April showers were not forthcoming to ease the drought, and while many complained of a somewhat slow migration, bird activity was far more plentiful than the rain. Migration comes in fits and starts, and all of the regulars were accounted for, with a few days producing impressive numbers. Migrating flycatchers, including uncommon empids, were well-represented among reports. Lingering waterbirds and other wintering species, as well as migrant shorebirds rounded out the list for the month. On the heels of the past two winters with a male Northern Shoveler x Blue-winged Teal hybrid, a male Northern Shoveler x Cinnamon Teal was found and photographed in March, continuing into April at Cosumnes River Preserve (CRP). One of the two White-winged Scoters that had been present for several months on Folsom Lake near Folsom Point continued through 4/1.
Sacramento County's third record of White-winged Dove (eBird checklist) was visiting seed in a backyard in Sacramento's Tahoe Park neighborhood from 4/14 (and possibly earlier) to at least 4/17. A Common Poorwill (eBird checklist) was photographed on 4/3 along the Laguna Creek Parkway in Elk Grove, with another found on a private ranch in southeastern Sacramento County on 4/21, as well as "a few" from Rayhouse Rd on 4/30. A male Allen's Hummingbird was visiting a yard in rural Yolo County, southwest of Clarksburg, for much of the month. An impressive 12 Pacific Golden-Plovers (eBird checklist) were found in a field along Swan Rd, south of Dixon, on 4/19. A Pectoral Sandpiper, more expected in the late summer and fall, was a nice surprise on 4/19 in Yolo County near the "farmer's pond" along Rd 30; equally unexpected in spring was a reported Semipalmated Sandpiper at CRP on 4/24. Relatively few Solitary Sandpiper reports included singles at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area on 4/4 and 4/23, and one at CRP on 4/25.
Bald Eagles nested at CRP for the second year in a row. A Hairy Woodpecker at Mississippi Bar was a nice find on 4/28. The continuing Eastern Phoebe was last reported along Cache Creek at Wild Wings Park on 4/5. A Varied Thrush photographed on 4/29 at Reichmuth Park was quite late for the species locally. A Black-throated Sparrow was found near the junction of Michigan Bar and Latrobe Rds on 4/18-20, and another (eBird checklist) was found along Meiss Rd on 4/19. There was a flurry of Brewer's Sparrow reports in eastern Sacramento County from 4/18-21, and the Harris's Sparrow found in February with a crowned-sparrow flock adjacent to the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve continued until at least 4/11.
The Sacramento Area is roughly defined as lying between Hwy 20 to the north, Hwy 12 to the south, and the 1000-foot contour to the east and west, plus all of Sacramento and Yolo Counties. Many reports first appeared on the Central Valley Bird Club listserv (groups.io/g/centralvalleybirds) and in eBird (ebird.org). It is impossible to list everyone, but I want to thank the following for their reports: Max Brodie, Aidan Brubaker, Lily Douglas, Konshau Duman, Andy Engilis, Gil Ewing, Rob Furrow, Ed Harper, Jim Holmes, Scott Hoppe, Alvaro Jaramillo, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Stephanie Levins, Tim Ludwick, Mark Martucci, Michael Perrone, Nora Papian, Jim Rowoth, Scott Schlossberg, Steve Scott, Sean Smith, Gaven Stacey, John Trochet, Tom Uslan, and Lynette Williams. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.