Sierra Valley

Lynn and I birded in the Sierra Valley, with a run up to Frenchman Reservoir.
Most excellent – 55 species on the day.

Bridge over Feather River aswirl with swallows

Gorgeous day. Lots of water in the valley, green, green, green — probably won’t last long. Dry parts – brown, brown, brown.

Marble Hot Springs Road very productive, water at all the crossings.

Swainson’s Hawk put on a show

Bird of the day:
Spotted a raptor hovering. Too big for a kestrel. Flying. Hovering again.
Who hovers? Roughie?
Red-tails occasionally hover. Saw a Bald Eagle do it once, working a Coot.
Wing-linings lighter than flight feathers. Swainson’s.

Ooh! ooh! ooh! It’s dropping. Slow vertical wingspread descent. No movement, just sliding down out of the heavens. Spectacular. Awesome. Prime birding moment.
Didn’t get the mousie.

Heading from Loyalton to Sierraville, stopped at the high corner valley overlook. Rancher on an ATV swirled a flight of hundreds. Scope time. In a large area of wet, maybe up to 1000 White-faced Ibis and hundreds of gulls. Did I say a THOUSAND Ibis?! Also some cranes, geese, willets…. Too far for details. Many, many of birds.