Date: 5/16/24 7:33 am From: Chris Conard via groups.io <conardc...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Walk on the Wildside this Saturday, 5/18, etc.
Hi folks,
There are a couple of good opportunities to visit the Bufferlands in the next few weeks.
If you were to walk all the available trails, you'd cover 8 miles round trip, with a mix of valley oak riparian, wetlands, restored forests, and grasslands.
For details: www.bufferlands.com under calendar of events.
Walk on the Wildside on Saturday, May 18th
Open Trail Day on Saturday, June 1st --directions will be added to the website soon.
Twilight Tours run from June through September (you must register for these closer to the event dates: bufferlands.com for details).
Date: 5/14/24 10:48 pm From: Sally M. Walters via groups.io <bajaowl...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Swainson's hawk(s)
On the long way to the Sacramento Airport via Del Paso and Garden Highway, I saw one (2)very dark, almost black morph, Swainson's hawk. They were observed 10 minutes apart. 1st in a telephone pole, the 2nd on a taller fence post. It was about 8am.
Date: 5/12/24 10:10 pm From: Denise and David Hamilton via groups.io <2napabirders...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Oak Titmouse behavior question
My Oak Titmouse family do not drink out of my hummingbird feeders BUT
always drink out of the ant-cups above the feeders - even though our pond
full of water is just below it!
Denise Hamilton
Napa
On Sun, May 12, 2024 at 5:09 PM Ann via groups.io <burris.nellieann=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> For the last two days I have observed an Oak Titmouse coming to my
> hummingbird feeder. It looked like it was sipping syrup. It also took seed
> from the bird feeder but always took it into the tree to crack it open.
>
> Today I switched the hummingbird feeder to an oriole feeder so I could get
> an unobstructed view of what was going on and just as I thought it was
> indeed sipping syrup.
>
> Has anyone else observed or heard of this behavior in titmice?
>
> Ann Burris
> West Sacramento
>
>
>
Date: 5/12/24 6:57 pm From: L Markoff via groups.io <canyoneagle...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Oak Titmouse behavior question
Another reason birds use hum feeders is for the moisture. With the weather being hot again, they need more fluid. If you haven’t already done so, add a few more bird baths to your yard.
Lori Markoff
Citrus Heights, CA
From: <centralvalleybirds...> <centralvalleybirds...> On Behalf Of szafrica77
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2024 6:11 PM
To: <burris.nellieann...>
Cc: <centralvalleybirds...>
Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Oak Titmouse behavior question
Not specifically Oak Titmouse, but I have had 7 different species of birds at my hummingbird feeder on the east coast including Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers. It seems lots of birds like nectar.
For the last two days I have observed an Oak Titmouse coming to my hummingbird feeder. It looked like it was sipping syrup. It also took seed from the bird feeder but always took it into the tree to crack it open.
Today I switched the hummingbird feeder to an oriole feeder so I could get an unobstructed view of what was going on and just as I thought it was indeed sipping syrup.
Has anyone else observed or heard of this behavior in titmice?
Date: 5/12/24 6:11 pm From: szafrica77 via groups.io <slmayhew77...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Oak Titmouse behavior question
Not specifically Oak Titmouse, but I have had 7 different species of birds
at my hummingbird feeder on the east coast including Chickadees and Downy
Woodpeckers. It seems lots of birds like nectar.
Sarah Mayhew
Davis, CA
On Sun, May 12, 2024 at 8:09 PM Ann via groups.io <burris.nellieann=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> For the last two days I have observed an Oak Titmouse coming to my
> hummingbird feeder. It looked like it was sipping syrup. It also took seed
> from the bird feeder but always took it into the tree to crack it open.
>
> Today I switched the hummingbird feeder to an oriole feeder so I could get
> an unobstructed view of what was going on and just as I thought it was
> indeed sipping syrup.
>
> Has anyone else observed or heard of this behavior in titmice?
>
> Ann Burris
> West Sacramento
>
>
>
Date: 5/12/24 5:09 pm From: Ann via groups.io <burris.nellieann...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Oak Titmouse behavior question
For the last two days I have observed an Oak Titmouse coming to my hummingbird feeder. It looked like it was sipping syrup. It also took seed from the bird feeder but always took it into the tree to crack it open.
Today I switched the hummingbird feeder to an oriole feeder so I could get an unobstructed view of what was going on and just as I thought it was indeed sipping syrup.
Has anyone else observed or heard of this behavior in titmice?
Date: 5/8/24 7:59 am From: Robert Furrow via groups.io <robertfurrow...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] N California (multi-county) big day, 3 May 2024, 219 species (long)
Below is an account of a big day that spanned parts of the North Bay and
Central Valley, then into the Sierras and ending in Sierra Valley, reaching
a total of 219 species. Happy birding! -Rob Furrow
At 11pm on the evening of May 2nd, Danny Karp, Frank Fabbro, Zane Pickus,
and I (Rob Furrow) gathered on a street in Davis to pack up the car with
gear and food. We were embarking on a big day across Northern California,
trying to detect as many bird species as possible in a single calendar day,
May 3rd. The route would take us through 10 counties: Solano, Napa
(briefly), Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra, and
Plumas.
By 11:45pm, we were in position by a windswept grassy hillside in Solano
County. We immediately heard a Grasshopper Sparrow singing. Great, but it
wasn’t midnight yet! 15 minutes later the clock struck midnight and… the
sparrow was not singing anymore. After 5 nervous minutes, the Grasshopper
Sparrow sang, and joined our list as bird #1. The next planned stop was the
salt intake on Highway 37. But night time road work left westbound 37
closed (and, frustratingly, was not mentioned online on the page for
Highway 37 construction updates when we checked earlier). We took a detour
north to Route 12, then cut back over to spots along the Petaluma River. We
hoped for Ridgway’s and Black Rail in the brackish marshes bordering the
river, but 45 minutes of listening offered not a peep. We did manage to
find some easier birds like Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, 2 unexpected Common
Mergansers, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Virginia Rail, American
Bittern, and Marsh Wren.
