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Male Rufous Hummingbird sighted in Bear Valley Springs Christine has been bugging me to set up our hummingbird feeder now that it's not freezing every night. I finally got around to it yesterday and the first hummer to visit was a beautiful male Rufous Hummingbird. He's still hanging around with a few Anna's. This is earlier than I would expect the Rufous to show up. Probably never saw them this early because I never set up the feeder. Richard |
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American White Pelicans sighted over Tehachapi on March 18, 2009 Just thought I'd pass on this report from member Gail Gewain: Hi!
I saw a flock of pelicans migrating over Tehachapi this noon about 12:20 - 12:30. There were probably 20+ birds in the flock headed westnorthwest. I've seen pelicans migrate through Tehacapi several times over the years but the interesting part is has always been between 11:30 and 1:00. Add them to the March sitings!
Gail Gewain
-- Richard |
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Common Mergansers & Long-billed Dowitcher at Brite Lake |
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This morning I dropped by Brite Lake to see if there were any new ducks to add to my March list for Tehachapi. Not much there, mostly coots and Ruddy Ducks. On the far northwest corner I scoped a couple ducks that looked different, so I hiked over and discovered 2 female Common Mergansers. I believe they are the only ones I've seen in Tehachapi all winter! A man stopped to talk to me and said he saw a Bald Eagle at Brite Lake 2 weeks ago! I tried to verify his sighting and he confirmed the white head and tail. A definite maybe! Wish I'd seen it... While hiking back, I spotted a shorebird along the reeds on the southwest corner that turned out to be a Long-billed Dowitcher. The checklist shows them as Ca in winter only (Casual - not seen annually). Another nice addition to the March list! 
Richard |
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Western Kingbird first of spring sighting at Sawyer Lake |
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After Brite Lake, I stopped by Sawyer Lake in Golden Hills. There are a lot more waterfowl there than at Brite! - Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, Canvasbacks, Northern Shovelers, Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, plus the resident Canada Geese and 1 Greater White-fronted Goose. As I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a Western Kingbird flying in to the tall bushes in the center peninsula. I got the scope on it and confirmed white on the tail edges. First of spring sighting in Tehachapi for me. 
Richard |
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Canyon Wren in Bear Valley |
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The peak spring migration is ahead of us. Time to get out and see what you can find! I've been trying to bird every weekend, if not more. My Tehachapi list for March is incredible... Today Christine and I hiked the Sycamore Ridge Trail in Bear Valley Springs. We started where it crosses Deertrail and hiked all the way to the water treatment plant - took us about 3-1/2 hours. Lots of House Wrens (which I haven't been seeing anywhere else), and a BIG flock of Purple Finches singing. But the highlight of the hike - and totally unexpected - was hearing the unmistakable song of a Canyon Wren repeated over and over just as we entered the canyon paralleling Rolling Oak Drive on the north side. There's an access trailhead from Rolling Oak so you don't have to hike all the way in from Deertrail. It was slightly before the "G" marker post. The Tehachapi Mountains checklist says Canyon Wrens are rare year-round. I'll have to return next month and see if he's still there for the April sightings list! It would be great to identify a reliable location to find them. |
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Our club is in the process of cleaning and repairing bluebird nest boxes for the 2009 nesting season. On Mar. 17 four trusty souls began the task at Indian Hill Campground. We had wonderful weather and checked 19 boxes. Later in the week a new comer to our group volunteered to monitor the 12 Brite Lake boxes for the season! Out of all the 31 boxes checked so far, 5 have partial nests and we saw plenty of bluebird pair activity in both locations. Our next trip to Indian Hill Campground is Tues. Mar. 24th at 9 am, weather permitting! |
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Tricolored Blackbirds at Sawyer Lake |
