PERSONAL TRIPS

Yuba Pass and Sierra Valley 06-17-05 to 06-20-05

Introduction:
Cricket and I made our second annual campaign to Yuba Pass this past weekend in search of a few Sierra specialties, most anticipated of which was of course the rare Black-backed Woodpecker. That was our quest!

I suppose there is no good way to leave the bay area on a Friday afternoon, but we made the particularly bad choice of driving Hwy 680 over the Benicia/Martinez bridge during construction. The project underway was horribly disruptive to traffic and we quickly wished we had taken another route. The one benefit of going the way we did was we were driving slow enough for so long that we were able to identify a male Great-tailed Grackle flying south over the 680/80 interchange. Alright, maybe not so bad after all… As we passed through the valley of course we also saw numerous Swainson’s Hawks over the fields.

Anyway, armed with good intelligence on the Yuba Pass area and the lessons of last years unsuccessful Woodpecker mission, we took Hwy 80 out of Sacramento, turned north on Hwy 89 and then west on Hwy 49 to Sierra City, where we stayed in the wonderful Buttes Resort. (We have already booked next June’s trip for the same weekend and the owners were quite happy to give us the same room, which includes a fireplace and beautiful view of the river. Highly recommended. Other lodges can be found by visiting the Sierra City site.)

Drive up:
After about 6 hours, we rolled past the Yuba Pass Campground on our way in and stopped to locate the tree that had been publicized on CALBIRDS “…about 75 yards east of the summit on Hwy 49 (toward Sierra Valley). There is a yellow 25 MPH sign and arrow indicating a sharp right hand turn. Approximately 20-30 feet past the sign is a pine near the road which has the nest cavity. It’s about 8 feet above the ground. The nest cavity hole can’t be seen from the road, so you have to walk off the road and look on the back side of the tree. It is a live tree and the bark has been peeled and removed from around the hole.”

Guilty preview:
Not expecting to succeed, but merely hoping to scout the area so our group would be better prepared for the next morning’s search, we parked in the lot and strolled down hill. The tree was easily found and sticking its head out of the hole was the male Black-backed Woodpecker. YES! We admired it for several minutes as it eyed the surrounding area, ducking back in once or twice, presumably to warm the eggs contained within the cavity. Both Cricket and I were impressed with the length and substance of the bird’s bill. It appeared even longer than that of a Hairy Woodpecker, and of course the facial pattern is much darker than a Hairy’s. The crown is also topped with bright yellow, which immediately separates it from anything else. It’s a beautiful bird indeed, and was a lifer for both of us. I just feel bad I wasn’t able to share that “lifer moment” with the others. Oh, well… we dealt.

We left the campground, feeling a great sense of relief. This was THE bird of the mission and the pressure to find it was now off for the rest of our stay. With this feeling however, came a slight twinge of guilt. What if our group returned the next day to find the birds had left…? Impossible! we reassured ourselves. It wouldn’t happen. It simply couldn’t… We would return in the morning, early, and hopefully have an even better look. We were confident.

Arrival evening:
Most of our group had already arrived at the lodge and a happy welcome party was under way in Anne and Kay’s cabin. After unloading a few items into our cabin, especially food that might attract any neigborhood bears… we joined the festivities. It was Kay's suggestion to have a taco feed! Good food, wine and Shelia brought music. Ashutosh was the only one who hadn’t yet arrived. We hoped he would show upsoon. Cricket and I learned quickly that three members of our group, Leonie, Leah and Mr. Melnick, had done what we had and seen the bird as they drove in. Their excitement was palpable and everyone who listened grew hopeful about then next day’s effort. Ashutosh finally arrived as the party began to wind down, but had eaten on the road. We were happy to have the whole group together at last! We turned in for the night and enjoyed the gas fireplace as the lodge grew more and more silent.