Onward to our owling spots. First, a quick pause for Western Screech-Owl on
Roblar Road west of Petaluma. Then to Salmon Creek Road in Bodega, where a
vocal pair of Barred Owls were counter-singing practically right over our
heads. On the way back to Highway 1, a Northern Saw-whet Owl released a
long series of toots. As we continued on our route, we also enjoyed Spotted
Owls singing at an undisclosed location (sadly not at Salmon Creek Road,
where the Barred Owls may have displaced any local Spotteds). By 4am we
were near the town of Jenner, heading along Willow Creek Road. We dreamed
of hearing a nighttime California Thrasher or Green Heron at the creek
mouth. No luck, so we moved further inland. Another Northern Saw-whet Owl
unleashed nearly an hour of singing while we closed our eyes and rested in
the car. Still no whispers of dawn’s light, but by 5am we had heard
snippets from Hermit Thrush, Western Flycatcher, and Song Sparrow. A Northern
Pygmy-Owl began an extended dawn song, and we could briefly hear the
saw-whet, the pygmy, and 3 Great Horned Owls, all at the same time. Within
a three-hour period we had found 7 species of owls!
We were nervous about our sleepiness; none of us had slept much the night
before and we were all already coming off a busy week without great sleep.
But as dawn crept in, the mixture of adrenaline and sunrise (nature’s
coffee) perked us up. Our targets at Pomo Canyon and Willow Creek were a
combination of coastal riparian birds and redwood forest birds. Success! In
the morning chorus we quickly found many Swainson’s Thrush, Purple Finch,
Warbling Vireo, and Black-headed Grosbeak. From the redwood forest edges we
noted Golden-crowned Kinglet, Allen’s Hummingbird, Hutton’s Vireo, and
Band-tailed
Pigeon. Wild Turkey and California Quail were nice to find early, and a
pair of late Golden-crowned Sparrows was a bonus. A surprise Bald Eagle flew
over before 6am. By 6:15am, we were just about done here, with three
conspicuous misses: Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Martin, and Red Crossbill.
All are regular here, but perhaps not easy to find this early in the
morning. On the way back to Highway 1, an Olive-sided Flycatcher sounded
off, Pine Siskins wheezed overhead, and a Common Yellowthroat sang from the
small marsh at the mouth of Willow Creek.
At 6:45am we were at the Jenner overlook, dividing our labor among
seawatching, scanning rocks, looking up the Russian River, and scoping for
shorebirds and gulls along the beach. Ocean birds were on the move, and we
made quick work of our duo of trios (Red-throated, Pacific, and Common Loon
; Brandt’s, Double-crested, and Pelagic Cormorants). Bonaparte’s and Herring
Gulls both showed in decent numbers, and we saw our first Surf Scoters,
Common Murres, Brown Pelicans, Osprey, and Caspian Tern. The biggest
surprise here was a pair of Blue-winged Teal on the banks of the river, our
only ones for the day. We left by 7am, and arrived soon after at North
Salmon Creek Beach. No sign of Snowy Plover, but we added Whimbrel, Marbled
Godwit, and Glaucous-winged Gull.
We drove to Bodega Head. Well, we intended to, but Gaffney Point in Bodega
Bay had A LOT of shorebirds roosting. The number of Red Knots was
impressive, and we were equally grateful for Ruddy Turnstone, Snowy
and Semipalmated
Plover, and Dunlin, as well as Brant hanging in the deeper water. Okay, now
it was time for Bodega Head. The parking lot was closed, but it was a short
walk from the closed gate to get into position for a seawatch. A Northern
Harrier teetered in the wind. Pigeon Guillemots piped from the rocks while
we marveled at the flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes and Bonaparte’s Gulls
right offshore. We hoped to skim out a Red Phalarope or Franklin’s Gull.
Not today. Nor could we find any shearwaters or rare alcids. By 8:15am we
were birding around Bodega Bay on the way to Doran Beach. To our great joy,
the Yellow-billed Loon was still in the harbor and a surprise Long-billed
Curlew winged over, but we failed to find the lingering Long-tailed Duck.
By Porto Bodega Danny got us all on our first Spotted Sandpiper, and the
piers hosted Rock Pigeon (woohoo). As we drove to Doran Beach, we were
tempted by the large shorebird flock in the entrance road ponds, but
nothing new materialized except Killdeer. Scanning the harbor mouth, a
Red-necked
Grebe looked sharp, and Danny found a bonus Wandering Tattler on the far
jetty. Somehow we couldn’t find Black Turnstone: a frustrating miss for the
day. A Heermann’s Gull landing next to us was a fine consolation, and
two Red-breasted
Mergansers bobbed just offshore.
Somehow we were ahead of schedule and missing very few targets, so we
happily departed Doran Beach by 9:15am. As we crossed over towards Highway
37 (which was thankfully open), a surgical stop at a pond outside of
Petaluma hosted a lazy Snow Goose, and we found a much-needed Red-shouldered
Hawk while driving. Along the causeway on 37 we found drive-by Northern
Shoveler, Gadwall, Redhead, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, American White
Pelican, and Forster’s Tern. We were still missing Black-bellied Plover,
and failed here as well, ultimately missing them for the day. On the bridge
over the Napa River some of us got on a circling White-tailed Kite, which I
missed.
