'Waucoba GJVews

Sponsored by The Bishop Museum & Historical Society, Bishop, Ca. 93514 Vol., VI
Founded and Edited by Enid A. Larson, Box 265, Big Pine, Ca. 93513 Summer 1982
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SKETCH
by
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A
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B
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GRACKLES GRACKLES
everywhere

BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE: A female was reported by Vince Yoder on May 25, 1982 at Diaz
Lake, So. Owens Valley. David Gaines, Mono County, ornithologist reported 6
seen on May 8 near Lone Pine. See next page for details.

ALL ABOUT CHIA

~,--"---' J. T. Howell
Has it ever occurred to you that the botanical name for the widespread annual mint,
Salvia Columbariae, is unusual? For years I have been subconsciously puzzled by the
specific epithet but I never did anything about it. Recently, when reviewing the genus
Salvia for the Sierra, I decided to look into the matter and what I found was interest­
ing and surprising.
When George Bentham, the English botanist, was describing David Douglas' California
specimen as a new species, the habit of the plant reminded him of a European wild flower,
Scabiosa Columbaria, hence Bentham's Columbaria's sage. I have not been able to trace the
ultimate origin of the word columbaria, except that it was used by herbalists. It is re­
lated to the Latin name for the order of doves and pigeons, Columbae. One of the common
English names for the Scabiosa is "pigeon's scabious". The same word-root comes to us in
the word columbarium, which was the classic term for a dovecote or piqeon house, from
which is derived the name of a structure of funeral vaults.
But let's get back to Botany: the common name of Aquil~ia, columbine, also comes
from the Latin word for pigeon. The relationship of pigeon and this flower is obscure
and I don't have time for further search. However in some Old World species of columbine
the spurred petals bear a fancied resemblance to five pigeons clustered together!
Our common name for Salvia Columbariae, chia, is also interesting and of ancient
origin. It iS'a name applied to several Latin American spe~ies of Salvia the seeds of
which are used for human food. According to Dr. Dennis Breedlove the word, chia, has
come to us through Spanish usage from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.
(Aren't words intersting!)

Mortonia utahensis, an interesting shrub, was collected by D. Guiliani on a limestone sub­

strate in Skeleton Hills, el. 2800 ft., south of Lathrop Wells, Nev., May 1, 1982.
Thanks to Margaret Williams, No. Nev. Native Plant Soc., for its identification and
for filing the specimen at the U. of Nev. herbarium. It is known in California from
the Nopah Range (Mary DeDecker) and from the New York Mts. This is a southern species
that has moved into Nevada from Arizona.
 BIRD NOTES
RARE DISCOVERY
OSPREYS bred successfully at Tinnemaha Reser­
voir in 1982. In each of the years from
1972-1978 a single pair of these birds
built its nest but was unsuccessful in its
attempts to breed at this reservoir. We
made no observations 1979-81. On August 4,
1982 we saw two adults with a fledged juve­
nile there. Tom & Jo Heindel (on vacation
in Big Pine in early August, from Saudi
Arabia)
THE GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE - Quiscalus mexicanus
(formerly known as the Boat-Tailed Grackle)
was first reported in California near Yuma
on June 6, 1964, when one female was
collected. Since then, this species has
spuladaad r-apidly increased. In Death
Valley, one pair was reported in 1977; in
1979, 30 of these birds were seen. In 1980
one pair was observed feeding young at
Olancha. This species colonizes agricul­
tural areas and desert oases. David Gaines,
ornithologist at Mono Lake, and Vince
Yoder at Lone Pine each reported sighting
this bird near Lone Pine in May 1982. No
evidence of their nesting at Diaz Lake.
Two were seen at Lee Vining this summer.
How far north this species will expand
its range needs to be documented. Origi­
nally, it was a resident limited to north­
ern Mexico and Texas. It is thought that
low winter temperatures may eventually
check its invasions northward and limit its
expansion here in Owens Valley. (Data
publ. in Dunn & Garrett by L.A. Audubon
Society) Thanks to David Gaines, Chairman
Mono Lake Committee, Lee Vining, Calif.
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (Bombycilla carrulus) about
a dozen, were together with a flock of
Cedar Waxwings feeding on red berries in
Lone Pine on Feb. 13, 1982. "This tougher
winter must be forcing birds farther south"
said Vince Yoder who made this sighting.
WARBLERS: Near Big Pine at junction of Hiway
395 and Westgard (168), Earl Gann and an
Audubon group in late May, 1982 sighted a
Parula Warbler (Parula Americana) and a
Palm Warbler (Dendroica Palmerum). Both
of these warblers are rare for this area
but have been previously recorded in Owens
Valley and at Deep Springs College.
BAND-TAILED PIGEON: A lone bird (Columbia
fasciata), reported by Enid Pollarino,
came repeatedly to a feeding station at her
home in west Big Pine, mid-winter 1982.
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: (Anser albifrons) One was
sighted by Paul Neal and Paul Johnson at
Mono Lake Park 21 Feb. 1982. This is a
common migrant but is seldom reported this
far inland.
~JSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen near Honeymoon
Flats~-~~ Rridgeport, in the Toiyabe
Nat'l Forest in Mono County May 26-29, 1982
Reported by J.M. Sweeney, Jr., Vista, Ca.
(Pheucticus ludovicianus)
in
The White Mountains
An important LIZARD record
On May 28, 1982, Ron Kuhr, Big Pine resident,
turned over a large brown rock (Pol eta
Formation) in the pinyon forest at about
8200 ft. el, in the White Mountains. Be­
neath this rock he picked up a blue-tailed
skink. He brought this lizard to me for
identification. Its characteristics were
those of the Western Skink, Eumeces
skiltonianus. This species never before
had been recorded from the White Moun­
tains. Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, judged
the identification to be this species
when I sent the live specimen to him at
the University of Calif., Museum of
Vertebrate Zoology, Berkely. He said
it was a "very important find".
This species is not known to occur in Calif­
ornia on the eastern side of the Sierra
Nevada, south of Tahoe. This individual
collected in the White Mountains may be
a western extension of those in the
Great Basin in Nevada or perhaps it has
extended its range southward from the
Tahoe region.
Further detailed study of this isolated pop­
ulation is now needed to determine the
corridors of access and the limits of
its range in eastern California.
This find is another instance in the Inyo­
Mono area that we live in a truly great
biological paradise for scientific in­
vestigation and for opportunities for
new discoveries among plant and animal
life. This is partly due to isolation,
partly to the presence of relatively
undisturbed areas and partly to the pre­
sence of relict populations. Records
from this area fill in gaps in man's
knowledge of ancient movements of plants
and animals in the Great Basin, often
since Miocene times, 16 million years ago.
Thanks to Ron Kuhr who recognized something
unusual when he saw it and for his
curiosity in trying to find out what it
was.
--Enid A. Larson
MAMMAL NOTES
James Wilson, Bishop, climbed Mt. Lamarck
(13,417 ft.) in Sept. 1981. Within 50
vertical feet of the summit he observed
what he identified as a pine squirrel
(Tamiasciurus); No pines trees were
closer than 2 plus miles at Darwin Lake.
Ed. Note: This would be outside of this
squirrel's usual habitat. Additional
observation will be welcomed.
SIERRA MARMOT in Big Pine Cyn, this year is
again present at 7800 feet el. after an
absence of 3 consecutive years. Young
appeared the first week in July; 2 young­
of-the-season are still foraging on
Sisymbrium on Aug. 20, 1982. No adults
are still active there.
--Enid A. Larson