Last weekend, the Crescent Dunes field crew took a birding expedition down to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley. It was an exciting time to be out there with the wildflowers in bloom and newly arriving spring migrants, some a little ahead of schedule. One particularly lucky blossom was that of the rare Panamint Daisy, Enceliopsis covillei, which is an Inyo county endemic. It may not look like much from pictures, but as Josh indicated, the “flowers were as large as a finger-spread hand”.
One of the highlights of the trip was climbing Telescope Peak, an ascent from 8,000 to over 11,000 ft. Here the crew was able to spot Mountain Chickadees, Cassin’s Finches, Pinyon Jays, an American Kestrel, Violet-green Swallows, both Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Pygmy Nuthatches, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Pine Siskins, and a male and female Red Crossbill. The summit offered an extraordinary view of the valley.  |
| Jenna, Josh & Wanda on Telescope Peak |
Seeing the pupfish at Ash Meadows was another high point of the trip, along with hearing a Bell’s Vireo--five days ahead of the previous earliest record! They also got to hear their first-of-season Common Poorwill, and see a variety of lizards, such as Chuckwalla and Leopard Lizards. Other species seen during the trip include: Greater Yellowlegs, American Avocets, Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, Phainopepla, a Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher, Prairie Falcon, Chukar, White-throated Swifts, Anna’s Hummingbird, Western Scrub-jay, Bushtits, Varied Thrush, Lesser Goldfinch, Rock Wrens, Common Ravens, American Pipits, a Killdeer, and Lewis’s Woodpeckers.
To see more pictures, check out the GBBO Facebook Page!
-Kelly
Photos were all taken by Josh Lefever and Jenna Daub-emore – thanks for sharing them with us!
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