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Christine and I made a quick stop at Sawyer Lake about 6:30PM today to see what the storm might have driven in. The only new species was Tricolored Blackbirds. There was a male on the little island on the east side that was flashing his white patch. Last weekend (Saturday, March 14) we saw a flock of about 30 Tricolored Blackbirds on top a boxcar at the west end of Lehigh Southwest Cement Co. Richard |
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Double-Crested Cormorant in BVS |
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Yesterday I went for a bicycle ride in Bear Valley Springs and stopped by Four Island Lake. While there I spotted a Double-crested Cormorant swimming along the shore. |
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Mountain Bluebirds at Brite Lake |
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Beautiful day, so out birding again. Located a pair of Mountain Bluebirds north of the Brite Lake dam, on the west end of the orchards. We were walking along the north side of the lake and Christine spotted them at the bottom of the dam flying from the fence by the road back into the first 3 or 4 rows of orchard trees. |
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Waterfowl moving out of area |
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It's looking like waterfowl have been moving out of the area. Not much at Brite Lake. At least one Common Merganser is still there (I was last there March 20 and saw 3). Otherwise, mostly coots and Ruddy Ducks, several Pied-billed Grebes, Mallards, Gadwall. Lake Jean had far less ducks than last week. Bufflehead are still present in relatively large numbers. Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddys, Canvasback and Cinnamon Teal also seen, but in smaller numbers. The highlight of Lake Jean was numerous Eared Grebe beginning to come into breeding plumage, getting some rich red color in their body and the sweep-back fan on the side of their head more prominent. We glanced at the Tehachapi sewer ponds from the freeway - the 2 eastern ponds are dry and there didn't appear to be anything on the west pond, so didn't bother to stop. Sawyer Lake in Golden Hills was the best with the usual Canada Geese and good numbers of Mallard, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Ducks, Canvasback, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeons, Ruddys and coots. No Tricolored Blackbirds spotted this time. The golf course lake in Stallion Springs had a huge flock of American Wigeons waddling onto the grass to graze like coots. Then a golf cart would come whizzing by and flush them into panicked flight back to the water. Then they'd start all over, struggling up the steep bank single-file onto the grass. Another highlight at Stallion Springs was a Lincoln's Sparrow skulking along the dense brush along the lake. Nice sighting - listed as rare in Winter. We've been seeing an overlap of Winter and Spring birds for a couple weeks. April and May should be a great time to get out and enjoy the exciting show of migration! And don't forget to tell us what you see! Richard |
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Not much at Butterbredt in the afternoon |
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Chris and I were playing "hooky" on Friday and decided to take a field trip of our own. Since we won't be able to attend the club field trip to Butterbredt Springs, we decided to go on our own. Granted, we were getting a late start, but the drive was going to be worthwhile. We arrived at Jawbone Canyon at about 2:30 on Friday under beautiful, sunny skies. The desert between hither and thither was a carpet of beautiful yellow. There were a few wildflowers at the ranger station area. Once we got to the dirt road we were very glad we had our 4WD/high clearance vehicle. The roads haven't been graded in awhile, and it was pretty tough going. We finally arrived at the springs sometime after 3:00. Other than the occasional dirt bike in the distance, we were met by silence. The longer we stood under the trees, the more then birds chose to let themselves be known. We still didn't see the birds we'd hoped to see, but we did see a few finches and either a ladderback or Downy woodpecker (couldn't get a good enough look -- I did get a picture, so if anyone can ID it from the photo, please let me know). We also heard a northern flicker. All in all we had a lovely afternoon: even without too many birdies. I'm sure that the morning trek will be more fruitful.
