by Tom & Jo Heindel | Jan 10, 2012 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
In the Eastern Sierra, fall migration is first noted by mid June when female Wilson’s Phalaropes reappear after turning over parental duties to the males and moving towards their wintering grounds. Confirmation of the impending arrival of fall is further indicated by...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Nov 7, 2011 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
People have been watching birds as long as there have been people but the goals have changed over the millennia from eating them to admiring their beauty or behavior to the relatively recent phenomenon of birdwatching. The artwork of early man on cave walls and...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Sep 1, 2011 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Click on any of the photos for a larger version (may take a little while to show up, depending on your internet connection speed). In addition, text links show photos of the recorded bird (all included in slideshow) Each season brings surprises, questions, concerns,...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | May 24, 2011 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura) is a small foliage-gleaning insectivore whose distribution is limited by habitat and climate zones that can maintain year-round provisions of insects. The preferred habitats are dense spiny shrubs dominated by Quail...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Mar 3, 2011 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Perhaps the question we are most often asked about hummingbirds is “When should I put up and take down my hummingbird feeders?” This question reflects the concern that feeders might entice hummers to remain too long in fall, which might cause them irreparable harm. In...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Jan 4, 2011 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
Some Falls can be a little slow and others can be exciting but sometimes a flood of rare species arrive inundating the record books. This season accumulated a list of highlights so lengthy that this article will only deal with the crème de la crème. The two rarest...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Nov 7, 2010 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 2, Nov-Dec 2010] (Please go directly to article to view full version with photos)
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Sep 7, 2010 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 1, Sept-Oct 2010 – click here for original with photos] Our harsh winters are reflected in the few bird species that share the chill with us but the thought that spring will soon come, bringing the...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | May 7, 2010 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 5, May-Jun 2010 – click here for original with photos] The thrush family, Turdidae, is found almost worldwide and, with over 300 species, is one of the largest families in the avian world. Just...
by Tom & Jo Heindel | Mar 3, 2010 | Blog, Heindel, Sierra Wave
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 4, Mar-Apr 2010 – click here for original with photos] He was right. We were wrong! Thirty years ago in an Ecuadorian forest, we were complaining about how difficult a group of greenish, seemingly...