Three wren circus and a bicycle race.

[tuularose at juno dot com]

Trying to think of possible warbler places this morning (Sat 9/6) I
remembered the cottonwood copse in Goshen canyon just when the road
crosses over the stream, a little ways up from the hut. Last year it was
full of warblers and kinglets around this time of year.

It was a bit windy in the canyon and not a bird in the trees when I
arrived. Disappointed, I decided to walk along the two-track above the
parking area. Soon I heard activity and contact calls. I stood still  and
first spotted a Bewicks wren and his mate.  A few steps down the path,
and two house wrens hopped out of the bushes long enough for me to see.
A few more steps and the call of a canyon wren straight ahead stopped me.
He sat on a rock in front of me and sang his heart out. All in about five
minutes. I looked across the road and for a minute thought I had rock
wrens. They turned into Say's phoebes to my disappointment .  I stood
listening, and chukars were calling from the hill to the south. Then a
flock of bushtits, followed by half a dozen young chipping sparrows burst
in to the tree next to me. Blue-gray gnatcatchers came in to my pishing
and then a Townsend's warbler, a kinglet and a black-throated blue
warbler appeared. I heard a towhee in the bush and then it was all quiet
again.

Twenty minutes had passed and when I walked back to the car, the road was
alive with lots of cars going by followed by about 300 bicycle racers
coming in waves. Time to go home.

Good birding   ~   Tuula