[EBB Sightings] Arrowhead Marsh Today and Yesterday

EBBers,

Today at Arrowhead Marsh's high 
tide from noon to 1:30PM about 
fifteen of us lucky birders got 
several terrific views of the 
NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW 
hanging out just west of the marsh 
pier anchorage.  In-between 
sightings, we had plenty of time to 
study the Common Yellowthroats, 
Marsh Wrens, White-crowned 
Sparrows, and Savannah Sparrows 
that were foraging, bathing, and 
resting in the same patch of 
Gumplant.  Along the pier, Clapper 
Rails and a Sora made do the best 
they could with their habitat 
underwater.  Resting Willets, 
Marbled Godwits, and a Forster's 
Tern snoozed on the pier's far end. 
It was a fun midday birding outing 
for all us there.

Yesterday, Melanie Lutz and I did 
our monthly GGAS survey of the 
restoration marsh area from 1:30 - 
3:30PM.  The vernal pools were 
filled with ducks, shorebirds, and 
gulls.  In the middle pool, among 
the many Green-winged Teal, there 
is another Teal that some have been 
calling a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED 
TEAL.  This bird has no white 
vertical shoulder stripe.  The 
buffy lines that surround the green 
eye patch are prominent. A 
horizontal white wing stripe is not 
visible.  Occasionally, the green 
speculum is visible and the white 
bar inboard of the speculum 
sometimes shows, giving the 
impression it is a small section of 
the normally visible horizontal 
wing stripe.  This is like no other 
Eurasian Green-winged Teal I've 
seen.  Also in this pool is an 
American Wigeon with a stark white 
cheek patch in place of the 
normally more gray colored patch 
seen below the eye.

The marsh area is busy with 
raptors.  Between the two days I 
saw an Osprey, White-tailed Kite, 
Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, 
Peregrine Falcon, and Merlin.

Good birding,

Bob Battagin
Oakland, CA