Does the Red Phone know what the two birds are nesting at the
corner of San Miguel Street and Santa Barbara Drive in the very top
of pine trees? I thought it could be a Mississippi kite but wasn’t
sure.
“Does the Red Phone know what the two birds are nesting at the corner of San Miguel Street and Santa Barbara Drive in the very top of pine trees? I thought it could be a Mississippi kite but wasn’t sure.”
Red Phone: Dear Urban Bird Watcher, Red Phone can’t tell an ostrich from an albatros, but we’ll try to help. Red Phone contacted several bird watchers in the county who were all quick to identify your mysterious aviary guest. It turns out you weren’t too far off in your guess. The six people who responded all said it was a white-tailed kite.
“It’s the only raptor in our area that has an unmarked white head other than the bald eagle, which is much larger with a yellow bill,” said Matthew Dodder of www.birdguy.net, who has been birding for more than 30 years. “The Mississippi kite is exceedingly rare in California, and you shouldn’t expect to see it. It’s also much grayer than this bird.”
Kites are good with helping with pest control and usually nest on the top of trees or in crags in rocks.
“It’s cousin, the Mississippi kite, has its closest breeding in central Arizona, but it is generally found east of the Rockies in the southern states,” said Bob Power, executive director of the Santa Clara County Audubon Society. “It is a secretive nesting species, and this is a great opportunity to observe this kite, assuming it sticks around.”
For more about the bird, see www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-tailed_kite/id.
Follow-up on trails at Uvas
“I took these photos on a walk Feb. 3 If you park at Wren Avenue, go up the stairs and down the other side and go right along the creek. Not too far and this is what you will find. If you get to the Waterman 30 sign, you passed it. Across the creek, you can see a building with a green roof. I think that is the one that is at the end of the west side of Christmas Hill. Hope this helps with your location. To me, this looks like a well-thought out plan as far as a track for bikes. I say leave it and let the kids use it. It looks like someone worked very hard on it. Must have kept them busy. This really looks harmless. There are much worse things they could be doing.”
Red Phone: Dear Trail Watcher, Thanks for your comments. We are not sure if this is the same area that was being vandalized by teenagers as mentioned in Friday’s Red Phone. We forwarded your info on to the city and will keep you informed on any action.
