From: Kristie Nelson
Email: storm_petrel@hotmail.com
Remote Name: 209.221.192.34
Date: 05/20/02
Time: 03:07:59 PM
Hi Eastsiders, Although it feels like winter today, spring migrants are proving otherwise. Today myself, Noah Hamm and a new PRBO inter Chris (don't know his last name yet...) birded Mill creek (in a period between snowings) below Mono City. Chris spotted a Northern Waterthrush, which we all got to see quite well. Back at the cabin at Dechambeau creek where I'm living, a gorgeous adult male Costa's Hummingbird was visiting the feeder. I refilled the feeder with warmish water in hopes that it can tough out the cold. It has nice distinct white (post-ocular?) stripe behind the eye, and big, full gorget. Other migrants: empids have appeared to be the most common migrants over the last week or so, but now a second wave of Wilson's warblers are challenging that. Today on Mill we had a few each of Grey, Dusky and Hammond's. Also, on May 10 I spotted a male Summer Tanager outside the PRBO intern house in Mono city visiting a feeder. It stayed for a couple days. What a couple of unusual sights: a Summer tanager perched on Tufa, and a Costa's hummer in a snowstorm! As of about a week ago, there were still Black-backed woodpeckers at the burn area on 120 East. I found 2 without use of a tape, fairly quickly. cheers, Kristie