SAN BENITO COUNTY BIRDING: SANTA ANA & PANOCHE VALLEY

Howdy, Birders,

This is a brief report for Panoche Valley, Paicines Reservoir and Santa Ana Valley, birding in San Benito County, California for Sunday, January 29, 2012. It was a gorgeous day for birding — I couldn't resist getting out there!

PRAIRIE FALCONS continued at all three locations. Birders who were already at Paicines Reservoir when I arrived, said that a Prairie Falcon had just been there. Look on the "H" shaped telephone poles on the west side. The Prairie Falcon, below, was along Santa Ana Valley Road.

By now you, dear reader know how much I love shades of brown. This tangle of oak branches easily conceals an adult GOLDEN EAGLE, below. This eagle repeatedly let out a plaintive call while sitting in this tree. It could have been calling for its' mate.
Sadly, one of my most favorite barns went down with the last storm. GREAT-HORNED OWLS have nested in this barn for the past 12 years.

At PAICINES RESERVOIR I found 1 EURASIAN WIGEON, 2 CACKLING GEESE, 5 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, one 4th year BALD EAGLE in the morning and one adult MALE BALD EAGLE in the late afternoon, 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER and an assortment of waterfowl. For some reason, this BUSHTIT, below, popped up, chattering and scolding, on the fence right in front of me while I was standing at the dirt pullout, scoping waterfowl at the reservoir!

On PANOCHE ROAD I found the "usual suspects," including PHAINOPEPLA, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, HERMIT THRUSH, etc. Quite a few singing CALIFORNIA THRASHERS, WRENTITS, OAK TITS, etc. as is normal for this time of year. Two HOODED MERGANSERS were at the pond at Summit Ranch. Be sure to look on the duck house! (I failed to find the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which had been around for several weeks). At the intersection of Panoche and Recalde Roads, a MERLIN was present. Sixteen MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were along Recalde Road. On Panoche Road from Silver Creek Ranch to Jackass Pass at least 28 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were in mixed flocks with House Finches. Unusual birds included one SAGE SPARROW and one male NORTHERN HARRIER. A FERRUGINOUS HAWK was hunting here, also.
Continuing with my love of old barns— this one, above, is located on Panoche Road. A CALIFORNIA THRASHER, below, was — well, thrashing away at the Miller Ranch. Thrashers are singing and on territory about mid-December. This one was no different. When it wasn't thrashing, it was singing from the tops of trees!
Large flocks of mixed sparrow species can be encountered on Panoche Road. This LINCOLN'S SPARROW, below, was with a large flock of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS near McCullough Ranch.
A female, AMERICAN KESTREL, below, near the intersection of Panoche and Little Panoche Roads.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, a male below, were scattered on the Panoche Valley floor— near Silver Creek Ranch on Panoche Road and on Recalde Road.
An immature RED-TAILED HAWK, below, was on Panoche Road near Jackass Pass. Flocks of HORNED LARKS and AMERICAN PIPITS were also in this location. However, I did not locate a single MOUNTAIN PLOVER.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, below, hangs around Shotgun Pass on Little Panoche Road.
It has been a good year for finding BURROWING OWLS in San Benito County. They can be found in both Santa Ana Valley and Panoche Valley.
Returning from Panoche Valley, I always take Quien Sabe Road just south of the small town of Tres Pinos. The presence of six YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES in the image below indicates that the adult GOLDEN EAGLE (look closely— it is the hump in the middle), had just consumed some prey item, likely a ground squirrel.

Sunset began with pinks and purples.

Late evening shot of a SAY'S PHOEBE, below, a grassland specialist.

Sunset colors begin to change to oranges.

Ravens head to their roosts on the tower powers of Santa Ana Valley.

The boldest colors of sunset over the grasslands that I love.

Happy Trails,

Debi Shearwater

San Benito County Birding

All images, copyright, Debi Shearwater. Please ask permission to use.

SAN BENITO COUNTY BIRDING: SANTA ANA VALLEY ROAD

Howdy, Birders,

In San Benito County, today, I made a short spin around Santa Ana Valley Road. The EASTERN PHOEBE continues in the same location as previously described.
Today, the phoebe was foraging right along the road, even on the ground of the road shoulder. It was making a call note. Both BLACK and SAY'S PHOEBES were also in the area.

