Storming the Desert for a Reunion Tour

Photo credit: Paul Sheppard

Spring is a very special time of year for anyone who has an interest in birds. As the season draws near a certain anticipation creeps into your consciousness. You know that very soon birds will once again be on the move towards their breeding grounds. Around home you check your gear, clean and re-hang the feeders hoping the Orioles arrive soon, and you start planning.

Last season Michael Morris and I were lucky enough to be at Butterbredt Spring on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert on a peak migration day. Wave upon wave of migrating birds came over the spring and headed north up the canyon. It was a spectacular morning (you can read about that trip HERE). This year we wanted to go back for another bite at the apple as part of a broader Southern California Spring Desert tour. The plan was made, the supplies were purchased and the date was set. Michael and I would pick up Jeff in Alameda and we would head for Kern County with the goal of reaching 200 species for the trip. However, the best part of our plan was that halfway through the trip we would be joined by our good friend Paul Sheppard from Tucson, Az.

Paul was the founder and leading force of The Ol' College Try, our college barbershop quartet and an organizer of our earlier birding trips together in our post university days. Over the years we've stayed in touch and managed to periodically get together for a birding trip/reunion of sorts. Paul enjoys making videos and he has created a nice retrospective of these adventures HERE.

Our birding began shortly after picking up Jeff in Alameda where we were able to start our trip list with the usual species found along the shores of the island. The highlight was four species of Tern: Least, Elegant, Caspian, and Forster's. We then headed south down the I-5 corridor for the traditional stop at Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Birds of note here were the trip's only Yellow-headed Blackbirds, all the expected ducks including Blue-winged Teal, and really nice Clark's Grebe. Then on our way through Bakersfield we made several stops looking for the Rose-ringed Parakeets that can be found there finally seeing a group of them at Beale Park. That is one more on the life list for Michael. We would once again stay that night with my mother-in-law Shirlene who is always a gracious host to "the bird nerds."

Below Butterbredt Spring

We would leave Bakersfield very early the next morning to be at Butterbredt Spring by sunrise.  While our two mornings at Butterbredt did not produce the spectacular waves of migrants that we had last year, we did enjoy the spectacle of migration as birds were definitely moving through the canyon and spring on their way north. We had a fair number of Western Tanagers as well as Costa's Hummingbird, MacGillivray's Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, and Scott's Oriole to name a few. We then made our way up through Butterbredt Canyon, over the pass and down into Kelso Valley eventually coming out to Hwy. 178 at the Audubon Kern River Preserve. Interesting additions to our bird list along this stretch were: Willow Flycatcher, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay, Cassin's Vireo, and California Thrasher. We were unable to enter the Preserve which was not surprising for this time of year as the South Fork of the Kern River, carrying snow melt from the southern Sierra, cuts off the access road. This is an important preserve for the Yellow-billed Cuckoo which nests within its boundaries.  I have heard them here in  summer and hope to visit again at this time of year to see them once again. We were able to add Tri-colored Blackbird to our trip list here as there is a local population in the fields around the preserve. We then made an obligatory stop at "Migrant Corner" on Sierra Rd. and added Wood Duck and Barn Owl to the list.

From here we went east on 178 to check out another location that I had only just learned about, Canebreak Ecological Preserve, an interesting spot where the Kern River exits the mountains and turns westward into the Kern River Valley before flowing into Lake Isabella. By this time it was close to the middle of the day and not the best time for birding. We walked the trail, adding a few more species to the list, but perhaps the coolest part of this stop was the snowstorm of cottonwood seeds that surrounded us on our walk down the trail.

The next phase of this very interesting birding day was a drive up into the Owens Peak Wilderness on Chimney Peak Rd. This road climbs steeply up into the mountains and then travels north to intersect with Sherman Pass Rd. We decided to drive the entire road if we could and it proved to be quite easy. We enjoyed a nice lunch stop at Chimney Creek Campground about halfway along the route. Birds of note for this part of the day were Mountain Quail, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher,  and Mountain Bluebird.

Along Sherman Pass Rd. (Jeff Manker)

We came back around via Walker Pass and made our way back to Butterbredt Spring to camp for the night. On our way back along Kelso Valley Road we stopped at another desert migrant trap called Frog Spring which proved to be very productive especially for warblers. Here we counted six different species: Yellow, Wilson's, Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Townsend's, and Orange Crowned. Although not a large area, it's blend of Cottonwoods, Willows and a 2,000 sq. ft. pond formed from the spring make this a top notch habitat for migrating birds.

