I got to go on a bird walk sponsored by Klamath Bird Observatory.  We go to our destination around 830am andf the temp was still only about 40 degrees, even though the sun was making a rare morning appearance.  Rare so far this spring.  It had snowed just a little upslope overnight.  We could look up from the fire road where we walked and see snow on the slope of Grizzly Peak to the west of us, just a few hundred feet higher in elevation. We were at the Willow Witt ranch, elevation approx. 4700 feet.  Our leader was KBO’s Ashley Dayer who lived on this ranch as a tenant for two years.  When the road is closed by snow it’s a snowshoe trip from the nearest cleared pavement, up to two hours on snowshoe.  Perhaps that why she moved?

Just as we arrived at the ranch house, two Evening Gorsbeaks popped onto the nearest bird feeder.  They didn’t stay long so here’s a picture from when they were in our garden down in the valley.

 We heard, then finally saw a Pileated Woodpecker. Also a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Flickers filled out the woodpecker list for the morning.

Mountain Quail    3
 Turkey Vulture    2
 RT Hawk           2
 Wilson’s Snipe    4
 Mourning Dove     3
 Red-breasted sapsucker   1
 Northern Flicker  2
 Pileated Woodpecker   1
 Western Wood-peewee  2
Steller’s Jay     5
Raven             1
Tree Swallow      5
Mountain Chicakdee   1  (at the feeders)
Red-breasted Nuthatch   2
House Wren        1
American Robin    4
Yellow-rumped Warbler    2
Western tanager   3
Chipping Sparrow  4
Vesper Sparrow    3
Song Sparrow      4

Junco            12
Black-headed Grosbeak  3
Red-winged Blackbird   8
Brewer’s Blackbird    15
Purple Finch        4
Cassin’s Finch      6
Pine Siskin        25
Evening Grosbeak    2