Observers: River Gates, Sacha Heath, Leah Culp, Quresh Latif, Kiera Freeman
Email: rgates@prbo.org
Remote Name: 209.221.222.51
Date: 05/13/03
Time: 02:05:30 PM
This Saturday, local PRBO biologists conducted a bird banding demonstration at Lee Vining Creek to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day. We hosted 12 visitors at our banding station, banding 25 birds with 3 recaps (one Bullock’s Oriole banded from last year, no breeding conditions were observed either year) of 14 species. Some banding highlights include tons of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Wilson’s Warblers, a rare montane Townsend’s Warbler, three species of Empidonax flycatchers, Dusky, Hammond’s and Gray Flycatchers, Violet-green Swallows, a Cassin’s Vireo and some Audubon’s Warblers. A Lark Sparrow was also observed during the morning net runs. On Sunday, Lee Vining Creek was nestsearched by River. Nests of an American Kestrel and a Red-shafted Flicker were found. Returning breeders include Osprey, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, California Gulls in increasing numbers, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Violet-green Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, a (FOS) singing Yellow Warbler, a few Common Yellowthroats at the delta, Western Tanager, Savannah Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird and Lesser Goldfinches. Other migrants include the three species of Empidonax mentioned above, as well as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at Lee Vining and Rush Creek. Tons and tons of migrating Wilson’s Warblers. A Western Kingbird has been seen periodically on the Lee Vining Creek. Resident breeders such as Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees and Bewick’s Wrens are starting to pair up and build nests. It is great to have the migrants back in the Basin!