At 11am we had officially transitioned to the Central Valley, enjoying
Swainson’s
Hawk and Yellow-billed Magpie (missed by a snoozing Zane). A quick stop at
the Pedrick Road bridge over Putah Creek revealed House Wren, Bullock’s
Oriole, and White-breasted Nuthatch. Poking through Davis, we found staked
out Say’s Phoebe and Cooper’s Hawk, and the hawk drew out the expected
Black-chinned
Hummingbird. Next Julie Partansky Pond hosted Common Gallinule, Wood Duck,
Yellow Warbler, and Hooded Oriole. The roads between Davis and Woodland had
Frank’s stakeout Greater White-fronted Goose (Davis WTP), Great-tailed
Grackle, and our only Western Tanager and Ring-necked Pheasant of the day.
We checked our stakeouts for Loggerhead Shrike and came up empty. But a
scan of the Woodland Water Treatment Plant and North Regional Pond
delivered goodies, as Zane found a Black Tern and we quickly got on Eared
Grebe, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Tricolored Blackbird. A tight ball of
distant flying peeps called our attention to a Peregrine Falcon on the hunt
. Our route timing for the day was unforgiving, but we were on schedule. We
left for Natomas and arrived just after our 12:50pm target time, puzzling
over a quick look at a Coop/Sharpie that felt promising but was more likely
a compact male Cooper’s Hawk. With such a quick check of the North Natomas
Regional Park rookery, we didn’t find the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, but
we still enjoyed Cattle Egret and a sneaky Green Heron that Frank found on
the shoreline.
Another hour, another habitat transition. By 1:45pm we were in the thick of
oak woodland near the confluence of the American River in Auburn State
Recreation Area, hearing our first Oak Titmouse. A Nuttall’s Woodpecker flew
over, but only I got on it. Moments later we heard the wing whistle of a
likely Rufous Hummingbird, but never saw it. In the heat of the afternoon,
birding was slow, but a stakeout Yellow-breasted Chat at the Quarry Trail
parking lot sang a few languid whistles and chucks. We missed the expected
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Still, we needed to push onward and get into
chaparral. This suite of birds lifted our spirits again. Blue-gray
Gnatcatchers whined while Rufous-crowned Sparrows sang jumbled songs, and
hummingbirds buzzed through the flowering yerba santa. A lot of
hummingbirds fed around us; several Calliope, Rufous, and Anna’s whizzed
past and occasionally perched. While I studied goldfinches in hopes of a
Lawrence’s, the others found a Gray Flycatcher. Checking the oaks at the
chaparral edge offered up Nashville Warbler, and a California Thrasher finally
sang. We missed Bell’s Sparrow, but who could be surprised about missing
this secretive species in the 2pm heat.
We left Auburn with approximately 165 species, ready to move to cooler
climates with spiffy new mountain birds. I had scouted several I-80 gas
stations to see if there were any target birds on territory at their
margins. We picked the gas station at Dutch Flat, as we still needed
Cassin’s Vireo, but we could not find the bird that had been singing away
just two days earlier. A few thousand feet higher we made our only montane
stop on the western slope of the Sierras, along Lake Valley Road. Here we
enjoyed many Thick-billed Fox Sparrows, a flock of Cassin’s Finches,
Mountain Quail, White-headed Woodpecker, and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped
Warbler. In the mountains Frank brought his A-game, drawing upon his
experience surveying Sierra birds. He quickly got us on many calling birds
and interpreted the habitats to identify key targets.
My recent scouting hadn’t turned up any unique birds near Donner Pass, so
we high-tailed it all the way past Truckee to the Donner Party Picnic Area.
Driving over the pass, Frank spotted an almost-certain immature American
Goshawk, but only he saw it and he cautiously elected to leave it as
“Accipiter sp.” on our list. Reaching the picnic area, A Wilson’s Snipe flew
past as we headed to an open patch with Mountain Bluebird and Green-tailed
Towhee. On the way back to the parking lot, an Evening Grosbeak called.
We had budgeted a longer walk at the Sagehen Creek Trail east of Highway
89, and we set out with hope in our hearts and a long list of targets. It
was nearly 5pm at this point and the birds were quiet. A Williamson’s
Sapsucker was a lovely find, but we could not relocate the stakeout Sooty
Grouse. Our first MacGillivray’s Warbler briefly called as it skulked
through montane chaparral. It was 5:45pm and we were still missing Red-breasted
Nuthatch, but that was soon rectified as we birded the edge of the
Cottonwood Creek Campground. We also heard Dusky Flycatcher and Brown
Creeper, and Zane found a surprising Townsend’s Warbler in an energetic
mixed flock. Some of us noted snippets of what sounded like a Cassin’s
Vireo and a Hermit Warbler. Neither was vocal for more than an instant and
we never located them. We left both of them off the list, missing them for
the day.
It was 6pm and we still had two habitat transitions left. First, we entered
Sierraville at the southern mouth of the Sierra Valley. The habitat here is
partially Great Basin shrub steppe, with sagebrush in the higher parts of
the rolling openness, and seasonally flooded wetlands in the lower
patches. Black-billed
Magpie showed easily around town and along Route 49. Soon after, we found a
roadside Sandhill Crane. Before properly birding the wetlands of Sierra
Valley, we took a brief trip south along Antelope Valley Road, getting our
only real access to open juniper woodland and picking up singing Horned
Larks on the way. At Palen Reservoir we noted our first American
Wigeon and Northern
Pintail, and our only Ring-necked Ducks of the day. We didn’t have a ton of
other targets here, and we dipped on Lewis’s Woodpecker and Cassin’s Vireo
(yet again).
The final daytime leg began at 7pm, as we drove north along Heriot/Harriet
Lane to cross from Sierra county into Plumas county. We soon located Vesper
and Brewer’s Sparrow on fence posts, and Zane called our attention to an
elegant Short-eared Owl that took off and fluttered above the sagebrush.