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Sawyer Lake Sightings  |
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Brite Lake - Common Loon, Mountain Bluebird,Tricolored Blackbirds & Belted Kingfisher |
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Visited Brite Lake today around 11AM. Found one Common Merganser and a Common Loon in breeding plumage. Both were in the northwest corner of the lake. There was one Belted Kingfisher along the dam in the rocks. We also saw the male Mountain Bluebird in the exact same place we found a pair on March 28th: north of the Brite Lake dam, on the west end of the orchards, in the first tree of the fourth row from the west. We drove in from the north side from old Cummings Valley Road, along a dirt road called Brite St. There were large flocks of Tricolored Blackbirds and a few Brown-headed Cowbirds in the horse pastures on the west side of Brite St. As we drove by, the blackbirds flushed and flew beside us for awhile, their white and red wing patches clearly visible! Richard & Christine |
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Sawyer Lake - Yellow-headed Blackbird |
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Christine and I stopped at Sawyer Lake around 1PM today. We sat overlooking the eastern pond for quite awhile before Christine noticed a Yellow-headed Blackbird at the bottom of one of the small islands - the one on the left side with bushes on it, not the one on the right with reeds. The bright yellow caught really stood out, but shortly it moved back into the brush and we couldn't see it any more. Very stealthy. Sawyer Lake still has good numbers of waterfowl, including Northern Shovelers, Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Cinnamon Teal, the resident Canada Geese and one Greater White-fronted Goose, and a large number of Buffleheads. (Is it just me, or has there been a tremendous amount of Buffleheads this year?) Other sightings of note were a few Tricolored Blackbirds. No sign of the Black-crowned Night Herons or the mystery egret that Bill Murray spotted earlier this week. Richard & Christine |
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Lake Jean - Eared Grebes in breeding plumage |
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Stopped by Lake Jean and there are still quite a few Eared Grebes in breeding plumage. The numbers of waterfowl at Lake Jean is noticably lower than last week. All the Canvasbacks are gone, didn't see any today at Lake Jean, Sawyer Lake, Stallion Springs, or Cub Lake in Bear Valley. |
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Cameron Road - Cactus Wren |
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We heard and located a Cactus Wren along Cameron Road, not far in from Highway 58 at about 3:30PM today. It was in the Joshua Trees along the south side of the road. There were also Western Kingbirds along the railroad tracks. |
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Stallion Springs - Common Yellowthroat |
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We made the rounds today to all the lakes/ponds, trying to add waterfowl to the April sightings list before they all leave. At Stallion Springs (the lake by the covered bridge) we found a female Common Yellowthroat. There were also several Bullock's Orioles, which seem to be rather common in the lower elevations now, but we haven't seen them higher yet. Also Western Kingbird and flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons flying over. There are still large numbers of American Wigeons at the lake, otherwise just coots, Mallards and Ruddys, plus a Double-crested Cormorant and 2 Great Blue Herons. |
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Despite the wind today, there were many hummingbirds coming to my feeder in Bear Valley... Anna's and Rufous. But then I noticed a smaller one with a streaky throat. With closer inspection, we were able to identify it as a Calliope Hummingbird! |
FIRST EGG reported from Brite Lake on April 4th! To date all of the nest boxes have been checked at least once and all have been repaired for the nesting season. Our next trip to Indian Hill Campground is Monday April 13. Meet at 9 am in the parking lot. We are expecting to see many completed nests and some with eggs while crossing our fingers that this latest cold front has not been too cold for egg survival.  |
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The bluebird nesting season is well under way and we are cautiously optimistic for a large number of fledgelings this year. At Indian Hill Campground where there are a total of 44 nest boxes, 25 boxes have nests with eggs for a total of 98 eggs. Some nests are full clutches with an average of 5 eggs while at other nests the females are still in the process of laying eggs and may have 1 to 4 eggs so far. Brite Lake has a total of 12 nest boxes and 10 are occupied and support a total of 23 eggs as well as one nest with 6 young. Antelope Run on Tucker and Highline has 3 nest boxes, one empty, one with 6 eggs, and one with 5 young. Meadowbrook Park also has 3 nest boxes, one with 7 eggs! Seven is the highest number of bluebird eggs we have found in our Tehachapi nest boxes since we started monitoring in 2000. Jean and her crew also found a 7 egg nest today at Indian Hill. I only know of one other 7 egg bluebird nest during my time on the bluebird trail. |
