Audubon Christmas Bird Count, Calero/Morgan Hill Casa Loma Rd. & OSA Rancho Property, 28 December 2003 Santa Clara County Open Space Authority |
OSA's
Lori Raymaker welcomes Bird Count volunteers with hot coffee and cinnamon
rolls.
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Brrrrr! It was a cold morning with heavy frost. | ||
Undaunted
by the cold, Bird Count volunteers fan out along Casa Loma Road.
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Splitting into teams, our group covered the left side of Casa Loma Road. | ||
Scenery along Casa Loma Road. | ||
Birders look closely to correctly identify bird species. | ||
Roadside color and curiosities. | ||
Birders explored this old barn and found a Barn Owl dozing amid the rafters.. | ||
In addition to birds in flight, this atmospheric anomaly* attracted our attention. | ||
*Parhelion
or "Sun Dog": 1) a bright spot appearing on either side of the
sun caused by the sun's rays reflecting off atmospheric ice crystals. 2) a small rainbow sphere seen just off the parhelic circle. |
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Birders pause to thoroughly scan an area before proceeding. | ||
A quick dash through a creek and up a trail heading for Lost Lake. | ||
Birding along a narrow canyon trail on OSA's Rancho Property. | ||
Birders work their way up a sheltered canyon below Hidden Lake. | ||
View of Hidden Lake. | ||
Sighting birds on the far shore of Hidden Lake. | ||
Trail continues uphill towards the summit. | ||
Two towering oaks near the summit above Hidden Lake. | ||
Trailside mixed-oak woodland scenery.. | ||
This year's count included a new area to explore. | ||
An extended loop that would bring us back to our starting point. | ||
Birders pause beside an old water trough. | ||
Scouring a winter-bare oak forest searching for birds. | ||
Attempting to identify a dead raptor found along the trail. | ||
Last
creek to cross; Rancho's home meadow in the distance.
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Returning to the trailhead, Lori goes over the list to tally-up the final count. | ||
Birding
team at the close of count.
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