Varied Thrush, Palm Warbler, Clay-colored Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow and more at Deep Springs

From: Chris Howard
Email: choward@telis.org
Remote Name: 209.209.68.105
Date: 10/27/02
Time: 12:46:34 PM

This morning 27 Oct 2002, I really enjoyed finding some late migrants at Deep Springs when I thought migration was slowing down! The most exciting bird was a male Varied Thrush, which I had not yet seen in Inyo. A female Wood Duck was in the pigpen with the Varied Thrush. There was also a "Western" Palm Warbler, a Clay-colored Sparrow, a Swamp Sparrow, 8 or so Western Bluebirds (I don't see Western's in Inyo very often, as opposed to Mountain), a Red-breasted Sapsucker, a "slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco, and a Merlin of unknown race (strongly banded tail, darkish back, moustacial not prominent, but the pale supercilium was...columbarius?) 

But the best bird wasn't a bird at all...a Bobcat! Only the third time I've seen one in Inyo, but the second in as many months.
Bobcat: DSCN7539_bobcat.JPG (40245 bytes) DSCN7557_bob.JPG (59970 bytes) DSCN7570_bob.JPG (43000 bytes)

Varied Thrush:
DSCN7620_vath.JPG (38986 bytes)
 

Clay-colored Sparrow:
DSCN7632_ccsp.JPG (20439 bytes)

"Western" Palm Warbler:
DSCN7591_pawa.JPG (22896 bytes)