Observers: Justin Hite
Email: justinhite@gmail.com
Verification: sierra
Remote Name: 65.241.2.253
Date: 10/13/2006
Time: 07:19 PM -0400
I was at the County Ponds (just east of the DeChambeau Ponds, near Black Point on the north shore) early yesterday morning, and among a handful of White-crowned Sparrows and Savanah Sparrows in the Rabbit Brush thickets just north of the ponds was what I think was a Clay-colored Sparrow. It was the size and shape of a Brewer's Sparrow, but had a pure gray nape and a strongly contrasting face. I got several close looks, and it had the pale lore that Debby and Jim mention seeing in the CCSP they found in the Owen's Valley. The rump and flanks were bright buffy/goldish colored. There were also 2 Sage Thrashers in the Greasewood just northeast of the County Ponds, and I think this is getting a bit late in the season for them. The Burrowing Owl was hunting over the Sagebrush just east of 395 near the Aeolian Buttes at dusk last night. And there were still three Poorwills on the dirt roads below the Forest Service Visitor center after dark.