Our 8th owl species of the day! We reached the extensive wetlands on
Harriet Lane to find treats like Sora, Wilson’s Phalarope and singing
Willets. We had two expected ducks left to find, and soon enough we found
an oddball pair together: one male each of Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal. A
quick poke over to Sierra Valley Preserve had several Sage Thrasher looking
crisply spotted. We had reached the transition in our day from skimming for
common birds to digging deep for rarities. There were no more easy birds on
the route – we now had to hope for an oddball rare shorebird or another
random bonus like Prairie Falcon or an early Common Nighthawk. As twilight
arrived, we ate and recharged at the Marble Hot Springs Road bridge, then
decided to work back to the south while we still had some light. Our sunset
bird was a Burrowing Owl winging over the road. We had hoped for them, but
thought they were relatively sparse here. Owl species number 9!
In the waning twilight we got into position for Common Poorwill on Antelope
Valley Road, and ended up hearing more than 6 singing birds by the time it
was fully dark out. Our species total sat at 219, and we had only two
(difficult) targets left: Flammulated and Long-eared Owl. We poked around
some quiet roads and had no luck in our 45 minutes of effort, though
several of us were buzzed by an intriguing owl. Unfortunately, we heard
only minimal vocalizations and couldn’t fully confirm the ID. We continued
our drive back towards Truckee, and an owling stop off of Highway 89 proved
to be quiet (except for the loud creek). Our list ended with a final tally
of 219 species. We had four dirty birds that were not detected by the
entire team: Ring-necked Pheasant (Frank only), White-tailed Kite (everyone
but Rob), Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Rob only), and Yellow-billed Magpie
(everyone but Zane).
For some species highlights by the numbers, we enjoyed 4 geese and 19
ducks, 5 grebes, 5 hummingbirds, and 23 shorebirds. The Yellow-billed Loon
gave us the rare 4 loon day, and 10 diurnal raptor species felt like a nice
diversity. The owling was singularly stellar. We found 9 owl species, all
of which provided either great looks or extended, loud singing for everyone
to enjoy. It was cool to encounter both Yellow-billed and Black-billed
Magpie on the same day, and 6 thrush and 9 flycatcher species are both
strong totals for a California day. Crossing this diversity of habitats put
us in the territories of many sparrow species, and we ended with 10 species
with “sparrow” in the name as well as 3 towhees and Dark-eyed Junco. We
found all the expected icterids (9 species), and did okay on warblers (8
species). As a group we debated our bird of the day: candidates included
Wandering Tattler, Red Knot (not too rare, but lovely in its breeding
finery), Black Tern, Yellow-billed Loon, Spotted, Short-eared, or Burrowing
Owl, or even the first bird of the day – the night-singing Grasshopper
Sparrow.
Our list of misses fell into three categories. The relatively easy or
consistent staked-out birds we missed were Black-bellied Plover, Black
Turnstone, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Cassin’s Vireo,
Purple Martin, Red Crossbill, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Hermit
Warbler. Missed birds that we had decent spots for, but that are not easy
for this route and date, included Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, rare
scoters, Vaux’s Swift, Ridgway’s and Black Rail, Sanderling, Marbled
Murrelet, Elegant Tern, Golden Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Lewis’s and
Pileated Woodpecker, Prairie Falcon, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Loggerhead
Shrike, Clark’s Nutcracker, American Dipper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American
Pipit, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Lark, Bell’s, and Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Blue
Grosbeak. The rarer missed birds that scouting or recent reports had put on
our radar were Sooty Grouse (scouted only a few days earlier), Sooty
Shearwater (just not moving at our exact seawatching moments), Franklin’s
Gull, Least Bittern, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, American Goshawk, and
Flammulated Owl. Although this is a total of 42 species, some misses always
happen, and we had exceptional conditions in many ways. A windy coast
offered up easy Bonaparte’s Gull and Red-necked Phalarope, plus quick finds
of all the common offshore movers. Then the warm and still inland
conditions, combined with a good migration the night before, provided bonus
migrants here and there throughout the route. 219 is beatable on this route
– perhaps a team could hit 230+ species with extensive scouting, perfect
weather, and solid migration. The optimal date and route are also
debatable. I suspect that a few days later would have been slightly better,
with a chance for the mountain breeders to arrive in greater numbers. An
additional stop at 4000-5000 feet elevation on the west slope might have
hosted some breeders we ended up missing. Or a slower path through the
Sierras, perhaps via Yuba Pass or even Graeagle, could also have brought us
to Sierra Valley. But that would be time taken away from other stops, and
the tradeoffs are hard to weigh with certainty.
In addition to the birds, the human and habitat dimensions of the day were
equally joyful. This team had it all: excellent birders serious about a
hardcore effort, a mellow vibe where we could bounce ideas about birds and
timing to collaboratively make good real-time decisions, and a generous and
friendly spirit to simply enjoy the magic of the day. The route was
dreamlike in its beauty. We moved from cool redwood forest out to expansive
ocean views. Then we rolled over grassy hills and past extensive saltmarsh.
Next the valley offered an agricultural matrix punctuated by productive
patches of riparian woodland and suburbs. The low Sierra foothills hosted
stunning vistas from chaparral and open pine-oak woodland out into denser
mixed forests. In the higher mountains we experienced the transition to
entirely conifer forest, and then the subalpine mix of boulders, meadows
and smaller trees. Reaching Highway 89, we were within mixed conifer
forests, but often found our best birds in the mountain meadows or right
along creeks. Ending in Sierra Valley was invigorating in its distinctness.
Sagebrush, shallow freshwater wetlands, and juniper woodland were all new
and so different from where any of us spend the bulk of our birding time.
