john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman) (03/18/88)
May I interrupt all this flaming with some BIRDING stuff? And by the way, I vote in favor of parrot postings; I'm interested in bird behavior, and I learn interesting things from aviculturists. Don't you parrot-haters have an `n' key on your terminals? I agree with Mike Mammoser that summer is kind of slow in California; Palo Alto Baylands is more exciting in the winter. My favorite summertime birding in Northern California was the coast. Try Pescadero Rock for Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, maybe a Rock Sandpiper if you're lucky. Moss Landing and Bodega Bay are also great. My favorite beach access is a little ways north of A\~no Nuevo. Driving south on S.R. 1 from the northern boundary of San Mateo County, go south to milepost ``3.88 SM'' and look for the small blue state park sign. There is a short hike over the grasslands down to the shore. Where the trail joins the beach there is an excellent tide-pooling area of vast extent during very low tides. Hiking south along the beach leads along both sandy and rocky beaches and will usually provide views of Black Oystercatcher, both turnstones, Snowy Plover, Wandering Tattler, and various sandpipers. Turn back if you see elephant seals; this area is closed during their breeding season. Keep an eye open for Black Swift and Brant. And for you Silicon Valley birders, don't miss Stevens Creek Park. It's a short drive from the computer factories: take Foothill Expressway under I-280 and keep going. I like the first turnoff to the left (below the dam), which leads to two parking lots---both the lower and the upper have their merits. Areas 3 and 4, well above the dam, are good for hiking in cool shade. Anywhere in this park you might hear the subtle but glorious song of the California Thrasher. New Mexico has four good birding seasons. Winter is best for the spectacle of massed waterfowl and cranes at the Bosque del Apache and Bitter Lake refuges. Spring and fall produce many migratory species that don't winter or breed. Breeding season is the best time to look for Painted and Varied Bunting, Bell's and Gray Vireos, and other southwestern specialties. I just got back from three days birding in southwest New Mexico, and it was great. Common Black-Hawks return early, and we found one on the Gila River above Cliff. Horned Grebe is rare in this state, so the one in partial breeding plumage at Evans Lake was a real find. After a long time looking, I finally managed to see Black-tailed Gnatcatcher in the state, near San Simon Cienaga. I've been trying to find Abert's Towhee and Bendire's Thrasher for a long time. I've always thought of them together since they are (1) dryland species, (2) named after early western zoologists, and (3) rather localized in their distribution. I finally ticked both species---in the same day. The towhee was a little ways downstream from the Gila River bridge at Virden, NM (we also saw Verdin there---I wonder if the names are related?). It likes HEAVY brush, and stays in it, worse than a Brown Towhee. This bird looks a lot more like the California race of Brown Towhee than the Rocky Mountain Brown Towhees we see around here. We saw Bendire's Thrasher on a dirt county road from Steins to Summit, NM, while scanning the flowering spikes of yucca plants. I had seen a Bendire's Thrasher in the flight cage at the Desert Museum in Tucson some years before, so I knew what to look for. The bill was scarcely decurved and only a bit over half as long as the bill of a Curve- billed Thrasher. Taxonomic note: I have heard rumors of possible splits in two species, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Brown Towhee. In both cases, the California forms are reputed to be distinct. Anybody heard anything concrete? -- John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, New Mexico USENET: ihnp4!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtsun!john ``If you can't take it, get stronger.'' --Falline Danforth
mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) (03/22/88)
In article <6@nmtsun.nmt.edu>, john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman) writes: > > My favorite > summertime birding in Northern California was the coast. Try > Pescadero Rock for Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, maybe a Rock Sandpiper > if you're lucky. Moss Landing and Bodega Bay are also great. Rock sandpiper only in winter. The Bay Area is about the southern limit of their wintering range. One has been spending the winter this year at Princeton Harbor at the north end of Half Moon Bay. Moss Landing tallied 214 species in this year's CBC. Maybe, for once, we will beat out Freeport, Texas for high species count. 