Standifer Gap Marshless Marsh

Wow! I stopped at Standifer Gap Marsh and it's pretty much dry. I was able to walk nearly everywhere. In the past there has been several feet of water where it's now dry. I did see two new species for the year.

213. Willow Flycatcher
214. American Redstart (Female)

There were also a number of birds there that I've already gotten for the year but nevertheless still interesting birds. For example, a juv. Blue-winged Teal, orchard oriole, indigo bunting, etc.

I also stopped and saw the Great-White Heron just below the dam. It's too bad they don't separate that one out from the Great-Blue Herons.

Cliff Swallow

Had to run see a church member at a down town hospital in Chattanooga so I decided to see if the cliff swallows were still at most to the downtown bridges -- Bing0!

212. Cliff Swallow

Two more

I ran into Home Depot on my way home from Prayer Meeting and. . .

210. Common Nighhawk -- above Ft O Home Depot.

Got home and. . .

211. Gray Catbird -- heard since mid may but never saw it until tonight.

Yellow-breasted Chat

209. Yellow-Breasted Chat -- flew right in front of me while I was on my morning run.

Just a few more

Well, our time out here is coming to an end. It has been so nice. Great times with family, relaxing and (of course) birding. I suspect that this will be my last list to share, although there may be one or two seen tonight as we travel back to Sacramento for our last night.

Here's what I saw this morning:

215. Bushtit
216. Spotted Towhee
217. Lesser Goldfinch

I saw one of my most uncommon birds today. We went to Burney Falls near Mt. Shasta. These birds are listed as uncommon and only live in small parts of the U.S. including a small section in California. Also, they are usually seen near waterfalls. So, I was quite excited to see a bird that I would have had a hard time finding if I had been trying:

211. Black Swift

Here are the others for the day:

212. Brown Creeper
213. Yellow Warbler (may be a repeat--I'll check later)
214. Western Grebe (another cool bird)

Hey now! Slow Down Dave!

207. Grasshopper Sparrow
208. Field Sparrow

Both seen right near home!

More Northern Cal Birds

Well, things have slowed down a bit. I've been hampered by weather and late nights with family. Here's what I have found in spite of these challenges:

204. Tri-colored Blackbird
205. Green Heron
206. Ash-throated Flycatcher
207. White-fronted Goose
208. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
209. Lark Sparrow
210. Red-shouldered Hawk

This is Amazing!

I have been stunned at the variety of birds out here. Especially now that I'm in Northern Cal. I have never birded up here. This morning I felt like I was in a different country. There were so many strange birds to identify. At one point I was working on three different birds at the same time. I have gotten 11 lifers here so far which bumps me over the 400 mark for my life list (Finally)! Here's the damage since my last post:





183. White-Headed Woodpecker--Mariposa Grove, (big trees) Yosemite
184. Western Tanager
185. Say's Phoebe
186. Common Merganzer
187. California Quail
188. Common Moorehen
189. Ring-Necked Pheasant
190. Western Scrub Jay
191. Wood Duck
192. Black-Crowned Night Heron
193. Black-chinned Hummingbird
194. Marsh Wren
195. Cliff Swallow
196. Pied-billed Grebe
197. Blue-Winged Teal
198. Western Meadowlark
199. Orange Crowned Warber
200. California Towhee
201. Nuttall's Woodpecker
202. Western Bluebird
203. Oak Titmouse

I'm Feeling Nervous

I'm Feeling Nervous, now that Dave is blogging Western Birds. So I'd better add the ones I've seen in the past week or so.
203. Acadian Flycatcher -- Collegedale at SAU's RV Park was present every morning of Campmeeting singing non stop.

204. Eastern Wood-Pewee -- I've heard it for the past month or more but never was able to positively ID it until yesterday morning while out exercising near my home.

205. Guinea Fowl -- at Neighbors house (Because Dave counted it)

206. Red-headed Woodpecker -- near house this morning

Sacramento and Yosemite

Well, I was rewarded with finding two lifers within 20 minutes of landing at the Sacramento, CA airport. As providence would have it, our airplane arrived 50 minutes early. So my family, (who are notorious for cutting things to the wire) were not there to pick us up. So I went outside to see what I could see. I soon saw a Red Crossbill on a pine tree across the road! Then I saw a Western Kingbird on a sign. Crazy. Here's the full damage so far.

Sacramento:
170. Red Crossbill
171. Western Kingbird
172. Yellow-billed magpie
173. White-tailed kite (h overing over my sister's pool!)

Yosemite.
174. Black Phoebe
175. Black-headed Grossbeak
176. Common Raven
177. White-throated swift
178. Violet-green Swallow
179. Mountain Chickadee
180. Brewers' Blackbird
181. Steller's Jay
182. Bullock's Oriole