Butterbredt Spring (Jeff Manker)

We had one more morning at Butterbredt Spring before transfering from the northern to the southern Mojave and Joshua Tree National Park. Along the way we stopped at the Park in California City and picked up Neotropic Cormorant and a really nice Cooper's Hawk and at Mojave Narrows County Park where we added Vermillion Flycatcher and Black-chinned Hummingbird. Our accomodation in Joshua Tree for the next three nights had a nice patch of desert behind it that brought a group of Verdins in close. Other neighborhood birds were Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, and a pair of Great Horned Owls that emerged from the trees in the evening.

Big Morongo Canyon (Jeff Manker)

Hiking down Big Morongo Canyon (Jeff Manker)

Over the course of the next two days Paul would join us from Tucson and we would bird Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Whitewater Preserve and several other local spots. One of the other spots that proved to be most interesting was Knott Sky Park in Twentynine Palms. We went there because of an ebird report of a Summer Tanager which we didn't see there but we found a bunch of other stuff including Gray Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, a variety of warblers, Chipping Sparrows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Red-naped Sapsucker, and a hungry Sharp-shinned Hawk on the prowl. We returned in the evening expecting the lights to be on at the softball fields (a great way to see nighthawks) but they were not. There were parking lot lights though and many bats were flying around and eventually two Lesser Nighthawks made an appearance to add to our list.

Summer Tanager at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is another great spot for birds. Another place in the desert where water comes to the surface and creates an ideal spot for both resident and migrating species. Over the years they have done an excellent job of constructing trails and boardwalks in the preserve and they have a nature center with many types of feeders set up that always puts on a good show. We made several visits to the preserve while in the area, one of which involved hiking the length of Big Morongo Canyon from top to bottom. Some of our highlights were Summer Tanager, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, White-winged Dove, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, and Yellow-breasted Chat.

Sunset over Joshua Tree

Our final night in Joshua Tree brought us an incredible sunset as well as time plenty of time to sing and reminisce about the past (see Paul's video for details). The next morning we were off early to bird the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. Jeff and I had been there a few years ago for our "Jet-set birding adventure" which I wrote about HERE. Michael and Paul had not been back since our original 1986 trip when we camped on Carcass Beach amongst the carcasses. The east shore was surprisingly quiet as we headed south. We did pick up Wilson's Phalarope and Vaux's Swift at the State Recreation Area. Things began to pick up when we left the main road at the Wister Unit of the Wildlife Refuge. We were hoping to find a Yellow-footed Gull but all of our candidates proved to be too far off for identifiable viewing. We did well with Terns however. Gull-billed, Least and Forester's all made appearances, the Gull-billed being a lifer for Jeff. We also found Common Gallinule, American White Pelican and Burrowing Owl on our way to the Refuge Headquarters where we also added Abert's Towhee and Common Ground Dove. Leaving the Headquarters it was a short jump over to Carcass Beach where we had our most productive encounter with the Sea. This of course was the place we had camped on our way back into California back in 1986. Arriving there very late at night and throwing out our sleeping bags to wake up the next morning surrounded by dead fish, something Paul's wife Irene will never let us forget. Here we found quite a few Snowy Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Knot, Willet and Bonaparte's Gull.

Carcass Beach at the Salton Sea (Jeff Manker)

As the afternoon progressed the wind began to rise in the Imperial Valley sending quite a bit of dust into the air. Our guidebook told us that there was the chance of a Gila Woodpecker in a park in Brawley and since we were on a mission to get to 200 species on this trip, every bird counted. We went for it and to our surprise found a nesting pair pretty easily. From here we headed back north to check out an oasis called Dos Palmas Preserve. It turns out that the San Andreas Fault runs right under it and is responsible for bringing water to the surface in a very dry area. This oasis was pretty spectacular, so densely packed with palms it was hard to find the water but it was there. Walking along the barely discernable path, one of us said it was like being on a Disney movie set. There were many Orioles and Grosbeaks but the best moment was when I looked up and said, "That looks strange," and Michael looking over his shoulder at what he thought was just a Turkey Vulture jokingly said, "Probably a Zone-tailed Hawk." Well, I took a moment to look a little more closely and sure enough it was a Zone-tailed Hawk. We had seen plenty of these in Arizona but this was the first time any of us ever saw one in California. This was probably the best surprise sighting of the trip.

