Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!think!ames!oliveb!oliven!mjm From: mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Sierra Nevada trip Keywords: bird list Message-ID: <24086@oliveb.olivetti.com> Date: 20 Jun 88 23:54:29 GMT Sender: news@oliveb.olivetti.com Distribution: na Lines: 46 I took an Audubon field trip to the Sierras this past weekend. The area covered was Yuba Pass and Sierra Valley just north of Truckee. Yuba Pass is typical mountain conifer habitat at about 6700 ft., while the habitat in the Sierra Valley is arid sagebrush, more typical of the eastern slope, and wet marsh at about 4000-5000 ft. Many of the species in the Sierra Valley are surprising, considering the location and altitude. Some highlights: YUBA PASS Cassin's Finch - feeding young all over the place Red Breasted Sapsucker White Headed Woodpecker Black Backed Woodpecker - nest hole staked out Hammond's Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Townsend's Solitaire Clark's Nutcracker Hermit Warbler McGillivray's Warbler Calliope Hummingbird American Dipper - 2 nests with young being fed SIERRA VALLEY Yellow Headed Blackbird - what a noise these make! Common Snipe - winnowing over the marsh Gray Flycatcher Green Tailed Towhee Sage Thrasher Brewer's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Black Tern White Faced Ibis Sandhill Crane American Bittern Wilson's Phalarope Virginia Rail - called out with a tape, great looks from about 15 ft. Willet Black Billed Magpie - one of the few spots to see them in California Swainson's Hawk - good bird, for the location Common Nighthawk Mountain Bluebird Looking and listing, Mike