I started my list about 8, when the sun was hitting the hillside just below the ridge. Right away I saw something unusual, two Canada Geese flying overhead. They are on my list almost every time because I can hear them from way down on the reservoir, but I very rarely see one. Walking north I head a Band-tailed Pigeon cooing, so I guess their breeding season is here, and there was a Black Phoebe on the first south-facing hillside, always a surprise. At the north end of the trail there was a flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows, TWO Say's Phoebes either fighting or courting, and a mixed flock of Western Bluebirds and House Finches with one Yellow-rumped Warbler. I've seen that mix before but not frequently and it's certainly colorful, although the Warbler had only the yellow rump. Now if only some Lesser Goldfinches had joined in. ( The list: )

Again no Acorn Woodpeckers. The only bird on the huge snag they frequent was, briefly, a Common Raven.

During the last wet Winter, 2023, Wildcat Canyon Drive down the east side of the hills from Inspiration Point, washed out near the bottom, and only just reopened about a month ago. This makes birding in Briones easier to get to, and today I went out there for the first time. My excuse was that there are three ponds I wanted to check for wildlife (there wasn't any) so I parked outside the western boundary of Briones Regional Park and walked up the western edge as as far as the second pond. Mud plus cattle plus a couple of weeks of drying out means very choppy ground, and while I've seen worse there, it was slow going for not much reward. When I first walked north there were half a dozen Red-winged Blackbirds singing and displaying in the tall, dead weeds; when I returned half an hour later there were none. I have no idea. But it was beautiful oak woodland, if quiet. ( A list: )

I took a break in the car before crossing Bear Creek Road to the EBMUD Connector Trail to Bear Creek Staging Area. I've always liked that little piece of trial, and I've only once met another person there, a definite advantage. That trail wasn't a great deal birdier but a little different, including a male Purple Finch sitting quietly in the fork of a slender tree. The trail leads under trees before opening onto a grassy hillside similar to the first trail, but no cattle chop. I walked up to check the third pond, nothing, and then went as far as the crest of a steep bit of trail down to the Staging Area before turning back. It was very lovely and a flock of of Lesser Goldfinches and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were bouncing. There was even water in, presumably, Bear Creek, or at least a tributary thereof. ( Another list: )

I love Winter birding, but this trail has been wonderful in the Spring.

U and I went down to MLK Regional Shoreline to see if we could find the Green-tailed Towhee, which she saw briefly the first time and I did see at all. We couldn't, but we birded an area we'd only seen from afar, getting a much closer view of the shorebirds that roost there: lots of American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts, lots of Willets and Marbled Godwits. We were also delighted to discover that the seasonal wetland at Garretson Point still has water and ducks two weeks plus since the last rain. I wish the Berkeley Meadow ponds were that well fed! ( A combined list: )

The Garretson Point parking lot was blocked so we parked in a little lot off Zhone Way with direct access to the Damon Slough area as well as a back route to Garretson Point. Could come in handy.

Well, it wasn't like last week but we had a good time. Instead of California Quail we had a wonderful view of a Varied Thrush, the best I've had this season and Chris's first. We've hear them but they've been visually elusive. I took Lower Packrat Trail and found it dry enough, with a few patches of mud but nothing I couldn't manage. There were two pairs of Mallards on Jewel Lake, so I guess Spring is here, and the Great Egret was in place for the third Monday in a row. The trees at the Lake were full of Lesser Goldfinches, and a Nuttall's Woodpecker was exploring loudly, possibly for nest sites; one nested right there last year. We even had multiple Golden-crowned Sparrows on the walk back. ( The list: )

U and Chris may have seen a selasphorous hummingbird but not quite well enough to list. It's early, but they are just beginning to be reported.

I went out to Valle Vista again and walked out over the bridge and beside the reservoir just until I could see a bit of shoreline. I'd checked ebird before going and knew there weren't many ducks, so it was a disappointment but not a surprise to find only Ring-necked Ducks and a few Mallards. I'd hoped for Wood Ducks, but no. I did get a great view of the singing California Thrasher, and a couple of male Ruby-crowned Kinglets were getting territorial and flashing their bright red crowns. A Belted Kingfisher flew around rattling, though I never saw them, and I heard, once, a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Also heard my first Spotted Towhee song of the year. ( The list: )

I encountered no school traffic at 9:40 am, which was lovely. I'll try to go a little earlier next time, and walk out a lot further.

