved on.
After losing sight of the bird, Ed Yong and I walked down to the lower
trail, to just below the original sighting location, to try to re-find it.
After some effort, Ed refound it in low branches of the oaks on the south
side of the trail - this time in the midst of the mixed flock, just after
we ran into Melani King and Sam Zuckerman at (37.8982372, -122.3050045). We
were standing near where there’s a sanitary sewer manhole cover in the
middle of the lower trail.
Both Ed and I saw it well (and Melani King and Sam Zuckerman may have had
brief glimpses), but unfortunately we weren't able to get photos. We may
have later heard it call a few times (with a chip call similar to a Yellow
Warbler) near the original sighting location with Sam and Melani. While
Merlin identified that call as Chestnut-sided, Merlin also isn't very
reliable with Yellow Warbler-like calls, and we actually didn't see the
bird at that point.
Also notable:
Ed and I saw a northward movement of around 20 Vaux's Swifts from about
mid-way up the hill trail, looking north through a gap in the trees. Two
Swinhoe's White Eyes were also seen by 4-5 of us (after bumping into
Whitney Grover) at the Madison St dead end. It seems like these birds
(considered as exotic escapees on eBird), have become a regular wintering
species at this location, with many of the sightings near the Madison St.
dead end.
Date: 10/2/25 4:36 am From: Bob Richmond via groups.io <bobrichmond94544...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Dickcissel
A Dickcissel was seen south by 25 yards of the southern most winery along Marshall St. on the old Alameda Naval Air Station. It was on the west side of the road.
Date: 9/30/25 6:20 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Common Tern at Emeryville Marina
For several days there have been sightings reporting Common Terns at Emeryville Marina. I went there for the second time today and there was one Common Tern with about 10 Forster’s Terns. Luckily it landed on the breakwater closest to the northern walkway/pier and I was able to get some good photos. I have included a photo with it next to a Forster’s for comparison, which shows the Forster’s definitely have longer legs. One Foster’s was banded, but the band wasn’t readable.
Date: 9/23/25 10:23 am From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Movement of Lewis’ Woodpeckers, Vollmer Peak
This morning, from about 8:30 to 9:45 AM, there has been a movement of Lewis’
Woodpeckers, seen at Vollmer, Peak. The birds have been moving south
southeast in singles or in pairs. One perched for several minutes on a bare
branch, the others were seen above the peak (viewed from the trail below)
hawking insects with floppy crow-like wing beats in between periods of
soaring.
I would be on the lookout for large dark crow like birds high above, along
ridgelines south of Vollmer Peak, including Sibley regional preserve,
Reinhardt Redwoods Regional Park, etc., and even the Mount Diablo range
area if they turn further east.
Date: 9/22/25 1:02 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Visible migration in Albany - out of place meadowlark, warblers, hummers
It's happening! Today there was a visible movement of migrants during my morning yard and sky watch in front of the house, in central Albany, near the Albany Library. Along with a notable diversity of species for mid-September. Most notable was a very out of place *Western Meadowlark *that was perched at the tip of the 60 foot tall redwood tree in my backyard! When I glanced up, there it was, glowing in the morning sun (see photos below). Amazingly (given the dense residential-urban setting), this is actually my second yard sighting, with the other from November last year (that one was a low northbound flyby).
In addition, there was a nice morning flight of warblers, with at least *6 Townsend's Warblers* (one singing), at least 2* Orange-crowned Warblers*, and one first-for-the-yard *Myrtle race Yellow-rumped Warbler *(also my FOS for this species), along with an influx of *Anna's Hummingbirds* (estimated with some uncertainty: at least 10 total, 5 seen at once, others zipping past far overhead or seen more distantly). My first of season *Western Bluebirds* made an appearance, along with a yard-notable *2 woodpecker species*, and appearances by 2 species that are less regular for the yard at this time of year: *Black Phoebe* and *Red-breasted Nuthatch*. A *Red-shouldered Hawk* sounded off, and a juvenile *Cooper's Hawk* was being hotly pursued by an irate *crow*. One mostly white mystery bird with limited dark markings on the upper wing was left as Bird sp due to distant receding views.
*Eyes up for tomorrow!* Based on past experience of increased sightings from my house, plus the continuing warming trend, I expect tomorrow (Tuesday) could have pretty decent potential for migrant flights until around 9am, especially from peaks, ridges and hilltops. Bay/ocean-side promontories might also collect some goodies tomorrow. Every time I've seen visible migration from my neighborhood, the following day has been productive from these locations, especially when there's a warming trend (as well as offshore/Easterly winds, though those don't apply now). This informal migration barometer of mine is purely anecdotal, but so far it's been a decent predictor. So keep eyes to the hilltops, ridges and skies tomorrow!
