by Tom & Jo Heindel | Jan 1, 1996 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
As we transition into winter it is a good time to look back at our recently passed fall and reflect on some of the migrant stars that briefly blessed us with their presence. It was a good fall for loons with one Red-throated Loon, our rarest with only 6 previous...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Nov 11, 1995 | Blog, Christmas Bird Count, Heindel, Sierra Wave
It was the day before Christmas, and all through the cozy Lone Pine home the relatives were retelling family stories that Mark had heard before. It was time to go birding. He asked his mom if he could go to the park and she said fine, if he’d take his cousin. Off they...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | May 24, 1995 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
The hottest birding spot in Inyo County in August is Death Valley! The hottest birding spot in Inyo County in May is… Death Valley! Obviously two different ways of describing hot. We will reveal the birding spots that consistently turn up “hot” birds, that is,...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | May 16, 1995 | Blog, Christmas Bird Count, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Some 400 species of birds have been reliably documented in Inyo County. Of these, twenty-three have been recorded just once and an additional eleven have been recorded twice. These thirty-four species comprise 8.5% of the total county list. A few of these very rare...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Mar 21, 1995 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
They are coming. They are definitely on the way. A few have already been seen but the masses are far to the south. They are getting closer. It won’t be long now. Who are they? Probably one of the most important members of the avian community. They are the...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Jan 1, 1995 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Who among us has not paged through the field guide and said, “Boy, would I love to see that one!” only to see by the map that it resides in far off parts of this terrific country. How great it would be to journey to southeastern United States and see such...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Nov 4, 1994 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Have you noticed that winter is not the same as summer! No, not the cooler temperatures, the lack of leaves or the cold winds, but the birds. Some species of birds visit us only in the winter while others, called permanent residents, are here all year. The obvious...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Sep 1, 1994 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Owls! Can there be any group of birds more fascinating than these mostly nocturnal, secretive species? Inyo County is host to nine different kinds of owls. They are found from below sea level in our driest deserts to over 10,000′ in our most dense forests. The...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | May 12, 1994 | Blog, Christmas Bird Count, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Eight species of hummingbirds have been reliably recorded from Inyo County. Two of these have been documented once each and thus are not be expected on a regular basis. The only record of a Broad-billed Hummingbird was an immature male that came to a feeder put out by...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Mar 26, 1994 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Once upon a time, long, long ago, bison herds roamed the central plains accompanied by the small, drab buffalo-bird. This black and brown bird walked and hopped between the legs of the behemoth bovines capturing insects disturbed by the hooves churning up the rich...