And who can be sad about swarms of White-faced Ibis, groaning Yellow-headed
Blackbirds, and displaying Willets and Wilson’s Snipe at sunset?
Date: 5/6/24 8:55 pm From: Glennah Trochet via groups.io <trochetj...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] late April-early May birds at the Cosumnes River Preserve (in the last week or so)
Dear Birders,
On Sunday 28 April I co-led a vernal pool walk on the Rancho Seco- Howard Ranch Trail. Before meeting participants at Rancho Seco Park, I did a quick tour of the Twin Cities Unit, Desmond Road, the TNC Barn ponds and Lost Slough, the last three the core areas of remaining shorebird habitat at the preserve. At Rancho Seco Park I had my FOS black-chinned hummingbird and a flock of 80 tricolored blackbirds. The shorebirds were these: black-necked stilt- 20 American avocet- 5 killdeer- 18 semipalmated plover- 130 least sandpiper- 750 western sandpiper- 700 peep sp.- 750 long-billed dowitcher- 90 greater yellowlegs- 8 I was wrong about the singleton snow goose. It hadn't left, only moved from Desmond Road to Lost Slough.
On Tuesday 30 April I looked again for shorebirds. These waterbirds were of interest: snow goose- 1 blue-winged teal- 2 males American wigeon- pair northern pintail- pair and two males white-faced ibis- 1 black-necked stilt- 15 and 2 nests American avocet- 8 and 1 nest killdeer- 20 semipalmated plover- 70 dunlin- 17 least sandpiper- 250 western sandpiper- 620 peep sp.- 240 short-billed dowitcher- 2 (maybe more) long-billed dowitcher- 330 solitary sandpiper- 3 greater yellowlegs- 9 The short-billed dowitcher calls were made by more than one bird- that's why I listed the count as two. But I couldn't say that there weren't one or two more.
On May Day I checked the water level on the floodplain east of the Tall Forest. It was down a good six inches, so I waded out to the Accidental Forest for the first time this season. I had the pleasure of three seasonal firsts: yellow warbler (3), western wood-pewee (2) and yellow-breasted chat (1). Another check for shorebirds had more on the TNC Barn ponds than anywhere else, but Lost Slough East (Desmond Road) was a fairly close second this windy morning (the wind made scoping difficult). The numbers of sandpipers and dowitchers were up a lot from the previous day. The list: black-necked stilt- 15 American avocet- 7 killdeer- 20 semipalmated plover- 64 dunlin- 15 least sandpiper- 420 western sandpiper- 2100 peep sp.- 650 long-billed dowitcher- 770 solitary sandpiper- 1 greater yellowlegs- 6 When I went back by Desmond at the conclusion of the survey, only a few dowitchers were left. There had been over 1000 shorebirds to look through earlier.
On May 2nd Thursday I did a bit of woodland birding (sustaining my first tabanid fly bite of the year) prior to checking for shorebirds, covering the equipment pad, the newly recovered road on the high levee to the east, and along Wood Duck Slough. I also checked a wooded patch off the route on Lost Slough, and in sum turned up these passerine migrants: western flycatcher- 1 Cassin's vireo- 1 warbling vireo- 6 Swainson's thrush- 1 orange-crowned warbler- 2 common yellowthroat- 4 yellow warbler- 1 Audubon's warbler- 2 Townsend's warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 14 western tanager- 8 The shorebird fields had one American pipit in addition to these: snow goose- 1 greater white-fronted goose- 32 blue winged teal- pair American wigeon- pair black-necked stilt- 10 American avocet- 2 killdeer- 25 semipalmated plover- 64 dunlin- 28 least sandpiper- 230 western sandpiper- 660 peep sp.- 180 long-billed dowitcher- 520 greater yellowlegs- 2 It was a day of predated nests, with black-necked stilt, American avocet and black phoebe nests lost to some egg predator in the preceding 24 hours. A predator also got to a red-winged blackbird nest that had tiny hatchlings several days ago but was empty this morning.
On 03 May, I walked Wood Duck Slough, crossed the berm for the first time in at least four months to the southern Tall Forest proper to the eagle nest overlook, and then did another check of the shorebirds. I looked for but could not see the bald eagle nest on the east side of the Tall Forest (the forest itself is a mess of new down trees, large limbs and vines). Three female wood ducks (at least) are using natural cavities in the senescent cottonwoods at the south end of the forest. Today was the first day in quite some time that mosquitoes were troublesome. Passerine migrants were very scarce, with four Swainson's thrushes best. A check of the shorebird fields produced these: snow goose- 1 greater white-fronted goose- 21 black-necked stilt- 13 American avocet- 5 killdeer- 25 semipalmated plover- 51 dunlin- 7 least sandpiper- 280 western sandpiper- 240 peep sp.- 90 long-billed dowitcher- 430 greater yellowlegs- 11 Wilson's phalarope- 1 American pipit- 9
Last Saturday I started the shorebird survey early, before the rains could make the roads sloppy. I covered the barn ponds twice, Desmond Road twice and Lost Slough once before the rains arrived in force. The auditory highlight was a Gila woodpecker. Not really, of course, but we can guess where a mockingbird recently wintered. The shorebird survey produced these finds: snow goose- 2 (no longer on Lost Slough but at the TNC Barn ponds on the first go-round; gone on the second look) greater white-fronted goose- 11 American wigeon- 1 ring-necked duck- 1 black-necked stilt- 10 American avocet- 3 killdeer- 30 semipalmated plover- 29 dunlin- 5 least sandpiper- 33 western sandpiper- 29 peep sp.- 45 long-billed dowitcher- 295 greater yellowlegs- 3 red-necked phalarope- 28 (found on the second look at Desmond Road, not present on the earlier pass) A singing blue grosbeak was audible at the Farm Center gate.
