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Field Trip Summary
Saturday, May 4th, 2002 - Del
Puerto Canyon and the Modesto and Ceres Sewage Ponds We had
an excellent trip yesterday to Del Puerto Canyon, and to the
Modesto and Ceres Sewage Ponds. My plans, as trip leader, were to
stop at the Grasshopper Sparrow spot (mile 0.5 - 1.0) to look for
Blue Grosbeaks and Grasshopper Sparrow, then speed up to the Canyon
Wren spot (mile 10.4) for Canyon Wren and Costa's Hummingbird, then
to the Pygmy-Owl spot (mile 13.4) for of course pygmy-owl, and then
to the Steller's Jay spot at mile 19.6.
Well, the birding gods were smiling on us yesterday. We got every
bird at every stop. We started off with nice looks at Blue
Grosbeaks at mile 0.6 followed by outstanding
views of a posturing, singing Grasshopper
Sparrow that was seen from about 60 feet away. We had all
of the scopes out for nice views and we left before the bird did.
At the graffiti rock pullout (mile 3.6) we had the usual summer birds
(Bullock's Oriole, Ash-throated
Flycatcher, Western
Kingbird,
Black-headed
Grosbeak) as well as
west tanager and a Phainopepla.
We picked up a green heron at mile 7 and a prairie
falcon about mile 8. At the canyon wren pullout we had a couple of
Canyon Wrens and a male and female
Costa's Hummingbird.
At the pygmy-owl spot, as we were walking up the hill a little bit,
Leo Edson called us back down to look at the pygmy-owl in a Gray
(correct name now?) Pine. We got the scopes out and had marvelous
looks at a very cute and cooperative Northern Pygmy-Owl (yes, I
checked the color of the tail pattern, just to make sure). We also
had an empid that unfortunately was into the sun. I'm pretty sure
it was a Dusky, based on posture, shortish
primary projection and medium small bill.
However, it never called and I couldn't see it's bill
color. So it just counts as an empid.
At the Deer Creek Campground we picked up our only two transient
warblers, the very rare Wilson's and Yellow Warbler. At mile 17.2 I
heard a very distant chat as I first got out of the car, but it was
never re-found. At mile 19.6 we added Hairy Woodpecker, Lazuli
Bunting and a couple of calling Steller's Jays.
At different spots along the way we picked up Golden Eagle,
Common Raven, Rock
Wren, etc. the usual Del Puerto Canyon birds. I think all of us
felt it was a very successful trip already. At this point, some of
our group called it quits, while the rest of us headed over to the
Modesto and Ceres Ponds. Along the way we had American
White Pelican at
the Grayson Slough area. We were pretty disappointed at the lack of
birds at the Modesto Ponds. Although we were able to add a few
quality ticks to our list like American Coot,
Ruddy Duck,
Northern Shoveler and Killdeer.
Only Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper for shorebirds. Next we
headed over to the Ceres Ponds (corner of Morgan and Service Rds)
and finished our day with rather poor looks at 3
Black Terns and a couple hundred dowitchers. All
of the dowitchers looked like they had longish
bills, (300 yards away, into the light) so I'm sure they were
all the long-billed brand of "Dowitcher."
Well, my official trip list came in at 106 species for the day.
It was a happy trip.
Jim Gain
Modesto
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