Dusky-capped Flycatcher in Shoshone, CA 92384 - Birding near Death Valley

On Nov 5th while birding for Crissal Thrashers on the Blue-Trail in Shoshone, we spotted a small flycatcher with a light yellow belly and breast. My first impression was that of a miniature Ash-throated Flycatcher, that was vocalizing with a single not wheezy whistle slightly descending. The Myiarchus Flycatchers all look quite alike, so that when one sees an Ash-throated, Brown-crested, Great-crested(in the east) or Dusky-capped, one knows that it is a Myiarchus by it's orange brown coloring in the flight feathers and tail feathers, and yellow underparts and otherwise brown coloring with a crest that looks thick and brown, sometimes reminding me of an old fashioned shaving cream brush.

   In North America, the Dusky-capped Flycatcher normally breeds only in se Arizona and extreme sw New Mexico. Truly a tropical bird, it's natural range continues into Brazil, and Peru. There are 13 subspecies of Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and if anyone can tell by these photos or the video clip on my home blog page, I would be very grateful. The bird has not been spotted since Nov 6th.

What an Amazing Birding Month! in Shoshone, CA 92384 near Death Valley

Wood Thrush at the Garden Hose Pond

October in Shoshone, CA area has long been known for it's excellent birdwatching. October of 2011 was filled with regular sightings of uncommon and rare birds. It seemed like each day brought new surprises to the doorstep.The now world famous Garden Hose Pond, hosted a variety of birds that made it seem more like an Easter egg hunt than Halloween. The highlight of October was definitely the Wood Thrush. This eastern bird has only 26 previous California records. I first spotted it on the lawn across the street, and was congratulating myself for having a camera around my neck, when a juvenile Coopers Hawk appeared in the viewfinder and  almost ended the 27th California Wood Thrush record's life! The Wood Thrush sounded it's pit-pit-pit alarm call, a familiar sound to me, a birder from Maine.Although I'm a huge fan of avian  aerial combat, and birds of prey in general, I was thrilled to see the Wood Thrush escape to deep cover in my own yard. I resighted it later that evening and after a few phone calls to the top of the birding food chain, realized that this bird was kind of a big deal. It was first spotted on Oct 25 and was last seen Nov8. Many birdwatchers who came to Shoshone Village from all over California and Nevada  were able to get great looks an photos of this extremely rare (in the west) bird.  It stayed around the pond and readily ate meal worms and oranges, probably regaining critically needed body fat  necessary for traveling. Nocturnal migrants, they  usually spend the winter in Mexico and Central America..A Wood Thrush in California should really be called a rare occurrence than a rare bird. The correct word is Vagrant. A bird that isn't supposed to be here in the first place. In most of  eastern North America, their beautiful EE-O-LAY song can lift even the heaviest of hearts during a quiet dawn or dusk  walk in the Maine Woods.

It is pure speculation to guess where this lost songbird may have come from. It seemed so comfortable here in the little pond, I'd hoped it would winter here. I will miss this sweet little bird more than most.
        

Birding with Brownies on Mount Charleston

On Saturday October1st, the Red Rock Audubon Society, presented "Birding with Brownies" at Camp Foxtail.Camp Foxtail is in Lee Canyon on the Eastern side of Mount Charleston. We made our presentation to 14 Brownies and 8 Boy Scouts.The birding was very quiet, but we were able to call a Gray-headed Junco right up to the picnic table with an I-pod.All the kids leaned about birds, feathers, nests, and eggs, from a hands on close up perspective. These were  kids from  Las Vegas that came up the mountain to see what its like at 9000 feet. They also learned that there is a much different set of birds at the top of a mountain than down in the desert. Thank you to Richard Cantino of Red Rock Audubon West Branch for all the great photos, and for driving me all the way up and down the mountain and all the way back to Shoshone Village.What a thrill it was for me  to see the excitement of children and nature. When I look at the pictures of their faces, I think that they will remember this day too.

I need more feathers to gain any altitude.