First morning:
At about 0-500 hours Cricket and I awoke to the sound of a MacGillivray’s Warbler just off the balcony. I rushed to put on some clothes and shoes, and stumbled out the sliding door to find the bird. In the pine just outside it sang its rich, liquid song, moving slowly through the branches and then finally rushing off as another male drove it away. I continued to hear it downslope for a while, but the sounds of Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Wilson’s Warbler and other birds soon overpowered it.

My beautiful wife, who never once complained that our romantic weekend in the Sierras included 15 other people, was meanwhile in the kitchen assembling turkey, cheese and avocado sandwiches for our lunch. In the lot, I could hear the sounds of other group members loading their cars and greeting each other. The weather was cool and overcast, but did not appear to threaten rain. With luck, the weather would hold long enough to work the campground thoroughly without getting wet. That’s what we hoped at least.

I heard our neighbor walking around as well. Tom Gray, the photographer from Stanford, greeted me and seemed happy to share information about birds he had seen the previous day. He had managed to get a great shot at the Black-backed Woodpecker, as well as a Red-breasted Sapsucker pair and a Green-tailed Towhee. We talked about our respective plans for the day and I made a note to myself to ask him some more questions at the end of the day. He seemed to be a wealth of information. I hurried to finish my coffee while admiring the view from the balcony. It was almost show time...

After everybody was awake, we set out to the campground where two groups had already gathered. This was indeed the chosen weekend for tours. No fewer than 4 groups were encountered while we were in the campgound area, and perhaps 6 over the course of the weekend. SCVAS, Monterey Bay Audubon, Albany Adult School, Sacramento… It was definitely busy and might seemed uncomfortably crowded, but the information flowed so freely between the groups that it was quite helpful, and we have the Albany group to thank for our Gray Flycatcher at Lower Sardine Lake.

The group sees the Woodpecker:
Relocating the Black-backed Woodpecker was not so difficult, but required almost saint-like patience. Evidently, the male was sitting on eggs while the female foraged widely. When left alone, he had little choice but to remain in the nest, waiting quietly and only occasionally poking his head out to investigate interesting sounds around the tree. We kept our distance, trying NOT to make any interesting sounds and were thus rewarded with only brief and infrequent looks at the bird. From all I could tell, the bird we were looking at could have had a red, white or even YELLOW back… All we saw was its head. Finally though, everyone got a look at the bird's head and it became a lifer for nearly everyone.

From there we decided to search the area north of the campground. Along the road however, we managed to find dozens of Cassin’s Finches, a few Purple Finches and a female Pine Grosbeak. Chipping Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskin were positively everywhere and especially with the first two, provided for interesting comparative song study. With some effort we were able to log White-headed Woodpecker and Red-breasted Sapsucker along the trail. Red-breasted Nuthatches were also present. As in the previous year, Fox Sparrows sang stridently and while their voices confused us at first, we eventually became re-accustomed to the sound. The taunting “kip-kip, kip-kip-kip” of nearby Red Crossbills could be heard, but was never seen well by anyone. Another bird, a House Wren, avoided visual contact, but could be heard at the trail head.

Farther down the trail we crossed a small patch of snow that inspired some members to make snowballs and throw them at each other. Apparently I was a convenient target too… I guess everyone was just so happy to be in the mountains and with friends. A bit farther down hill a Quail rushed in front of us and dashed into the undergrowth. Could it be a Mountain Quail? The loud “quark!” in the distance confirmed it. Too bad we never got another look at the species, but the sound quickly became familiar to us and we heard it again along the main road, above the campground and at Lower Sardine Lake. The iPod helped everyone sharpen their ears on the sound.

Jody and Eric fell slightly behind and reported hearing the unmistakable “moof moof, moof” of Blue Grouse as well, but they were the only ones who were so lucky. It's such a hard bird to locate, because the sound seems to come from everywhere and somehow also NOWHERE.

First lunch:
A brief run through the campground proper produced unsatisfying looks at Golden-crowned Kinglets foraging high in the conifers and little else. MacGillivray’s Warbler was heard, but still eluded most people’s binoculars until much later. Up the dirt road we went, finding Hammond’s Flycatcher in the understory but little else. By now the forest was quieting down considerably and people were getting hungry. The sky began to clear and we ate our lunches back in the lot before moving on to Bassett’s.

