Berkeley Backyard Bird Blog: Birdspotting & Other Natural Delights at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Back side of Sibley looking toward Mount Diablo

When in need of a dose

of the desert Southwest,

look no farther than the urban fringes

of Oakland, California.

Reddish oxidation from ancient flow steam generation

You heard me right!

Lark Sparrow shying away from the camera

Lost in the mists of Neogene time, a volcano exploded, tilted, and deposited a rugged debris field, wiping out a goodly swathe of vegetation and wild life. Round Top Peak, 1763 ft., is all that remains of the tilted-over volcano.

Self-guided tour marker depicting volcanic explosion 10,000,000 years ago

Before the explosion, long-necked camels grazed alongside saber-toothed tigers. Behemoth mastodons lumbered along swampy shorelines. Ten million years later, the landscape has rebounded into a geological and botanical wonderland, showcasing eroded pinnacles and other fanciful red rock outcroppings that seem out of place and time.

Whimsical mini-pinnacle formations at Sibley

Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is a favorite and easy get-away in the Oakland Hills, an amazing place, really, doubtless one of the East Bay Regional Park District's most unique park. It has attracted generations of geologists, and fascinated legions of nature lovers and birding enthusiasts since its founding in 1936 and probably well before.

Rolling hills and dense tree cover provide ideal wildlife habitat

The complex and varied land forms shelter Oak and Bay forests and extensive meadow, grass and shrub lands, inviting safe harbor for countless bird species.

Varied Thrush ground-feeding at Sibley

Covering just 660 acres, the Sibley is big and rugged enough to work up a lather climbing the ridges and descending the canyons. With a recent trail system expansion, some real miles can now be covered by hooking up to the world famous Bay Area Ridge Trail and East Bay Skyline National Recreational Trail.

Trail climbing out of the old quarry pit

A once off-limits section has opened, giving the park a bit more breathing room. Spend some time here, and you'll see that the Volcanic Preserve is a place to slow down, let your mind drift checking out sign posts on the self-guided tour, noting outstanding geological features or some remnant outcrop of a hard to imagine cataclysmic event.

Trail beyond leading to EBMUD land and a special sighting

And always, always,

on the look out for a cool bird.

Yes, it's a White-crowned Sparrow

Wow!

Was that a White-crowned Sparrow?

Hawk (Red-tailed?) surveying domain from pylon

Along with lively bird activity, you'll see darting rabbits, scurrying lizards and sun-basking snakes. Maybe a fox if lucky. The meadows and rolling hill terrain provide ideal habitat for rodents to proliferate, tasty provender to sate the appetites of Red-tailed Hawks, White-tailed Kites, Golden Eagles, and, not unheard of, Bald Eagles, nearby nesters at San Pablo Reservoir (and several other East Bay settings).

Western Fence Lizard

In a hidden "bowels of the earth" area, a small reedy pond is ideal for newt eggs to incubate, and, deep in this old quarry pit, you'll walk an inscrutable labyrinth, whose builders remain a mystery. Spend some quiet time listening to the wind whistling, meditatively walking the circular pathway to the center of this little universe, giving thanks and praise and wonder.

Foot traffic on the Labyrinth

And always, always,

on the look out for a cool bird.

Tree Swallow (just guessing)

Whoa!

Was that a Northern Shrike?

Nope, just a Mockingbird

I'm solo biking the entire 660 acres of the Volcanic Preserve, over extending myself a bit, but ineluctably pulled here and lured there by novel sights, long views and bird rich habitats – cool sightings of flocks of Mourning Doves clouding the skies, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows ground feeding and bush-diving, and a lone Bewick's Wren hopping about.

Rugged area framing iconic Mount Diablo

And always,

Scrub Jays and Steller's Jays

squawking up a storm.

