Not surprising for a month featuring several of our local Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs), this December produced a lot of interesting birds. There weren't many reports of unusual waterfowl, but up to three Red-breasted Mergansers were found throughout the month on Folsom Lake, both from Beals Pt and Folsom Pt, with two recorded on the 12/31 Folsom CBC. One of the best and most accommodating finds was a Red-necked Grebe seen and photographed (eBird Checklist S155618365) by many from 12/2-12/15 at North Natomas Regional Park--the same site that hosted the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron earlier in the year. A most unexpected report was of a well-seen, small gray swift on the Folsom CBC by an experienced observer as either a Chimney or Vaux's Swift. Vaux's Swifts have been reported from Marin County this season, but are exceedingly rare farther inland in winter.
Mountain Plovers continued in the fields along Hwy 45 in Yolo County, just south of the Colusa County line; a high of 122 was reported. The old hotspot south of Dixon along Flannery Rd produced up to six birds on 12/10. These are the only two sites where this species was reported in the entire Central Valley, with the only other sites in the state being Carrizo Plain and just south of the Salton Sea. Marbled Godwits were unusually persistent in small numbers in Yolo County this month, with up to eight at the Yolo Bypass. On the 12/23 Sacramento CBC, an adult and a first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull were found at the Yolo County Landfill. There were up to three Least Bitterns reported at the Davis Wetlands during the first half of the month.
A Tropical Kingbird was photographed at Natomas Regional Park on 12/6, and the first Placer County record of the species was found on the Lincoln CBC at Sun City Lincoln (eBird Checklist S157371203) on 12/28-12/29. The Steller's Jay incursion seems to have tapered off, but two at Cosumnes River Preserve (CRP) on 12/2 were apparently just the second occurence at the lower preserve. Four Barn Swallows were found along Desmond Rd on 12/29. Pacific Wren reports were few and far between, which makes continuing Winter Wren reports all the more notable. Probably the same Winter Wren was back for a second winter near the Lake Solano campground, with another detected on 12/26 upstream along Putah Creek at Fishing Access #3. Two Evening Grosbeaks in Davis on 12/9 accounted for the only report of this species this month. A Red Crossbill was photographed (eBird Checklist S157033193) on 12/24 at the old Sacramento City Cemetery, and up to 30 were reported from the Arden Park neighborhood near Carmichael from 12/25-12/26. A Brewer's Sparrow was a nice surprise on 12/30 in the Putah Creek Sinks, south of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and the Orchard Oriole found at the UC Davis Arboretum on 10/11 continued into January. A Nashville Warbler found on 12/1 at CRP was unexpected for the season, and a first-winter male American Redstart found on the 12/31 Folsom CBC in El Dorado Hills off Silva Creek Parkway was a first for the count; it continued into January. For three winters now, a male Summer Tanager has wintered in Land Park (eBird Checklist S156965980) in the vicinity of Fairytale Town, first reported this month on 12/12.
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 we thank the following for their reports: Steve Abbott, Dan Brown, William Clark, Lyann Comrack, Courtney Covington, Jim Davis, Lily Douglas, Konshau Duman, Andy Engilis, Jr., Gil Ewing, Tim Fitzer, Robert Furrow, Linda Gal, Daniel Gillingwater, Joshua Greenfield, Steve Hampton, Kirk Hardie, Ed Harper, Cliff Hawley, Larry Hickey, Scott Hoppe, Mackenzie Hollender, Emmett Iverson, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Ed Pandolfino, Adam Panto, Ron Pozzi, Ian Souza-Cole, Samuel Schmidt, Steve Scott, Judy Spitler, Kevin Thomas, Vicki Ramsey, John Trochet, Alan Wight, Dan Williams, Lynette Williams, Rick Williams, and Ed Yong. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.