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From: Ben Winger
Date: 09 Jul 2006
Time: 17:55:54 -0400
Remote Name: 209.221.205.174
In the last week I've had two brief sightings of an adult Accipter sp. in Lee Vining; both times I was driving and couldn't get binoculars on the bird (there was the issue of oncoming traffic), but both times I suspected Cooper's. The first time, the bird flew east and low across 395 and dropped down into the creek right by the Lee Vining Creek trailhead; this bird was quite large and I identified is as a female Cooper's. The second time, just a few minutes ago, what looked like a smaller bird (but also an adult) flew from the hill above the Mobil towards the creek on the west side of 395. It still looked like a Cooper's (possibly a male), but I wasn't quite as sure this time. Anyway, Gaines lists both species as very scarce breeders with few definite nesting records. Has anything changed since then? Are there nesting records for either sp. near Lee Vining? Other interesting recent sightings (none McCreedy caliber, unfortunately) include: A VERY close, magical encounter with a BARN OWL at Sammann's Spring on the evening of 7/1 (it hovered over my head at last light); 2 BLACK-NECKED STILTS at Sammann's Springs on the same date, among thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes (that's where the large flock is now, molting and feeding all day); and a LEWIS'S WOODPECKER that flew across Test Station Road and clumsily landed in some willows east of Lee Vining Tufa on 6/29. OK...I think that's it. I would appreciate any info on the accipters. Thanks!
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