Date of sighting: Aug. 18

Hi follks,

I recently got a forwarded report that a juvenile California Gull from Mono Lake was found dead at Trinidad head, in Humboldt County, California on August 17. It is amazing that for such a long-lived animal (see older post of the 26-year-old gull on the Mono Lake colony) those chicks are independent so quickly. It had been banded as a chick in early July. We even banded some late chicks this year Aug. 1!

Last year, a color-baned healthy juvenile Mono gull was seen and photographed near Morro Bay, CA in August as well. What made that one go south and this one north is interesting and puzzling. But they are highly pelagic (ocean-going) and probably following oceanic upwellings. Think about that next time you see a gull on Mono Lake!

This post was submitted by Kristie Nelson.

Date of sighting: July 27-28, 2010

On July 28 I birded the northwest corner of Crowley Lake. Two Common Loons, one in basic plumage, one in alternate were the most noteworthy sightings.  There was also a Willet, Long-billed Curlew, 4 Least Sandpipers and 6 Marbled Godwits amongst the avocets and pelicans.  Caspian and Forster’s Terns were present.  About a dozen White-faced Ibis fed in the wet swale.  Most of the phalaropes were Red-necked, surprisingly.

On the same day there was one Evening Grosbeak at Lower Deadman Campround.  Almost everywhere I stopped between Mammoth Lakes and Berger’s Retreat above Lee Vining Canyon had 2-5 Red Crossbills, some making distinctive ‘kip-kip churee’ calls.

On July 27 there was a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch at Long Lake, accessible from Mosquito Flat(Rock Creek).  On July 29 3-5 rosy finches were at and above Gaylor Lakes in Yosemite NP.  I regret never having visited this wonderful alpine setting in dozens of trips across Tioga Pass!  Check it out.

This post was submitted by David Wimpfheimer.

Date of sighting: July 24, 2010

At about 5:20pm, on July 24, a few minutes after my group left the end of the boardwalk at the county park I watched a Black Tern fly in from the east and then land.  In was at the shore for about three minutes where I photographed it in comparison to nearby Wilson’s Phalaropes.  It then flew to the west circled back to the east and did not return.

This post was submitted by David Wimpfheimer.

Date of sighting: 6/23/10

We were able to capture a photo of this bird just outside the Mono Lake visitors center. Please help us identify him/her. Thank you!

This post was submitted by Gene Addison.

Posting an update from Lisa Fields:

The osprey are doing well. There is one active nest at Navy Beach, one at South Tufa, and possibly 2 at Old Marina. They are mostly 1-2 weeks later in their development than the last couple of years, which is not surprising since they returned from their non-breeding grounds about that much later this year. The Pirate Ship and new nest at the end of the Boardwalk at South Tufa were not successful.

How many nestlings are in the nests, I wasn’t able to tell today. They are still too young, I could only determine that the adults were feeding young. I was able to see 1 nestling in the Old Marina nest though, so head out to the end of the David Gaines boardwalk if you want to see a nestling.

This post was submitted by Greg, Information Specialist.

Date of sighting: 6/22/2010

There was a female Hooded Warbler this morning in the aspen grove that straddles the June Lake Loop road just upstream from Grant Lake. She was skulking in the undergrowth, but showing off white outer tail feathers as she fanned her tail. She was about 50m downstream from the main pulloff in the middle of this grove. There was also a singing Western Flycatcher (Cordilleran?) in the same spot and a singing Nashville Warbler a little upstream. A little further upstream, where a green gate on the side of the road indicates the DWP gauging station, there was a second Western Flycatcher singing. I’d be interested to hear if people think these are Cordilleran or Pac-slopes…my ears aren’t really tuned to the difference.  

Yesterday a Goshawk buzzed me up in Rancheria Gultch, the first time i’ve seen them in a Pinyon forest away from the Sierra. Black-throated Gray Warblers, Plumbeous Vireos, and Juniper Titmice all relatively easy to find up there. 

This post was submitted by Justin Hite.

Date of sighting: 6/20/2010

Goshawk within 1/2 mile of the trailhead to Waterwheel Falls (Tuolumne Meadows). Pine grosbeaks right behind Soda Springs.

This post was submitted by Greg Reis on behalf of Sally Miller.

Date of sighting: June 15, 2010

Hooded Oriole in our yard in Mono City!

Adult Bald Eagle circling overhead and vocalizing at Lundy Lake above the resort on the Lake Canyon trail.  Sounds like a high pitched rusty hinge!

This post was submitted by janet carle.

Date of sighting: 12 June 2010

A dapper male Chestnut-sided Warbler sang his way along the southeastern side of the Lee Vining Creek this morning. He was in the vicinity of about 500 – 1000m upstream from where the county road crosses the creek. I saw him at around 8:00 and followed him until around 8:30. Justin Hite saw him again at around 3:30. He put on a show: in plane view he munched on anything he could find from vibrant cottonwood leaves, sang up a storm, and displayed his brilliant plumage for all to see. His song is strikingly similar to that of the Yellow Warbler, and I found their songs quite difficult to distinguish.

Also, likely recovering from the 512 cfs peak of last week, I found a Spotted Sandpiper sneaking away from a new nest with one egg, it was placed among Castilleja and grass stems and debris from the flows, on what little dry(ish) ground is available.

This post was submitted by Sacha Heath.

Date of sighting: June 8 2010

Checkerspot Butterfly below the Big Bend and Black-chinned Hummingbird nest below Mono City about 4m high in Black Cottonwood, Mill Creek.

This post was submitted by Sacha Heath.