A Brit abroad

Return to the Sierras - Part 1

Having connected with most of my target life birds on last Saturday's trip to the Sierras, I was looking forward to second helpings this weekend on the Yolo Audubon Society trip. Our first two stops of the day were at roadside rests (at Gold Rush and Donner Summit). The former held a nice selection of lower elevation birds, including Black-headed Grosbeak, Lesser Goldfinch and a fly-by Band-tailed Pigeon. We failed to relocate last week's Pine Grosbeaks at the latter site, but caught up with the first of many Cassin's Finches, Mountain Chickadees and a probable Williamson's Sapsucker.

Donner State Park was our next port of call, where we bumped into this bizarre-looking critter - if you know what this is, please post a comment!

Steller's Jays, Warbling Vireos and Yellow-rumped Warblers were much in evidence here, and we also had great views of this male Western Tanager (would also have a great photo if there hadn't been so many pesky kids around!)

We spotted this Western Wood-Pewee at the nest...

... and this smart Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.

Nearby, the Donner Picnic Area yielded more good looks at Green-tailed Towhees and the Pygmy Nuthatch nest.

New birds for me at this location included Mountain Quail (heard only) and White-headed Woodpecker.

After lunch we birded Perazzo Meadows and found Calliope Hummingbird and Willow Flycatcher in exactly the same spot as last week. A nearby site (whose name escapes me) produced some good trip birds, including Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hammond's Flycatcher and Belted Kingfisher, but pride of place has to go to two American Dippers. This juvenile was most obliging and allowed all of us a good look through the scope.

Skirting the edge of the Sierra Valley we picked up some good trip birds: Wilson's Phalarope, Willet, Sandhill Cranes, and this Savannah Sparrow with its beak crammed full of grubs.

Following a tip-off from Marcel, we birded the dry stream-bed along Mountain Quail Road, a site which has previously held Gray Flycatcher. At exactly the spot where Marcel had a bird two years ago, we spotted a grayish bird with bright wing-bars and a fairly prominent eye-ring. Just as we were beginning to convince ourselves we had found our quarry, the bird uttered a hoarse 'Pe-wee'! For the second time this year I had been bamboozled by a funny-looking Western Wood-Pewee!

Chapman's Saddle Road was a little quieter than last week, but we still managed good views of Nashville, Orange-crowned and Hermit Warblers, and Cassin's and Warbling Vireos.
I also managed to photograph this dragonfly, which I'm pretty sure is a Red-veined Meadowhawk:

At this point we said farewell to Mary, who was heading down to bird the Sierra Valley the following day, while Alison, Allan, Karen and I headed up to Yuba Pass to set up camp for the night. Birding around the campsite we picked up the nesting Black-backed Woodpeckers (chicks now coming to the mouth of the nest-hole), a few Evening Grosbeaks and Hammond's Flycatcher. Just before the light faded I managed to photograph (badly!) this banded male Hairy Woodpecker and Williamson's Sapsucker.

After a tasty dinner of pasta, beer and cookies we left Allan to star-gaze while the rest of us took an early night in preparation for tomorrow...

Posted by rjhall at June 14, 2004 3:47 AM