On Friday, after an early dinner, I hightailed it from Yuma to San Diego. A quick stop at the RV Park at Sunbeam Lake revealed the summering White-fronted and Cackling Geese. Early on Saturday morning I headed out to the Bay early to greet the low tide in the fog. After three and a quarter hours the tide had rolled back in, and I was still missing my "life" Red-necked Stint. Fortunately, my vigil had produced handsome returns in the way of Royal, Elegant, and Forster's Terns, Black Skimmer, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Long-billed curlew, plovers, sandpipers, and Red Knot.

Elegant Terns (digiscoped)

Adult & Juvenile Royal Tern (digiscoped)
 

Common Yellowthroat

At Dairy Mart ponds were several Cinnamon Teal, a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, an Osprey, more shorebirds, and a couple of Wilson's and Yellow Warblers.  

. Flame Skimmer

Willow Flycatcher

Early on Sunday I drove from Edwards AFB to the Silver Saddle Resort at Galileo Hills. Willow Flycatchers were patrolling the Soccer Field and a young Black-crowned Night Heron was sharing the pond with a Solitary Sandpiper. Next to the campgrounds, a Barn Owl and scores of dragonflies were enjoying one of the golf course ponds. Unfortunately, the once-regular Chukars were a no-show.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Hogback Creek - Cardinal Meadowhawk

I was looking for Sooty Grouse, but scrambling up the mountainside among the pines turned up nothing but more juncos & towhees. Fortunately, a walk along the creek did net me my one and only American Dipper for the trip! Later, as I was setting up my campsite in the Pinyon Pines of the White Mountains, several Black-throated Gray Warblers came to investigate. I whistled and listened for owls all night, but my only visitors were a variety of bats.

Chukar

Other birds taking advantage of the dripping water included Black-throated Sparrow, House Wren, and Rufous Hummingbird.

Sage Thrasher

Crowley Lake proved once again to be a "must see". Sage Thrashers were abundant, sitting atop rocks and sagebrush, and after driving many miles of the dirt roads, I finally came upon a hen and baby Sage Grouse. The lake itself produced a small flock of Common Terns, hordes of California Gulls, and assorted shorebirds.

 
Great Plains Rattlesnake

Lower Virginia Lake

Driving around to the mountains south of Mono Lake turned up a flock of Pinyon Jays, but the screaming wind made looking for rare woodpeckers impossible. Mono Lake was beautiful but fairly unproductive bird-wise. A trip up to Virginia Lakes turned up Mountain Bluebirds and a Clark's Nutcracker, along with the usual suspects. Bridgeport was my last stop, and a Great Plains Rattlesnake a fine way to end the day!

On Tuesday morning I drove up and over Monitor Pass (8300'), with a spectacular view into the valley of California and Nevada to the east. All around me sparrows and bluebirds flitted over the sagebrush and meadows. Hoping to get a better view of the sparrows, I pished loudly. Like magic, a small bird flew up out of the field and landed not ten feet in front of me on the dirt road--a curious Vesper Sparrow. Farther west over the Sierras, at Caples Lake, a loud flapping of wings caught my attention--an adult Bald Eagle flew over my head with a trout in its talons. At Kirkwood Meadows the birds were extremely active, especially once riled up with some pygmy owl imitations.

Wilson's Warbler

White-crowned, Brewer's, Song, & Lincoln's Sparrows, Wilson's & MacGillivray's Warblers, and a Townsend's Solitaire were all putting on a show. Over the next two days I was in Fiddletown visiting friends Nick & Jennifer (and their girls), and added Acorn Woodpecker, Wild Turkey, and Oak Titmouse.