California
Sierras
May 27-
Jun 1, 2003, mostly hot!
- narrated
by Henry Detwiler
A trip up to the Gold Country to see a friend, birding on the way up and
back
146
species total
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
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Snowy Plover - Salton Sea
My
first stop was Ramer Lake at 3:00PM - way too hot to be birding in
the Imperial Valley! |
Black-crowned Night Heron & Egret Colony
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Snowy Egret
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I watched lots of egrets and grebes, but looked in vain for Fulvous
Whistling-Duck and the Anhinga. Off of Johnson Road I spotted
egrets, a Least Bittern, two flamingoes, Snowy Plover, and Caspian
Terns. A nice bonus was a California King Snake along the
canal.
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Least Bittern
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Chilean Flamingoes
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| The next morning on the way up to Butterbredt Springs
I flushed several flocks of Mountain Quail. The Springs itself
was quiet with relatively few migrants: Willow Flycatchers,
Swainson's Thrushes, a Cedar Waxwing, and a Wilson's Warbler.
The Kern River Preserve made a nice lunch stop, and had swallows
taking advantage of the bluebird homes. |
Tree Swallow
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Kernville Flower
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North of Kernville a fire last summer burned 150,000
acres; this spring the charred ground is alive with wild
flowers. An interesting sight was a Red-tailed Hawk flying off
with a Scrub Jay in its talons. |
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At Holly Meadow I saw my first
"California" Pileated Woodpecker, and just north of
there I walked the Trail of 100 Giants--awe-inspiring trees
with lots of birds! Back down in the Sacramento Valley were
plenty of Yellow-billed Magpies and a White-tailed Kite.
During my two days at Nick's house in the foothills west of
Stockton, I heard & saw Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Wild
Turkey.
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Giant Sequoia
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Sierra Nevadas along Hwy 88
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Cassin's Finches
After
visiting Nick, I headed east over the Sierras on Hwy 88, where I
found finches and American Dipper.
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Hot Springs Stream
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At Monitor Pass (8314'), Mountain Bluebirds,
singing Green-tailed Towhees, and singing Sage Thrashers were a
great treat. As I entered the Antelope Valley, Black-billed
Magpies welcomed me to their home. On Sunday I arose early to the
songs of Spotted Towhees & California Quail. Several
spots along the way south on Hwy 395 had hot springs and
streams.
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Mono Lake was beautiful as always, dotted with grebes, California
Gulls, and breeding Avocets. At
Tollhouse Springs west of Big Pine, on the road up to the
Bristlecone Pine Forest, I was happy to find a flock of
Pinyon Jays and four Red Crossbills. |
American Avocet
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California Gull at Mono Lake
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A little farther up the road
a Gray Flycatcher and a Black-throated Gray Warbler were
singing. But since it was almost 1:00p.m., I figured I
better hit the road, and finally made it back home to Yuma eight
hours later. |
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