Bishop CBC results

Observers: 45 intrepid observers
Email: chris93514@gmail.com
Date: 12/16/2006

The Bishop CBC was held on 16 December 2006 and despite the chilly temperatures and accompanying wind chill, 45 participants tallied 115 species. The previous high count was 109 species in 2002. Highlights included...

• 2 WESTERN GREBES at Nik/Nik Ponds (Nelson/Higley/Spenger);
• a GREEN HERON on Bishop Creek Canal east of Meadowcreek (Wilsons/Engelhardts);
• an OSPREY flying over the park (Petersons);
• a light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK off airport road (Heindel/Chipman);
• a BURROWING OWL SE of the south end of Barlow along an abandoned canal was seen Thursday, but not count day (Andrew Kirk);
• three LONG-EARED OWLS in Round Valley (Dunn/Miller/House) and 1 photographed in a Starlite backyard (Zatorski/Hetzler/Carle/Miller);
• a SHORT-EARED OWL over the pasture west of Meadowcreek (Parkers/Zdon);
• a count week ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD at a Shepard Lane feeder;
• 2 COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, an immature male and an adult male at a feeder in Rocking K (Zatorski/Hetzler/Carle/Miller);
• 470 PINYON JAYS near the Buttermilks (Zatorski/Hetzler/Carle/Miller);
• Andrew Kirk found a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER when trying to refind the Burrowing Owl;
• a WESTERN BLUEBIRD in Round Valley and another that Jon thought could be a hybrid with a Mountain Bluebird (Dunn/Miller/House);
• a YELLOW WARBLER in the Junipers bordering the dump (Howard/DeMoss/Duvall/Schuck/Toth);
• a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT male along the Owens River (Nelson/Higley/Spenger4 LARK SPARROWS on West Line near Reata (Gann/Nahm/Mogg/Massieon);
• a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in the Gann/ Nahm backyard (Gann/Nahm/Mogg/Massieon);
• and a "PINK-SIDED" Dark-eyed Junco at Millpond (Dunn/Miller/House).

Many thanks to everyone who contributed. We saw many really great birds on a day when I doubt any of us would have been birding at all!  A very special thank you to James and Kay Wilson, who offered their warm, beautiful home for the tally potluck.

Long-eared Owl in Starlite, 16 Dec, Stan Conger photo

Lark Sparrows (2 of 4), 16 Dec 2006, Lulu Mogg

Costa's Hummingbird, 17 Dec 2006, Chris Howard

Costa's Hummingbird, 17 Dec 2006, Chris Howard

Pine Siskin, 17 Dec 2006, Chris Howard

Possible Mountain Bluebird X Western Bluebird hybrid, 17 Dec 2006, Jon L. Dunn