I got out to the Point Pinole Giant Hwy Staging Area (named for the dynamite company whose plant was there) before 10 and walked south towards Dotson Family Marsh. I wanted to see how much water there was (not much) and also to listen for gunfire. The Richmond Rod and Gun Club is just across Rheem Creek from the parking at the south end of Dotson, and their expansion a few years ago turned the southern half of the marsh from just barely tolerable to absolutely not, so I go in from the north. Supposedly they are closed Mon, Tues, Thurs, but last Thursday I could hear gunfire from Landfill Loop just down the road. I'm sure this is more than anyone wants to know about Richmond Rod and Gun Club, but I went partly for more data on what "closed" means. Anyway, it was a lovely morning and got surprisingly warm. Since there weren't many waterbirds I paid more attention east of the boardwalk and saw both Savannah Sparrow and Lincoln Sparrow. The latter actually popped up when I pished! I never have any luck pishing, but there they were. Also White-crowns, of course, and several American Pipits. ( The list: )

The Rod and Gun Club was definitely not closed as I understand "closed", but the gunfire was tolerable, though possibly not from the southern parking lot. I really want to visit the southern half of the marsh but I'd be too anxious to enjoy myself.

I parked about 9 and was pleasantly surprised that it was not horribly cold. No wind helped, and I went in my jacket over four thin layers (silk, wool, poly, but still). I hadn't been there in well over a year, yikes! It was a lovely morning, but semi solitude even up on Riche Loop didn't last long on a Sunday. I chose Sunday for lack of school traffic and the Loop because I would get a look at the reservoir without going all the way out, but neither worked as well as I'd hoped. But there were Western Bluebirds in the parking lot and California Thrashers were singing, and I was quite happy. ( The list: )

A pair of coyotes were hunting at the bottom of the trail where it most closely approaches the reservoir, but I waited and moved slowly, and they each wandered away from the trail enough for me to pass. I'd thought that after I walked the Loop I'd take the other trail at least to the bridge, but there were so many people by then I went home. I'll try to go again soon, school traffic be damned.

I'd gone by San Pablo Park a day or two ago and saw no one, but after last night's rain I checked again and found the Gull party in full swing. The entire field was covered in Gulls: Short-bill, Ring-billed, California. I cannot decide on numbers in a situation like this, maybe a thousand birds? Dunno. It's a phenomenon I love every time. There were also a few small flocks of Canada Geese here and there, and some Brewer's Blackbirds and European Starlings.

I continued down to park at Seabreeze Market Cove and crossed over to Berkeley Meadow. There was some water and a few ducks in the main pond, but still no one in the small peripheral ponds. The rain may only continue another day, so doesn't look like we'll get enough water for other ducks. ( The List: )

It was good to see a White-tailed Kite and a Belted Kingfisher. I did not to as far as North Basin nor did I try to skirt the flooding to take the East/West trail. If we get substantially more rain I'll go down again.

U suggested we make another try for the Summer Tanager at Booker T Anderson and we were there by 9. It was quite a different experience than two days ago, fewer and different birds, and perhaps a few fewer American Robins, but we still dipped on the rarities. Fun things were a Great Egret that flew in and landed on a tall light standard (the creek isn't big enough to support much Egret food so I don't think it's there often) and a red-breasted Sapsucker. We call U the Sapsucker Whisperer, if there's one around she'll find it. ( This list: )

Then we went to Meeker Slough exactly at high tide, a very high tide in fact. The marshes east of the trail were deeply flooded, which is always interesting. The Spotted Sandpiper was not on the shore, where all the rocks and most of the mud at the edge of the channel were under water, but was hanging out on a half-submerged log. A large flock of Black Skimmers would either roost on an offshore spit or fly around in their loose lines, which are so cool to watch. We didn't see a Ridgway's Rail but we heard one, and amazingly I found a Wilson's Snipe, which made me very happy. ( That list: )

So it was lovely morning, not too cold, not raining, and good birds. Good way to start the year.

I somehow got it into my head that I wanted to check out Lake Anza this morning. I looked at yesterday's ebird lists; there was nothing specially exciting, but there were a few ducks so I wanted to go see. To my surprise I saw seven species of duck, three Pied-billed Grebes, and a couple of American Coots on the Lake, plus land birds, including as White-throated Sparrow, while a Belted Kingfisher rattled away. Most of the ducks were in pairs: Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, with single Northern Shoveler and Canvasback. It was very cold but I had a great time. ( The list: )

I wasn't even going to make a list until I saw the White-throated Sparrow.:)