July 1998 Field Journal 7.4 - 6 Mono County
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, first Mono county record and fifth (?) state record
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, in mature conifers along Parker Creek
LEWIS' WOODPECKER, along 120 in the first stand of Jeffrey Pines
GRAY FLYCATCHER, one or two individuals at South Tufa and another at the Lee Vining AirportIf you're looking for a nice place for lunch in the Central Valley, I recommend Oakdale County Park. Look for a sign for Stearns Road, which crosses 120/108 just after you pass beyond the last gas station on the east end of town. The southern part of Stearns Road leaves 120/108 first and shortly thereafter, the northern part leaves the road. Take the northern part of the road all the way to the end where the county park is. The park is filled with mature plantings which harbor most common valley species. As well, there is a riparian area immediately north of the park in which the birding might be quite good.
While waiting for a nasty accident (the road was closed for more than an hour) to clear on Tioga Pass Road, we retreated to Crane Flat. Debi relaxed in the car while I headed up the trail behind Crane Flat towards the meadow. Birding at the meadow was quite good, with (finally) a good look at a MOUNTAIN QUAIL that I happened upon in the middle of the trail. At the meadow, LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were everywhere and I found a female MacGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER in the brush margin along the northern edge. I spotted a female WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER several times and then managed to find her nest in my quest to get a good look at the MACW. Also, there were several bullfrogs croaking there, a nice sound given how imperiled frogs seem to be in the high country.
From our room which overlooked Mono Lake, there were some Quaking Aspens below us with a HOUSE WREN family including at least two fledged birds that were still begging for food. If they have a juvenile plumage, they must not keep it long. Anyway, I was awakened on both mornings to the wondrous song of these gorgeous birds. I also got some great shots of them foraging in the trees very close to the motel. A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was in the area below the motel as well.
At South Tufa Preserve of Mono Lake, we parked the car on the road to Navy Beach not far from the junction of the road to the Preserve. From there, we walked the sage and found the usual suspects including BREWER'S SPARROW, SAGE SPARROW, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE and SAGE THRASHER. Finally, I get a little impatient and pull out my GRAY FLYCATCHER tape and play it once or twice. Immediately. a GRFL pops out and poses cooperatively for photographs.
An abortive attempt to navigate 4WD roads in a sports car south of Hwy 120 near Mono Craters nets a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. From there, we head up Parker Creek. Where the road hits the first riparian, right at a fork, the area is quite birdy with BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, DUSKY FLYCATCHER, YELLOW WARBLER and other riparian species. From there, we head over to Parker Creek on the fork which leads away from the Parker Lake trail head. The road ends a small primitive campground where we park. Immediately, Debi finds an AMERICAN DIPPER, no doubt enjoying the tumultuous cascade which was Parker Creek.
Debi was exploring some other part of the area when I heard a series of high-pitched cheep notes which rose slightly in pitch. While I did not recognize the call, I did realize that it was a raptor. At this point, the bird exploded out of a mature conifer and started to fly away from me. I was having difficulty keeping it in sight as I was running up a hillside and trying to focus at the same time, an experience remarkably similar to most good birds on pelagic trips. :-) What looks I did get indicate a bird with extensive streaking on the underparts of the flight feathers and no apparent reddish coloration on the underwing coverts or the breast. I also believe that the underwing coverts were similarly streaked as the flight feathers. The tail had three or four dark bands, the subterminal band appeared to be wider than the others. The tip of the tail appeared to be fairly rounded, though the central tail feathers appeared to be pretty much the same length. The wings appeared to be fairly pointed. Overall jizz was of a relatively small, slender bird.
In the field, I had though this to be a Cooper's Hawk, but after writing it up and listening to the call notes, I now believe it was in fact a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, probably an immature. Gaines lists SSHA as "rare resident below 8000' [...] east of the crest." and "In recent years, nesting has been suspected [...] on the east slope near Walker Lake", which is not far from Parker Creek.
From there, we decide to take a rough road up to the Walker Creek Trailhead, where we discover that we are already well above Walker Lake. At this point, we decide to take a small hike up the canyon beyond the campground and hear a HERMIT THRUSH calling from in the canyon. We return to the road and head to Walker Creek, where there is an abandoned corral (is this the place to which you were referring Hugh?). No grouse were there, but we do find BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES.
