SAN BENITO COUNTY BIRDING: LONE TREE ROAD, AUGUST 2, 2012

BERRY BIRDING

Howdy, Birders,

Lone Tree Road is one of the best birding roads in San Benito County. On Thursday, August 9, I stepped out for a couple hours of birding from 8 am to 10:30 am. Highlights were many, but a single adult female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was the best bird of the morning. This bird represents the fourth record for San Benito County, to my knowledge. Other species included: YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE, NASHVILLE WARBLER, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, WESTERN TANAGER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, HUTTON'S VIREO, BROWN CREEPER (very local in San Benito County), NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, CALIFORNIA THRASHER (strutting down the road, much like a roadrunner), GRASSHOPPER and RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS. Oddly enough, I missed finding any rock wrens, crows or ravens. The recent hot weather— about 95 F every day for the past week, prompted me to get out in the morning. By 10:30 am, it was all over— bird activity was nil. All images, copyright, Debi Shearwater. Please ask permission to use. 

Lone Tree Road is a dead end road just a little over 10 miles which heads up in the Diablo Mountain Range. Being a dead end road, it has very little traffic. Even so, the birder should take care about parking and stopping on the road.  On the way up in the morning, I spotted a TURKEY VULTURE on a fence post.  

About 5 miles up the road, a family of WESTERN KINGBIRDS was in the grasslands.

 

About 10 miles up, one encounters the first, large California Bay Laurel trees. Some trees are immense. 

Elderberry shrubs up to 10 feet tall, are laden with berries, above. The grosbeaks are feeding on these berries. In fact, I kept a tally of the species of birds I saw consuming berries: BLACK-HEADED and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, WESTERN TANAGER, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, STELLER'S JAYS, NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, AMERICAN ROBIN, HOUSE FINCH, HOUSE WREN, and even one GRASSHOPPER SPARROW!

 

BIRDING STRATEGY: First, locate the elderberry shrubs. Most of the shrubs are right along the sides of the road. (Off the road is completely private property!) It is best to use your car as a blind, as much as possible. You will notice, right away, that the birds fly out of the bushes, immediately, if you are on foot. Elderberry shrubs grow in the sunlight. So, you won't find them inside the bay laurel forest. After entering the forest about 10 miles, up, continue until you exit the forest and see shrubs on your left. The photo, above the berry photo, is taken as one of the best spots. Park your car in the shade, down the road, and get out. If you see bird-berry droppings in the road under the oaks, as above, you have found the right stop. Sit in the shade and watch the shrubs. It is best to NOT pish, make any sounds and move as little as possible. Early morning is best, of course. You might be surprised at what shows up. If you find other interesting birds, please let me know! All of the elderberry shrubs on this road are worth a look. I suspect that the bulk of the berries might be completely consumed in less than two week's time. So, get out there!

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK is a rare bird in SAN BENITO COUNTY. However, the above male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was photographed by Wilma Vermilyer at a feeder in her yard on June 11, 2012. If you see one, please let me know!

The entire eBird list for my two and a half hours on Lone Tree Road, San Benito County, is below:

Lone Tree Rd. (SBT Co.), San Benito, US-CA
Aug 9, 2012 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
7.5 mile(s) Debi Shearwater
Comments:     In the middle of a heat wave. At 8 am= 65F, clear and sunny. No wind. Many birds feeding on elderberries.
42 species

Mallard  4
California Quail  2
Wild Turkey  18
Turkey Vulture  8
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Western)  3
American Kestrel  3
Eurasian Collared-Dove  12
Mourning Dove  10
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Nuttall's Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher  1
Western Kingbird  4
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific)  2
Steller's Jay  24
Western Scrub-Jay (Coastal)  40
Yellow-billed Magpie  2     About 30% of the sycamore trees on the lower, flat part of the road have died. These were important nesting trees for the magpies. It will be interesting to note if magpie numbers decline. on this road. Also, the lower part of the road was formerly a good hunting area for prairie falcons. Much of it is now in ag row crops, or steadily being converted to agriculture.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  30
Oak Titmouse  8
Bushtit (Pacific)  13
White-breasted Nuthatch (Pacific)  2
Brown Creeper  1
Bewick's Wren (Pacific)  1
House Wren (Northern)  1
Wrentit  1
Western Bluebird  28
American Robin  16
California Thrasher  9
European Starling  30
Nashville Warbler (Western)  1
Spotted Towhee (Pacific)  8
Rufous-crowned Sparrow  12
California Towhee  12
Grasshopper Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  30
Western Tanager  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1
Black-headed Grosbeak  11
Brewer's Blackbird  12
House Finch  17

HAPPY TRAILS,

Debi Shearwater

San Benito County Birding

BOBCAT WITH KITTEN: Heart-Stopping Times

Howdy, Birders,

Back to that incredible day, May 19th, with two bobcats, Lynx rufus, on Lone Tree Road, San Benito County, California — I hope the images below will tell some of the story better than I can in words. It was a heart-stopping hour, watching this adult female bobcat with a young, male kitten.

Bobcats are not uncommon in San Benito County, as I have encountered them several times, just this year. Because trophy hunting for this species is not permitted in the state of California, bobcats tend to be very tame, and even curious at times, walking straight toward the observer. This was my experience. Hunched low to the ground, I made some squeaking noises as I often do to attract birds. In this case, the young kitten walked in a straight line toward me. Although I was shooting my camera through a barbed wire fence, I was able to get some decent images. All images below, copyright, Debi Shearwater. Please ask permission for usage.

One of two bobcats, Lynx rufus, 19 May 2011.

Bobcats are small cats, 20 to 24 inches long, that range from southern Canada to Mexico.

The sharp-pointed ears are tipped with dark, inconspicuous tufts.

Although mostly nocturnal, I have seen many bobcats during the mid-day.

Bobcats are found in a variety of habitats, from chaparral to swamps. Above, we see the adult with her kitten on a well-worn trail

The curious kitten approaches me on the trail.

The tail is black above and white below. The white underside of the tail serves as a signal for kittens to follow when the bobcat holds the tail curved up, when hunting for food.

Bobcats den in hollow logs and thick brush. I once saw one in a hollow log.

Twelve subspecies of bobcat are recognized. In our area, the subspecies is L. rufus californicus (Mearns). The southernmost Mexican subspecies has been classified as endangered since 1976.

Incredibly curious kitten.

Keeping up with mother.

Litters usually contain two kittens, but only one male, in this case. The kitten is in the foreground, above, while the mother watches in the background.

Like any other kitten, this one was extremely playful.

The kitten in an oak tree.

From a distance, they blend in well with the surroundings.

The kitten chased its mother, running around the grasslands, and up in trees, making little sounds.

Mother and her son. Bobcats live about 10-12 years in the wild.

Hey, this is not a safari ride! The kitten pouncing on his mother's back. And, off they went. About 2 hours later, as I was driving down the from the top of the road, I saw both of them on the opposite side of the road. The kitten was still chasing his mother.

Happy trails,

Debi Shearwater

San Benito County Birding