Dear Tweeters,

Thanks to all the many Tweeters who sent me tips on California Gnatcatcher and Lawrence's Goldfinch. I was able to find these final two birds on my wish-list, over the last two days. Yesterday, the California Gnatcatchers were quiet, shy, and restless at Eliseo Lagoon, which was the most-recommended place, but I eventually did see a total of four birds there.

Lawrence's Goldfinch took me five hours to find at the Audubon Kern River Preserve. It was well over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit there, and it took multiple walks around the various trails, but I finally found a pair of these birds. One birder had told me to watch the niger feeders; another had recommended a hike out into a pasture planted in clover. I spent close to two hours at the feeders, but saw no Lawrence's. After going over and over the clover area repeatedly, the soft calls of the Lawrence's eventually did lead me to this pair of unobtrusive finches. Huzzah!

Incidentally, I would most wholeheartedly recommend a visit to the Kern River Preserve, not far from Lake Isabella. It is a wonderful relic of California's former riparian wonderland.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch


Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?garybletsch at yahoo.com?Mentre che li occhi per la fronda verde
ficcava ?o s? come far suole
chi dietro a li uccellin sua vita perde, lo pi? che padre mi dicea: ?Figliuole,
vienne oramai, ch? ?l tempo che n?? imposto
pi? utilmente compartir si vuole?.??