Then another birder rushed toward us from the campground. He said there was a Varied Thrush singing in the woods. We listened and heard what he was referring to. We marched back a few steps into the forest and gave a closer listen. Yes, it was indeed a Varied Thrush and the three discordant trills were unmistakable proof. Upon posting my short list to CALBIRDS Joe Morlan reminded me that this was indeed an extraordinary find, and perhaps the first record of the species for this time of year. I only wish I knew the name of the birder who alerted us to the Thrush's presence. It was really his sharp ears that found the bird.

First afternoon:
At Bassett’s Station a pair of Evening Grosbeaks crowded the feeders and squabbled with both Steller’s Jays and Brewer’s Blackbirds. A lone Brown-headed Cowbird appeared as well. The real attraction of the area however was the line of Hummingbird feeders on the balcony above the store. There a frenetic back and forth of Hummingbirds that just could not seem to share took place in front of us. We watched eagerly for any Selasphorus species, but it was the Calliope we really wanted. Eventually were able to see both male and female Calliope Hummingbirds, as well as the much larger Anna’s Hummingbird. A short tour of the riparian area across the street produced nothing new, but was still very beautiful and worth a shot. Wilson’s Warblers prevailed in the willows and Tree Swallows nested overhead in a dead snag.

By this time, it was getting to be late-mid afternoon. After rising early, it seemed like a short rest before dinner would be good. So back to the lodge we went for a little wine and a listen from the balcony. Just as we arrived, a pair of Evening Grosbeaks flew out of the fishpond by the mailbox. How cool is that?

First dinner:
Dinner at Harrington’s was delicious and filling. I ordered pork chops, of which there were two huge slabs, and Cricket ordered the lamb chops. Needless to say we left with a sizeable doggy-box for later consumption. Members of the group talked excitedly about the day’s events and after some time, there was the sound of a clinking glass and Joan made a memorable toast and presented me with a gift from the group I'll never forget! In addition to a wonderful card decorated with target species and signed by everyone, there was a generous cash gift. I was moved to tears and was rendered quite speechless by this unexpected, and overwhelming display of generosity. I have never experienced such warmth from a group and I will never forget it. Thank you to everyone and especially Leonie for orgainizing the card and gift!

After recovering my senses, we left the restaurant and a few of us went up to see Mr. Melnick’s nearby campground where we had heard an American Dipper was setting up nest. (Poor man, the lodge was full and weather was not really optimum for camping, but he dealt with it.) Sure enough, beneath the second bridge as the road leads into the campsites, a pair was seen dashing in and out of a small muddy nest. We clambered among the rocks to get a better look at the birds as they bobbed up and down in the stream. I’m quite sure the other campers could hear the child-like shreaks coming from our group as we watched the birds attend to their soggy nest. What a magical day!

First night:
Back to the lodge for an early night, but not before seeing the honeymoon suite that Leah had gotten for herself. It included a fireplace, king-size bed, enormous balcony and a huge bathtub. There on the deck we watched the hills and the declining light while we sipped wine and reviewed the day. Overhead a strange long-winged bird, a Common Nighthawk wandered moth-like across the darkening sky. Within a few moments, more appeared with perhaps as many as six or eight individuals total. To be honest, I never expected this species, but of course it’s on the checklist, so I guess I didn’t do my homework…

I was so excited about the day when we turned in for bed. The dinner and the gift and all the great birds and friends, I could hardly sleep when we got home, but sleep was necessary because a big day was to follow. Cricket and I flipped on the fireplace and made a few loose plans for the next day. Plans hardly seemed necessary though, because everywhere we went seemed to offer new and beautiful birds. I will say however, that as useful as the Kemper book is at highlighting areas of interest, there is no substitute for the immediate information of other birders in the area. Our neighbor, Tom, was very helpful and generous with his discoveries, and in exchange, we suggested he visit the Dippers at Andy’s campground. He did and was very grateful for the tip.