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Strange bird sighted at High School |
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Here's the picture of the leucistic blackbird that I took while in Cambria last month. I thought maybe this may help in the identification of the "strange bird sighted at the high school." |
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America's Birdiest Inland County |
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For the past five years Kern County has earned America's Birdiest Inland County recognition based on a nationwide competition. The 2009 Kern County ABC species count will take place this weekend Friday-Sunday, May 1-3. This means Kern County has the highest overall species sighting total of any inland U.S. county during spring migration. If you happen to bird this weekend, keep your sightings list and email them to Bob Barnes. You can reach him through the Kern County RBA newsgroup. Or send your list to me ASAP and I'll make sure he gets it. I already started with a whirlwind tour of Tehachapi this morning. In 6 hours I found 65 species. And there are many more that are likely to be here. See my other posts for the highlights! Richard |
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Western Grebe at Brite Lake |
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Quick stop at Brite Lake this morning turned up a Western Grebe. Also I haven't been able to find Lark Sparrows at the usual places for weeks. Then I found a big flock along Brite Street on the north side of the dam. I saw Lark Sparrows there last month as well, so perhaps that's a reliable place to find them. Richard |
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I birded Tehachapi Mountain Park this morning. There were large numbers of Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Black-headed Grosbeak calling everywhere. I heard several Western Wood-Pewee and saw one. That's a first of spring sighting for me. Also at the top of a tall tree, I was watching a Purple Finch when a warbler flew into my field of view. It was a male Wilson's Warbler. First one I've seen in Tehachapi this spring. Richard |
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Spotted Sandpipers seem to be abundant right now. I saw 2 at Sawyer Lake, 1 at Lake Jean, and another at 4-Island Lake in Bear Valley. The Kern County RBA has another report from Ridgecrest Watchable Wildlife Park where 25 Spotted Sandpipers were spotted. Also at Lake Jean, with the Spotted Sandpiper I also found 2 Western Sandpipers and a Killdeer in just a small area in the far southeast corner. Richard |
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Tejon Ranch Breeding Bird Blitz |
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Today I participated in the Tejon Ranch Breeding Bird Blitz. The group I was assigned to worked several canyons on the south side of the ranch in the Antelope Valley. The six of us started at 6AM in the first light of dawn. I couldn't see much in the low light, but heard many Horned Larks and a call the leader assured me was a Whimbrel. Tom explained they stage for migration at the base of the mountains here. Once they leave, they don't stop for hundreds of miles.
After the Friday night rain storm, Saturday was extremely windy and cold. We battled a strong wind all day, and the hilltops were shrouded in fog. Despite these handicaps, I can't recall a better experience with warbler migration. We were seeing more warblers than any other birds!
In several places we would stand beside a row of shrubby trees and watch as dozens of warblers streamed by - Wilson's, Orange-crowned, Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Nashville, Hermit, Yellow-rumped and Yellow warblers. Other species migrating in large numbers included Western Kingbirds and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Warbling and Cassin's Vireos.
The wind was a real challenge for us and the birds. They would whiz by pushed by the gale and dive into a bush, forever lost from view. Frustrating at times. When we managed to get under the canopy the birds were easier to see.
Even with the weather challenge, the spring migration birding there on the south end of the Tehachapi Mountains was amazing - far better than the celebrated Butterbredt Spring has been for several years.
Our leader, Tom, had been birding there the day before when the weather was perfect and said it was the best birding he's ever had in California! He cited his phenomenal count numbers for many different species. I can't recall the exact numbers, but it was something like 67 MacGillivray's Warbler - and all in rabbit brush along a riparian area, none in the trees.
We didn't really do a Breeding Bird survey this year since we mainly saw migrants passing through. Next year they will do this event again, but hold it several weeks later in the season so they see resident species that are more likely to be breeding and not just passing through.
I hope they also do a count of migrants - and give me a chance to participate again! It was definitely worth getting up at 3:30AM, driving an hour and a half to arrive at dawn, then freezing my ass off for the next 7 hours!
