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GRAND CALIFORNIA August 11-26, 2018 FIELD REPORT (PLUS TWENTY OTHERS)

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GRAND CALIFORNIA August 11-26, 2018 FIELD REPORT (PLUS TWENTY OTHERS) Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove & Half Dome and Bodega Bay coastline by Merrill Lester Prepared by Jeri M. Langham VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, STE 1003, AUSTIN, TX 78746 (800) 328-8368 -- www.ventbird.com GRAND CALIFORNIA FIELD REPORT August 11 - 26, 2018 Posted by Jeri M. Langham September 9, 2018 Whenever someone asks if I get tired of leading Grand California, I laugh and say, "Picture San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay, the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, the White Mountains, Yosemite National Park, Monterey and the Big Sur coastline. Now tell me you could ever get tired of the scenery, not to mention the array of possible birds, plants and other animals." Our endemic Yellow-billed Magpie is much more difficult to see due to decimation by the West Nile Virus, but we still always find some in the Sacramento area. This year our pelagic trip on Monterey Bay produced Humpback Whales, up to 3 Black-footed Albatrosses sitting on the water around our boat and, best of all, a juvenile Masked Booby. Black-footed Albatross © Rebecca Bowater Masked Booby © Rebecca Bowater It is always difficult to select the top experiences from any of my tours because every day brings at least one special encounter. Here are some excerpts of this year’s tour taken from the daily journal I write and then mail to all participants after I get home. On our way to Bodega Head, we picked up three Black Oystercatchers and a dozen American White Pelicans. Bodega Head was socked in with fog, but we still were able to ID a Pelagic Cormorant and, heading back, we photographed Mule Deer. Two first year Heermann’s Gulls were nice to see. The tide was headed out so we found a huge group of Marbled Godwits with Willets and at least one Long-billed Dowitcher. In the calm north corner we found six Mule Deer © Rebecca Bowater Red-throated Loon © Rebecca Bowater Common Loons, one Red-throated Loon, and a Surf Scoter along with Western and Ring-billed gulls. A quick stop due to a huge flock of shorebirds produced the best bird of the day, Baird’s Sandpiper. I was happy with 75 species seen on our first full day of birding! We returned to Doran Beach State Park since the area near the jetties was now open. I spotted a number of Surfbirds on the rock jetty and after all had seen them well we got extremely lucky to find a Wandering Tattler. We celebrated by eating our delicious Spud Point crab sandwiches at a picnic table. A tip from a friend in Sacramento helped us to locate a flock of Yellow- billed Magpies and we spent about 40 minutes enjoying this endemic species. The endemic Yellow-billed Magpie © Rebecca Bowater Black-chinned Hummingbird © R. B. Ironically as we drove to my home, there were about a dozen more in the park just down from my house! Soon we were watching Hooded Orioles, Black- chinned and Anna’s hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, and an Oak Titmouse in my backyard. On our walk out the back gate and along the American River, we added Bushtits and got to see a Coyote and Black-tailed Jackrabbit. The following morning we drove to the Riviera East Park near my home where I recently heard two Western Screech-Owls. Soon two owls responded, but they were deep in tall, fairly dense trees. One was behind too many leaves, but the other was wonderful - staying in the open for all to see. It was a mated pair with completely different sounding warbles. Sandi spotted the male Blue Grosbeak in grasses next to the levee as soon as we arrived at County Road 126. Western Kingbirds cooperated, as did Nuttall’s and Downy woodpeckers. There were close to 100 American White Pelicans in the water, and when they flew away with others that arrived in flight it was an impressive sight. Western Tanager only gave us a brief look but there were lots of Lesser Goldfinches and one Swainson’s Hawk. Driving up CR 124 we added Loggerhead Shrike, and in the area where CR 124 meets Old River Road we had a great show with MacGillivray’s, Yellow, Orange-crowned and Wilson’s warblers. Before checking out Yolo Basin Wildlife Area, I decided to try the road near Davis where we missed Burrowing Owl yesterday. Today luck was with us as two adult Burrowing Owls and two owlets kept cameras clicking for about 25 minutes. Burrowing Owl family near burrow © Rebecca Bowater Yolo Basin Wildlife Area is rather dry right now, but still quite a bit of fun to bird. Right away we picked up a gorgeous Yellow-headed Blackbird along with other blackbird species. Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets were present, too. Eventually we saw four species of swallows. However nothing could compare with the Marsh Wren views. A couple of adults popped up on a tiny clump of Cattails and then youngsters started flying towards us and there must have been at least a dozen. The unpaved road above Hope Valley gave us great scenery and great looks at Clark’s Nutcracker, White-headed Woodpecker, Green-tailed Towhee, Hermit Warbler, Cassin’s Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, Hammond’s Flycatcher and more. A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel cooperated for photos, and daily Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel © Rebecca Bowater Pacific Fritillary © Rebecca Bowater we encountered beautiful butterflies and flowering plants. A location we visited before lunch had views of Brewer’s Sparrows and a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. A stop for scenic photos just past Monitor Pass produced a cooperative Rock Wren. Our first stop this morning was a small bridge over the tiny Owens River. We picked up two Bullock’s Orioles, Common Yellowthroat, and Bewick’s Wren but otherwise it was quiet. Tollhouse Springs has been the only place I know where one can find Chukar on our tour, and we were fortunate to hear and see one. Other highlights this morning were 20 or so Pinyon Jays, MacGillivray’s Warbler, American Kestrel, Warbling Vireo, Juniper Titmouse, and Black-tailed and Blue-gray gnatcatchers. A short 10,000-foot elevation walk in Schulman Grove, among the gnarled Bristlecone Pine trees, produced many Mountain Chickadees, some White- breasted and Pygmy nuthatches, one Pacific-slope Flycatcher, several Dark- eyed Juncos (Oregon race), and Black-throated Gray Warblers. I always enjoy walking in this incredible ecosystem, marveling at these ancient trees that have survived for thousands of years. On the way to the old gold mining town of Bodie, our first stop produced two Canyon Wrens, one Rock Wren, and a few warblers. The next stop was even better as birds were coming into the willows by a narrow ditch to bathe: Cassin’s Vireo, Purple Finches, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brewer’s and Chipping sparrows, Yellow and Yellow-rumped warblers, glimpse of a Sagebrush Sparrow and more. It was great to hear several Common Nighthawks and see them flying over the rocky ridge. Frustrating was hearing Mountain Quail, but not being able to see them. We stopped further along the road to see our first Mountain Bluebirds. While I watched from the tall mound in Bodie, I saw Hugh waving at me and little by little all of you were able to see the three Greater Sage-Grouse he had spotted. I believe most of you enjoyed perusing this old gold mining ghost town. On the way out a Say’s Phoebe was new for us. We had wonderful views of huge Mono Lake tufa towers that were formed underwater and are now exposed due to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power siphoning water for Los Angeles from streams that used to feed the lake. I always have to remind myself that this huge body of water is too salty (3X that of the ocean) to support any fish life. We saw hundreds of Eared Grebes, California Gulls, and Red-necked Phalaropes with a few dozen Wilson’s Phalaropes. There Negit Island visible on left. Distant Mono Lake tufa towers once covered by water © Jeri Langham were three Osprey nests on top of tufa towers at the South Tufa area. Since Mono Lake cannot support any fish, the adults must fly to nearby freshwater lakes to catch fish to feed their young who are well protected on top of the tallest tufa towers that are still surrounded by water. Masses of Brine Shrimp provide fuel for migrating Eared Grebes, Red-necked and Wilson’s phalaropes, and other birds. Brine or Alkali Flies that are gobbled up by California Gulls and other birds cause a visible black ring around the edge of the lake. California Gull & Brine Flies © Rebecca Bowater Brine flies on algal mat © Hugh Lloyd From here we returned to the hummingbird feeders in Lee Vining and saw the same hummingbird species as yesterday - Anna’s, Black-chinned, Rufous, Calliope and Broad-tailed. Along the road to the Tamarack Flat Campground in Yosemite, we stopped to enjoy our best flock. The highlight was a Townsend’s Warbler, but there were Red-breasted and White-breasted nuthatches and Mountain Chickadees, along with Hermit, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Orange-crowned, Black-throated Gray and Wilson's warblers. Two of you saw the Black Swift and later Sandi would see a Vaux’s. We had a quick look at a White-headed Woodpecker, but the best was yet to come when at the turnaround place we called in both Red- breasted and Williamson’s sapsuckers!!! It was a great way to end our birding day.
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