Hi Yakkers,

I just saw a female or immature Rufous Hummingbird visiting a pot of Salvia
'Wendy's Wish' on my back patio.  If you haven't seen this Salvia before, Google
it.  It has striking magenta-purple flowers with long tubular corollas that
hummingbirds are liking this year. I found it at Fred Meyer and decided to give
it a try.  So far, we have seen a male Rufous and male Black-chinned visiting it
and now this new Rufous, which like Scott said, are beginning their "fall"
migration.  Keep those hummer feeders full!

Jeff Kozma

Yakima, Terrace Heights

Yakkers,
 
Yesterday my father and I went driving around Marion Drain and Lateral C.  We
saw a few Lark Sparrows.  We also spotted three Great Egrets, one in each of the
three nests.  There was also a Great Blue Heron in the trees close by nests.
 
We also saw a few Bobolinks south of Toppenish Creek.  When we went by, they
were mowing the grass field north of Marion Drain.  Hopefully, they did not mow
the back of the field.
 
Elizabeth Bohn
Yakima, WA

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Elizabeth and Yakkers:

I also took a visit to Toppenish NWR and Lateral C this weekend.  I searched
for, but couldnt find the Bobolinks, but it was a nice bird-filled morning
nonetheless.  The highlights for me were seeing a Great Egret flying overhead, a
Black-chinned Hummingbird resting on a powerline (a lifer for me!), and
listening to and watching all of the winnowing Wilson's Snipes in the meadow.  I
also saw a large owl on Lateral C hidden in the trees next to the first bridge,
but I was unable to get a good enough view to determine the species before it
flew off.  The ticks at the NWR seemed extra thirsty, I discovered 11 uninvited
hitchhikers on me just from the walk from the parking lot to the observation
platform (ugh).

Regards,
Jon Leland
Seattle WA


Location: Toppenish NWR, Yakima County, Washington, US
Sat Jul 02, 2011 06:00 AM

Canada Goose
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
California Quail
Gray Partridge
Ruffed Grouse
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
owl sp.
Common Nighthawk
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow



--- In BirdYak@yahoogroups.com, Elizabeth Bohn <elizabethannbohn@...> wrote:
>
> Yakkers,
>  
> Yesterday my father and I went driving around Marion Drain and Lateral C.  We
saw a few Lark Sparrows.  We also spotted three Great Egrets, one in each of the
three nests.  There was also a Great Blue Heron in the trees close by nests.
>  
> We also saw a few Bobolinks south of Toppenish Creek.  When we went by, they
were mowing the grass field north of Marion Drain.  Hopefully, they did not mow
the back of the field.
>  
> Elizabeth Bohn
> Yakima, WA
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Yakkers - at about 6:30 p.m. earlier this evening, I saw 11 Turkey Vultures
circling over the wooded lot at the intersection of Barge & Gilbert.

A few minutes later I saw two TVs over Franklin Park, they could have been part
of the group I saw earlier or perhaps not. Happy Fourth!

Lori Isley
18th Ave. Yakima

Sent from my iPhone

On the way to work this morning, I saw a parent osprey with 2 perky young
ones in the nest just west of Fred Meyer on highway 12 (near corner of
Ackley Road). These are the first osprey chicks I've seen this year.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Two very bright and colorful Western Sandpipers at COSTCO in Union Gap this PM.
Also, yesterday was a three hummer day at my feeder: one male Rufous, a female
Anna's, and afemale Black Chinned (immature?). John HebertSouth of the
airportYakima, WA

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yakkers:



The boblinks fields have been cut and baled.  Too bad.



Yesterday Elizabeth and I heard a lot of squawking above us at our home near
downtown Yakima.  It was an adult Osprey carrying a 6-8 inch fish in their
claws.  It was slowly flying over our house and calling out repeatedly.
Must have been to let the kids know that dinner will soon be there.  Also
have a nesting pair of Kestrels attacking crows in the large trees on North
Naches Avenue.