Here's my incomplete list of sightings (59 species) - not the official list of everyone's sightings, just what I remember seeing or hearing that other's saw.
Mallard
Mountain Quail
California Quail
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Whimbrel
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Oak Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren
House Wren
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Wrentit
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler - (both Audubon's and Myrtle)
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow (singing on territory)
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Western Meadowlark
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Scott's Oriole
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch
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If you want to see Tricolored Blackbirds, head over to Lake Jean. There are several hundred in the willow trees between the 2 lakes. You can't miss them, they are so LOUD they drown out everything else, even the planes flying over! Richard |
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This afternoon, Christine and I found 2 American Avocet at Sawyer Lake, plus several Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Richard |
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Townsend's Warbler & Western Tanager |
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Christine and I found 1 Townsend's Warbler and 2 male Western Tanagers in the riparian area south of the covered bridge in Stallion Springs today around noon. These are the first I've seen in the Tehachapi area this spring. There were also a couple Northern Rough-winged Swallows perched on a snag on the island in the lake. It seems all the waterfowl are gone except a few coots and Mallards, plus one Canada Goose. The covered bridge has hundreds of Cliff Swallows nesting on it. The swallows are flying all around it in huge swarming flocks. Richard |
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Christine and I were hiking around Bear Mountain and Water Canyon Campground in Bear Valley Springs this morning. Everywhere we went we heard Mountain Quail calling from all directions. We never did see one, but they were everywhere. Up until today, I haven't heard or seen them for many months. Richard |
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Bird banding at the Kern River Preserve |
 Kern River Preserve Spring Festival Days On Sunday, May 3, Mark and I went to the Kern River Preserve, outside of Lake Isabella, for one of their Spring Festival Days. It was extremely blustery but the winds were warm, a vast improvement from the cold overcast skies we left that Sunday morning in Tehachapi. As soon as we got there, we found our bearings by checking out the many nature displays and vendors in the headquarters parking lot. Most importantly we asked where the trail was and we were on our way. We had never been there before so everything was new and exciting. The well maintained trail led us along a nicely flowing creek with willows, cottonwoods and elms growing along its banks. There was a trail of bluebird houses with closely neighboring swallow homes. We saw lots of both species while we walked. Because the winds were up the birds were down. We didn't get to see as many birds as we would have liked, but the walk along this very level trail was well worth the trip. I'm looking forward to going back when the wind is calmer. Next time I'd take some peppermint for bug control, a hat for sunny spots and a lunch to eat in the shade. The real highlight of our trip was participating in the banding of an American Robin. Most of us know that banding is a process where a bird is gently captured in a flight net. It is then weighted, sexed, the length is measured and the age is approximated by such things as the wear and tear and colors the flight feathers. All of this data is recorded and then organized. The information is then used to track individual birds through-out their life span and help analyze movements of populations and annual production levels of species. All this information increases our knowledge and understanding of birds and their habits. A bird in the bag. 
Is weighted 
Measured. Banded All data collected and organized. A final goodbye..... ....and thanks to the banding crew! |
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Now and then, for several years I've been hearing a strange bird call around my home in Bear Valley, but I could never identify it. The call is distinctive, and I've been able to ask many good birders what it is, but haven't found the answer. I guess my mimic isn't good enough! It a clear whistled tone, two notes with the second note a higher pitch. And it's repeated over and over with a slight pause between them. Since I always hear it at dusk or at night, I just assumed it was some kind of owl. I've listened to all the tapes of owl calls and none of them were right. Last weekend at the Tejon Ranch bird count I asked one of the other participants what he thought it might be. He suggested Common Poorwill without much certainty. I didn't think much of it since I've never seen a poorwill, or any goatsuckers, around Tehachapi. The checklist indicates poowills and nighthawks are rare in spring and summer. Then this week I started hearing it again, and I just couldn't stand it! It must be the full moon. I hear him in the evening. I wake up in the middle of the night and it's still calling. What the heck is it!? So I finally pulled up the Common Poorwill call on my iPod and sure enough, that's what it is! A mystery solved after years of frustration. Now I'll have to go out and try to see it. 
