ML21098711

Observation details

From NAB Report: LOCATION Downtown Bishop, in Whitney Alley behind Wilson's Eastside Sports OBSERVERS Found and ided by Chris Howard and Jerry Zatorski, observed by many Bishop birders, including the Wilsons, Overholtzs, Jon Dunn, Debbie House, Andy Zdon, and Debby Parker. OPTICAL EQUIPMENT Bausch and Lomb Elite binoculars 8X; Scoped with Leica 80mm APO Televid; digiscoped through scope (see photo at right). Additionally digiscoped by the Overholtzs. EXPERIENCE Life bird. I see hundreds of Cedars every year, and I have religiously checked undertail covert coloration, to no avail until this bird. STATUS Irruptive and casual on the eastside mostly in November. There hasnt been a good irruption year since 1972. HABITAT Urban. Perched on a phone/powerline above Whitney Alley adjacent a heavily loaded Bradford Pear tree. Later seen in the tree and flying around the blocks east of Highway 395 landing in trees with the Cedar Waxwing flock DISTANCE TO BIRD Very cooperative, We first viewed it from underneath at ~25 feet. Later we have very good, long scope views at ~100 feet. DURATION One hour. EASE OF OBSERVATION Exceptional; it was chilly (~40F), but there was no wind and not many clouds. We could usually get the sun behind us. Story and description Jerry Zatorski (birder, co-worker) and I were walking to coffee on our morning break when we noticed a flock of waxwings perched on a powerline adjacent two large, heavily fruit-laden Bradford Pear trees behind Peggy Feigners Office Supply in Whitney Alley. I mentioned, Come on, cant one of these Cedars have rufous undertail coverts? Then I saw it. It was slightly larger than the Cedars, grayer breasted and bellied, and had solidly rufous undertail coverts. The photo above also shows the clean-cut black throat and white barring in the primaries and greater wing coverts. The bird separated from the Cedar¿s for a while and flew by itself once, calling. I specifically listened for its supposed hoarser/lower call note, but I thought it sounded pretty similar to a Cedar. After calling all Bishop birders I could think of, there were a contingency of perhaps 15 birders who saw this bird. To put some relativity its rarity. Jon Dunn had not seen a BOWA in Inyo County in all the 30+ years of birding, until this bird.