The Shoshone bird pond has been filled for a few months now.
A former commercial catfish pond, dry
for years, now has been refilled. Eventually, native trees, shrubs and water
plants will line the banks. Maybe even a bird photography blind or two will be
placed. For now my car has been serving as an excellent photography blind.
This female Hooded Merganser is just an
example of the array of birds that have been using the pond.
A small flock of Ring-necked Ducks have been diving,
feeding, preening, and resting on the pond. There are now 4 females and 3
males. They spin in the wind as they preen on the pond, their feathers act as a
small sail that catches the wind, while one foot is used in preening, the other
for a keel or rudder so that when the wind blows against the feather direction,
and lifts the feathers enough to move the bird, it spins in the wind,
maintaining a relatively stable position on the pond, thus preening while
resting. VIDEO OF RING NECKED DUCKS.
Grebes are not ducks. Their feet are not webbed, their toes
are lobed, for ease in paddling. Their legs are mounted so far back on their
bodies that they cannot walk, and occasionally
land and become stranded on a
lawn of parking lot, mistaking the flat surface for water, probably in the
dark. They can dive, or partially
submerge, head or eyes only above the surface. The Pied-billed Grebe has been
on the bird pond now for around three months.
Smaller Eared Grebes stopped briefly
after the recent flood.
At nearby Salton Sea, and Mono Lake, Eared Grebes can
sometimes be counted in the hundreds of thousands! Even a larger Western Grebe
made a brief post mid flood appearance.
Local Birding has
been great for those with patience. An Evening Grosbeak
, Red Crossbills, a
Painted Bunting, Vermilion Flycatcher,
Brown Creeper, and a pond full of wild
ducks, have kept it exciting. Year round permanent resident Loggerhead Shrikes,
 |
| Loggerhead Shrike |
 |
| Preening Shrike |
 |
| Male Ring-necked Duck |
 |
| American Pipit |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Verdin a year round resident. |
 |
| Year round resident Crissal Thrasher |
Verdins, Crissal Thrashers, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and Bewick’s Wrens can
always be found with due diligence. Phainopeplas are now saturating Shoshone
Wetlands and other Amargosa mesquite with mistletoe valleys, like Chicago Valley,
China Ranch, and Resting Springs.
 |
| Brown Creeper |
The streets around
Shoshone Village are filled with birds. Northern Flickers are common but nervous, and
difficult to get close to. The lawns harbor Western Meadowlarks, American
Pipits, Western Bluebirds, and stacks of sparrows, mostly White-Crowned
Sparrows but look through them carefully for Golden Crowned Sparrow or a White-throated
Sparrow, both are very close looking to White-crowns. The Brown Creeper
continues to appear on mesquite tree trunks around the pond, the Death Valley
Academy, and the Shoshone Campground. Common Ravens provide endless
entertainment with aerial battles and territorial displays, and sounds. The Hummingbirds are returning. Both Anna’s
Hummingbird and Costa’s Hummingbird are in the Area and can be seen on mesquite
perches as well as local feeders.
On Tecopa Marsh, a
juvenile male Northern Harrier in regularly escorted out of the area by a much
larger adult female. A few Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher,
and
Killdeer can be found here and there on the flats. Several Great Blue Herons, and
a year-round pair of American Bitterns and a nice selection of ducks have been around
all week.
