Antelope Mountain Avian Point Count

On wednesday, I filled in for our other wildlife biologist completing an avian point count on a ridge with a proposed wind power project along it. It's a challenge to do in a new area where you know maybe half of the bird songs and calls, but I managed. I only had five points to complete, so I had time after each one to chase down any questionable performers.

Species observed: rock wren (+ fledglings), mountain bluebird, spotted towhee, mountain chickadee, northern flicker, mourning dove, blue-gray gnatcatcher, black-headed grosbeak, brown-headed cowbird, blue-throated gray warbler, chipping sparrow, western wood-pewee, juniper titmouse, Clark's nutcracker

PRBO Point Count Protocol (Word doc)

The habitat was different than I'd been in so far. Antelope Mountain is 7618' in elevation, covered in pinyon pines and full of volcanic rock (hence the prolific rock wrens). The drive up passes through a sandy deserty area, with cacti and lots of lizards. Just driving down the road, I scared 4 species: western zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus), Great Basin whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris tigris), long-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii), and a pretty, pale southern desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum). At the top were Great Basin fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes), dark to match the volcanic rock. I didn't realize until then how few lizards I'd seen elsewhere.

the habitat	vertical baby rock wren
mountain chickadee	blue-gray gnatcatcher
blooming cholla	horned lizard