I learned later that Sally and Ken (perhaps others) had gone to see the Woodpecker nest hole again after dinner. Sneaky people... They got great looks as the changing of the guard took place. Sally is a new birder so it seemed appropriate that she should get such a good look. I, on the other hand, have still not seen the entire bird…

Second morning:
Up early again, and a brief conversation with Tom about the Sierra Valley area. Some more coffee on the balcony and more good looks at the MacGillivray’s Warbler. Everything is nicer in the mountains, even the coffee, but most especially the lack of radios, telephones and traffic sounds. The peacefulness is profound, and I firmly believe one morning of such a place can normalize a whole month of peninsula life. I wish we could live up here… truly, I do.

Anyway. We decided to drive up to the Sardine Lake area and hike up as far as we could toward Upper Lake. Osprey was seen as we walked above the lake by no hoped for Bald Eagle. We managed to go almost the full length of Lower Lake, but then turned around. Highlights of this area included good looks at MacGillivray’s Warbler for most members, as well as Yellow and Orange-crowned Warblers. Fleetinging glimpses were had of Nashville Warbler as well. The star of the morning however was a Green-tailed Towhee. We suspected they might be present in this alpine scrub, but had not yet heard or seen one. I pulled out the iPod and broadcast a short sample of the bird’s song. Within a minute a medium sized bird was seen flying down slope toward us. Another short broadcast and we had it in full view. A spectacular male, with brilliant rufous crown and greenish back/tail stood up to reclaim his territory. Well, that worked pretty well we all commented! I put the pod back in my pocket and questioned whether I had overstepped the boundaries of responsible birding. I discussed it with the group, and the consensus was that we had exercised appropriate restraint. We watched the bird for quite some time as it sang and eventually appeared to relax completely. Way on top of the ridge, a few small birds flew into the top of a tree. Scope views revealed they were Red Crossbills, but they got a way before most people had a chance to observe. We were perhaps unprepared for the Flycatcher challenge, and totally missed a decisive Dusky. We did manage however a very good look at Gray Flycather in the mountain scrub that demonstrated its characteristic slow tail bobbing, rounded head, relatively long tail and uniformly pale gray plumage. Hammond’s Flycatcher was seen among the conifers and Western Wood Pewee near the lot. Again Mountain Quail was heard in the distance.

We decided to forego Sand Pond trail, which might have been productive for Warblers and other Passerines, in favor of more time in the Sierra Valley. I learned later that Northern Saw-whet Owl had been heard here, but that was of course at 9:30 pm.

Down hill from the Woodpecker’s nest tree, we followed Hwy 49 east to the Calpine turnoff (north). Once in Calpine, we turned right (east) to the intersection with Westside Road (A-23). There is a wide turnoff here and much low-lying sagey scrub. Here we looked and listened for Vesper Sparrow. The buzzy, Canary-like Brewer’s Sparrow song was heard almost immediately and we quickly saw one in the distance. We knew we had that bird, but Vesper had not yet shown itself so I pulled out my iPod and played a brief section of the Versper’s song. Immediately, and I do mean immediately, a drab Sparrow, somewhat bulkier and heavier-headed popped out of the bushes and landed nearby. It was a Vesper Sparrow. It began to sing an awkward version of the song I had just broadcast. Perhaps it was young, or frightened, but its song seemed hesitant and lacked confidence. As it sang more, it grew bolder and quickly refined its voice so that it sounded every bit as powerful as the one from my speakers. It was a good thing too, because both of these Sparrows are decidedly plain and their songs are crucial to good identification. The Vesper perched long enough for us to get in our scopes, review the bold eye ring, the chestnut tertials and shoulder patch and as it flew, we also got a good views of the white outer tail feathers. The larger bird showed very different proportions than the Brewer’s which was slighter, longer-tailed and smaller-headed.