Shoshone - Blue trail in the snow

The Kingstons in Snow from the Blue Trail

The Resting Springs,(right) and Nopah Ranges

 I took both of these pictures on the Blue Trail  on the same morning, Feb 17 , 2011. The snow covered  range, the Kingstons, are off to the south, off to the north showing the Resting Springs Range, and the Nopah (name means no water)Range. There are mountains all around us here. Shoshone is a  key part of the Amargosa River system . The Shoshone Spring feeds the Shoshone Wetlands, and joins the Amargosa River here, creating an isolated desert birding habitat. This area is relatively un-birded.(i have also been called an unbirder) many migrants pass through unnoticed.

A migration wave seems to be happening here today. This morning so
far, without leaving the yard!  RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, BLACK-CHINNED
HUMMINGBIRD, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, NORTHERN PARULA , NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH, NASHVILLE WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, ORANGE CROWNED
WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, WESTERN TANAGER, LINCOLN'S SPARROW,

Northern Waterthrush at the garden hose pond

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW,  BREWER'S SPARROW, CHIPPING SPARROW, VERDIN,CRISSAL THRASHER,
BEWICK'S WREN, LAZULI BUNTING, PHAINOPEPLA, COOPER'S HAWK.

There are dozens of migrating  birds in the mesquites around the
garden hose pond, and all through Shoshone Village. I'm sure that the
Amargosa Canyon, and China Ranch are probably great today too. I hope
I may have to report again today!

Len Warren
Shoshone, CA
92384


I'd be happy to show you around Shoshone Wetlands

Free Bird Walk every Sunday 8AM- meet at Crowbar Restaurant

 
     SHOSHONE VILLAGE BIRDING
I'm Len Warren Staff Naturalist for Shoshone Village, CA.

 I would like to invite you to Shoshone Village for excellent desert birding. Shoshone Village is a small oasis village which is the southern gateway to Death Valley, and sits along the riparian vegetation of the Amargosa River. The Shoshone-Tecopa bird checklist stands at 259 species. We welcome your additions to the checklist. There are 5 major birding areas here. Shoshone Village, Shoshone Wetlands, Tecopa & Tecopa Wetlands, Amargosa Canyon, and of course China Ranch. Comfortable rooms at Shoshone Inn can be your base camp, or Shoshone Campground has nice spots for RV or tent camping.   A key to the  Warm Springs swimming pool is included with your stay in at the inn or campground.(You'll not be disappointed) I'd love to take you on a private birding tour.

Warm Springs Pool

. At the Crowbar Restaurant , FREE weekly bird walks begin every Sunday at 8 AM. The Shoshone birding trails begin at the Crowbar with the Blue Trail. From one blue pole , one can see the next blue pole and so on along a path which may change your idea of desert birding. The blue trail hold several pairs of Crissal Thrasher,  Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, Verdin, and Bewick's Wren. Phainopepla are present from Sept until May. During migration they are joined by many mountain habitat nesting birds on their way back to Mexico, and Central and South America. During winter, Shoshone's Phainopepla's hold individual feeding territories beginning in Oct.In winter they compete with Mockingbirds, Western Bluebirds, and Cedar Waxwings for the sticky, glue-like, berries of the Desert Mistletoe. Juvenile Cooper's Hawks hunt the Shoshone Wetlands all winter. I often find their feeding spots , littered with feathers of their prey, often Gambel's Quail, or Northern Flicker in winter. Long-Eared Owls nested several spots throughout the village in 2010.

SHOSHONE WETLANDS BIRDING  TRAILS
Just follow the poles to discover Shoshone Wetlands Preserve. Please explore, respect, and enjoy this 1000 acre private nature preserve.

Crissal Thrasher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Verdin, Bewick's Wren, Greater Roadrunner,Say's Phoebe,  and Loggerhead Shrike,are year round residents of the trails. Bell's Vireo,Lucy's Warbler, Yellow Breasted Chat, Hooded Oriole, Western Kingbird, Blue Grosbeak,Indigo Bunting, breed here in spring and summer.


During winter, Shoshone's Phainopepla's hold individual feeding territories beginning in Oct.pair up in February, and breed in March and April.In winter they compete with Mockingbirds, Western Bluebirds, and Cedar Waxwings for the sticky, gluelike, berries of the Desert Mistletoe, as they ripen. Juvenile Cooper's Hawks hunt  small birds on the Shoshone Wetlands all winter. I often find their feeding spots , littered with feathers of their prey, often Gambel's Quail, or the red-shafted  Northen Flicker in winter.

