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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kibet" data-source="post: 3495920" data-attributes="member: 126488">Day 12 Tuesday 29th NovemberEast Avenue Park (Tuesday4birdsfriends) – Lake TemescalIt was almost a week ago that I had been suggested the Tuesday4birdsfriends group by one of the leaders from the Lake Merritt walk. The leader had sent the calendar appointment, and I was able to transfer it. A Short BART ride, followed by a shorter bus ride, I was able to find the East Avenue park very easily. I would have been lost without an active mobile phone, with buses not stopping at all the stops and getting to destinations a lot quicker than scheduled. With the phone, I could track where I was and know when to get off.I was not the first to arrive this time, with the birder who had found the Burrowing Owl from the Sunday walk already there. As the group started to arrive, those already there watched the trees on the other side, with flocks of American Robin coming across, House Finch, Ravens and Crows. We were about a group of 12 people and we did a round-robin (not a bird, so do not get too excited that I saw the elusive "round" variety) of introductions. No sooner had we started, we saw not one but two Red-Breasted Sapsuckers, one of the two targets that they had hoped for. Allowing plenty of time to view, everyone got a chance to see it and the different markings. We walked around the inside perimeter of the park, spotting Anna’s, CB Chickadees and a number of Ruby-Crowned Kinglets. There was a call of a bird, and I put the small group that were at the back with me on what I was sure was a Mockingbird. This flew off after only a brief look, but down next to the group up front. As we went to join them, they asked if I had seen the black eyeline or the white outer tail feathers, which I could not be sure seeing anything distinct on the face and never saw the flight well as it flew towards the sun.This is the great thing about birding though, it is okay to get it wrong, as long as you can learn from it, not making outlandish calls and it obviously helps if someone can correct you (and you are willing to be corrected). The amount of erroneous calls I have made, as only doing this for a few years and yet nearly all other birders I have came across will help rather than complain. Anyway, we caught up with the front group and I started mentioning where I thought the "Mockingbird" had gone down. Very conveniently it then popped up on top of the bush next to us, allowing the group to view it, and confirm it was indeed a Mockingbird, being a female with a less well defined eyeline. A Red-Tailed Hawk, perched on a far eucalyptus tree, and further around a pair of Band-Tailed Pigeon were in front of a house. We descended into the valley, once again I was amazed at how parks in the SF and the Bay Area had such different terrain and areas being kept natural. The valley was cold and there was not much about, as we searched for the Pacific Wren (second target). I could see similar vegetation that I had spotted one in yesterday, but no joy. The group decided to call it a day, and I stayed down with another birder who wanted to have a longer wait.It seemed to pay off, with a couple of stops made with some movement. Although, we only got a quick look all that could be said was that it was wren-movement. I managed to get a shot off with the camera, and reviewing later, with the much longer tail, it was likely a Bewick’s Wren, which the other birder had heard calling elsewhere. We heard a wind come down, and as I braced for a burst of cold, it was instead warm air. You can forget how cold a valley can get, whilst the rest of the world heats up in the morning sun.As we headed up out the valley, I mentioned that I was probably going to have a look at Lake Temescal. The birder was actually from there, and so offered me a lift. When we did arrive, They decided to stick around as they mentioned it had been a while since they visited. A call came through, and another birder from the morning said that they too would head down to the lake. Black Phoebes went after insects and Steller’s Jay crossed the trees. A pair of male and a single female Wood Duck, dabbled away at the pondweed on the surface at the lake. When the sun shone on the Male, the colours really showed up wonderfully. A Great Blue Heron tried to sleep at the edge of the lake (again with the snoozing birds at 1130) and we were treated to the sight of a Green Heron. A Pied Grebe was out in the middle, on its own (They appear not to be very social). An Orange-Crowned Warbler foraged at the top of the bushes, as we took a leisurely walk around the lake, with Yellow-Rumped flicking about at the reeds. A Song Sparrow perched on the footbridge. Then a pair or Ruby-Crowned Males came in, with their crowns fully exposed. They did not seem to attack, only coming close to each other before one choosing to back off. There were a few more RC Kinglets, and reviewing later, none were the Hutton’s Vireo, which I still had not seen.With the Hutton's Vireo, they joke about if you can not tell the difference then have a look at the feet. RC Kinglets have yellow feet. Well, good thing about photography is that you can have a look later.With that, we went for lunch at a nearby diner, joined by one of the birder’s husband, where we talked about politics and furniture. They dropped me off at my hotel afterwards, saying it was just as easy as dropping me at the BART. Bay Birders really are that Awesome!Photographed Species (To be filled later as above)</blockquote>

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