A flock of 30+ AMERICAN PIPITS were also feeding on the shoulder of the road. Guess there was something good to eat there.

The usual raptors were in the area, including this female AMERICAN KESTREL, below. One immature BALD EAGLE was soaring overhead.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were out. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day.

I'll end the year with my favorite buteo, FERRUGINOUS HAWK, below.

Wishing you Happy Trails filled with lots of birds for 2012!

Hope to see you out there,

Debi Shearwater

San Benito Birding

All images copyright, Debi Shearwater.

Please ask for permission to use.

SAN BENITO COUNTY BIRDING: RAPTOR SHOW: IT'S 24/7

Howdy, Birders,

Out for a beautiful evening drive to see the raptors on Santa Ana Valley and John Smith Roads, with a short jog on Quien Sabe Road. Highlights included both adult and immature BALD EAGLES; seven FERRUGINOUS HAWKS; five GOLDEN EAGLES; one WHITE-TAILED KITE; one NORTHERN HARRIER, along with an assortment of RED-TAILED HAWKS and AMERICAN KESTRELS, and a few LOGGER HEAD SHRIKES, as below. I missed Prairie Falcon, maybe because I was out much later in the day. Ran into another birder from Monterey who said that he had seen one.

Several Burrowing Owls have been reported to me. I looked for the one reported near mile post 3 on Quien Sabe Road, but did not find it. However, I found one BURROWING OWL on Santa Ana Valley Road, at a location where I have not previously seen one. Decided to try John Smith Road, as one was recently reported there. No luck. However, a GREAT-HORNED OWL was near a ranch house. Then, a SHORT-EARED OWL flew from one side of the road to the other. I stopped and squeaked like a mouse, and a BARN OWL flew in!

So, it is a feast out there, 24/7. If you are around in the evening, it might be worth hanging out to see what happens. You might even encounter a magic sunset, such as this evening, below.

Happy Trails,

Debi Shearwater

San Benito County Birding

Panoche Valley: Report for November 29, 2009

Hello, Birders,

This is a report for a long day ofbirding in Panoche Valley, San Benito County on November 29, 2009. Don Doolittle and I departed from Hollister about 5:45 am, heading out to Panoche Valley. We saw a GREAT HORNED OWL perched along the roadside. The first MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS we spotted were barely at dawn near the McCullough ranch.

We also found a few MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS on Panoche Road, near Silver Creek Ranch.

A ROADRUNNER, had Don running across the hills to get a photograph!

On Recalde Road, a MERLIN was speeding across the barren fields like lightning. SAY'S PHOEBES were common throughout the day.

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found in good numbers, as well. We found a small flock of 18 HORNED LARKS near Silver Creek Ranch, but no Mountain Plovers.

However, the road to New Idria was where we spent many, many hours. In total, we found about 200 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS on this road. They were not easy to photograph, often flying just as I slowed the car to a stop. Many of them were feeding out in the fields, making an accurate count difficult. We went all the way to the ghost mining town of New Idria, which is officially closed by BLM. (at least that's what we were told by some locals we met along the way). The buildings, of course, are a real hazard, and warning signs for hauta virus abound. Still, it was interesting to see what was left of the mine. A couple of dirt bikers were riding on the hills, while hunters were shooting ? In the town, we found DARK-EYED JUNCOS, one HERMIT THRUSH, BEWICK'S WRENS and one HOUSE WREN.

We had a picnic lunch on the road, near some cottonwood trees where some WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH were hanging out.

More Mountain Bluebirds were out on the fences on our return trip back to the valley, along with a PRAIRIE FALCON.

Reluctantly, in the late afternoon, we headed to Mercy Hot Springs where we ran into Donna Kirsacko and Jean Myers who were also birding in the valley. Everyone was practicing photographing the LONG-EARED OWLS.

Jean spotted one of the best birds for the day— a GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLET in the tamarisk trees at Mercy. Unfortunately, as kinglets do, it did not sit still long enough for a photograph. Don managed to get this Ruby-crowned, though.

Jean and Donna put us on to a "stake out" BURROWING OWL. So, we headed back to Panoche Road, just beyond the Little Panoche intersection. Sure enough, the owl was right where they said.

It was a gloriously beautiful fall day for Don to practice photography with his new Canon 7D. The WESTERN WOOD PEEWEE which I found on November 26th was still present.

Happy Trails,

Debi Shearwater

All images by Don Doolittle