I planned a trip through the Smoke Creek Desert in the hopes of photographing a Yellow-breasted Chat. The Yellow-breasted Chat has always been a mystery to taxonomists: it looks similar to Warblers but is larger, has a more varied songs and calls more like a mimid, and has a different behavior and anatomy compared to warblers. For decades the Chat was placed in the warbler family, but in the late 2010’s this Chat was given its own family (Icteriidae), noting the differences from a Warbler. I did find not only one Yellow-breasted Chat but 6. This Chat was the fifth one I saw. Like Warblers, the bird did not sit still very long but at least this one posed in the open for about 15 seconds (Note: All photos in this blog were taken with the same camera setup).

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) - Smoke Creek Road, WAS (NV)
EQ: Nikon D850, Nikkor 500mm f/4.0 with 1.4 TC Taken: 6-6-2023 at 10:02
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

That was the short version but the long one started pre-dawn with the first stop being at Range Land Road, which is off of Pyramid Hwy between Sparks and Pyramid Lake (see map with red points being ebird hotshots and blue are personal locations). I was hoping for Burrowing Owls and I found 2 in the same location as the previous year but as I approached one it dropped down out of sight; no photo. The next stop was at a new location at the north end of Pyramid Lake: Washington Rock. I was hoping to find Rock Wrens but instead there were Swallows, which turned out to be Violet-green.

On the way to Smoke Creek Road there is a spring at Bonham Ranch, which is located along Surprise Valley Road. At the Ranch, I first saw an adult Long-eared Owl as well as Bullock’s Orioles, Northern Mockingbird, a male Harrier, Common Nighthawks, and a pair of Swainson’s Hawk with one on a nest with at least 2 chicks.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) - Smoke Creek Desert - Bonham Ranch, WAS (NV), Taken at 6:54
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO1250, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) - Bonham Ranch, WAS (NV), Taken at 7:29
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

I saw another Owl that flushed out the adult Long-eared Owl and that owl turned out to be a Barn Owl. Walking back to my truck I looked at a tree I had passed a few times and there were 4 juvenile Long-eared Owls.

Next stop was a bridge across Smoke Creek about 31 miles north of Bonham Ranch. There were more Common Nighthawks, Western Kingbirds, Western Meadowlarks, and Bullock's Orioles.

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) - Bridge over Smoke Creek, WAS (NV), Taken at 7:57
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/640s, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

Smoke Creek Road is 33 mi north of Washington Rock and the first bird I saw was a Yellow-breasted Chat; my target bird. I saw the Chat on the top of a cliff and I saw a total of 6 Chats along the creek in the dense willows.

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) - Smoke Creek Road, WAS (NV), Taken at 10:02
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/640s, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

I also found Yellow Warblers, Bewick’s Wren, Spotted Towhee, and a Canyon Wren signing at the top of a cliff.

snipeAt the north end of the creek, there is a wetlands where I found Gadwall, Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal, Wilson’s , and 2 Long-billed Curlew. The final encounter was seeing a pair of Western Kingbirds flush out an immature Long-eared Owl.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) - Smoke Creek Road, WAS (NV), Taken at 11:13
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3EV, Conditions: overcast

I returned home by crossing into California and linking up with Hwy 395 for the trip back. Next time I would just head back the way I came with maybe a trip passed the Sheep Spring Area. For a complete list of species and some audio see my ebird Trip Report.

Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.

Smoke Creek Desert, WAS (NV)

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