[Birdnet] Mendon and Benson Loop

[Sarah Mohlman]

 On March 27, Kim Sullivan's Ornithology class went birding on the Mendon
loop (730am-10am). At the DWR fish hatchery we saw: American White Pelican,
Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Starlings, a Red-tailed Hawk, and a Mourning
Dove.

In the lakes behind the landfill we saw: hundreds of California Gulls, a few
Franklin's Gulls, Scaup (probably lesser), Canvasback, Bufflehead, a pair of
Eared Grebes, a Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Shovelers, American Coots, and
Red-winged blackbirds.

We saw herons nesting in the old heron rookery and sandhill cranes in the
field further along the road.

At Cutler Marsh we saw: Gadwalls (100+), Canada Geese, American Coots,
American Avocets, Mallards, Common Goldeneye, and White-crowned sparrow and
Rock Doves along the roadside.

We heard but did not visually identify a song sparrow.

On April 1, the Ornithology class went birding on the Benson Loop early in
the morning. Stopping briefly at the sewage lagoons we saw Lesser Scaup
and Northern Shovelers. Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers were seen in
several places along the roadside. At a lake further along the road we saw a
large, noisy flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, more Northern Shovelers,
Canada Geese, Common Mergansers, Green-winged teal, American Widgeon,
Gadwalls, Northern Pintails, and Bufflehead.

Near the Benson church we saw the recently released California quails, and
a flock of white-crowned sparrows.

At the Benson Marina, we saw most of the same ducks in addition to several
Red-breasted Mergansers, several pairs of Common Loons, Clark's Grebes,
Western Grebes, and Double-Crested Cormorants. We were able to watch a
common merganser catch a large fish and subsequently have it stolen by a
California Gull in the spotting scope. On land, we saw a Song Sparrow,
Red-winged blackbird, Housefinch, Western Meadowlark and American Robins.

At the Oxbows, we saw 3 American Avocets standing among some Northern
Shovelers, American Widgeon, Northern Pintail, and Green-winged Teal, a
group of 10-15 double-crested cormorants, and many Canada Geese.
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