sharpestscalpel

When I arrived the weather looked good, but when the sun came up, the fog came in. It's supposed to go the other way! Anyway, it was sufficiently unpleasant that I turned back at the corner rather than continue through the bit of trail that gets the worst wind. Between the weather and the shortened route the list is some ten species shorter than the last one. No one specially interesting showed up. I briefly heard one MacGillivray's Warbler and again quite a few Lazuli Buntings. Lots of Purple Finches singing, an Olive-sided Flycatcher was calling, and the Northern Flicker was again drumming on the tower. ( The list: )

No raptors out on a morning like this one. Friday looks better so I'll try again then.

We took our annual drive through Del Puerto and while there were several amazing moments, I at least was a little disappointed. Didn't help that it was very hot, which kills my energy, and very dry so that places that have been birdy were not. There've always been changes year to year, but since last May someone tore out the admittedly long-failed orchards along the east end of the road that were the only trees for miles. We saw seven Western Kingbirds, expected in years past, now with nowhere to nest. We assume they moved on to a better location. A little further on we had our first amazing moments. We stopped near some cottonwoods, by the creek of course, heard singing, and found a pair of remarkably chill Rufus-crowned Sparrows. I don't think any of us had ever has as good or as long a view of this species. A real treat. At Owl Rock we saw two fully-grown Great Horned Owl chicks in one of the Rock's many caves, but nothing else up there this year. At two places where we always stop we saw single Lewis' Woodpeckers, very exciting since there had been no reports of them along Del Puerto or San Antonio Road this Spring, and last year we saw none. The pond near the Junction was very low with only a family of American Coots swimming around, but we could hear the Tri-color Blackbirds in the reeds. What a grating call they have! We got our Lawrence's Goldfinches for the trip in Frank Raines picnic area and also in the campground. I did not see them, but I heard their wonderful, tinkley song. We drove out San Antonio Road as always, but the creek we had fun at last year had dried up and we saw nothing anywhere along the road. ( The list )

We may schedule our trip a few weeks earlier next year.

Yesterday on the Trail would have been great; today was not, fog on the ground and sun alternating all morning. Western Wood-pewee! and the Ash-throated Flycatcher again, so all four expected Flycatchers have arrived. Good Warblers, too, not only the summer residents but a Townsend's, three McGillivray's, and two Northern Yellow Warblers! TIL that the Yellow Warbler and Lazuli Bunting songs have a lot in common, at least to my ear, but merlin kept suggesting Northern Yellow Warbler and eventually I figured out what it was hearing. Sometimes merlin is actually helpful. Surprise of the morning was one Bullock's Oriole song. A single song is not necessarily enough, but it was so clear and distinctive that I did report it. ( The list: )

The downed tree had indeed been cleared away. By the foliage I would have called it a very healthy oak and I don't recall any particular wind (it's down in a protected spot anyway) so I wonder why the trunk snapped like that.