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Sycamore Ridge Trail in BVS |
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Another beautiful day, and I just couldn't get to work! Jean found the Purple Martins this morning in the usual place on Starland Drive in Bear Valley Springs, so Christine and I cruised over there and she showed us the place. There were at least 3 pair in oak nesting cavities. This is the only place in the world where Purple Martins nest in oak trees. While we were watching them, a Golden Eagle soared low overhead. Then we decided to hike out Sycamore Ridge Trail and try to find the Canyon Wren we heard there 2 months ago. The trail is absolutely gorgeous this time of year - everything's green; there are wildflowers and tall grass; the creek is flowing; and the trees are just starting to leaf out. We didn't hear the Canyon Wren, but we found several other species that more than made up for it. In addition to the common and expected birds, we found these -- Cassin' Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Lazuli Bunting
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Orange-crowned Warbler That brings my monthly sightings list in Tehachapi to 95 and it's only May 8! |
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The next bluebird monitoring trip is Tuesday May 26, 2009 at the Indian Hill Campground. We will meet in the parking lot at 9 am. I am anticipating a bumper crop of eggs and young on this trip as well as tall grass and stickers! There have been no sheep grazing on the property yet. Let me know if you can participate:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, or 821-6477 |
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Inside Birding: a Cornell Lab of Ornithology Learning Resource |
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American White Pelicans in BVS |
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Green-tailed Towhees are back! |
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Paradise Valley sightings |
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Christine and I hiked Paradise Valley again yesterday from about 8:30AM to noon. This is becoming our favorite birding trail of the summer. We spotted 43 species, which isn't bad for summer.
The Green-tailed Towhees are still present. We found one in the first tall trees on the right side of the dirt road once you're inside the gate. Another GTTO was spotted scratching in the leaves under the tall oaks along the south side of the lake.
At about that same spot, Christine found a swift chasing a swallow high above us. She was able to get a better view, but I only caught a glimpse of it because it kept going behind the trees, then it flew off out of site. I could tell the swallow was a violet-green. The swift chasing it was all dark - black rather than brown; it was larger than the swallow with long, swept-back and pointed wings. Looking over the field guide, it appears to be a Black Swift, listed on the checklist as Casual in Spring and Summer (not seen annually). There was no white on it, so that rules out White-throated Swift, and it was too big and dark for a Vaux's Swift.
The most common bird of the day was Black-headed Grosbeak, and I can't remember ever seeing so many Orange-crowned Warblers.
Here's our full sightings list:
Ruddy Duck
California Quail
Golden Eagle
Mourning Dove
Black Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Black Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Sage Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Richard |
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Mountain Quail on Bear Mountain |
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We were hiking Bear Mountain in Bear Valley Springs 4th of July. We drove up to the High Country Park on Bear Mountain, just off the top end of Paramount. As we started hiking, the first bird we saw was a male Mountain Quail not 10 yards from us. He was softly clucking and walking in circles... more like strutting as he picked up each foot high. He did this for 30 seconds or so, then slowly walked under some bushes. We walked around for a better look and noticed there were about 10 chicks probably less than a week old. The adult casually walked up the hill through the brush with the chicks following. We didn't see any other adults and they were the only Mountain Quail we saw for the rest of the hike, but Wow! What an amazing thing to see! |
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Common Yellowthroat at Sawyer Lake |
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I stopped by Sawyer Lake about 11 AM today to add the Canada Geese and Greater White-fronted Goose to my monthly checklist. While I was there I head a Common Yellowthroat in the reeds. I pished a little and up pops this beautiful male right in front of me. Nice!
Common Yellowthroats are listed in the TMBC checklist as Rare (seldom seen) in Spring only. I think this should be adjusted to be more common, at least if you know where to look.
Richard |
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