November-December 2021
Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
Valley
The
Sentinel
Look inside in Nature
e Activity Guid
Regional
NOV EMBE
MBER R – DECE
Look inside for the latest Regional in Nature Activity Guide!
2021
uinez Above: Carq
line nal Shore Strait Regio ay Hikes Great Holid page 3. See
10 Trout, page and Rainbow • Steelhead 11 ss, pages 4-5 Feeder, page /Public Acce • Make a Bird 12 • New Parks 7 Fun Facts, page Fungi, page • Opossum • Fall is for page 13 page 8 Tips, Tree, y a k Safet ing ns to Than 9 • Kayak • Five Reaso Month, page ican Heritage • Native Amer
ins ide
always for the community VOL 27 NO 9/10
for:
ff Tree Die-O g Sudden Agency Addressin ral Resource page 2. rnia Natu See with Califo tary Jessica Morse. Deputy Secre
November / December 2021 Access New Parks/Public
www.valleysentinel.com
Great Holiday Hikes Native American Heritage Month Make a Bird Feeder Kayak Safety Tips
SPOTLIGHT
Plus many more fun activities for kids and families!
Local High School Juniors Honored at American Legion Luncheon Students in the San Ramon Valley were recognized and honored at a special luncheon ceremony held at the Veterans Memorial Building hosted by American Legion Mt. Diablo Post 246.
ECRWSS
Postmaster: Dated Material
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
See JUNIORS page 4
On Friday November 26, The Town of Danville and the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce kicked off the holiday season with their annual “Lighting of the Old Oak Tree.” A family event for the ages, this night is special for so many, with former students coming home to take part, and folks bring their little ones to the downtown to experience this wonderful event. Always on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we celebrate with Father Christmas, the snow Angel, student choirs providing carols and music for the holidays and an extravaganza to highlight retail businesses in the beautifully lit downtown. An event not to miss, so mark your calendars for next year!
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) By James M. Hale
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is a largely migratory New World warbler that is found across most of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The genus name Geothlypis is from Ancient Greek: geo, “ground”, and thlupis, an unidentified small bird; thlypis is often used in the scientific name of New World warblers. The specific epithet trichas is a kind of thrush, the word being derived from the Greek trikhos, “hair”. Linnaeus described an individual from Maryland in 1766, making this species one of the first to be recorded and catalogued from the New World. The Common Yellowthroat is a striking little songbird to observe. Their olive backs, wings and tails, provide contrast with their bright yellow throats and chests, as well as their white bellies. The black face mask of adult males stretch
from the sides of the neck across the eyes and forehead, which are bordered above with white or gray. This characteristic gives rise to their nickname, the Yellow Bandit. The similar colored females have paler underparts, a faint white eye ring, and lack the black mask. Immature Common Yellowthroats resemble the adult females in appearance. The faint face mask of first-year males will darken completely by spring. Thirteen races are recognized, differing mainly in the males’ facial patterns and the brightness of the yellow underparts. Southwestern races are the brightest and yellowest below. Adult Common Yellowthroats rarely reach more than five inches in length, with a wingspan that may reach seven and a half inches. They weigh approximately a third of an ounce.
The Common Ye l l ow t h ro a t i s a fairly common to common yearround resident in wetlands throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Freshwater and brackish saltwater marshes with dense stands of tules or cattails are preferred habitats. They are also found in dense riparian thickets and shrubbery in upland terrestrial habitats with unbroken stands of nettle, dock, mustard, or fennel. Most of Contra Costa County’s breeding Common Yellowthroat population is found in the saline emergent and fresh emergent marshes along the northern portion of the county, and Central Valley. Two races have been identified as nesting in the
county. Females appear to prefer males with larger face masks. The male Common Yellowthroat often perches atop a tall stalk of tule or cattail, announcing his presence with his distinctive song, an oscillating wichity-wichitywichity. Flight displays up to one hundred feet high are performed to attract females. Nesting in
This Month’s Special Sections: Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. P.O. Box 1309 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
Holidays & Senior Living
pages 6 - 7 page 8
See YELLOWTHROAT page 3