Last week we saw about 40 barn swallows on the asphalt road of Lateral C.
They looked like they were pecking at the asphalt just as chickens would
peck at dirt.  I thought it strange for swallows.  In fact a couple were
killed by cars, when they failed to fly away fast enough.



Saw a large hawk in the fields south of Marion Drain and just west of
Lateral C which looked odd.  It had a large reddish patch on its chest.  It
was about the same size as a red-tail, but its chest was reddish
(ferrugenish ?sp).  Its tail was not reddish, but coloration was similar to
red-tail.







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,
 
We went to Lateral C and Toppensih Creek this morning.  We saw two Great Egrets
sitting on two different nests and they flew off the nests later.
 
Other species that we spotted were:
One Bobolink
A possible Vesper Sparrow
Several Great Blue Herons
Two Red-tailed Hawks
Multiple Red-winged and Brewer Blackbirds
A flock of 21 American White Pelicans
Two Double-crested Comorants
A black bird attacking a Northern Harrier
Two small birds harrassing a solitary American White Pelican
Several swallows laying in the gravel road immediately after the clouds passed
and the sun came out (are they warming themselves?)
 
The bobolink was approx/ 150 yards north of Toppenish Creek and 200 yards east
of Lateral C.
 
Yakima, WA
Elizabeth and Greg Bohn

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On the morning dog walk today, I saw a pair of Western Scrub-Jays in a conifer
tree at the corner of 22nd Avenue and Prasch, across from McClure Elementary
School.  This is the first time I have noticed them in our neighborhood.
Mary Giovanini
Yakima

Hello BirdYak

Most Yakima area birders are probably aware that the Bobolink breeding
population on Toppenish Cr is tenuous. The Yakama Nation wildlife staff has been
working dilligently to devise a plan to improve the chances that this disjunct
population will continue to return here in future years. As usual, habitat
protection is the issue. Wildlife staff have worked with grazing leasees and
landowners to provide suitible grasslands for nesting. They have devised a
management plan for Tribal Council consideration.

For the last two years, YVAS members have been helping the Nation monitor
Bobolinks there. Numbers are small but there are encouraging signs. So far this
year, we know there are at least 5 males and 3 females in the vicinity. It is
easy for these birds to stay hidden so there may well be a few more birds.

Two pair have been located in an irrigated grass hayfield north of Marion Drain.
Victoria Welsey and Tracy Hames of the Nation Wildlife staff have been working
with the landowner, the Morton's, to protect the areas of the hayfield where
these two pair are calling home. Victoria marked out the apparent nesting areas
and they remain uncut. The Morton's are really great to work with and also
curious to see how this arrangement will work for the Bobolinks. So, my purpose
in writing this is to report that although most of this hay field has been cut
and baled, the two pair nesting there remain as active as before cutting.
Victoria is monitoring this field almost daily attempting to determine when the
young fledge.

These lands are not open for public access. However, Bobolinks may occasionally
be viewed from Lateral C Rd. just north of Toppenish Cr.

Jan Gano



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A coworker of mine just showed me pictures she had taken this morning with her
phone of what appears to be a brown magpie.  She said it was near the
intersection of Zier Road and Stein Road around 7am, and was with a flock of
other (presumably Black-billed) Magpies.  I am trying to post one of her
pictures here; thanks for your patience!
Mary Giovanini

This phenomenon is fairly common among juveniles of black members of the
corvod family who often show brown pigment where one would normally see
black. There is some evidence that this is related to malnutrition in the
pre-fledgling stage. Perhaps there are other explanations too.

