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From: Sacha Heath
Sighting_Date: 05/02/2003
Remote Name: 209.221.221.171
Date: 02 May 2003
Time: 18:20:43 -0400
PRBO's field season began today. We have been conducting nest searches at Wilson Creek since 2000 and point counts since 1998, covering from the Power Station downstream to about 1 km below Cemetery Road. Several of our upstream points were thoroughly burned in the fire of April 24, 2003 and one section of our nest plot. The nest plot section that was burned is near the fish hatchery and rearing area. Willows and grasses are burned (or cut during fire response) to the ground in about a 250m by 150m patch adjacent to the hatchery. I found 5 active American Magpie nests on Wilson Creek this morning: 2 with eggs, 1 with 2-day young and 1 that just hatched today. 3 of these nests were in unburned willows within 50 - 100m of the northwestern edge of the burn. In the past 3 years, there has been a Magpie colony of about 9 nests in the area of the burn. I found 3 of them, so it is likely that at least 1 and possibly up to 6 active American Magpie nests were destroyed in the fire. Nests that now have young were first initiated around April 12. Our earliest first egg dates for American Magpies in 2002 was April 10. Several other species were foraging in and around the burn including American Robins, Song Sparrows, American Kestrels, Western Meadowlarks and Savannah Sparrows. A flock of about 30 American Pipits were foraging in the burned meadow. Flocks of Turkey Vultures, California Gulls, Snowy and Great Egrets were perched on Tufa and Willow around the fish hatchery. Presumably, these carrion eaters and opportunistic foragers were enjoying the benefits of the fish kill, although I did not observe any birds foraging on the fish. In past years, the burn area has supported nesting Song Sparrows, Red-shafted Flickers, Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, Savannah Sparrows, Mourning Doves, a Long-eared Owl and a Common Yellowthroat- all which initiated their nests in mid May in past years, so it is unlikely that they had active nests at the time of the burn. The exception would be Red-shafted Flickers, which began nests as early as May 3rd last year, and could potentially have started earlier this year. Mallards also started nests as early as mid April in past years, but we have never found Mallard nests in the immediate area of the burn.