The first bird of the morning was a White-tailed Kite which we saw from the parking lot.  It was an unexpected treat because these birds have been uncommon in the park in recent years.

It was still cold when we left the parking lot and walked past the

Purple Finch ♀ - Note robust bill, unstreaked vent (A. Kotin 11/13/10)

amphitheater and along the edge of the campground.  Although the campground is usually very “birdy” we found it to be rather quiet, perhaps because of the cold.  However, a female Purple Finch perched in the open where we able to see it well and there were a few sparrows moving around.  As we walked from the campground along the access road, the first Red-tailed Hawk of the morning soared overhead.

As we started along the Nature Trail, we saw a Say’s Phoebe and a female Purple Finch with a robust lower mandible.  The mature oak trees along that trail offered some species typical of that habitat, including Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  Our attention was drawn to the song of a Hutton’s Vireo and most of us got good looks at the bird although it was quite active.

Cassin's Kingbird - backlighting creates illusion of white outer tail feathers (A. Kotin 11/13/10)

After leaving the Nature Trail, we crossed the creek and started along Crags Road in the direction of the Visitors’ Center.  As we walked along Crags Road, we found a Loggerhead Shrike and a small flock of Pine Siskin among other species.  A few people got a look at a Canyon Wren that had been calling repeatedly from rocky outcrop next to the trail.

We had good looks at a Red-breasted Sapsucker that was busily drilling holes in one of the trees near the Visitors’ Center and a few people saw a Red-naped Sapsucker in the same tree.  When we left the area of the Visitors’ Center, we took advantage of the sun angle to get a better look at a small flock of Band-tailed Pigeons that was perched in the trees along the creek.  As we walked back to the parking lot for a late picnic lunch, we realized that the White-tailed Kite was still present.

A review of the checklist  (shown below) made it clear that we missed a few of the species commonly found in the park while enjoying some unusual sightings.  [Chuck Almdale]