2017-07-12 Bridgeport Reservoir

On leaving Mono Lake, my route north towards Sonora Pass carried me through the town of Bridgeport. Northeast of the town is a large shallow lake called Bridgeport Reservoir. I’d read I might find interesting birds there. I saw very few floating birds while driving north past the eastern shoreline. Near the northern end of the shore, I followed signs to a boat launch. When I reached the edge of the lake I found a grassy, tree-lined park with picnic areas. It wasn’t long before I found a family of Western Kingbirds posing nicely on some mid-level branches, waiting for their parents to bring food. Bullock’s Orioles and Starlings were similarly engaged, but it was the kingbirds I chose to focus on. Black-Billed Magpies are always entertaining, and I captured a few inflight images.

This morning, I met many birds, including those at Mono Lake, who busied themselves with raising the next generation. Judging by the wear and tear on the feathers of kingbird parents, these birds were working hard and doing a good job. I found it interesting how the parent determined which begging open gape to attend first. I watched the parent offer the food brought in to each chick, and while each acted as if it were starving, the parent snatched back the food if a chick did not swallow it quickly enough. If the chick was too full, the food would just stay in its mouth. These parents were good providers, as all the chicks seemed well fed.

On my exit from Sonora Pass I found Least Sandpipers foraging in a shallow wetland pond adjacent to the US-395 and the road to the reservoir (CA-182). I’ve included them in this set of images I’m sharing.

Next stop: Sonora Pass.