Yesterday I ran this month's Lost Slough bird survey before checking for shorebirds along Desmond Road and at the TNC Barn ponds. The highlights of the monthly survey were these: blue-winged teal- 1 *Selasphorus* sp.- 1 black-necked stilt- 3 killdeer- 18 semipalmated plover- 31 least sandpiper- 14 western sandpiper- 1 peep sp.- 4 long-billed dowitcher- 30 spotted sandpiper- 1 greater yellowlegs- 7 bald eagle- 1 olive-sided flycatcher- 1 western flycatcher- 1 (it's been a poor spring for me with regard to *Empidonaces*) Cassin's vireo- 2 warbling vireo- 25 common raven- 1 violet-green swallow- 2 ruby-crowned kinglet- 1 (my first in about three weeks) blue-gray gnatcatcher- 1 Swainson's thrush- 16 American pipit- 1 golden-crowned sparrow- 1 Savannah sparrow- 2 Lincoln's sparrow- 1 (my first in a week or more) orange-crowned warbler- 9 Nashville warbler- 1 MacGillivray's warbler- 1 common yellowthroat- 7 yellow warbler- 7 Audubon's warbler- 6 (one of these was aberrant: the breast and anterior half of the belly were bright yellow, pale yellow on the hinder belly, white on the undertail coverts. The black streaking/mottling at the sides of the breast was quite "faded" looking. It was somewhat reminiscent of Andy Engilis's Townsend's warbler with the entirely yellow venter.) Townsend's warbler- 1 hermit warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 25 western tanager- 12 lazuli bunting- 1 Afterwards I made another check of the remaining shorebird habitat along Desmond Road and at the barn ponds. I had these additional finds: greater white-fronted goose- 9 (dropping fast) northern shoveler- 4 (likewise) American wigeon- 1 northern pintail- 1 ring-necked duck- 1 black-necked stilt- 6 American avocet- 2 killdeer- 10 semipalmated plover- 12 dunlin- 6 least sandpiper- 25 western sandpiper- 45 peep sp.- 12 long-billed dowitcher- 420 greater yellowlegs- 3 red-necked phalarope- 17 (another 8 phalaropes were too distant to I.D. in the heat shimmer)
Today was another outing at Cosumnes with shorebirds foremost in my mind. Saturday's rain stopped the steady diminution in suitable habitat, and maybe slightly reversed it in places. I started at the Love Shack (38 degrees F.), then checked the water on the east side road (it's baaack), walked the north edge of the Triangle Pond, then did the shorebird survey (one field at the county property had water and a few shorebirds, then Desmond Road, barn ponds, Lost Slough). I found lots of migrants again on the west side of Lost Slough, so after finishing there I walked Wood Duck Slough, the west side of the Bottoms, Warbler Woods, and the west side road. Water in quantity is again running over the berm at the tower pump on Wood Duck Slough, making access to the southern Tall Forest proper too dangerous to attempt. I previously mentioned the broad-winged hawk at the south end of Lost Slough. Warbler Woods produced another unexpected bird, a northern waterthrush. Birds that I found interesting today included these: greater white-fronted goose- 9 (doing the dwindles) northern shoveler- 0 (first miss this spring; a few had been on the Barn ponds after they disappeared from other spots) ring-necked duck- 1 (drake at the same place on the Barn ponds for about 10 days now. Mate guarding?) black-chinned hummingbird- 1 (my first in the Tall Forest this year) black-necked stilt- 6 American avocet- 1 killdeer- 30 semipalmated plover- 36 (20 on the county property were a surprise) least sandpiper- 30 western sandpiper- 70 peep sp.- 18 long-billed dowitcher- 120 spotted sandpiper- 1 greater yellowlegs- 1 red-necked phalarope- 43 broad-winged hawk- 1 western wood-pewee- 8 (first day with decent numbers) Cassin's vireo- 1 warbling vireo- 30 common raven- 3 Swainson's thrush- 36 (several singing) American pipit- 11 golden-crowned sparrow- 2 great-tailed grackle- 4 northern waterthrush- 1 orange-crowned warbler- 4 Nashville warbler- 2 MacGillivray's warbler- 1 common yellowthroat- 6 yellow warbler- 4 Audubon's warbler- 2 (also doing the fast dwindles) black-throated gray warbler- 2 Townsend's warbler- 4 hermit warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 18 blue grosbeak- 0 (seemingly less reliably found the last few years) lazuli bunting- 8
Date: 5/6/24 2:40 pm From: Glennah Trochet via groups.io <trochetj...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] broad-winged hawk at Cosumnes today
Dear Birders,
Today mid-morning I found an adult (maybe a subadult) broad-winged hawk perched in a tree at the south end of Lost Slough, the parcel west of Franklin Blvd. After satisfying scope views the bird took off to the west with two crows in pursuit.
More on recent birds at the Cosumnes River Preserve to follow.
Date: 5/6/24 7:37 am From: John York via groups.io <johnyork157...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Ring Neck Doves
Eurasian Collared Doves was my first thought when I saw Peter's pictures. Seems like the most likely. The doves in his picture have black eyes (at least on my computer). Eurasians have red eyes. They are really hard to tell apart at any time.JY
On Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 08:16:03 PM PDT, Peter Headland <stonecurlew...> wrote:
You photograph shows Eurasian Collared Doves, which are common and widespread in the USA these days. Back when we lived in the UK, Collared Doves went from rare to widespread: Collared Dove | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology (expand the "population change" section).
Since we moved to California in 2000 we have observed the same colonization process take place here: Tracking the Invasion of Eurasian Collared-Doves | All About Birds All About Birds
On 2024-05-05 17:30, Bill via groups.io wrote:
I recently saw a pair of Ring Neck Doves in my backyard.
