Observers: Justin Hite
Email: justinhiteatgmaildotcom
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 65.241.2.253
Date: 08/28/2008
Time: 07:01 PM -0400
Instead of the usual post of what I have seen, this is the opposite: I have seen 0 Western Scrub Jays in the Mono Basin since I arrived in mid-June. In years past I used to see them regularly, especially near Old Marina, County Park, and several spots along the south shore. But I can't find any of these birds this year. I know that West Nile was said to have arrived in the Eastern Sierra a few years ago, and the virus is especially lethal to corvids. Could the virus be responsible for the Scrub Jays' absence? Has anyone else been seeing Scrub Jays?