Birding an ABANDONED Road in the Sequoia National Forest, California!

We explore an abandoned area of the Sequoia National Forest in California with our friends Rick and Rachel in order to search for Northern Pygmy Owl. Along the way, we encounter other species and get a few good looks at an especially elusive bird, but will we ever get views of our Pygmy Owl?
To learn more about Rachel's guiding services, check out her website here: centralcaliforniabirdingtours...
Special thanks to our members Liz McQuaid, Sarah Coffey, Barbara Cole, Chris Slagle, Sally, Sarah, and Laurie Borgers!
You can check out our donation/membership program here! ko-fi.com/badgerlandbirding
Gear Links (As Amazon Associates we do earn from qualifying purchases)
Panasonic LUMIX FZ80 4K Digital Camera
Used for most bird videos) - check credits as we do source some photos/videos elsewhere which is noted in the description
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Cayer FP2450 Fluid Head Tripod, 75 inches Aluminium Tripod
Derek's lighter tripod
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Andoer Video Tripod Aluminum Alloy 67 Inch
Derek's heavier tripod
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Nikon D5300
Derek's vlogging and macro camera
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Rode VideoMicPro Compact Directional On-Camera Microphone
Derek's external microphone for Nikon D5300
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Connect with us!
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Thanks to Terry Sohl for allowing us to use his range maps
www.sdakotabirds.com/index.ht...
Mountain Quail in cover image by bigsam (CC by 4.0, edited)
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Macgillivray's Warbler in cover image by Caleb Putnam (Public Domain, edited)
California Quail in cover image by Alan Schmierer (Public Domain, edited)
Northern Pygmy Owl photos and Sharp-shrined Hawk by Charles Gates (CC by 2.0)
www.flickr.com/photos/1240951...
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Sharp-shinned Hawk on pine by Sunny (CC by 2.0)
www.flickr.com/photos/airboy123/
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Photo at 0:44 by Rick Grijalva
Photo at 3:07 by Rachel Clark
All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann
#Birding #BirdWatching #BadgerlandBirding

[@michelletoth9125]

So many quails!! This was an awesome video. Thank you :D

[@user-qw5pm6lr9d]

The mountain quail is very stunning.

[@Beryllahawk]

Sitting...staring into the woods... Sounds like 90% of birding out in the world, though!! Hehe Great little adventure! I'm so grateful y'all share these with us

[@dicksonsmith2702]

Hey guys if you are still in California go find the Yellow-billed Magpie. Only place they can be found. I saw 15 this past June 2023.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

We made sure not to miss them! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWOXqHetl5qsqNUsi=m1NpZ5CZ2xOxkNlA

[@brighteyedbirding]

Congrats on finding the Mountain Quail! It is NOT EASY getting that bird to appear, and so much harder to get it on camera! Great video!

[@thecornells7430]

Superb birding video guys, as ever. Incredible birds. Thank you. 🇬🇧

[@Hummingbirder1]

- Gasp! - Not only did you see TWO, you got nice footage and photos as well! This is one of my Jinx-birds, I've seen it once (1996) when a pod scurried over the mountain road we drove. A bit too fast for my liking (the quail-scurrying, not the driving). They were gone by the time we stopped the car and got out. Then, on our spring California round-about in 2013, we had one (presumably a male) on the other side of a large and thick bush growing in a crevice on a steep rocky slope. It was very suspicious and made low calls but never came into view. When we tried to inch around the bush some, without falling off the "cliff", it ofc got quiet and probably sneaked off. So close, yet so far away! OR it wasn't calling low, but in regular strength, and we didn't pin the direction/distance correctly and it sat visible but *way* off... Who knows?

[@johnpradarelli9991]

What an awesome experience! The Mountain Quail’s single note call is truly beautiful to hear. Thanks as always for another great video.

[@BOSS-ji5qh]

I couldn't agree more

[@lukeocasio2784]

AMAZING VID!!!! Love those quails !!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks!

[@darylbernard2616]

MOQU is still a frustrating “heard only” bird on my Life List. I need to get my eyes on one!

[@cdlong28]

Marsh Wren is mine. I was peering into rustling reeds for like 10 minutes and heard chirping, but couldn't see anything.

[@Thundermanti]

I've had the opposite experience in WA, MOQU can be extremely tough without a feeder and house set up, whereas NOPO are probably the most abundant owl species (despite being difficult to pinpoint beyond HO).

[@pauraque]

Ive never seen a MOQU, heard plenty, but man are they a difficult one! Oh and NPOW. Took me years of living in CA to find one. In fact it's more like they find you...

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Gotta get the Quail and the Whooper Swan in the same day

[@duckypam]

I've heard so many Mountain Quail in the local mountains but I've only seen a few and always they were in the road when driving.

[@timjozwiak2293]

Love the quail! Looked like quite an outing!!

[@delusionspodcast]

you guys are legends! the black headed grosbeak is actually one of the birds that got me into birding, i only seen one.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Definitely a cool one!

[@ABirdersParadise]

Amazing close-up of the Mountain Quail! I occasionally have Northern Pygmy-Owls in my yard, but they certainly aren't very regular. The first time I heard one calling, it was dark, and I thought it was a machine alarm or something.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

That's a sweet yard bird!

[@jurassic_hobbyonmyaltaccou3878]

I’ve never seen an owl before, they are so hard to find for me

[@fishnsyd]

California quails are my favorite!

[@ivan11cast]

Congrats on the growth of the channel guys!! I personally love the in the field scenarios yall present, gives us more of a reality check of what birding is about.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thank you!

[@khango6138]

Amazing birds, such a fun adventure too!

[@garymeredith2441]

Derek and Ryan what sets the mountain quail apart from the other Quail's is the top knot it is NOT curved like the other birds it is straight it's the only quail that has a straight top knot .

[@birdingthenation]

Nice vid! Ryan I emailed you a date for a tour. Also your podcast is amazing! The best I’ve listened to! And I took my favorite new bird photo I have yesterday! A downy woodpecker perched exactly where i was hoping!

[@cnguyen0320]

Nice content guys! Glad to have found your channel. Hope you’re doing well. Cheers

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Good to hear from you, man and thanks for watching! Hope you're also doing well!

[@Hoodiegoose11]

first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

🥇