Scrub Jay holding court

This happens to be my first bird-focused outing to Sibley, too. How such a "hot spot" for exotic birds has eluded me, I'll never know, but it was here several years ago when I spotted a pair of White-tailed Kites in a tree snag who were sharing a mangled rodent carcass, something I had never seen before.

White-tailed Kite awaiting mate's return from hunt

Kinda got me hooked.

Western Bluebird couple in pine tree

I'm all in at the Volcanic Preserve today, thrilled by the tremendous variation in avian habitat, blown away by hugely scenic views I'd totally forgotten about. I circle up and down and all around, spending a solid hour exploring a back section I like to call my very own private red rock wilderness.

New addition to hiking trails at Sibley

No doubt just more hyperbole from the master of spin when it comes to "piss-ass nothing little creeks" and "prosaic uninspiring rock formations" being far more grandiose and awesome than they really are.

"Piss-ass nothing little creek" at Sibley

Because, in their own small miracle way,

they are.

"Prosaic uninspiring rock formations" at Sibley

In this once off-limits area, reddish cliffs protrude above boulder-strewn, brush edged meadows – perfect habitat for birds to hide in, or boldly hang out, such as the Western Bluebirds and Lesser Goldfinches, or circle high above nosing for prey like Vultures and Northern Harriers.

Lesser Goldfinch tweeting away

With absolutely no one about, I'm happy and heartened to spot dozens of "sundry" birds over the course of my aimless wanderings: Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Juncos, Jays, and Towhees among the usual suspects.

Dark-eyed Junco striking a striking pose

Each, still, in their own way,

individually precious, unique,

emblematic of the mystery of existence.

White-breasted Nuthatch on the prowl for insects

With my day winding down, a small reserve of energy enables one last reconnoiter to the top of the old quarry pit.

Red-breasted Sapsucker banging away in the Eucalyptus trees

Always, always,

on the look out for a cool bird.

Biking at Sibley enables lots of ground to be covered

I circle behind the ridge, out of sight to the world, dropping my bike at the boundary fence to climb over into municipal district watershed land (EBMUD). Moments before, I had a thought of my 90-year old Mom – this blog's biggest fan! I felt she was psychically directing me to this particular area, where I instinctively sensed an "exotic" bird would appear.

Vast acreage of rolling hills, meadows and forest (EBMUD land)

Go ahead, laugh.

I sure did!

Subterranean volcanic architecture exposed

After a few luxurious moments of silent time admiring Mount Diablo's looming presence on the horizon, in between neck-craning for birds, my patience – and faith! – is rewarded when I catch a glimpse of a most unusual and interesting looking bird flirting about in a small tree.

First view of the "mystery" bird

I'm like –

what the . . . ?

Underside and partial face view of "mystery" bird

Scrambling to get a good bino view, while at the same time fumbling with my camera to get off a shot, I nearly blow it by getting neither. Luckily, though, I'm able to capture a couple of poor quality photos, and zero in on the grayish-white bird with my binos and accurately ID the little cuss from the tell-tale signature feature of his distinctive yellow dot above the eye.

Blurry photo of Black-throated Gray Warbler

Proof positive of having spotted my first-ever

Black-throated Gray Warbler!

Better photo of the Black-throated Gray Warbler spotted a few years later

How cool is that, fellow birders?

Black-throated Gray Warbler

I'm amazed and excited to bear witness for one short minute to the frenetic flighty activity of a Black-throated Gray Warbler hunting for insects! Also frustrated as hell, for he's now long gone, flown away to a far off tree down the hillside – never to be seen again, perhaps a once in a lifetime sighting.

The Black-throated Gray Warbler sighted at Sibley

Have YOU ever seen one?

Final photo of Black-throated Gray Warbler (Indian Rock Park)

Well, go ahead and pop my balloon, they're supposedly not all that unusual to spot. But I'll put cash money that I'll never see another.

Sibley's unique volcanic formations

In a recent post, I wrote about how once you see a bird for the first time, you will then, by some ineffable law of attraction, begin seeing that same bird over and over.