Reports to the Northern California BirdBox, transcribed for BirdWest by Calvin Lou.
ALAMEDA COUNTY
23 May East of Livermore on Patterson Pass Road at milepost 4.35 (heading west) there was a pair of Blue Grosbeaks. Rich Cimino
22 May Between Pleasanton and Livermore in Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, a pair of Great-tailed Grackles were in the general area of the boat rental facility. Four years ago, a pair nested here. George Bing
18 May In Hayward/Union City at Dry Creek Regional Park, a male Indigo Bunting was one-third mile east of the Tamarack Trailhead on the "Back Creek Trail." Tim Mouter
18 May In Fremont/Newark at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 8 Black Skimmers were seen with the nesting Forster's Terns while scanning the salt ponds in the vicinity of the Visitor Center building in the morning. Peter Metropoulos
16 May In Oakland, an American Bittern was observed at the Oakland Airport from a landing jet. David MacKenzie
11 May In Oakland at Lake Merritt, a Green Heron was in the heron-and-egret rookery. Bruce Mast
10 May In Oakland at the far end of Lake Merritt were a Green Heron and a Cattle Egret. Clare McAllen
4 May In Fremont at Coyote Hills Regional Park, a Least Bittern was in the large pond just north of the visitor's center. The bird was all the way across the pond in the reeds. It flew in a southeasterly direction. Rusty Scalf
2 May In Berkeley, 1 or 2 Yellow-breasted Chats were in a private residence near the intersection of Ward & Grant Sts. Ken Archibald
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
22 May In Mount Diablo State Park, a pair of Pine Grosbeaks were near the "microwave unit" on the Summit Trail halfway between the lower and upper summit parking lots between 3:30 and 5 PM. Tim Mouter
13 May In the Berkeley Hills at Tilden Regional Park there were a Hermit Warbler and a MacGillivray's Warbler. Clare McAllen
12 May In Martinez at the Mountain View Sanitary District near McNabney Marsh, 1 or 2 Great-tailed Grackles were seen in the willows at Peyton Slough. The birds have also been seen during March and April. Edith Black
4 May In Richmond, an adult Semipalmated Sandpiper was near the Bay Trail between Point Isabel and Richmond Marina Bay. From Hwy 580, take the Bayview exit, go left over the highway, turn left at Seaport and left on S 51st St. Park and walk west to the Bay Trail. There will be two large ponds on your right - the bird was in the second pond. Rob Powers