[birding] Re: Mary's Peak Prime Time

[willwright26 at q.com]

Hi Jamie,

     You have the same question as others about the Townsend's.  Doug Robinson says they even mimic each others songs.  I'm going back up tomorrow to see if I can get visuals on Townsend's.

--Will


From: Jamie S. 
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 3:14 PM
To: MidValley Birds ; willwright26 at q.com 
Subject: Re: [birding] Re: Mary's Peak Prime Time


      Sounds like a fun time!  Wish I'd been there instead of at the office!

      Townsend's warblers shouldn't be here this time of year; they've left for their nesting grounds (in the Cascades?).  I find differentiating hermit/Tonwsend's/black-throated gray songs to be confusing at times.  (If I'm offbase here, someone will chime in!)  Same for hermit and Swainson's thrush songs.

      The Frittilaries sound cool!

      Jamie


      --- On Thu, 6/18/09, willwright26 at q.com <willwright26 at q.com> wrote:


        From: willwright26 at q.com <willwright26 at q.com>
        Subject: [birding] Re: Mary's Peak Prime Time
        To: "MidValley Birds" <list at midvalleybirding.org>
        Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009, 1:48 PM


        Hello Birders,

             Today from 9 to Noon I birded Mary's Peak.  I actually started stopping and listening a few curves above Botkin Rd.  It was fascinating to note the changes in birds from the lower elevations to the higher.  Also, those birds that occurred in all elevations.
        This was an excellent opportunity to work on birding by ear, and many of the species I noted were not seen.  Carrying the ipod and referring to it whenever there was something questionable was key.

             At the junction of Hwy 34 and Mary's Peak Rd., and a few stops before, and a few after:
                                                                         
                                                                        Band-tailed Pigeon   
                                                                        Rufous Hummingbird
                                                                        Pacific Slope Flycatcher
                                                                        Steller's Jay
                                                                        Common Raven
                                                                        Chestnut-backed Chickadee
                                                                        Red-breasted Nuthatch
                                                                        Winter Wren
                                                                        American Robin
                                                                        Swainson's Thrush
                                                                        Hermit Thrush
                                                                        Warbling Vireo
                                                                        Orange-crowned Warbler
                                                                        Wilson's Warbler
                                                                        Black-throated Gray Warbler
                                                                        Hermit Warbler
                                                                        Evening Grosbeak
             Midway up the road, where it dips down after climbing, and there is some old growth next to the road:

                                                                          BT Pigeons
                                                                          Rufous Hummingbird
                                                                          Pacific Slope Flycatcher
                                                                          Hammonds Flycatcher
                                                                          Common Raven
                                                                          Chestnut-backed Chickadee
                                                                          Golden-crowned Kinglets
                                                                          Red-breasted Nuthatch
                                                                          Winter Wren
                                                                          American Robin
                                                                          Varied Thrush
                                                                          Swainson's Thrush
                                                                          Hermit Thrush
                                                                          Hermit Warbler
                                                                          Townsend's Warbler
                                                                          Junco
                                                                          Pine Siskins
                                                                          Red Crossbills 

             At the campground just below the parking lot at the top, in addition to most of the last list:
                                                                           Hairy Woodpecker
                                                                           Pileated Woodpecker
                                                                           Northern Flicker
                                                                           Sooty Grouse (3 calling)
                                                                           White-crowned Sparrows
             Near the top seemed to be where more of the Hammond's and less of the P. Slope occurred.
             Mostly Townsend's and fewer of the Hermit, and no BT Gray detected at the summit.
             Robins and Winter Wren from top to bottom.
             No Warbling Vireo up high.  Brown Creeper a conspicuous miss.

             The wildflowers (Iris, Daisy, Indian Paintbrush, Penstemon, etc.) are spectacular right now, and the meadow at the top
        looks like a moving carpet of orange from the thousands of Frittilary Butterflies.  A nice trip to take ASAP.

        ---Will



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