Calaveras and Alpine county birding

Sebby & I spent Thanksgiving with her parents (also avid birders) at my family’s cabin in the Sierras, and to our surprise, we actually saw some good birds. I’d been expecting to see little/nothing, since it’s getting very cold, especially at the higher elevations, and there’s even a dusting of snow on the ground from 6000′ upwards.

At Lake Alpine we saw COMMON MERGANSERS along with some less-unusual waders, and at Calaveras Big Trees State Park I saw my first RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, heard many MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES, but saw few, and a couple of playful WINTER WRENS.

The list du weekend was:

– American Coot
– Brown Creeper
– Common Merganser
– Common Raven
– Downy or Hairy Woodpecker (didn’t get a close look)
+ Mountain Chickadee
– Pied-billed Grebe
* Red-breasted Nuthatch
– Winter Wren

* = life bird, + = year bird