Zone-tailed Hawk (Jeff Manker)

The rest of our day involved getting ourselves to Corn Spring Campground in the new Chuckwalla National Monument. Google maps said this would take us about and hour and a half but as Paul said, "Chuck knew a short-cut that would take at least twice as long so we took that." In my defense I had contacted the local BLM office about the road and was told it was doable even with 2-wheel drive.  This turned out not to be the case. Summit Road definitely required 4-wheel drive and it was a little rough at times but we eventually made it out to Interstate 10 where we took a brief dinner break. We rolled into Corn Spring Campground after dark and it wasn't long before we were all in the sack under the stars.

Dinner beside I-10 (Paul Sheppard)

Corn Spring in Chuckwalla National Monument

Petroglyphs at Corn Spring

The next day we had an enjoyable morning birding the area around the campground and checking out the petroglyphs there, some of which date back as far as 10,000 years. They are said to be one of the finest examples of rock art in the Colorado desert. We did not add any new species to our trip list here and we were beginning to think we might not make it to 200 by the end. When we returned to the interstate it was time to break our fellowship, Paul headed east back to Tucson and summer field camp for his dendro class. Michael, Jeff, and I took the road through Joshua Tree National Park where we finally managed to nab a Canyon Wren before heading back north across the Mojave where we planned to camp on Greenhorn Summit near Lake Isabella.  Acting on some intelligence we gleaned from ebird, we made a stop at Silver Lakes in San Bernardino County. This is another of those desert communities centered around artificial lakes. I suppose that they make desert living more comfortable but I wonder at the sense of this when water is such a scarce commodity. Anyway, it does attract birds and we added Red-breasted Merganser, Lesser Scaup, Franklin's Gull, Common Loon and Yellow-rumped Warbler to the list.

The drive north on Hwy. 395 was very scenic and pleasant, we joined 178 and went over Walker Pass for the second time on this trip and headed for Kernville for dinner in the pub there. We planned to camp at Greenhorn Park but Kern County had not opened it for the season yet so we ended up back down on the shores of the lake. We did have a very cool bird encounter near Alta Sierra as we were looking for somewhere to camp. Rounding a bend in the road we picked up the eye-shine of a Common Poorwill in the road. We were able to watch it for a minute or two before it moved into the trees and then again on our way back down. We hear this bird often but rarely see it so it was a treat for all of us.

We began the next morning at 187 species and we hoped that the montaine area around Greenhorn Summit would turn up 13 new birds before we left the mountains. Here is what we found up there: Dusky Flycatcher, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Townsend's Solitaire, Purple Finch, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Hermit Warbler, Band-tailed Pigeon, and Hammond's Flycatcher. We were one short of our goal. We descended out of the mountains on Hwy. 155 hoping to pick up one more bird before declaring our trip over. This was another California road that I had not traveled on before and although it was pretty twisty it was quite scenic. As we left the mountains and entered the foothills we were saved by the noblest of birds (according to Benjamin Franklin that is) the Turkey. Crossing the road right in front of us, we hit species number 200.

Once again we had a great trip. It is always a highlight for me to take trips with these characters. The bonds we forge in college are the type that prove to be resistant to the forces of time. When we get together, barring appearances, not much seems to have changed. Paul says he's going to retire soon so maybe he'll be able to join us more often. As he left he was talking about Florida in 2 years time. I have a lot of birds to add to my list if we go there.

Inside Dos Palmas Preserve (Jeff Manker)

Butterbredt, Owens Valley and Sierra Valley - A Migration Bonanza

Upper Butterbredt Canyon

During the second week of May I made my annual pilgrimage to the Mojave Desert. I was fortunate to be joined this year by my good friend Michael Morris who came down from Eureka for the trip. Although we ended up doing a lot of driving we did have an amazing trip seeing 164 species over our 4 days.