Scott R
East of Yakima
Sent from my phone
On Jul 11, 2011 4:13 PM, "akratty" <akratty@...> wrote:


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

As some of you know, I have been studying the reproductive biology of
White-headed Woodpeckers (WHWO) in Yakima County for the last 9 years and still
ongoing.  This year, I am teaming with a phd student, Teresa Lorenz from the
University of Idaho, on a project to colorband and affix radio transmitters to
WHWO in the areas of the Nile, Wenas, Rimrock, and Bethel Ridge (as well as
Leavenworth).  Teresa is studying the homerange size of WHWO and also longevity
and dispersal using colorbands.  We have banded adults and some nestlings in
each of these areas and one of each pair has a radio transmitter.  We are asking
birdwatchers (or anyone!) to please report colorbanded birds to Teresa and I
(e-mail addresses below).  Each bird has two color bands on one leg and one
colorband and one metal band on the other leg.  When reporting the colors,
please report them in the order of Upper Right (UR), Lower Right (LR), Upper
Left (UL), and Lower Left (LL).  Also, right and left are the birds proper right
and left leg (imagine yourself as the bird and your arms as their legs). 
Getting the order and colors correct is paramount to successful observations. 
The colors we used are pink (P), mauve (M), yellow (Y), red (R), orange (O), and
green (G).  Please denote the metal band as "X" instead of "M" which would be
confused with mauve.

If you have access to a GPS, please denote the location and report the
coordinates.  If not, please give as accurate a description as possible of where
you observed the bird and the date and the confidence of your observations of
colors...even if it is only one leg.  This information will be vital, especially
for nestlings that Teresa has banded as we don't know where those birds will end
up.

Teresa's study will be going on until 2013 I believe and I plan on colorbanding
birds in my historical study areas even after Teresa's study is finished.  So,
please save this e-mail in case you see a colorbanded WHWO in later years....or
just post to Tweeters as I am a subscriber.

My e-mail is kozj at yakamafish-nsn.gov or jcr_5015 at charter dot net

Teresa can be reached at lore5748 at vandals.uidaho.edu

Thank you for your time and your assitance with this important project!  If you
have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly. I have cross-posted
this to Tweeters as well.

Good birding,

Jeff Kozma

Yakima

This is  really good news! Thanks for the update on this declining population of
Bobolinks. This tiny colony is clearly disjunct from others. The nearest I know
of are in the Sanpoil River Valley (south of Republic) and the Aeneas Valley,
both on the Colville Indian Reservation. These lie about 170 air miles to the
northeast of Toppenish.

Andy


   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Jan Gano
   To: BirdYak
   Cc: Christi NORMAN ; Tracy Hames ; Vickie Walsey
   Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 11:41 AM
   Subject: [BirdYak] Good news on Bobolinks in Hayfield



   Hello BirdYak

   Most Yakima area birders are probably aware that the Bobolink breeding
population on Toppenish Cr is tenuous. The Yakama Nation wildlife staff has been
working dilligently to devise a plan to improve the chances that this disjunct
population will continue to return here in future years. As usual, habitat
protection is the issue. Wildlife staff have worked with grazing leasees and
landowners to provide suitible grasslands for nesting. They have devised a
management plan for Tribal Council consideration.

   For the last two years, YVAS members have been helping the Nation monitor
Bobolinks there. Numbers are small but there are encouraging signs. So far this
year, we know there are at least 5 males and 3 females in the vicinity. It is
easy for these birds to stay hidden so there may well be a few more birds.

   Two pair have been located in an irrigated grass hayfield north of Marion
Drain. Victoria Welsey and Tracy Hames of the Nation Wildlife staff have been
working with the landowner, the Morton's, to protect the areas of the hayfield
where these two pair are calling home. Victoria marked out the apparent nesting
areas and they remain uncut. The Morton's are really great to work with and also
curious to see how this arrangement will work for the Bobolinks. So, my purpose
in writing this is to report that although most of this hay field has been cut
and baled, the two pair nesting there remain as active as before cutting.
Victoria is monitoring this field almost daily attempting to determine when the
young fledge.

   These lands are not open for public access. However, Bobolinks may
occasionally be viewed from Lateral C Rd. just north of Toppenish Cr.

   Jan Gano

   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

Well, more Warblers. Seems I just can't leave these little birds alone. There
are some Black-throated Grays and Common Yellow-throats from a trip to the Mt.
Adams area, and some Townsend's from up on Bethel Ridge. No luck with hermits as
deep snow prevented us from getting to them. Thanks to Andy for pointing me in
the right direction. Hope you enjoy them.

