After studying birds for over half-a-century, we have to fess up that every time we look closer at a species, the more interesting it becomes. The closer you look, the more you see, and the more amazed you are at just how little you knew! Sometimes you find out that...
An admirable characteristic in many people is striving to be better…to do a better job every day at one task or project. We often see this in our friends as they have grown in their birding abilities. Although we all have more to learn than we have already learned, we...
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...
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,...
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...
[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...
[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...
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 2, Nov-Dec 2009 – click here for original with photos] With the approach of fall and winter in the Eastern Sierra, we bid farewell to species that arrived six months ago and won’t be seen for...
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 1, Sept-Oct 2009 – click here for original with photos] Many of the older birders said they could not remember a spring like this one for decades, while the younger ones experienced for the first...
Be notified when the latest newsletter is online and get the latest ESAS updates. Click here to sign up - it's free! The email newsletter comes out once a month, and on occasion more often. You may unsubscribe at any time from the link at the bottom of the email.