8-) > And for you Silicon Valley birders, don't miss Stevens Creek Park. > I like the first turnoff to > the left (below the dam), which leads to two parking lots---both the > lower and the upper have their merits. Areas 3 and 4, well above the > dam, are good for hiking in cool shade. Anywhere in this park you > might hear the subtle but glorious song of the California Thrasher. I bird this park a lot and the California Thrasher is quite common here, but it can be difficult to see unless it is singing from the top of a low bush or tree. It is very spooky and will generally flee when it catches sight of you. This is also home to the Wrentit, which can be heard singing all year round. It is much easier to see than the thrasher and can usually be enticed into view by "pishing". My technique is to walk the trails until I hear one just off the side of the trail. Then, standing quietly, I give a few "pishes" and the bird will generally move towards me and into view to check me out. Besides the "dropped-ping-pong-ball" song, the Wrentit also issues a soft, low, "purring" sound (probably to maintain contact with its mate). The best response I ever had was when I "pished" up 4 Wrentits at the same time. I was walking along a trail when I heard one "purring" just off the trail, whereupon I "pished" it up. It was quickly joined by another, which was not surprising to me as mated pairs will generally travel around together. After a minute or so of watching them, I heard a noise behind me and, turning around, saw 2 more on the other side of the trail. They quickly crossed the trail and joined the other 2. Since Wrentits are sedentary and non-gregarious, I assumed that this was a family unit (2 parents and 2 recently fledged young). Also found at this park are: Anna's Hummingbird, Hutton's Vireo, Nutall's Woodpecker, Allen's Hummingbird, Rufous-crowned Sparrow (very diffi- cult), and California Quail. Be very careful with Hutton's Vireo in winter, as this place is loaded with wintering Ruby-crowned Kinglets. > We saw Bendire's Thrasher on a dirt county road from Steins to Summit, A Bendire's Thrasher has been in Lodi, just east of the Bay Area, all winter. > Taxonomic note: I have heard rumors of possible splits in two > species, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Brown Towhee. In both > cases, the California forms are reputed to be distinct. Anybody > heard anything concrete? I've heard that the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher will be split. There was a good article on them in a recent issue of Birding magazine. The A.O.U. suggests the name Plumbeous Gnatcatcher for the California form; however, another source suggests California Gnatcatcher as there is a tropical gnat- catcher that already has the species name of Plumbeous. I saw "California" Gnatcatchers recently on the Palos Verdes penninsula in L.A. They respond quite readily to a tape. Good hunting, Mike
john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman) (08/04/88)
TRIP REPORT: GUADALUPE CANYON, N. M. Guadalupe Canyon is only about six miles long, half in Arizona and half in New Mexico, within shouting distance of Mexico. Some Arizona birders say it's their second favorite site, after Madera Canyon. I've wanted to go there for a long time now, after reading about all the great Mexican specialties that occur there; I'm a N.M. state lister and figured to get several good twitches down there. My friend Phil and I finally got to Guadalupe July 15--18, and it was every bit as wonderful as the word-of-mouth. Here is a list of JUST the birds that were new to me (for New Mexico; I'd seen all these species previously, but in Arizona). Gila Woodpecker Zone-tailed Hawk Varied Bunting Strickland's Woodpecker* Violet-crowned Hummer Hutton's Vireo* Hooded Oriole Painted Redstart** Thick-billed Kingbird Olive Warbler** Dusky-capped Flycatcher Magnificent Hummer** Broad-billed Hummer Not all of these were in Guadalupe; species marked with one * were seen in Clanton Canyon in the Peloncillo Mountains, not far north; species marked with ** were seen in the Pinos Altos Mts. just north of Silver City, NM. There are other good birds not on the above list because I've seen them in NM before; for example, Vermilion Flycatcher was probably the commonest bird in the canyon. Guadalupe Canyon cannot be reached from New Mexico; you have to go to Arizona first. I will be happy to e-mail directions if anyone wants them. The entire canyon is privately held by a gentleman (and I *do* mean gentleman!) named Drummond Hadley. If you do visit, start by driving all the way up the canyon to the Hadley Ranch and let them know you'll be birding in the canyon. If Drum isn't there, leave a note with one of his employees (none of whom speak English). Camping in the canyon is all right if you check in first and are a responsible camper. WARNING: The entire canyon is a flash-flood area. Be prepared to seek higher ground on fifteen seconds' notice; listen for a load roaring noise. Such floods are not rare; Hadley says they happen several times a year. He has a Caterpillar that he uses rather frequently to rebuild the road. To be safe, you should camp at least 20' above