Date: 5/5/24 8:16 pm From: Peter Headland via groups.io <stonecurlew...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Ring Neck Doves
You photograph shows Eurasian Collared Doves, which are common and
widespread in the USA these days. Back when we lived in the UK, Collared
Doves went from rare to widespread: Collared Dove | BTO - British Trust
for Ornithology
<https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/collared-dove> (expand the "population change" section).
On 2024-05-05 17:30, Bill via groups.io wrote:
> I recently saw a pair of Ring Neck Doves in my backyard.
>
> The web says these are native to Africa.
>
> Is this a rare sighting?
Date: 5/5/24 8:11 pm From: John York via groups.io <johnyork157...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Ring Neck Doves
Bill,These are escapees. There are hundreds, if not thousands, in captivity in this area. I was at an auction this afternoon where they were being sold. Some of mine escaped in the past, but they always hung around to get re-caught and put back in their cages where food was easy.
JY
On Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 05:41:30 PM PDT, Bill via groups.io <wg6h...> wrote:
I recently saw a pair of Ring Neck Doves in my backyard.
Date: 5/4/24 7:54 pm From: Sally M. Walters via groups.io <bajaowl...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] 2 vireos
Today, a Warbling Vireo in the tall urban trees of River Park. The bird was quiet and still after hours of rain. It moved off deeper into the trees.
I forgot to report a Cassin’s Vireo on April 14. It sang a lot, had clear phases, and answered itself. It appeared larger than other vireos [though later checking the sizes, it was not larger, but closer and brighter], with a bold split eye-ring bar across the bill [supraloral], a contrasting darker blue/gray head, and bright white wing bars. It had bright new plumage. It was up 15 feet in the row of casuarina trees that lined the levee next to the ball field at Glenn Hall Park. Flew off.
Thanks to everyone for the replies. I know size can be a hard thing to judge, but I felt this bird was larger than the nearby House Finches (which, according to my books, are about the same size as a Cassin's) and the bill seems too large for a finch to me. But, I defer to the expertise here. Thank you very much for the assistance!
From: <centralvalleybirds...> <centralvalleybirds...> On Behalf Of Elliot Chasin
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2024 8:12 PM
To: <centralvalleybirds...>
Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Weird Grosbeak?
Hi All,
Earlier this week we had three Black-headed Grosbeaks come to our backyard feeder. While this was an unusual thing for us (first time at our feeders), BH Grosbeaks are not unusual this time of year, so I did not bother posting.
However, one of the Grosbeaks returned a couple of times over the past few days, and yesterday we had better looks and I got a few pictures.
I spent a long time researching various books, apps, and websites. I am no longer fully convinced this is a BH Grosbeak, and the only thing I am sure of is that this bird is a bit weird. I am posting here to get some opinions on what species this is.
Here are a few things I noticed to jump-start the conversation:
* this bird was definitely larger than the nearby House Finches and I think the beak is quite a bit larger than possible finches
* the chest, belly, and flanks are heavily streaked on white (there is a bit of a glow from a patch of CA Poppies below, but it is definitely white) similar to a Rose-breasted Grosbeak female
* the upper mandible appears to be a different color than the lower, but the contrast is not dramatic to me
* the eyebrow stripe (supercillium) is quite weak for a grosbeak, but does extend to the back of the neck (nape) like the BH and RB Grosbeaks females
* whatever white head striping (median and crown stripe) that should be present is very weak
* similarly, the jawline white stripe (malar) is somewhat weak and includes some yellowing
Earlier this week we had three Black-headed Grosbeaks come to our backyard feeder. While this was an unusual thing for us (first time at our feeders), BH Grosbeaks are not unusual this time of year, so I did not bother posting.
However, one of the Grosbeaks returned a couple of times over the past few days, and yesterday we had better looks and I got a few pictures.
I spent a long time researching various books, apps, and websites. I am no longer fully convinced this is a BH Grosbeak, and the only thing I am sure of is that this bird is a bit weird. I am posting here to get some opinions on what species this is.
Here are a few things I noticed to jump-start the conversation:
* this bird was definitely larger than the nearby House Finches and I think the beak is quite a bit larger than possible finches
* the chest, belly, and flanks are heavily streaked on white (there is a bit of a glow from a patch of CA Poppies below, but it is definitely white) similar to a Rose-breasted Grosbeak female
* the upper mandible appears to be a different color than the lower, but the contrast is not dramatic to me
* the eyebrow stripe (supercillium) is quite weak for a grosbeak, but does extend to the back of the neck (nape) like the BH and RB Grosbeaks females
* whatever white head striping (median and crown stripe) that should be present is very weak
* similarly, the jawline white stripe (malar) is somewhat weak and includes some yellowing
Date: 4/27/24 9:55 pm From: Glennah Trochet via groups.io <trochetj...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Cosumnes birds the last 10 days or so
Dear Birders,
I have been enjoying spring migration with several recent visits to the Cosumnes River Preserve in southern Sacramento County. A more protracted than usual drawdown of managed wetlands has maintained some shorebird habitat later into the season than is perhaps usual at Cosumnes. Ordinarily the mosquito and vector control people want the water gone in these wetland ponds when the calendar turns April. I have been emphasizing checking for shorebirds under the circumstances. I haven't turned up anything really remarkable, but it has been fun to look at so many (for this location) of these birds.
On Friday, 19 April, I just checked the area behind the Farm Center gate. Among the passerines I picked up my FOS blue-gray gnatcatchers (2) and Nashville warbler (1). The shore birds were these: American avocet- 4 black-bellied plover- 72 (a fair amount of turnover from the 129 seen two days earlier as many more birds today were still in basic plumage) killdeer- 8 semipalmated plover- 2 whimbrel- 1 dunlin- 120 least sandpiper- 650 western sandpiper- 1700 peep sp.- 1200 long-billed dowitcher- 850 Wilson's snipe- 1 lesser yellowlegs- 7 greater yellowlegs- 55
I checked for shorebirds again at 12:40 and found zero. While I was scoping one field, 14 black-bellied plovers flew in.
