Highlights of Week 1, 2013

I've had 3 full days of birding during the first week of 2013 so far.  Here are some highlights:

I started out the year on January 1 at Oka Ponds, in Santa Clara County.  The bird to find here was a first winter Harris's Sparrow.  It did not disappoint and was found easily, although there was some waiting and patience involved to get good views for the camera.  It's a Zonotrichia sparrow and is fairly rare for our area, although it seems like a few have been seen around the Bay Area during wintertime during the last several winters.  A 'spiffy'-looking sparrow, indeed!

Harris's Sparrow @ Oka Ponds © Brooke A Miller

 

Harris's Sparrow @ Oka Ponds © Brooke A Miller

Also of note at Oka Ponds on the 1st was a Green Heron interacting with a Common Gallinule.

Green Heron and Common Gallinule @ Oka Ponds © Brooke A Miller

I then headed to Radio Road in Redwood Shores, San Mateo County.  I had some beautiful afternoon views of Blue-winged, Green-winged, and Cinnamon Teal, as well as Eurasian Wigeon.  For whatever reason, I missed Eurasian Wigeon in 2012.

Blue-winged Teal © Brooke A Miller

Green-winged Teal © Brooke A Miller

Cinnamon Teal © Brooke A Miller

Eurasian Wigeon © Brooke A Miller

 I spent all day Wednesday out in the Central Valley at Cosumnes River Preserve, Staten Island Road, and finally Woodbridge Road with Sequoia Audubon, led by Leslie Flint.

Sandhill Cranes Dancing © Brooke A Miller

One of the highlights of the day were finding these two Sandhill Cranes dancing.  I don't think I'd seen this before, at least not this close-up.  It was quite a sight watching the posturing and the jumping!

Tundra Swans at Woodbridge Road © Brooke A Miller

We went to Woodbridge Road for the sunset fly-in.  There weren't huge numbers of birds, but the experience was ethereal as it always is.  These Tundra Swan were just beautiful!

The last day of the first week of January, Sunday the 6th, I spent with friends Sonny Mencher, Mary Ann Allen, and Cathy Loewen in coastside San Mateo County.  Our target birds were the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Rough-legged Hawk and Eastern Phoebe.  All 3 were seen and the Black-throated Blue Warbler was a lifer for me!

Black-throated Blue Warbler, San Mateo County © Brooke A Miller

Rough-legged Hawk, San Mateo County © Brooke A Miller

Eastern Phoebe, San Mateo County © Brooke A Miller

Its been a busy first week!  My 2013 species count is already at 132!   I'm using eBird diligently now to record all my sightings, something I started doing fairly religiously last year.

It's already a great year and I'm looking forward to all of 2013!

Brooke A Miller
January 8 , 2013