San Jose - first of the year

I was back in San Jose ahead of the start of Spring semester, and . spent time adding some easy California birds to my year list. I was also aware of getting close to 200 species for Santa Clara county. On the morning of Thursday January 11th I spent some time at Santa Teresa County Park, Laguna Avenue and the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve.

Pine Siskins had not been in Bay Area for the winter of 2016-17, but I had seen reports of this species in December. It did not take long for me to find a group bathing in a puddle by the Golf Course - together with some Western Bluebirds and an American Goldfinch

Pine Siskins

On Laguna Avenue I thought I had another county bird when I saw a large falcon on a wire. However this was not the wished-for, reported Prairie Falcon but instead a Peregrine.

Peregrine

In the afternoon I took a walk along the Parkway Lakes adding a few more simple species. The following day I went to Rancho San Antonio with Garrett and Sergio where a Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a friendly, calling Hutton's Vireo were the highlights.

My wife and I headed out to Shoreline on Saturday January 13th to add some shorebirds to my year's list. I had trouble identifying a Dunlin - and needed the help of an eBird reviewer. For some reason this species doesn't stay in my head as being a possible and is often overlooked.

Dunlin

We stopped off at a stake-out for Phainopepla on the way back, and headed to Palm Avenue for a stakeout Vermilion Flycatcher on Sunday morning. I had tried for the latter on Thursday but a Cooper's Hawk in the area did not help my cause.

Cooper's Hawk