Memories of Bridgeport California

At the foot of the Eastern Sierra-Nevada Mountains is a “Big Meadow”, as the town of Bridgeport California was once called. It’s a small town with a population of 575, at an elevation of 6,463, who’s main economy is tourism.

I’ve only visited Bridgeport Reservoir once, but I enjoyed my stay there very much. The timing of my visited was key to the nature of my encounters there. It was springtime and there were young families feeding their young. I watched a family of Western Kingbirds perched on a low branch as the parents brought insect prey back to their waiting brood and then decide which of their begging babies most deserved the prize it held in its beak.

No doubt there are other locations around this town worthy of exploration, but the only other place near here I’ve experienced has been the marshy bottomland southeast of the town near the intersection of US-395 and CA-182. When the snowmelt drains to the valley floor here via the East Walker River and its tributaries, it creates ideal habitat for migrating shorebirds.