Subject: NorCal News Buttetin!
Date: Jul 4 17:51:35 2002
From: Rolan Nelson - rnbuffle at yahoo.com



PUGET SOUND BIRDER FACE-TO-FACE WITH ADULT MOUNTAIN LION IN THE WILDS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA! LIVES TO TELL TALE!

I know, I know. It's hard to believe, but when my older brother and I settled into a spring fed upland meadow south of Hayfork (Trinity County), California, the last thing we expected was a full grown mountain lion to stroll out on the far side of the meadow. When he spotted us, at about 100 yards, he stopped in full profile for 1 to two minutes until my brother stood up next to me. The cat then walked slowly off in the direction he had been heading. QUITE an experience!

On to other news of the trip. I spent some time with both older brothers and did some birding on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings before driving back here on Wednesday. After noon each day the heat gets nasty and the birds lay low. The trip netted 4 life birds and some other treats as well. These birds were all spotted in the Weaverville / Hayfork area of central Trinity County, California with the exception of the gulls spotted in Yreka and the Magpie in Scott's Valley:

Great Blue Heron -1

Green Heron -1

Mallard -2

Common Merganzer -5

Turkey Vulture -many

Red-Tailed Hawk -2

Bald Eagle -2. both immatures

American Kestrel -2 on territory over a five year old burn.

California Quail -many

Mountain Quail -3

Killdeer -1

Ring-billed Gull -6. Odd place and time to be seeing them?

Mourning Dove -many

Anna's Hummingbird -2

Belted Kingfisher -4

ACORN WOODPECKER. Appeared to be a female. At top of telephone on Tule Road south of Hayfork. Area of dense Oak forests.

Red-breasted Sapsucker -3

Downy Woodpecker -10

Hairy Wodpecker -2

No. Flicker (red shafted) -4

Western Wood-Pewee -3

Hammond's Flycatcher -1

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER. Pair chasing each other through trees in a one year old conifer burn.

Western Kingbird -1

Warbling Vireo -1

Steller's Jay -many

Scrup Jay -many

Black-billed Magpie -1

Common Raven -many

Am. Crow -many

Tree Swallow -many

Cliff Swallow -many

Barn Swallow -4

Black-capped Chickadee -3

Chestnut-backed Chickadee -many

Bushtit -6

House Wren -1

Marsh Wren -1

American Dipper -1

WRENTIT -7. Feeding in road near dry shrubland and on rocky cliff face.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -2

Am. Robin -many

Eur. Starling -4

Orange-crowned Warbler -3

Yellow Warbler -6

Yellow-rumped Warbler -2

Common Yellowthroat -1

Yellow-breasted Chat -2

Western Tanager -many

Black-headed Grosbeak -many

Lazuli Bunting -12

Spotted Towhee -8

Song Sparrow -2

Oregon Junco -15 to 20.

Red-winged Blackbird -4

Brewer's Blackbird -5

House Finch -3

LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. Beautiful male in short grass near the east end of the Hayfork Airport.

Lesser Goldfinch -2

Am. Goldfinch -2

House Sparrow -1.

I had been tipped to the possible location of the Lawrence's Goldfinch by the friend of a friend of a friend of Randy Hill over in Othello. Thanks a million, Randy. The fellow had seen the bird on the 28th of June and I was able to relocate it on the morning of July 2nd. Apparently this bird doesn't show up there very often, so it was great fun to catch it.

That's it for now,... Good Birding.

-Rolan




Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com


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