Saturday the 20th was this month's Tall Forest bird survey. Perhaps the funnest thing was picking up both Swainson's thrush and hermit thrush on the same outing, an uncommon pairing for me. The water was too high to wade to the Accidental Forest or to cross the berm into the southern Tall Forest proper, and this remains true today. Survey highlights included these: Vaux's swift- 1 black-bellied plover- 54 killdeer- 7 semipalmated plover- 27 dunlin- 150 least sandpiper- 110 western sandpiper- 1050 peep sp.- 600 long-billed dowitcher- 920 Wilson's snipe- 1 (heard only) lesser yellowlegs- 6 greater yellowlegs- 55 white-tailed kite- 1 bald eagle- 1 *Empidonax* sp.- 1 warbling vireo- 4 solitary vireo sp.- 1 Swainson's thrush- 1 hermit thrush- 2 Oregon junco- 1 (singing) Bullock's oriole- 30 orange-crowned warbler- 15 Nashville warbler- 7 common yellowthroat- 10 Audubon's warbler- 75 Audubon's x myrtle warbler- 1 myrtle warbler- 4 yellow-rumped warbler- 35 Townsend's warbler- 3 hermit warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 20 black-headed grosbeak- 20 lazuli bunting- 1
Last Wednesday, 24 April, the morning was initially a work day. From 0615 to 0840 I trimmed back poison oak that was bidding fair to take away portions of the Lost Slough bird survey route. Even before pulling out my machete and loppers, I watched a peregrine put up hundreds of calidrines. After that work, I visited most of the remaining shorebird habitat on the lower preserve. Lost Slough and Desmond Road got thorough coverage, but mowing was going on at the TNC Barn ponds, so I didn't see them all. There's not much left on the county property east of the shack, but one check still has extensive shallow water. But not all the shorebirds of interest behind the gate were there. Three adjacent fields had numbers of semipalmated plovers. But the pulse of black-bellied plovers that had been a treat to see seems to have come and gone. In late morning, the same or another peregrine flushed ALL the shorebirds. Most of the semi plovers and all of the dowitchers and yellowlegs left and did not return. After several minutes the peeps and only the peeps returned. These are what I turned up this morning: black-necked stilt- 28 American avocet- 10 killdeer- 22 semipalmated plover- 220 (I cannot recall having seen as many before here) dunlin- 35 least sandpiper- 240 western sandpiper- 1350 peep sp.- 450 long-billed dowitcher- 210 Wilson's snipe- 1 lesser yellowlegs- 1 greater yellowlegs- 30 The south side of the Lost Slough route was hopping with migrant songbirds, mostly Wilson's warblers and myrtle warblers, with a few warbling vireos as well.
On Friday I started behind the Farm Center gate, walking the east side road and down Wood Duck Slough before turning my attention to the still-considerable area of suitable shorebird habitat. Some is viewable from Desmond Road and Franklin Blvd., but much is behind gates at the TNC Barn ponds and on Lost Slough. The one field behind the Farm Center gate is still getting a lot of use, too.
The passerines of interest today were these: warbling vireo- 12 Swainson's thrush- 2 Oregon junco- 1 (still singing, but some 300 meters from its most recent spot) golden-crowned sparrow- 4 (the only winter sparrow seen today) orange-crowned warbler- 7 Nashville warbler- 15 common yellowthroat- 8 Audubon's warbler- 12 Townsend's warbler- 4 hermit warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 18 western tanager- 6 lazuli bunting- 1
The shorebirds included nothing rare, but it was fun to have so many to look through: black-necked stilt- 24 American avocet- 12 killdeer- 25 semipalmated plover- 245 (my new high, I think) dunlin- 60 least sandpiper- 450 western sandpiper- 2200 peep sp.- 700 long-billed dowitcher- 560 lesser yellowlegs- 2 greater yellowlegs- 41 Wilson's phalarope- 1
Today was probably the end of the line for shorebird habitat behind the Farm Center gate. One field still looked like it could host shorebirds, but none were there. I fairly thoroughly checked the TNC Barn ponds, Desmond Road, and Lost Slough as well. I also visited the Point on the River Walk early (36 degrees F.!) and extensively in late morning around the Tall Forest. Birds of interest to me: snow goose- yesterday's singleton (3 on Wednesday) seems gone blue-winged teal- pair American wigeon- 1 northern pintail- 2 lone drakes and a pair ring-necked duck- 2 lone drakes rock pigeon- 7 (location, location, location) white-throated swift- 1 black-necked stilt- 9 American avocet- 5 killdeer- 25 semipalmated plover- 105 dunlin- 31 least sandpiper- 420 western sandpiper- 850 peep sp.- 350 long-billed dowitcher- 190 greater yellowlegs- 20 western flycatcher- 1 warbling vireo- 8 common raven- 5 in a flock low over of the Tall Forest Swainson's thrush- 1 cedar waxwing- 14, first in quite a while American pipit- 2 Oregon junco- seems to be gone golden-crowned sparrow- 6 Savannah sparrow- 15 orange-crowned warbler- 5 Nashville warbler- 1 common yellowthroat- 4 MacGillivray's warbler- 1 FOS Audubon's warbler- 18 myrtle warbler- 1 (my last new taxon of the day) yellow-rumped warbler- 5 Townsend's warbler- 2 black-throated gray warbler- 1 Wilson's warbler- 4 western tanager- 8 blue grosbeak- 1 FOS