That evening, we have a nice dinner at the Tioga Lodge and head back to Lee Vining. The Mono Lake Committee is still open, so we decide to browse a bit. Debi heads over to the bird sightings board and comes back with a big smile on her face. Rich had reported the EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE at Mono County Park!
Next morning, I arose before Debi did and head out (surprise) to Mono County Park. It's 6:45 and I'm the only one there. I've just gotten out of the car (the car door is still open) when I hear a plaintive pee-a-wee coming from the field just north of the park. I can't believe my luck. Anyway, I walk across the road and the bird can be clearly heard in the early morning stillness. I scan the tree tops and find the bird pretty much straight away and observe it for an extended period, taking copious notes and managing to record the song on my inexpensive little tape recorder. I return to Lee Vining not really caring if I see anything else that day. Documentation will be a separate message.
We continued our Wild Grouse chase that morning at Lee Vining Airport, finding most of the same species as at the South Tufa Preserve and also find another GRAY FLYCATCHER without benefit of tape. Also, we find a family of SAY'S PHOEBES right at the "terminal" of the airport, but no grouse are found. I promise to Debi to return next spring to the Crowley Lake lek.
From there, we head out to the Jeffrey Pines on Hwy 120 as Rich had also reported a Long-eared Owl there. After a bit of a search, we finally find the "correct" spot along 120 but can't find the owl. However, we do find a LEWIS' WOODPECKER flying away from a pine near the road. We find a nest hole in a broken stump of the pine which we believed to be an active LEWO nest, but can not confirm it. The PINYON JAYS were well downslope, but a few flew close to the road.
That afternoon, we return to Mono County Park and the EAWP is still singing away. We meet Jim and Debby Parker from Bishop who have driven up to see the bird and we chat for quite awhile. I take the opportunity to get what should be fine photographs of the bird, though there has been recent discussion that coloration of the lower mandible may not be a reliable field mark. At this point, Debi decides to paint for awhile and I take a brief nap, drifting off to the sound of the EAWP only to be awakened by a tour bus emptying its load of sunburnt Irish tourists into the park.
Hwy. 120
American Crow
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed HawkOakdale County Park
Western Bluebird
Acorn Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
American Robin
Anna's Hummingbird
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-shouldered Hawk
Bushtit
Spotted Towhee
House Finch
Northern MockingbirdHodgdon Meadow
Common RavenChevron Meadow
Warbling Vireo
Lincoln's Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Swainson's Thrush
Dusky Flycatcher
American Robin
Cassin's Finch
Red-breasted SapsuckerCrane Flat Road & Meadow
Western Tanager
Western Wood-Pewee
Swainson's Thrush
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mountain Quail (well seen)
White-headed Woodpecker (nesting)
Lincoln's Sparrow
Wilson's Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Dusky Flycatcher
Bullfrogs
Cassin's VireoTioga Pass
Cassin's Finch
Pine SiskinLee Vining
California Gull
Cliff Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Brewer's Blackbird7.4.98
Lee Vining
House Wren
Mountain BluebirdSouth Tufa
Red-tailed Hawk
Green-tailed Towhee
Sage Thrasher
Sage Sparrow
Common Nighthawk
Brewer's Sparrow
Gray FlycatcherMono Craters
Loggerhead ShrikeParker Creek
Sage Thrasher
Yellow Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Western Wood-Pewee
Violet-green Swallow
Bullock's Oriole
Northern Flicker
Dusky Flycatcher
American Dipper
Steller's Jay
Cooper's HawkParker Creek Diversion Dam
Yellow Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Mountain ChickadeeWalker Creek Trail
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-tailed Hawk
Clark's Nutcracker
Mountain Chickadee
Violet-green Swallow
Hermit ThrushWalker Creek
Black-billed Magpie
Green-tailed Towhee
Bullock's Oriole
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Northern Flicker
Brown-headed Cowbird
Western Wood-Pewee7.5.98
Mono County Park
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Violet-green Swallow (nesting)
House Wren
Mountain Chickadee
Western Meadowlark
Northern Flicker (nesting)
Yellow Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
House WrenLee Vining Airport
Sage Sparrow
Sage Thrasher
Brewer's Sparrow
Gray Flycatcher
Say's PhoebeMono Craters
White-breasted Nuthatch
Clark's Nutcracker
Pygmy Nuthatch
Pinyon Jay
Lewis' Woodpecker (nesting?)