        See our complete bird list                                                See our photos from this trip

After leaving Napa we headed straight for Kern County and the Kern National Wildlife Refuge where we started our trip list, a list that would grow to 94 species by the end of the day. After a few hours of birding the tour route at the refuge and picking up what we would normally expect to see there, we headed east through Bakersfield and on into the Kern River canyon. Our plan was to travel along the river up the canyon to Lake Isabella then in Weldon take Kelso Valley Rd. and then Butterbredt Canyon Rd. over the pass and down to Butterbredt Spring. As we drove over Butterbredt Pass and then down to the spring we added a lot of species that were using the migration corridor of Butterbredt Canyon. We camped at the spring that night and woke up to wave after wave of migrants coming up the canyon. In all my years of coming to Butterbredt, this was by far the most impressive bird display I have ever seen here. While we didn't see any rarities, it was the sheer number of migrants that was notable. Warblers in the spring and down the canyon and other passerines in the grove of Trees of Heaven just to the north of the spring. Nature is amazing!

After an incredible morning at Butterbredt we began our journey up the Owens Valley. As we made our way north we checked out Sage Flat, the Owens River and then headed east on Hwy. 168 to climb our way up into the White Mountains. We were able to go all the way up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest visitor's center at Schulman Grove although it was not yet open for the season. We added a few high mountain birds to our list here and then retreated back down to 9,000 ft. and the Grandview campground for the night.

Sierra Crest from the White Mtns.

The next day saw us returning to the Owens Valley where we made several more stops in the morning before turning back towards the White Mountains to drive into Silver Canyon. This four-wheel drive road climbs all the way up to the plateau at the top but it is very steep and rough in places. We only went a little ways up this canyon, far enough to add a few more species to our list, namely Chuckars which gave us great looks along the road.

From here we continued north to Benton Hot Springs and then using Benton Crossing Road and Owens River Rd. made our way back to Hwy. 395 so we could drive the June Lakes Loop. By late afternoon we found ourselves at Mono Lake County Park which is usually pretty birdy. However, we found that as we had moved north the numbers of migrant species we were seeing really began to decline. It was clear that the waves of migrants we were seeing down in the Mojave had not gotten this far north. We did however add a number of resident species to our list as we moved north. 

Our plan that night was to camp at a Forest Service campground just in Nevada along Desert Creek. However, the combination of a navigation error and a very rough road forced us to change our plan and that night we ended up camping along the West Walker River on Hwy 108. We continued to add birds to our trip list the next morning around the campground and then at the Two Rivers Preserve just down the road. From here we decided to finish our trip by driving north through Reno and then visit Sierra Valley before crossing back over the Sierra at Yuba Pass. 

Michael along the West Walker River.

On our way north we detoured just outside the town of Walker and drove a forest road up to the headwaters of Mill Creek. This took us up a beautiful little valley that was dotted with Beaver ponds. I'd not been up this road before and it was well worth the trip. We found our Clark's Nutcracker and White-headed Woodpecker along this route.

Later that day we arrived in Sierra Valley. This large and wet valley sits just on the east side of the Sierra crest and has always impressed me as yet another example of the diversity of the natural wonders California offers us. Here we picked up our last two birds of the trip, Sandhill Cranes and a Willet. Then it was over the pass and down to Downieville for a dinner stop and on back to Napa.

I had a great time traveling and birding with Michael again, although next time I think I will try and cut down on the number of miles we drive in the pursuit of our feathered friends.

Jet-set Birding With The Salton Six

The Salton Six

We slowly emerged from the clouds over Southern California as we began our descent into the Palm Springs Regional Airport in Thermal. I looked around at my fellow passengers, all five of them, as we bumped our way down out of the sky and thought to myself, "this is the life!" The circumstances that led me to be aboard this small jet are easily explained.

Spring in the Mojave - April 2022

*I finally got this write-up done!

Every year come spring, there awakens in me the very strong desire to go adventuring in the desert. For me that almost always has meant the Mojave Desert in Southern California. Maybe it is the desire to find some warmth after the winter season, the excitement of a road trip with friends, or perhaps the certain knowledge that migration is beginning and there will be good and sometimes great birds to be seen. Bottle this all together and you create the circumstances that have taken me to the northern edge of the Mojave year after year to begin a springtime journey at Butterbredt Springs.

There is a certain magic about Butterbredt which I can trace back to my first visit there in the early 1990s with Michael Morris. We were on our way to Arizona for a spring trip and Michael had heard about the spring from his local birding community and was told that it was a must-visit spot for any serious birder traveling through this region. We arrived there in the afternoon, not the ideal time of day, but our stroll through the spring and then down the wash was exceptional and was highlighted by a tree full of about 10 Long Eared Owls. That kind of sighting will lend any place a certain magical aura that will stick with you for the rest of your days. Every time I drive the road into Butterbredt there is that anticipation and excitement that is driven by the question, “What are we going to see this time?”

