Observers: Justin Hite and Leigh Bernacchi
Email: justinhiteatgmaildotcom
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 65.241.2.253
Date: 08/24/2008
Time: 05:50 PM -0400
sorry for the lateness of this post, but Leigh and I visited Furance Creek Ranch in Death Valley and the China Ranch near Tecopa on July 20th. Highlights included a juvenile Vermillion Flycatcher at FCR working the date grove east of the golf course. Also a dozen or so Yellow Warblers (no other parulids seens) and a young Lark Sparrow in the golf course. At the ponds we had a single Willet, a single Least Sandpiper and a single Green Heron joining the usual ducks, along with a Willow Flycatcher in the reeds. At the China Ranch we had a female Indigo Bunting (even coloring, whitish throat, streaky breast, no "warm" buffyness on the breast) right by the building where you buy delicious Date Shakes. And there were at least 6 or 7 male Bell's Vireos still singing away up and down the riparian along Willow Creek. There's nothing that compares with that song, like they're asking questions while doing backup in a Tom Waits song.