Northern Flicker7.5 Eastern Wood-Pewee
Technical Details:
Species: Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens
Date Observed: 7.5.98
Observer: Mark Eaton and Debi Lamm
Other observers: Jim and Debby Parker from Bishop during the afternoon
Location: Field just north of Mono County Park [MNO]
Time Observed: From 6:45 AM through 7:45 AM and from about 2:00 PM until almost 4:00 PM
Lighting: For the morning observation, perfect with clear blue skies and frontal lighting. In the afternoon, brilliant light from the above, tending to be slightly lit from the back.
Weather: In the morning, not a breath of wind; in the afternoon the slightest of breezes with brilliant sunshine
Optics: Swarovski AT80HD and Swarovski 10x42SLC binoculars
Distance: In the morning, most visual observations were from the road, which is probably 30 to 40 yards from most roosts. Some visual observations were from almost right under the tree. In the afternoon, the scope was moved into the field roughly 20 yards from the perch most often frequented by the bird.Below is a distillation from my field notes.
Vocalization: Incredibly, I identified this bird before I could get
the car door shut when I arrived Sunday morning. In the early morning
still, the "pee-a-wee" call was clearly audible even in the parking
lot. During the entire 3 plus hours which I observed or heard the
bird, I do not recall it not singing for more than five minutes.
The song consisted dominantly of the "pee-a-wee" call, the "pee"
syllable slurring downward into the "a" syllable and the "wee"
syllable in between the "pee" and "a" syllables in pitch.
Interspersed with this first phrase was a second phrase "whee-urr",
the "whee" syllable being roughly the same pitch as the "pee" syllable
in the first phrase, slurring down to the "urr" syllable which was
lower than any other syllable in either phrase. The "whee-urr" phrase
was given somewhere between once for each five to ten "pee-a-wee"
phrases.I managed a modest tape recording which will accompany the submission
of this record.At no point during either period of observation did I hear a
vocalization which resembled the "tswee-tee-teet" or the "peeer" notes
of the Western Wood-Pewee. For direct comparison, vocalizing WEWPs
were heard elsewhere during this weekend, though not at this location.
Description: An obvious contopus which visually appeared in size to be
similar to a Western Wood-Pewee. Lower mandible on the closed bill
appearing to be bright orange basally, turning dusky only for the
distal 20%. However, when the bill was open as the bird vocalized, it
could be seen that the lower mandible was entirely yellow orange.
This apparent contradiction might be explained by the fact that the
lower mandible is slightly translucent, and thus the coloration of the
upper mandible is showing through a small fraction of distal portion
of the lower mandible. Gape appeared dominantly orange. Upper
mandible dark, in noticeable contrast with the lower mandible. Other
observers noted that the upper mandible gave the impression of lips on
the bird.Face had no hint of an eye ring around the all dark eye. Slight crest
on head. Back, nape and head uniformly colored, appearing dominantly
grayish brown in the warm early morning light and slightly more
greenish in the midday sun. Throat much paler gray than belly and
sides. Auricular coloration the same as head, fading to the light
gray of the throat without obvious moustachial, malar or
submoustachial markings.Dark wash at sides of breast doesn't meet at the center of the breast,
giving the impression of very faint unbuttoned vest. Central breast
area clean white, contrasting with the pale greenish/yellowish wash on
the belly and undertail coverts.Primary extension was well beyond the end of the tertials, though the
wings barely extended beyond the tail coverts. Primaries similarly
colored as rectrices, washed with the faintest hint of rufous in the
warm early morning sunlight. This wash was not evident during midday
lighting. Two small wingbars on the wing.Rectrices uniformly dark gray/black both above and below, with rounded
tips which were slightly flared in width near the tip relative to the
rest of the feathers. Undertail coverts washed with very pale yellow.