After that excitement, we drove north toward Marble Hot Springs Road where we expected to find a few Sierra Valley Specialties. Almost immediately after turning east onto the dirt road located near the small power station were greeted by numerous White-faced Ibis and breeding-plumaged Willet crisscrossing the marsh. Sandhill Cranes attending newborn chicks were seen in the distance, something bay area people just don't get to see too often... As well a few more Brewer’s Sparrows allowed close inspection. Western Meadowlark made their first appearance and a moment later we heard the strangled love songs of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The marsh was quite literally crowded with birds and the activity was almost exhausting to watch. So much sound, so many tortured Yellow-headed sounds and an occasional Virginia Rail pumping in the reeds. A short broadcast produced a first class look at this latter species as it swam across the channel to investigate and then walked across the road to the other side. As a weird consolation, a Sora also called in response to the recorded Virginia Rail, but never appeared in the open.

Second lunch:
We broke for lunch near the first small channel, taking time to absorb all the wonderful scenary and uncommon birds. Mr. Melnick, meanwhile, dislocated his knee while sitting on the ground (probably because of the rocky scramble the night before while searching for Dipper) and popped it back into position like a true birding soldier. His lack of complaint and silent good nature reminded me of my friend Nikolai who did something similar when a lifer was at stake. “Pain is NOT a bird.. Forget it. Let’s go!” So Andy, you’ve graduated into the legion of birders who find no barrier too great, physical pain included, when great birds are to be seen…

Second afternoon:
We continued along the dirt road toward the famed steel bridge that crosses the marsh. Before we reached the bridge however, we passed through some dramatically different habitat that featured a large sagey patch. There we made s sudden stop because I spotted a medium sized grayish bird atop one of the shrubs. It was in fact a Sage Thrasher, which became obvious when the white outer corners of the tail showed as the bird flew. Once again, I pulled out the iPod, growing more confident with each use that I was behaving conscienciously and demonstrating good field practices for our group. A quick and focused broadcast of Sage Thrasher song brought the bird back within a moment or two and it perched at close range and sang difiantly for the electronic intruder.

It was getting late in the afternoon so we headed back toward the lodge through Beckworth, hoping to see a Black-billed Magpie along the way. Two members of the group, Leah and Mr. Melnick spotted one near the bridge on A-23, just after turning south off of Hwy 70. We stopped to investigate, but failed to relocate the bird.

The only other stop along A-23 was at a rocky pine pullout where we hoped to log Red Crossbill. None appeared, however our only Spotted Towhee sang for us among the shrubbery and then finally appeared when treated to a short broadcast. We were all pretty tired at this point.

A momentary stop at the Woodpecker nest hole near the Yuba Pass campground was not rewarded with any additional looks. A watched pot, I guess…

Second dinner:
A quick rest and freshen up at the lodge before reporting to Harrington’s. Dinner was just as delicious, this time it was bacon wrapped filet mignon and trout for us… Some members did not attend because of fatigue but we still had lovely time. After departing, a few of us made a mad rush to the Woodpecker site to try our luck. Maybe see them change places, like Ken and Sally saw. Cricket and I stayed in position for about 30 minutes with nothing more than a few momentary looks at the female’s head. As luck would have it, moments after we left, the three that stayed behind Leah, Leonie and Kay, got full body views of both male and female as they changed places for the night. Oh, well...

Second night:
We then gathered again in the honeymoon suite to view the Nighthawks and run the official countdown of the trip. Some people would leave early the following morning to report to work (can you imagine...?), so this was the last time we would have together. We managed, with some squeeking, to log 107 species. A few birds were heard only inclusions, others were viewed by only two or three members of our team, but all others were completely locked down and defensible in court.

Last morning:
With some sadness we said goodbye to Mike and Lindy at the lodge and promised to return next year. We should have made the arrangements right then without delay, but it wasn’t long before Cricket phoned them to reserve the same room for the same weekend next year. By the sounds of it, we did the right thing. Lodging is scarce up there and each year it seems more and more birders visit the week AFTER the Black-back’s nest is located. I sure hope the location is posted BEFORE we arrive a year from now or we’ll be kind of in the dark… Up the creek, so to speak.