the creek-bed, since 15' walls of water are not rare. Don't mess around with flash floods; forget your camping gear and car and concentrate on saving your bod. We missed some of the specialties due to the late date. If you arrive around early July, expect Northern Beardless- Tyrannulet and Brown-crested Flycatcher, and be on the lookout for Lucifer's and Costa's hummers. Bell's Vireo and Gray Vireo are also possible. There are a few records for Buff-collared Nightjar (=Ridgway's Whip-poor-will), but don't count on it; a friend of mine spent an entire summer here and managed *one* sighting. Hope y'all don't mind my interrupting the sparrow-flaming to talk about this dull stuff. -- John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, New Mexico USENET: ucbvax!unmvax!nmtsun!john CSNET: john@jupiter.nmt.edu ``The wise duck keeps his mouth shut when he smells frogs.'' -Ernest Bramah
psk@cci632.UUCP (Paul S. Kopel) (08/29/90)
I've just recently become interested in birding, and I'm about to ask what is doubtless one of the most-frequently posted questions from beginners -- regarding binoculars. I've been using my Minolta 7x35 wide angle prism binoculars -- acquired for other reasons -- with success, but find them unpleasantly heavy. I have a back problem, and after a while constantly lifting even 2 lbs becomes a chore. Is there a small, lightweight binocular in the 7 - 8 power range, with decent depth of field, which experienced birders could recommend? Or am I asking for the moon? Though it would not be fair to say "Price no object", I'd consider the range $100 - $300. Another question, perhaps -- based on my reading of rec.audio -- a "most asked": Are there reliable mailorder discount sources of binoculars adequate for birding. e-mail replies would probably save most reader's time.
ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) (08/31/90)
No, I'm sorry, but binoculars are inappropriate subjects for this group. You have to look at the charter, which says "bird watching". Nowhere does it say anything about bird watching EQUIPMENT. You'll just have to go over to rec.binoculars for your information. Or sci.optical, rec.photo, or dev/null. So sorry, but we are all too busy here flaming about what should be and not be in this group. So grab yourself a dictionary and flame on, dude. p.s., my dictionary doesn't seem to have "bird watching" as a term. Interesting, no? Mikki Barry ------------------ I put my parrot outside today, does this mean I can post here?
grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) (09/01/90)
In article <26DDDC32.3D4E@intercon.com> ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) writes: > No, I'm sorry, but binoculars are inappropriate subjects for this > group. You have to look at the charter, which says "bird watching". > Nowhere does it say anything about bird watching EQUIPMENT. You'll > just have to go over to rec.binoculars for your information. Or > sci.optical, rec.photo, or dev/null. So sorry, but we are all too > busy here flaming about what should be and not be in this group. > So grab yourself a dictionary and flame on, dude. > > p.s., my dictionary doesn't seem to have "bird watching" as a term. > Interesting, no? > > Mikki Barry > ------------------ > I put my parrot outside today, does this mean I can post here? Idiot. Someone finally does ask a question in the correct newsgroup and someone (who apparently doesn't 'belong' here in the first place, judging by the parrot comment), flames them out. Great. Oh, and try a new dictionary. Webster's New World has it. -- -Greg Pasquariello grp@unify.com
sandra@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Sandra Macika) (09/05/90)
In article <GRP.90Aug31161931@magpie.unify.uucp> grp@unify.com writes: > > No, I'm sorry, but binoculars are inappropriate subjects for this > group. You have to look at the charter, which says "bird watching". > Nowhere does it say anything about bird watching EQUIPMENT. You'll > just have to go over to rec.binoculars for your information. Or > sci.optical, rec.photo, or dev/null. So sorry, but we are all too > busy here flaming about what should be and not be in this group. > So grab yourself a dictionary and flame on, dude. > > p.s., my dictionary doesn't seem to have "bird watching" as a term. > Interesting, no? > > Mikki Barry > ------------------ > I put my parrot outside today, does this mean I can post here? My Webster's 9th New collegiate Dictionary has it (bird-watch). Did you really look in the dictionary? Sandra
ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) (09/06/90)
In article <125820@pyramid.pyramid.com> sandra@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Sandra Macika) writes: >My Webster's 9th New collegiate Dictionary has it (bird-watch). Did you >really look in the dictionary? As a matter of fact, I did. Webster's New World Dictionary (Modern Desk Edition) did not have bird watch, although it had other bird related things. Mikki Barry