During migration? All birding  bets are off and Shoshone, Tecopa, Amargosa Canyon, and China Ranch are all known migrant traps , almost anything can be found here! (see our checklist)


The BLUE TRAIL ,an easy 1/2 hour walk,  Pole #1 begins at the Crowbar restaurant and heads straight out into the Shoshone Wetlands, a private nature preserve bordered by BLM Wilderness. Shoshone Wetlands is dominated by Honey Mesquite and Screwbean Mesquite trees. The Blue trail wanders through the wetlands and along the  Shoshone spring  and the Amargosa river , at pole #16 it splits off on a loop (10-15 extra minutes) that walks through prime desert riparian bird habitat.  .The loop returns to pole 16. The Blue trail returns to Crowbar or connects with the Aqua trail at the confluence of the Amargosa River, and Shoshone Spring.


The RED TRAIL ,

Red Trail- Just follow the poles.

  an easy 1/2 hour walk , begins at the Shoshone Campground, and heads North out to the Amargosa River, loops back to the South,  crosses a spring, and returns to the Campground. or connects to the Aqua-Connector Trail,   The Red tail is habitat to all the same species as the Blue Trail

GPS work along the Aqua Trail for the Amargosa Canyon Songbird Project

The AQUA-Connector trail, connects the Red Trail and Blue Trail , 1/2 hr from Red to Blue, along the path of the Amargosa River, as it has carved its path over time.On the East side are the mud-hills and washes coming off the mountains, and on the West side is the Amargosa River, often flowing above ground, supporting a unique habitat type and excellent birding for desert birds and migrants. This trail reconnects with the Blue Trail at the confluence of the Shoshone Spring, and the Amargosa River, a particularly pretty and interesting spot.

The SWIMMING POOL TRAIL begins behind the pool area and is marked  by Aqua poles soon to be tipped in white. This is a 5 minute walk and has benches to sit in the shade and enjoy a lovely marshy meadow,ans sometimes smalll ponds, both  unusual in the desert, and at times full of birds, as well as butterflies, dragonflies, and other wildlife.

Yellow Breasted Chats Along the Amargosa River and Shoshone Wetlands

If you come to Shoshone from late April through Mid July, you can easily find Yellow-breasted Chat. They breed here every year, and the males sing beginning as early as 4 am.

Display flight/ male  Yellow-Breasted Chat

 Yellow-breasted Chat is one of the most vocal of all the songbirds along the Amargosa River, They arrive here in late April, and claim territories in the shadiest,darkest, and most challenging vegetation, usually very close to water.The males show off with a marvelous singing display flight to proclaim their territory. The song repertoire of a chat is extensive. Males sing from various high perches within the territory, along the river,and it's tributary springs as many as 8 at a time can be heard singing and counter-singing in the north end of the Amargosa Canyon. Females are extremely quiet, and secretive.They make certain  sounds near the nest . Females do not sing, but make short , single note calls that can help us discover the nest location. To find the nest of a Chat, one must be still, wait within the territory to hear the female "near calls" then quietly track the female. I have found a few Chat nests in my work, this year 4, but most of them still manage to elude me. I often search for hours and give up, walking away,while the males sing and display in a way that feels to me like they're laughing at my incompetence, and congratulating themselves on their  successful territorial defense and secrecy.  I feel fortunate that although  many although birders have had very few precious looks at a Chat, I'm able to get great looks at them every day during breeding season.

There are still a few Chats along the Amargosa River, but most have raised their young and have departed  in July,for Mexico, and Central America, as far south as Panama. I already miss them, and I'm looking forward to April again.

a

Long Eared Owl babies in Shoshone Village, CA

My apologies to all who asked about, and anyone who is interested, for being absent from this blog through the breeding season. It has been a very busy season ,now winding gradually into fall migration.

First of all I would like to thank the volunteers who helped me on my project this year, thank you Richard, Carol, Darlene, Molly, Susan,Christiana, Dorothy, Mr Ko Meung (Mike), Jon, and  Per. I appreciate you all ,and your interest, your time, and especially your friendship.I will remember. Thank you McCreedy for hiring me out here as a nest searcher in the first place. Thank you to my whole family for helping to get me out here at all.

Here are some superstars from Shoshone Breeding season 2011.