George Vlahakis
http://www.pbase.com/photon180


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

10 July. We began a two-day trip to Washington's southwest with stops along
Satus Creek in the Yakama Indian Reservation. Our best bird were two
RED-EYED VIREOS. Both were in areas of dense White Alder riparian woodland.
One was at Milepost 46, the other at Milepost 36. Both were singing away in
the midday though it was quite warm. Ash-throated Flycatchers were another
species for which this drainage is known; we heard at least five birds. Most
noteworthy, we observed a recently fledged young (a downy feather or two
protruding from its back). Finally, just a few yards within the county line,
we watched an American Dipper working the boulder-lined banks of Satus Creek
suggesting the bridge there is a likely nesting site.



Species list:


California Quail  3
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Cooper's Hawk  2
Golden Eagle  2
American Kestrel  2
Mourning Dove  5
Vaux's Swift  2
Lewis's Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Western Wood-Pewee  6
Ash-throated Flycatcher  5
Western Kingbird  1
Cassin's Vireo  1
Warbling Vireo  3
Red-eyed Vireo  2
Western Scrub-Jay  2
American Crow  3
Common Raven  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  5
Violet-green Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  50
Cliff Swallow  125
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Mountain Chickadee  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Bewick's Wren  1
House Wren  5
American Dipper  1
American Robin  2
European Starling  20
Cedar Waxwing  10
Yellow Warbler  1
Yellow-breasted Chat  3
Spotted Towhee  5
Chipping Sparrow  10
Lark Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Western Tanager  3
Black-headed Grosbeak  3
Lazuli Bunting  15
Brewer's Blackbird  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  5
Bullock's Oriole  2
House Finch  3
American Goldfinch  15



Andy and Ellen Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie@...

Chirp,

Thursday evening I stopped by the 64th Avenue Walmart to peer for peeps in their
containment pond.

Not much water (but slightly better than Costco), but four Killdeer where
present. Striking
me as a bit unexpected were five Cliff Swallows buzzing the pond and surrounding
area.
But I suppose the bridge for Wide Hollow Creek could be a nesting site...though
the
bridge location is a bit of a mystery to me as I really have never noted passing
over it on
64th Avenue.

Upon arrival or shortly thereafter, I spotted a Spotted Sandpiper packing
pickled peppers...
no wait, that is another story.  After scanning for peeps a bit rarer in county
abundance,
I could not relocate Spotty and assumed it must have moved on.

The pond is surrounded by a six foot high chain link fence.  To augment my eBird
list,
I was scanning the pond perimeter.  In the far southeast corner, a small bird
was perched
on the top rail of the fence.  Not unexpected to find a bird there but this guy
had a long
bill.  The motionless critter turned out to be...not a snipe, but the Spotted
Sandpiper.  It
then took a couple of slow steps and appeared to peck at the fence as if
foraging.  I found
this a bit odd and then was really amused when it turned and broke into the
mudflat
standard sandpiper shuffle, running nearly four feet along the rail.  Again, it
appeared to
be tracking prey though I'm not sure if any mollusks habituate metal rails.

Speaking of rails, I was checking bluebird boxes along the paved portion of
North Wenas
Road a couple of days ago.  There is a box a mile or so past the Hardy Canyon
entrance.
This spring's heavy runoff caused Wenas Creek to forge new channels, one of
which is
still carrying a bit of water through a pasture near the box I was checking. 
Clear as a
bell (though I have poor hearing, I believe I could hear Big Ben chime), I heard
a Sora
calling from the pasture...a personal first for North Wenas Road.

Later,
Rich
Wenas Wanderer








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

The YVAS phone line got a call from a woman in Union Gap who has a leucistic
Black-billed Magpie visiting her yard.  She lives at 3312 S. 4th St.  Her
house is on the south side of  the bus barn for the Union Gap school.  The
football field is beside the bus barn.  She said this magpie is hanging out
with a group for normally-plumaged magpies.  She sees the leucistic magpie
early in the morning and around dusk.  Yesterday morning I tried to find it
but dipped.  There were four or five magpies on the football field with
starlings and crows.

