June 14, 2004
Return to the Sierras - Part 2
After a cosy night in a rather small tent, I was awoken at 4:30am by a loud American Robin. I spent the next 40 minutes or so trying (and failing) to leave my warm sleeping bag in order to search for Blue Grouse, but the 'quark!' call of a Mountain Quail quickly galvanised me into action. As usual, the quails managed to give me the slip (rapidly becoming my nemesis bird!), but my morning hike did reward me with fine views of a Common Nighthawk and this splendid sunrise over the Sierra Valley.
I returned to the campsite through a carpet of wildflowers (it's not too long since the last of the snow melted here).
My companions had not been lazy either - Alison had noted singing Hermit Warbler and calling Pygmy Owl from the campsite! The roadside area provides some excellent photographic opportunities - I couldn't resist taking a couple more shots of the male Black-backed Woodpecker attending the nest-hole.
Cassin's Finches and Evening Grosbeaks looked great bathed in the early morning light as they came down to grit.
In spite of walking several wooded trails, Blue Grouse eluded us, but we did find a Williamson's Sapsucker nest (seems to be a bumper year for this species, and for Evening Grosbeaks), a flyover Peregrine, singing Dusky and Hammond's Flycatchers and another White-headed Woodpecker. Mosquitoes aside, this has to be one of my favourite birding sites in the US!
On leaving Yuba Pass, we stopped off at Gold Lake (where California Gull was a surprise addition to the trip list), and drove back down 49 taking in the great views of the snow-capped Sierra Buttes. While I didn't manage any life birds on this trip, it was great to get second looks of some special birds in magnificent scenery. Oh, and the company was great too!