Butterbredt Spring

Once again this year we were a little early for spring migration as the date of my trip was determined not by when the best time to go would be, but by my school district’s determination of when spring break would occur. The good news is that this would be the last time that would happen as this was my last year teaching before retirement. In planning for this trip I plotted out a circular route we could follow that began at Butterbredt and took in two other places I had longed to visit, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and the Mid Hills Campground region of the Mojave National Preserve. Joining me as he so often has these last few years was Jeff Manker who took time out from planning for his upcoming wedding to get in one last pre-marriage birding trip. Jeff has now moved up to Alameda so that is where we would begin our trip list.

We began with his local patch that includes the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. This is a strategy that is sure to pad any desert trip list. Our highlight here was the large number of Elegant Terns that were roosting on the jetty across the inlet. After this we headed for Bakersfield, picking up roadside sightings of Wild Turkey and Cattle Egret on the way. When traveling this route a stop at Kern National Wildlife Refuge is always a good idea so we made it our lunch stop. We drove the auto tour route and picked up most of our waterfowl species for the trip. I have to say that the NWR system is one of the hidden gems of the American public lands collection. The system is under stress in California due to drought and climate change but it remains critical to the health and survival of many important resident and migratory bird species. One way birders can support this system is to purchase a Duck Stamp each year. Possession of the stamp covers entry into any National Wildlife Refuge that requires a fee and supports the valuable conservation work the Fish and Wildlife service does. You can get more information and purchase your stamp here.

Later that afternoon we arrived in Bakersfield, went to Beale Park to check out the Rose Ringed Parakeets, and stayed once again with my gracious mother-in-law. Then it was up early to head to the Mojave and Butterbredt Spring. As previously mentioned we were too early for the peak of spring migration so our list here was a bit sparse. Our highlight here was what we believed to be a Gray Flycatcher. We puzzled over this id but this was our conclusion after reviewing the guides and studying the pictures. From the northern edge of the Mojave we headed due south and made for Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. On the way we stopped and birded the county park at the Mojave Narrows.

Jeff at the Narrows

This was an interesting place with plenty of water and riparian habitat. It also had a lot of wind which made things challenging. For me the highlight here were Vermillion Flycatchers, beautiful birds that I had not seen in some time. We birded, had lunch and then played a few holes of disc golf - Jeff crushed me.We got to Morongo Valley, had dinner and then drove up into Joshua Tree National Park for a dusk walkabout. This walk showed us again that we were a little early as it failed to turn up anything other than a few regular residents.

The next day began with our visit to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. Situated at the southern edge of the Mojave Desert, the canyon is a transition from the Mojave to the Colorado Desert below and represents one of the largest cottonwood and willow riparian habitats in California.

Trail heading south from the Preserve into the Canyon

It is a birder’s delight with trails and boardwalks snaking through the preserve. We had been concerned by the winds but fortunately for us our morning visit came before the wind rose. Highlights included: Plumbeous Vireo, Verdin, Costa’s Hummingbird, White-winged Dove, Nashville Warbler, Bell’s Vireo, Vermillion Flycatcher, and Phainopepla. Next time I visit here I hope to hike the entire canyon from top to bottom. As we ate lunch in the parking lot we considered our options. Our plan had been to head back north to the eastern region of the Mojave however the weather forecast was not favorable predicting high winds and cold temperatures at night. With that in mind we opted for a dash to the south and Anza Borrego State Park. This drive took us south through Palm Springs where we made a stop at an e-bird location for an Abert’s Towhee that we didn’t see; however, this proved to be a very interesting stop. We were on the western side of Palm Springs on the slope above town leading towards the tramway and looking into a fenced-off undeveloped property on the edge of a pretty high-class neighborhood. There were lots of Western Kingbirds, a Hooded Oriole, and a Roadrunner walking across the street but probably the most unusual sighting was the 50+ Great and Snowy Egrets roosting in the desert scrub on the hillside. Very strange.

Heading further south we made for Borrego Springs and a stop for the night. On the way we picked up a nice roadside Prairie Falcon and then took a side trip to Clark Dry Lakebed to see the nesting Bendire’s Thrasher that had been reported there throughout the spring.

