Thread by @phylogenomics

So I went out early this AM to go for a walk and do some birding. And at the last minuted I changed my mind on where to go and ditched #YoloBypass and decided to go to the @ucdavis Riparian Preserve. 1/n

I got there, parked (see red star) and put on my boots and started walking to the West to head along Putah Creek 2/n

But then I bumped into a birder who came over to me (wearing a mask) and asked "Are you looking for the Harris Sparrow" and I remembered seeing reports about this bird via @Team_eBird (this was at the point where the Yellow star is) 3/n

So I followed them up the road 100 feet or so (blue star) to where he said that yesterday everyone was looking for the Harris Sparrow. I got out my phone and found some of the @Team_eBird reports and found some of the pics. Cool. A distinctive black throat to look for. 4/n

And I looked for it. And I took a lot of pics. I got some nice ones too. Such as of a Western bluebird contrasted with some barbed wire. 5/n

And some of a few of one of our local threatened species - the yellow billed magpie - eg 6/n

And of a nuthatch doing its down facing thing

And some kestrels 8/n

And many more bluebirds 9/n

And a variety of other birds including tons, just tons of sparrows. Such as these - none of which were a Harris's Sparrow (note the lack of a black throat ..) 10/n

And these sparrows too and hundreds more - alas - none were Harris's either 11/n

And then, finally, I saw a bird with a really black throat. Cool. This must be it. 12/n

Alas, that was a junco. Crap. 13/n

Over an hour there. And no Harris's Sparrow. Well, OK. Back to doing my walk. So I headed back down to the trail and headed West for a walk along Putah Creek and got to see some nice birds. Including these. 14/n

And even some non birds 15/n

And then back to my car (pink line is the direction of my walk). But ... I glanced up the road where the Harris's Sparrow had been reported and way up the road -- maybe 200 yards up - I saw three people looking up in a tree (Green Star) 16/n

So I headed up the road, walking fast. And when I got there I asked "Did you find it?" And one person said "Yes, going back and forth in this olive tree". But alas, it was not there anymore. 17/n

And I looked and waited and a few minutes later someone said "There it is." And there it was. In the grass. I got one pic. And then a car drove by and scared it. 18/n

But then it came back and I got some nice pics of it. Here are a few. 19/n

And a few more 20/n

And a few more 21/n

Here is the @inaturalist entry I posted inaturalist.org/observations/7…. Only the second report on there ever in Yolo County. The first was a few days ago of what I assume is the same bird.

@threadreaderapp unroll please