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'Waucoba GJVews Sponsored by The Bishop Huseum & HistorIcal Society, Bishop, Ca. 9351 VOLUME iTFounded and Edited by Enid A. Larson, Box 265, Big Pine, Ca. 93513 Autumn 1978Subscription: Four 9" 10n s a ~ e d sel f-addressed envelopes 4 issues per yearB HWAUCOBA: A Paiute word for ''pine tree"; also highest peak in 'nyo Mts., 11,027 ft.

Photo by ealLENTICULAR CLOUDS OVER OWENS VALLEY Zeiss Conti flex

MOUNTAIN LEE WAVES(The following is presented In Waucoba News with permission from NEVADAWEATHER WATCH, Vol. III, No.2, from an article by Harold Klieforth, Reno, Nev)

When a cold front approaches Cal ifornla from the northwest and the westerlyair flow increases in speed over the Sierra crest, spectacular stationary cloudsare usually seen over the leeward valleys. These are manifestations of a mountainlee wave as i t is known. If the ridges and troughs of the horizontal air flowpattern can be I ikened to the bends or meanders of a stream, the lee wave phenomenaare analogous to the falls and ripples. Air flowing over the Sierra plungesdownward, then upward and downward again in a series of crests and troughs. Thewavelength depends on the air flow characteristics, mainly the variation of airtemperatures with height (lapse rate) and the increase of wind speed with height(wind shear). The amplitude is greatest in strong waves and when the vertical flowpattern is in resonance with the terrain as, for example, when the second wavecrest lies over the next mountain range downwind such as the Inyo Mountains,east of Owens Valley.Up. and downdrafts in a strong lee wave are often 2,000 ft per minute and sometimes exceed 4,000 ft per mInute. Where the air descends i t warms and the relativehumidity decreases. The warm dry winds which may reach 60 mph (30m/sec) at thesurface are known as foehn winds. The stratocumulus cloud deck over the Sierrais called a foehnwall or cap cloud and its downslope extension is known as acloud fall. After i t evaporates the invisible moisture is cooled again in theascending current and forms the turbulent cumul i form roll cloud.(NEVADA WEATHER WATCH IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY. Subscription $3.50 per year.Address: 1895 Royal Drive, Reno, Nevada, 89503).

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NEW LOCATIONS FOR DEDECKER'S CLOVERIn 1972 John Gillett described a new cloverspecies from Inyo County, naming i t Trifoliumdedeckerae after its discoverer, Mary DeDecker(Madrono 21:451-455). This species has beenknown only from two locations - at 7500 ft.along the Horseshoe Meadows road just south ofCarroll Cr. on the east side of the SierraNevada, and at 7000-7500 ft. in Wyman Canyon on

the east side of the White Mts. Hence, i t hasbeen considered to be a rare species.In the course of my work in eastern canyonsof the southern Sierra, I have encountered 3additional populations, as follows: I) alarge popUlation at 7000-7500 ft. in the canyonof the South Fork of Bairs Cr., 2) a sparsepopulation at 8000-8500 ft. in the canyon ofthe North Fork of Bairs Cr., and 3) a largepopulation at 7500-8500 ft. at the mouth ofShepherd Cr. All popUlations have been onnorth-facing slopes. Habitats have beenvariable, including understory of pinyon pines,stabilized talus at the base of an avalanchechute, cracks in granite rock outcroppings,and a sandy avalanche chute supporting sagebrush scrub. Exploration of other easternSierra canyons in this region can be expected to turn up additional populations on north-facing slopes. --John D. Wehausen. Big Pine

BIRD REPORTMono Lake - Tioga Pass RegionThis summer (1978) a team of ornithologiststrom the Pt . Reyes Bird Observatory led by Garyaige & David Winkler, studied the birds ofMono Lake. with emphasis on the breeding biologythe Snowy Plover. A report on their findingsWill appear in the next issue of WAUCOBA NEWS.?mong ~ h e more exciting discoveries were the