Prairie Falcon

That evening after dinner we noticed that there was a lighted ballfield on the edge of town and theorized that there may be Nighthawks working the area. We only had to spend about 5 minutes waiting until one flew over the field.

We were up early the next morning and off to Culp Valley Campground in Anza Borrego State Park to go after Jeff’s nemesis bird. For the uninitiated, a nemesis bird is one that everyone else seems to see with little effort but you, for the life of you, can’t seem to get a look at. We’d missed it at Butterbredt Spring and we missed it again here. The bird? - The Mountain Quail. We have heard them calling multiple times and even once later in this trip in Upper Butterbredt Canyon, but no sightings. We had a few good birds here including California Thrashers, another Roadrunner and a Cactus Wren. From here we went to Palm Canyon, a famous palm oasis near the park visitor center. We were last here in the mid 1980s during our first NAS Bird-a-thon. Fire has passed through the canyon several times since that time and the scares are quite evident. However, the oasis is recovering nicely and we had an excellent morning birding this hotspot. We had Costa’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds, a Cooper’s Hawk, Warbling Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Loggerheaded Shrike, Black-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, and Western Tanager to name a few.

Borrego Palm Canyon

After another parking lot lunch we were on the road for the long drive to Mid Hills Campground in the northeastern corner of the Mojave National Preserve. We did take a brief stop at the Joshua Tree NP visitor center where we picked up a Black Tailed Gnatcatcher. Continuing on we made for Mid Hills where there were a few target birds we were hoping to get, namely Gilded Flicker, LeConte’s Thrasher, and Juniper Titmouse. We had also hoped to get a look at a Common Poorwill. It was a mad dash racing the sun and we got to the area only a little before sunset. We walked around the campground and could not add anything to our list except a Northern Flicker.

Looking west from Mid Hills Campground - Mojave National Preserve

Our final day would take us back to Butterbredt and then over the ridge and north to the Kern River Preserve. The Spring gave us very similar results to our visit a few days earlier, not even the usual Chukars made an appearance for us. In leaving Butterbredt we decided we would take the narrow track to the top of the canyon and over into the Kelso Creek drainage. As we neared the pass we picked up a Ladder-backed Woodpecker and a Prairie Falcon but what was most intriguing, the call of the Mountain Quail just up the slope from the road. We beat the bush in hopes of seeing it but alas no, it will remain Jeff’s nemesis. Coming down from the pass through a forest of Joshua trees we heard a call we had not yet heard on this trip and was not familiar to us. We turned to a tool I have been using more of lately to help us with the ID. This is the Merlin bird ID app from Cornell. What I most use it for is its ability to identify a bird by sound. It came back with a result of Scott’s Oriole so we were out of the truck and scanning. Sure enough, working through the top of a Joshua tree about 100 yards away we found him. While Merlin is not 100% accurate it can be a very helpful tool in the process of identification. Feeling very pleased with ourselves we headed down to the Kern River Preserve on the South Fork of the Kern River just upstream from Lake Isabella. This is the first time in several years I have been able to get into the preserve’s headquarters area. Either flooding or the long covid closure have kept me out. We began of course by having lunch and then talked with a volunteer who was doing some clean-up work. It seems that the pandemic has taken a toll on this great preserve and they were just starting to get back on their feet again. The afternoon winds came up and made birding this fabulous riparian habitat a challenge but we walked some of the trails and visited ‘Migrant Corner’ before beginning our return trip to the Bay Area.Over the course of our 5 days of birding we counted a total of 160 different species. Not a bad effort but I can’t wait until next year when we can do this in mid- May. One month later in the year could make a significant difference in our species list. Finally, I get to decide when to go (as long as it's ok with Danette!)

The Thrasher Tour - Spring 2021

Jeff, Me & Michael w/ Shirlene

My mother-in-law was giving us a quizzical look as we sat around her dinning room table. As always she provided a delicious spread for her guests which, this time included Jeff Manker and Michael Morris who met me and Danette at her home in Bakersfield. I think she was wondering if we were slightly crazy in our obsession with chasing birds across the Mojave Desert and she was probably right. However, this was the kind of crazy I happily plead guilty to. Our plan was to meet up in Bakersfield, pile into one vehicle and head for the desert while Danette and her mom went back to Napa. For many years we have come to Bakersfield during our spring break and I have dragged Patrick with me to Butterbredt Spring for a chance to see some early spring migrants. This year I brought the pros from Dover with me. After a great meal and a gear swap we began our trip with a drive up and over Breckenridge Rd. This has always been a reliable place to see Long Eared Owls and would be our highest elevation on the trip. While the owls were a bust we did get a few high elevation species and a soaring Golden Eagle to whet our appetites. From here we made our way to the top of Butterbredt Canyon where we camped and shivered in the clear night air of the desert. Near morning we heard both Great Horned and Screech Owls calling across the early dawn stirring us into action. We spent much of our morning at the spring but it was still early for migrants.

