Once again, I headed up Old Baldy Trail at first light. The trail was still slippery in many spots, but the snow had melted off in much of the lower section. On the way up, I met a New Jersey birder and we parked ourselves by the stump marked with a rock cairn, which is where the bird had most recently been seen. Six other birders eventually showed up and joined us in the search. At around 11:00, a local birding guide, Melody Kehl, announced to us that she had the bird. All eight of us got great looks at the
Crescent-chested Warbler as it worked the oaks above the trail for about ten minutes before eventually moving back out of sight. Thanks, Melody! I managed to get several identifiable shots of this very active bird while it was in view. It's funny how it seemed that my leg muscles ached a lot less on the way down after seeing the bird.
Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. Note the bold, white eyebrow stripe, the small white crescent under the eye, the olive-green back, the yellow breast with barely visible crescent, and the light belly.
Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. This photo shows the bold, white eyebrow stripe, the 'parula-like' olive-green back, and the light belly.
Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. This photo shows the white eyebrow stripe and the chestnut crescent on the yellow breast.
After telling Babe that I had seen the bird, which was great news for me but sad news for her, we headed back down to Proctor Road. As we were walking up the trail from the parking lot, Babe caught the 'sneezing' sound of a gnatcatcher up ahead. After directing her to some movement in the brush near the stream, we realized that we were finally looking at her 'life' Black-capped Gnatcatcher. This actively-feeding male eventually closed to within six feet of me!
Black-capped Gnatcatcher along Madera Creek at the Proctor Road area. This photo shows the graduated white tail feathers, a longer bill than that of Blue-gray and Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and a dark line above the eye, which makes this bird a non-breeding male.
After getting all the looks she could possibly ask for, we circled around down to the stream to get the sun directly behind us. Eventually, we found the female, too, and watched her for a few minutes before she flew across to the other side of the stream. Other new trip birds seen there included a pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, a Say's Phoebe, and a Bewick's Wren.
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