She said the magpie is not all white but has some dusky coloration on it.
It really stands out from the others, though.

Denny Granstrand


*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *
Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
dgranstrand AT gmail.com
Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:

www.granstrand.net/gallery/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

This morning I went down Hwy 97 to the spot where Andy reported see Red-eyed
Vireos.  I found several near milepost 46.  They responded quickly to my
playing  their song on my ipod.  One was singing as I walked into the
trees.  It was exciting!  My only other sighting of Red-eyed Vireo in Yakima
County was in Cowiche Canyon in 1980.  That one was probably a migrant.
Photos of the Red-eyed Vireo are in the new photos folder on my website (the
link is in the signature line).

Denny Granstrand


*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *
Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
dgranstrand AT gmail.com
Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:

www.granstrand.net/gallery/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

Today was a good day for hummingbirds in the yard.  I now have a male and female
Black-chinned Hummingbird and a male and female Rufous Hummingbird visiting the
yard with a female Calliope seen earlier this week.  This is the first time I
have seen a male Black-chinned in my yard in the 9 years we have lived here.  It
is fun to see him and the male Rufous "going at it" in the yard as they battle
over the trumpet vine, salvia, and bee balm.

We went out to Fort Simcoe today for a picnic and by the trail that leads out to
the Blockhouse we saw 2 Ash-throated Flycatchers.  Over by the "springs" area we
had a Gray Catbird and Yellow-breasted Chat.  Lewis's Woodpeckers were very
vocal and calls of young birds from cavities indicate they will soon be
fledging.  Overall, a great Sunday birding!

Jeff Kozma

Yakima (Terrace Heights)

That sighting is all too weird.  I was looking at E-bird last night and
someone photographed and reported to e-bird on their rare bird flicker page
a luecistic magpie in Vancouver (or Victoria) B.C.



Jeff Kozma



Yakima





From: BirdYak@yahoogroups.com [mailto:BirdYak@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Denny Granstrand
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2011 12:18 PM
To: BirdYak
Subject: [BirdYak] Leucistic magpie in Union Gap





Hi Yakkers,

The YVAS phone line got a call from a woman in Union Gap who has a leucistic
Black-billed Magpie visiting her yard. She lives at 3312 S. 4th St. Her
house is on the south side of the bus barn for the Union Gap school. The
football field is beside the bus barn. She said this magpie is hanging out
with a group for normally-plumaged magpies. She sees the leucistic magpie
early in the morning and around dusk. Yesterday morning I tried to find it
but dipped. There were four or five magpies on the football field with
starlings and crows.

She said the magpie is not all white but has some dusky coloration on it.
It really stands out from the others, though.

Denny Granstrand

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
dgranstrand AT gmail.com
Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:

www.granstrand.net/gallery/

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

I got a call this morning from a member of Cascadians who said there was a
Northern Mockingbird at his place at 820 N. St. Hillaire Rd. northeast of
Moxee this morning.  I went to try to find it with Andy, Ellen, Richard and
Elizabeth.

We were successful!  It had moved to the house south of 820 by the time we
got there.  It is a white house with blue trim.  There are pine trees and
small peach trees on the north side of that house's yard.  That was where we
saw the mockingbird.  It can be seen from the road if it cooperates.

It did not respond to the ipod playback.  Andy thinks it might in a few days
if it establishes a territory.

Denny Granstrand


*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *
Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
dgranstrand AT gmail.com
Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:

www.granstrand.net/gallery/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm sitting in my car watching the St Hilaire Northern Mockingbird sing.
His song seems to include mimics of Magpie, Cactus Wren, Western Wood Pewee,
Robin, flicker and others.

He flew from the south house to a small tree a few feet SW of the bee hives
where he has sung for 20 minutes.

