Observers: Steve Glover
Email: countylines@sbcglobal.net
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 71.138.142.138
Date: 05/07/2008
Time: 01:09 PM -0400
Hi all, On 5/2 I did an Inyo County Big Day with John Sterling, Kristie Nelson and Matt Brady. Turns out our strategy might not have been ideal and the migrants present all week had pushed out but we still had a great time and learned a lot about this beautiful county. Highlights (to me) include: Wood Duck (2 at Bishop Sewage), Common Goldeneye continuing at Furnace Creek), Pacific Loon (found on Owens L. by Kristie), Osprey (2 at Furnace Creek), Virginia Rail and Sora (but no moorhens at Furnace Creek), Semipalmated Plover (1 at Tecopa), Solitary Sandpiper (2 at Furnace Creek), Whimbrel (1 at Owens L.), Dunlin (about 5 at Owens L.), Franklin's Gull (2 northbound over Furnace Creek), White-winged Dove (1 in Shoshone), Western Screech-Owl at the upper end of China Ranch, Calliope Hummingbird (male at China Ranch), Lewis's and Acorn Woodpecker (1 each on Sageflat Rd.), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (China Ranch), Oak Titmouse (Sageflat Rd.), Cactus Wren (residential area in nw. Shoshone, California Thrasher at Sageflat Rd.,Summer Tanager (2 singing at China Ranch), and one one Lark Sparrow at Furnace Creek. Of course everyone whines about the birds missed on big days but in this case we missed at least 35 birds seen in the previous few days! These included Canada Goose, Northern Pintail, Common Merganser, Golden Eagle, Common Moorhen, Greater Roadrunner, Vaux's Swift (seen everyday during the week), Olive-sided, Hammond's and Dusky flycatchers, Warbling Vireo, Clark's Nutcracker, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, and Nashville, Townsend's, Black-throated Gray and Hermit, and MacGillivray's warblers. Our final total was 162. I don't recall ever being on a big day where everyone was quite so disappointed with the total but we had lots of fun birds. Steve Glover Dublin, CA