o l 1 o w l n ~ : An adult Baird's Sandpiper (almosta!l prevIous records are of immatures), thefirst Mono County record of the Mountain Plover.a n ~ the second ~ e c o r d of the Wandering Tatler.ThIrty-two specIes of shorebirds have now beenrecorded along Mono's shores, documenting theLake's great importance as a migratory stopover to water birds crossing the WesternGreat Bas in..Eared Grebes were notably scarce at Mono Lake: h l ~ ~ u m m e r . Instead of the half a mill ionIndiViduals typical of late August, numbersa p ~ e a r e d to be under a hundred thousand. Does:hlS reflect normal year-to-year variation? OrIS ~ h e . i n c r e a s i n g salinity and alkalinity of the~ h r l ~ k , " g lake's water beginning to take i tsIneVitable toll on Mono's bird popUlations?At high elevations near Tioga Pass. RobertS t e w a r ~ attempted to pursue his ongoing study ofa nesting, partly polygamous population ofWilson's Warblers, but was stymied when most oft ~ e birds f a i l e ~ to arrive! Snow still coveredhiS study site In June, and spring seeminglycame ~ o o lat! to allow the warblers adequate timeto raise their young.At the Carnegie Institute's Hall Natural Areanear Saddlebag Lake, David DeSarteand hi sstudents finished their second year of researchon t ~ e subalpine bird community.This studypromises to furnish new insights into almostevery aspect of community ecology. We'll havea progress report in the next issue.-- Dav i d Ga i nesE d t ~ o r ' s Note: Tom.& Jo Heindel are now teachingIn La Paz. BoliVia. A recent letter says"Birding is scarce in their high and dry

el!vation of 11,000 ft and there are no birdg U I ~ e s to help them in identificatlons".Their address is American Embassy SchoolLa Paz, Bolivia. f:1:ttt

RODENTS AND SQUIRRELS(Sc I uromorpha)RODENTS are probably the most often encountered of any of the mammls, and, as a group, areof utmost importance to man. Many of theirspecies serve as sources of food for predators, hawks. owls. and snakes. They destroYharmful weeds and insects; as fur bearersthey have played an important role in the

early exploration of western United States,Canada and Alaska. Recreationists goinginto the forests and at campsites commonlycome in contact with a variety of rodents ofthe squirrel-type that are abroad in daYlight. CAUTION: Do NOT Handlel! Allmammals harbor external parasites and atcertain times some species transmit diseasecausing organisms. Abrasive wounds frombites of any animal can be dangerous andthe squirrels will bite. They make extremely poor pets as they dislike being strokedor handled. Because of the frequency thatman in his habits comes into contact withthese small mammals he has the opportunityto OBSERVE their habits, study their behavior. and ENJOY them as wildlife in theirown env ironment.THE MOUNTAIN BEAVER, a burrowing, nocturnal of this squirrel-like group, is judged as lithe most primi tive of all the rodents". Its foss i1 record dates from the Palaeocene in North America. It lives in the Pacific Northwest, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, and is of rare occurrence in Mono County. It is not closely related to the common beaver. the fur-bearerLIST OF RECORDS OF THOSE SPECIES OF THESQUIRREL FAMILY (Sciuridae) KNOWN TO OCCUR

IN THE OWENS VALLEY BETWEEN THE CRESTS OFTHE SIERRA NEVADA AND THE WHITE-INyo.,1ts.(Owens Lake north to Inyo-Mono Co. line)Reports of other possible occurrences aremarked wi th asterisk:

Chipmunks: Eytam;as minlmus -(Least Chipmunk)g. alpjnys - (Alpine Chipmunk)merriamj - (Merriam's ChiDmunkJg. ~ p e c j o s u s - (Lodgepole Chipmunk)panamjntjnys - (Panamint Chipmunk)g. Ymbrinus inyoensis (Inyo Chipmunk)Squirrels: SpermophiJus beecbeyj - (Cal if.Ground Squi rreJ)

~ ' ( S p e r m o p h i) ys mobayens is (MohaveGround Squ i r re1)A m m o s p e r m o p ~ ]eucyrys - (White-tailedAntelope Squirrel)Spermophilus Jatera]i - (Golden-mantledGround Squ i r re I )Sciurys griseys - (Western Gray Squirrel)T a m i a s c i u r ~ douglasij - (Douglas orPine Squirrel) ~ ~ J a u G O m y s ~ a b r i n y s - (Northern Flying

Squl rreJ) Marmot: Marmota flayiyentrjs - (Yellowbell i ed Ma rmot> ALTITUDINAL RANGES will be given In a futureissue of Waucoba News. --Enid A. Larson

Two active Goshawk nests were located by USFSbiologists east of the Sierra crest betweenMammoth & June Lake during summer, 1978.At least 3 Acorn Woodpeckers were observed inBig Pine on Sept. 8, 1978. Previoussightings of this species in Owens Valleywere in vicinity of Mt. Whitney FishHatchery, nr . Independence, Ca. Dec.-Apr.of this past year (1978).--Larry White, Big Pine, Ca.