Scott R
Sent from my phone
On Jul 18, 2011 1:57 PM, "Denny Granstrand" <dgranstrand@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi Yakkers,
>
> I got a call this morning from a member of Cascadians who said there was a
> Northern Mockingbird at his place at 820 N. St. Hillaire Rd. northeast of
> Moxee this morning. I went to try to find it with Andy, Ellen, Richard and
> Elizabeth.
>
> We were successful! It had moved to the house south of 820 by the time we
> got there. It is a white house with blue trim. There are pine trees and
> small peach trees on the north side of that house's yard. That was where
we
> saw the mockingbird. It can be seen from the road if it cooperates.
>
> It did not respond to the ipod playback. Andy thinks it might in a few
days
> if it establishes a territory.
>
> Denny Granstrand
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Denny Granstrand
> Yakima, WA
> dgranstrand AT gmail.com
> Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:
>
> www.granstrand.net/gallery/
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rich,

Are you sure that wasn't the flightless spotted sandpiper ssp trying to find
a way under the fence?

Scott R
Sent from my phone
On Jul 15, 2011 7:59 AM, "Rich712" <Rich712@...> wrote:


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Just got done checking out the Northern Mockingbird. It was at the white
house with blue trim and then flew to the tree that Scott described. This
was around 3:50 or so. Does anyone know when the last Northern Mockingbird
was seen in Yakima County? I would have to guess that there are very few
records of this species in the county. I was just curious. Thanks!



Luke Safford



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

Back from a wet and cloudy weekend on the Westside where I went after the
warbler that I have not seen for 25 years--the Hermit Warbler. The light was
miserable and the lack of contrast due to the often very low clouds (fog) is
evident in the photos. Also evident is a general lack of sharpness as these
birds stay well up in the big Douglas Firs and will only occasionally come
somewhat lower in response to a call, so the shots had to be extensively cropped
to show the bird at all. Anyway, it was great to see them and find out they
really do exist.

George Vlahakis
http://www.pbase.com/photon180

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Chirp,,

From 3:50 to 4:30 this windy afternoon, I was parked on the gravel road between
the two houses the Northern Mockingbird was frequenting yesterday.  No NOMO was
seen or heard...though I am not the best pair of ears for a stakeout.

A few other species were moving about, 5 Meadowlarks (calling but not singing),
four MODO, two each of Western an Eastern Kingbirds, a Kestrel, a goldfinch and
a few quail.

Thought I combed the entire area but my hair sure didn't look it.

Later,
Rich
Befuddled Birder by Bonnie Boon






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Richard, you were there a little to early. I watched the bird for about 10
minutes from 6:45 to 6:55 PM today.Due to the high wind it stayed in a line of
pines right at 820 N St. Hillaire Road. I recently returned from Oaklandand
Napa, CA, where I saw quite a few Mockingbirds. I guess my eyes were tuned to
the white wing-patches. John HebertYakima, WA
  To: birdyak@yahoogroups.com
From: Rich712@...
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:35:43 -0400
Subject: [BirdYak] NO MO NOMO?






























  Chirp,,



From 3:50 to 4:30 this windy afternoon, I was parked on the gravel road between
the two houses the Northern Mockingbird was frequenting yesterday.  No NOMO was
seen or heard...though I am not the best pair of ears for a stakeout.



A few other species were moving about, 5 Meadowlarks (calling but not singing),
four MODO, two each of Western an Eastern Kingbirds, a Kestrel, a goldfinch and
a few quail.



Thought I combed the entire area but my hair sure didn't look it.



Later,

Rich

Befuddled Birder by Bonnie Boon



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

I went back and adjusted contrast on these shots by changing the gamma curve on
the histogram. I like them better--what do you think?

George Vlahakis
http://www.pbase.com/photon180

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This is a late post. Sorry. And I have never posted before so excuse any
mistakes.

I saw a Black-backed Woodpecker on the trail to Fife's Peak off Highway 410 on
Saturday July 9. I was about 40 feet away with an unobstructed view and had my
binoculars. I saw the completely black back with yellow cap/forehead. I was
about 2 miles in on the trail in the heavily forested switchbacks.

Andy McClelland      abbazure@...