I had an hour or so to kill this morning while Shari was at the gym, so I headed over to the OC Parks Offices ground, which is actually the northern part of Cattus Island, but I like to make the distinction. I figured I had just enough time to walk the yellow trail, a loop that goes through woods, marsh and field, so a lot of diverse habitat in a relatively short walk.
Best bird: Winter Wren. I stumbled on this little mouse-like bird soon after I entered the trail. Tiny cocked tail was the give-away. Just to be sure, I looked it up in Sibley (I don't see but one or two a year) and his description of habitat (wet, swampy areas, running over around logs) nailed the location of the bird exactly.
Most impressive sight: Two huge flocks of grackles chattering and feeding on the forest floor, ascending into the trees with great whooshes whenever I approached too near for their comfort. I saw a few starlings mixed in with them, but oddly no other blackbirds (though I did see one female red-wing along the boardwalk in the marsh). I tried to look through the massive flocks to find something other than Common Grackle, but they were not in the mood for standing still. It would be good habitat over there for Rusty Blackbird. I'm going back tomorrow with Shari & Joan, maybe their more patient eyes will pick out something.
For the hour & five minutes I spent there I had 21 species:
Canada Goose 4
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1 Heard
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 3
Carolina Chickadee 3 Heard
Tufted Titmouse 2 Heard
White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Heard
Winter Wren 1
Hermit Thrush 2
European Starling 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Eastern Towhee 1 Heard
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1000
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