Mammoth Creek connects a string of high elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Starting above Skelton Lake (9,920′), it drains into Arrowhead Lake (9,690′), Lake Mary (8,920’), Lake Mamie (8,900’), and finally Twin Lakes (8,540′) which looks to be three bodies of water. I was informed I might find a Pacific Wren along Twin Falls as it drops from Lake Mamie to Twin Lakes, and there might be Pine Grosbeaks as well.
I followed the navigational instructions given me to the campground on the west side of the first lake, but found the bridge was barricaded to vehicles. So I parked my van and walked with my camera gear over the bridges to investigate. Reaching the campsites on the west side of the lake, I saw all the damage that the spring thaw floods had caused. Tree branches had fallen to block pathways, picnic tables were submerged in mud and creeks flowing over normally dry trails. There were workers laboring to put the pieces back together, but much work remained. None of this bothered the birds in the least. I wasn’t wearing suitable footwear for creek-forging, so I had to forgo the pursuit of the wren, at least for the time being.
This unoccupied campground perfectly suited my purposes. I found a location near a marshy thicket where there were many Orange-Crowned Warblers dashing about and Song Sparrows were singing their cheerful refrains. Parking my folding stool in an out-of-the-way spot, I set up my camera and observed my surroundings. In a few hours I’d captured Dark-Eyed Juncos, Nashville Warblers, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Song Sparrows, Warbling Vireos, and a Western Wood-Pewee.
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet(Regulus calendula) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:41 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RubyCrownedKinglet_D5X9448-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Warbling Vireo(Vireo gilvus) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 9:20 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WarblingVireo_D5X9678-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Wood-Pewee(Contopus sordidulus) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:52 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WesternWoodPewee_D5X9580-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Warbling Vireo(Vireo gilvus) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 9:20 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WarblingVireo_D5X9662-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Warbling Vireo(Vireo gilvus) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 9:14 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WarblingVireo_D5X9643-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Warbling Vireo(Vireo gilvus) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:50 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WarblingVireo_D5X9539-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Song Sparrow(Melospiza melodia) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:56 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SongSparrow_D5X9616-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Song Sparrow(Melospiza melodia) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:44 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SongSparrow_D5X9483-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Song Sparrow(Melospiza melodia) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:35 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SongSparrow_D5X9431-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet(Regulus calendula) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:51 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RubyCrownedKinglet_D5X9551-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet(Regulus calendula) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:41 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RubyCrownedKinglet_D5X9455-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Dark-Eyed Junco(Junco hyemalis) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:28 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: DarkEyedJunco_D5X9417-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Orange-Crowned Warbler(Leiothlypis celata) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:48 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: OrangeCrownedWarbler_D5X9524-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Orange-Crowned Warbler(Oreothlypis celata) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:23 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: OrangeCrownedWarbler_D5X9372-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Orange-Crowned Warbler(Leiothlypis celata) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:22 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: OrangeCrownedWarbler_D5X9356-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Orange-Crowned Warbler(Leiothlypis celata) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 8:18 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: OrangeCrownedWarbler_D5X9324-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Nashville Warbler(Leiothlypis ruficapilla) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 9:00 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NashvilleWarbler_D5X9636-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Nashville Warbler(Leiothlypis ruficapilla) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 9:00 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: NashvilleWarbler_D5X9625-TwinLakes |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Twin Falls(Scenery) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 11:34 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: XT1575, 4.67 mm, f/2.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: JcD_20170716_113453_Phone |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Twin Lakes(Scenery) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 10:37 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes |
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Camera Information: XT1575, 4.67 mm, f/2.0, 1/1400 |
File Name: JcD_20170716_103719_Phone |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Twin Lakes(Scenery) |
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Description: Twin Lakes in Mammoth California elevation 8625 feet. Mono County California in the eastern Sierras. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:16 10:36 |
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Location:
Twin Lakes Mammoth |
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Camera Information: XT1575, 4.67 mm, f/2.0, 1/530 |
File Name: JcD_20170716_103652_Phone |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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