We decided to bird a little before returning to the yuckiness of the bay area so we stopped a couple of places before getting on our way. First, a 20 minute tour of the Research area east of Bassett's Station. Nothing new was located here, but our newfound familiarity with Evening Grosbeak songs allowed us to identify the birds before they appeared. Yet another Hammond's Flycatcher was seen as well as Wilson's, Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers. Then we made our way to the campground to work the south road, leading up into the hills. Clay Kempf had recommended driving up the road for a mile or so to an area beyond a gate. There we stopped in an obvious trail head and wandered among the trees, hoping for a Dusky Flycatcher or a better look at Williamson’s Sapsucker. Neither bird appeared, but we did hear Mountain Quail in the distance and Red-breasted Sapsucker drummed on a nearby tree. A lone Flycatcher puzzled us for a while, but we finally decided it was yet another Hammond’s because of its short bill and tail and occasional sneezy vocalization. Red Crossbills taunted us again with their “kip-kip” call, but never appeared. On the far ridge, we could hear Clark’s Nutcracker making its long raspy call. Again, no visual, but an unmistakable voice. You get the picture… not much to see, but our ears were getting a work out.

Finally, we followed Hwy 49 to Sierraville, turned south on Hwy 89 and a quick right on the road that points toward “Rodeo Grounds”, then another right on Cemetery Road. This dirt road passes through a short sagey scrub area where Mountain Bluebird had been reported. We did not find this species, but we did add Western Bluebird on the powerlines as well as two young Great Horned Owls and an adult in the cemetery proper. Black-billed Magpie made an appearance in the meadow and once again, Red Crossbill were heard, but not seen. We then said goodbye to those who were still with us and headed home, at least one lifer to show for the trip and many good memories.

Heading home:
The drive home after that seemed a bit shorter and rather quiet. We listened to music rather vacantly. I guess it just works that way. Not much we could add to a weekend like that. We missed all our friends so much and when we did speak, we spoke of them.

Pied-billed Grebe (SV)
American White Pelican (SV)
Great Blue Heron (SV)
Black-crowned Night Heron (SV)
White-faced Ibis (SV)
Canada Goose (SV)
Mallard (SV)
Cinnamon Teal (SV)
Gadwall (SV)
Redhead (SV)
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck (SV)
Turkey Vulture (SV)
Osprey
Northern Harrier (SV)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Blue Grouse (heard only)
Mountain Quail
Virginia Rail (SV)
Sora (heard only) (SV)
American Coot (SV)
Sandhill Crane (SV)
Killdeer (SV)
Black-necked Stilt (SV)
American Avocet (SV)
Willet (SV)
Long-billed Curlew (SV)
Marbled Godwit (?) (SV)
Dowitcher species (Long-billed?) (SV)
Ring-billed Gull (SV)
California Gull (SV)
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl (SV)
Common Nighthawk
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Williamson’s Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher (heard only)
Western Wood Pewee
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Western Kingbird (SV)
Horned Lark (SV)
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (SV)
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Steller’s Jay
Black-billed Magpie (SV)
American Crow (SV)
Common Raven
Mountain Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird (SV)
Swainson’s Thrush (heard only)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush (heard only)
Sage Thrasher (SV)
European Starling
Hutton’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Hermit Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow (SV)
Vesper Sparrow (SV)
Savannah Sparrow (SV)
Fox Sparrow “large-billed”
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark (SV)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (SV)
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
Cassin’s Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow (SV)

Attendees:
Shelia Mae Annis
Yvonne Donahue
Phil Leighton
Joan Leighton
Ken Lillis
Sally Lillis
Eric Goodill
Jody McGeen
Boyce Burge
Linda Lotspiech
Leah Shimabuku
Leonie Batkin
Anne Creevy
Kay Matthews
Mr. Andy Melnick
Ashutosh Sinha
Kelly Dodder
Matthew Dodder