Behavior: The bird appeared very territorial, flying from perch to
perch at the top of the trees in the field and singing nearly
constantly. It flicked it's tail slightly when it sang; otherwise it
seemed very content to sing from its perches.Habitat: Mature riparian at the edge of abandoned pastures (?)
Discussion: There are four North American flycatchers in the genus
contopus: Greater Pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western and Eastern
Wood Pewees. Greater Pewee is much larger that Eastern Wood-Pewee and Western Wood-Pewee, has a song
completely different from either of the two wood-pewees, indistinct
wingbars and belly contrasts little with breast. Olive-sided Flycatcher also has very
different vocalizations, heavily streaked sides and flanks, bill
mostly black.. Thus, we are left with the two wood-pewees.Conventional wisdom indicates that the two wood-pewees are inseparable
based on anything other than range and vocalization. Given that Eastern Wood-Pewee
would be an eastern vagrant, we are left only with vocalization to
separate the two species. Fortunately, the vocalization appears to
unambiguously identify the bird as an Eastern Wood-Pewee.
However, there has been much recent discussion of late focussing on
the coloration of the lower mandible as a potential field mark to
separate the two wood-pewees. In particular, it has been suggested
that an entirely pale lower mandible is potentially a reliable field
mark for Eastern Wood-Pewee. However, it appears that at least a small number of
Western Wood-Pewee do have entirely pale lower mandibles, so this field mark may not
be reliable.7.12 [SFBirds] It's pretty slow out there...
...but I had about 200 WESTERN SANDPIPERS on the mudflats adjacent to Hwy
101 just south of the county line. While this flock appeared to be
monospecific, shorebird season is starting...Also, one of the birds was interesting in that the scapulars appeared
entirely white. Might I assume that this is an artifact of molt?7.22 [SFBirds] Possible (female) G.t. campicola on Sweeney Ridge on 7.19.98
I don't know why this slipped my mind, but I had a warbler that gave me pause on Sunday on top of Sweeney Ridge. The warbler had uniformly green back, wings and upper tail. No wingbars. Ear coverts were completely unmarked and showed no contrast with the rest of the head. Throat was bright yellow, cleanly separated from the lower auriculars. No eye ring. The bright yellow throat transitioned smoothly to white roughly at the bottom of the breast/top of the belly. Large amount of white on the belly with no significant amount of brown on the flanks. Undertail coverts not observed. I did not manage to photograph it.
After a rather embarassing pause, I came to the conclusion that it was a female COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, but I was bothered by the amount of white on the belly. This evening, I pulled out D&G and looked up COYE. For those of you that are still reading, D&G cite 15 subspecies as "widely recognized".
G.t. sinuosa of San Francisco Bay Area is "darkest above and brownest on the flanks", so it would appear remote that this bird was our subspecies. "The extent and shade of yellow on the underparts is variable, with ... western interior birds having richer but relatively restricted yellow (even orange-tinged in G.t. campicola and G.t. occidentalis, with the color often not extending below the upper breast) and Pacific Coast birds being richly yellow of intermediate extent."
With 15 recognized subspecies and limited field experience outside the Bay Area, your guess is as good or better as mine, but the plate in D&G which most close resembles my recollection of the bird is a spring female G.t. campicola.
7.23 [SF Birds]
Not much of interest at the Cliff House, though there was a good feeding
flock beyond the rocks including lots of SOOTY SHEARWATERS. Also there were two
fly-by PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and mommy, daddy and baby BLACK OYSTERCATCHER are
still on the rocks. Several WHIMBREL and MARBLED GODWITS were on Ocean Beach
between the Cliff House and Fulton and a GREAT BLUE HERON looked very out of place
at Fisherman's Rock opposite of Sutro Baths.Perhaps the best bird, though, was an adult GLACOUS-WINGED GULL on Ocean
Beach just south of Noriega.MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS (got your attention, eh? :-) are still being
reported; it appears that evenings are better than mornings for these guys.7.28 [SFBirds] Wood Duck at North Lake
Still there this evening. BTW, what makes us believe that this is a wild
bird? Most Wood Ducks I've seen have been at scope distances or flying away from me.
This was bird was completely unconcerned about having people 15 - 20 feet away
from it.Home
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