Birds from near Big Pine

Observers: Tom Heindel
Email: tjheindelataoldotcom
Remote Name: 64.12.116.12
Date: 04/15/2005
Time: 05:43 PM -0400

Sighting

On 15 April a female Red-breasted Merganser was at Klondike Lake, a very late immature Bald Eagle was still at Tinemaha Reservoir, the dark-morph Swainson's Hawk was on Steward Lane, and 7 Willets were at Klondike Lake, the first reported away from Owens Lake. First of spring birds were 6 Semipalmated Plovers, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Caspian Tern and 2 adult Franklin's Gulls all at Tinemaha Reservoir. The Franklin's Gulls were smallish gulls with all black hoods and bold white eye arcs. In flight the wings were the same medium gray as the mantel with white separating the black primary tips from the gray wings. They were in view at 30 meters for half an hour along the northwest shore.