First PRBO Fall Area Search

Observers: Justin Hite, River Gates, Chris Tonra, and Leah Culp
Email: rgates@prbo.org
Remote Name: 209.221.222.156
Date: 09/05/03
Time: 05:10:59 PM

Description

On September 3, PRBO folks conducted the first area searches in the Mono Basin for the Fall 2003 season. Four biologists censused the four tributary streams that lead to the lake finding a number of species and individuals. The area search plots cover a section of the creek as well as each creek’s delta. We observed a total of 84 species, including eight ducks, six raptors, and twelve shorebirds. River Gates saw several hundred ducks at the Wilson Creek delta, including Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, and Gadwall. Leah Culp observed the only Ruddy Duck at the Mill Creek delta. Chris Tonra saw two Black Pheobes on Lee Vining Creek, and resighted them this morning. Justin Hite saw a Peregrine Falcon and five White-faced Ibis at the Rush Creek delta. Where Rush Creek Rd. fords Rush, Hite saw at least three hundred Pinyon Jays bathing and drinking together in the creek. More were continuously pouring in from the east in flocks of ten to thirty as two Lewis’ Woodpeckers sallied to catch insects from nearby Bitterbrush. Anyone interested in volunteering to conduct an area search can contact River at rgates@prbo.org