Scott's Oriole

I am bound by the whim of my school district as to when they decide to give us our spring break and am anxious for retirement when I can make that call. A highlight at the spring was a pair of Scott’s Orioles. 

     From here we headed north towards the Owens Valley, even more interesting to me as I had just re-read Cadillac Desert, the Marc Reisner masterpiece on the history and politics of western water development. Again, the season was early so we saw mostly the usual suspects but did manage a Black-chinned Hummingbird and a number of Bell’s Sparrows at Red Rocks SP, a few good water birds at Klondike Lake, and visited new area for me, Summit Creek in the area of the Olancha Pass trailhead. We ended our birding day at the 5 Bridges gravel ponds at the northern end of the town of Bishop, adding a number of good water bird species to our list.

     After spending the night in Bishop we headed east over the White Mountains, it was here that we picked up a life bird for both Jeff and Michael, a Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay near top of the climb. Searching around the junction of Hwy. 168 and White Mtn. Road again we found it to be too early for much activity. Continuing on the road took us into Deep Springs Valley, a place I have long wanted to see. We spent a good deal of time scanning the fields near Deep Springs college where saw many Sage Thrashers and desperately tried to turn one of them into a Bendire’s. Also making an appearance for us was a weasel, surely a surprise.

Deep Springs Valley

Continuing on, our goal was Death Valley National Park and to get the authentic experience, we planned our arrival at Furnace Creek for 12 noon, a target, I am happy to say, I hit with perfection. Prior to entering the park Jeff found us a great lunch/birding spot along Hwy. 95 using ebird to locate hot spots. Torrance Ranch turned out to be a really interesting riparian area where, along with sandwiches we picked up a Virginia Rail. Then it was off to Furnace Creek where, like the 3 morons we are, we figured that birding the golf course at 12 noon was a capital idea and sure to net us some good birds. I think our best sighting there was bats flying around hawking bugs in the middle of the day. To be fair we did pick up some birds for the trip list but probably should have skipped it. We decided that our best bet for a campsite was as high as we could get on the west side of the park so we travelled the park roads to get to Wildrose Campground where we were lucky enough to snag the last campsite (there are only 20 or so of them).

Wildrose Canyon

This canyon was a great place to camp and had a good variety of birds including a Roadrunner coming to a seep in the road to drink. We picked up another target bird the next morning by driving up the valley a ways and found an active flock of Pinyon Jays (as Michael predicted we would).
We left Death Valley NP via the Wildrose Rd. going west and got down to the business of locating the one bird that was the theme of this trip - the LeConte’s Thrasher. Just about everything we did until returning to Bakersfield was in pursuit of this devil bird. We used recent sightings in ebird and staked them out in the hopes of seeing this slippery customer but all we ended up doing was to prove the adage that, “you don’t find a LeConte’s Thrasher, they find you.” And on this trip they didn’t make the effort. We passed through Ridgecrest, California City and Mojave without any luck and only a few other species.
We finished up the final day of our trip with a return to Butterbredt Spring hoping for some different birds. We added Chukers and a lone Mountain Quail that Michael found and Jeff could not quite get into his line of sight. This bird could very well be Manker kryptonite as he keeps missing it but comes tantalizingly close every time. From here we followed Kelso Valley out to Hwy 178 and the Kern River Preserve which was still closed due to covid. We were able to bird along some of the edges of the preserve and we did pick up an early migrant, a bird we determined to be a female Prairie Warbler. An uncommon sighting but one that after careful deliberation we were confident in. Down the Kern River we drove to emerge at the bottom end, back at my mother-in-law’s house. Even though our trip list was not substantial (I think we were just short of 100) the camaraderie and the simple fact of being on the road, looking for birds with two of the best people I know was the tonic I needed to see out this school year. I hope Shirlene will have us back again soon. All birding trips should start on a full stomach and she certainly sent us on our way with three of them.

The Crew