I live in the 4400 block of San Pablo Dam Road, north of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and near San Pablo Creek. This list includes bird species seen or heard on, above, or near the property. I started keeping a yard list when I moved here from El Cerrito about 3 years ago. It is surprising that I have never seen nor heard any kind of warbler or wren here, perhaps because of declining ability to hear high-frequency sounds. (5 April 1999)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) - Occasional visitor along
San Pablo Creek
Great Egret (Arda albus) - Occasional visitor along San Pablo
Creek, less frequent than Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Resident, seen overhead
daily
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) - Resident, almost certainly
nesting in big trees in the immediate area, although I have not been able
to locate a nest
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - Resident, nesting yearly
in tall eucalyptus immediately east of my house
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) - Seen once flying high
overhead
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) - Infrequent visitor to
more-open country between San Pablo Dam Rd and San Pablo Ridge, to the
south
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) - Seen once flying west above
the creek, probably flying from San Pablo Reservoir to San Pablo Bay
Rock Dove (Columba livia) - Occasional visitor, probably from
more-urban nearby areas
Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba fasciata) - Resident, nesting nearby
(I have seen as many as 16 birds at a time at my feeder, and I have seen
young birds)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) - Resident, nesting nearby
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Heard once, in trees immediately outside
my bedroom window
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) - Heard frequently, apparently
resident
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) - Resident (birds in several
plumages seen, indicating probable nearby breeding)
Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) - Seen a few times
at feeder, possibly birds in migration (adult males never seen)
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) - Probably resident; suspected
of nesting nearby, but likely nest sites (as along creek banks) not accessible
for observation. During the spring of 1997, I saw two adult males contending
noisily directly behind my house, as if they were disputing territorial
boundaries. Not conspicuously present during dryer seasons.
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) - Frequently heard,
occasionally seen, probably resident
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) - Same as Nuttall's
Woodpecker, but less frequent
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) - Heard singing
in Spring and Summer 1997, but breeding status unknown
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - In 1996 I would have described
it as a conspicuous resident, as there was nearly always one in or near my
back yard, near San Pablo Creek. In 1997, seemingly absent most of the time.
I didn't note one in 1998. Seen and heard occasionally in early 1999.
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) - Summer visitor, not easy to
observe
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) - Very common resident;
nests nearby, and a frequent visitor to my feeders. Will eat commercial "wild
bird food" seed mixtures, but really goes crazy for whole peanuts.
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) - Fairly common
visitor to feeder; probably resident nearby.
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) - Common resident; nesting
whereabouts unknown
Common Raven (Corvus corax) - Uncommon visitor. About 30 years
ago the species was so rare in the East Bay that I was required to submit
a written description of a raven seen at San Pablo Reservoir during the Christmas
Bird Count.
Tree Swallow or Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta sp.) - Seen
flying overhead in warm weather, but at too great an altitude to be identified
to species, and always less common than Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) - Common overhead in warm months.
Very common nester at nearby San Pablo Reservoir.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) - Very common
resident
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) - Common in warm months,
a frequent visitor to seed feeders. Status at other times not known (but
I believe it is resident at San Pablo Reservoir.
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) - Common probable resident.
I say "probable" because flocks and individuals come into my yard from time
to time but I do not know where they nest. (Wildcat Canyon is nearby, so
probably there.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) - Heard once; possible
transient, but more likely just overlooked by me
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) - Breeds along San Pablo
Creek, but I have yet to see one here, having only heard them singing
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) - Heard occasionally in
winter
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) - Resident, but not conspicuous
at all times. Large flocks came through in the early part of 1999.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - Uncommon visitor,
fortunately. How long can this last?
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - One flock seen in early
1997, didn't linger long
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) - Uncommon migrant in
fall 1997
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) - Reclusive resident, not
easy to observe here
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis) - Common resident and
breeder
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - Probably resident, but not
easy to observe because it seems to frequent the banks of the creek, which
are mostly out of sight
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - Uncommon visitor
in my yard, but undoubtedly very common nearby
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Fairly common visitor; possibly
resident, but not easy to observe away from feeders
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) - Very common
breeder in summer. I have had adults and young at my seed feeders.
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) - Uncommon visitor in
summer, not observed at other times
Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) - Regular breeder in summer,
but numbers apparently never high. Both adults and young have come to sugar-water
feeder. To my surprise, I have never seen Bullock's Oriole here.
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - Very common resident and
breeder
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) - Occasional visitor,
in flocks when flowering weed crop is at its peak
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) - Rare visitor, fortunately.
I have heard it once or twice here, but know it to be very common nearby.