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,...
[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 Siera Wave newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 4, Mar-Apr 2008 – click here for original with photos] Winter brings a suite of birds from the north that are not seen the rest of the year, such as Tundra Swans, Greater White-fronted, Snow, Rosss,...
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 5, May-Jun 2008 – click here for original with photos] There are 400 species of Tyrant Flycatchers, family Tyrannidae, all found only in the New World. The kingbirds belong to the genus Tyrannus,...
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 25, No. 3, Jan-Feb 2007 – click here for original with photos] While the glorious fall colors took away peoples breath, the amazing parade of rare bird species that graced Inyo County this Fall made...
[Originally appeared in the Sierra Wave newsletter, Vol. 24, No. 4, Mar-Apr 2006 – click here for original with photos] Each fall, as migration slows down, birders begin looking forward to winter with anticipation. The Winter Season is the most unpredictable of...
About three years ago we began to get calls from people in the Owens Valley who recognized that they had a bird species in their yard that they had never seen before. One even began the conversation with, “I have not been drinking but I have a bird at my feeder...
One of the wettest winters on record brought three times as much rainfall to Death Valley National Park and almost two times the expected snowfall to the Sierra. It was an interesting winter for birds as well. Many species who regularly winter in the Sierra moved to...
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