After record-breaking storms in October and December, this January was dry but for a trace, offering many wonderful days in the field despite concern over what the dry weather might bring. Continuing on the Trumpeter Swan theme from last month, a juvenile Trumpeter Swan was found on 1/15 at a portion of Cosumnes River Preserve (CRP) not regularly open to the public. Earlier in the month, over 70 were reported among Tundra Swans to the northwest of Oroville (eBird checklist S100687780), north of the area usually covered here, but a remarkable number for anywhere in the state. A male Eurasian Green-winged Teal along Desmond Rd at CRP on 1/9 was a nice find. A Greater Scaup was found on Baldwin Reservoir along the Sacramento/Placer line near Folsom Lake on 1/2, continuing to mid-month; this species is quite rare locally away from the Delta. The female Long-tailed Duck found on 11/26 near the Nimbus Hatchery, usually below the Hazel Ave bridge, continued into February, and a male Red-breasted Merganser was among the Common Mergansers on Lake Natoma for most of the month. A Red-necked Grebe on Folsom Lake was an excellent find, first seen from Folsom Point on 1/2 and continuing for at least a week.
Winter records of Semipalmated Plovers (eBird checklist S100099775) are quite rare, so the one first found at the Sacramento Regional WTP (SRWTP) on 12/20 was notable; it continued sporadically through 1/10. Mountain Plovers continued in ag fields along Hwy 45 in Yolo County, just south of the Colusa County line. A Western Sandpiper was a nice find at SRWTP in the first half of the month, as were two south of Stone Lake NWR on 1/3, and another at CRP on 1/26. One to two Pacific Loons were seen on Folsom Lake from Folsom Point throughout the month. The Neotropic Cormorant found on 12/31 among a group of Double-crested Cormorants along Brannan Island Rd at the junction of the San Joaquin River and Seven Mile Slough continued into February. A Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk was a nice surprise at CRP on 1/3. Long-eared Owls are quite rare locally, but 8-10 were found at a traditional roost site on 1/6 and 1/22 at a portion of CRP with limited access.
A Red-naped Sapsucker was found north of Courtland along Waukeena Rd on 1/3. The Hammond's Flycatcher at Reichmuth Park continued through at least 1/15, and the Gray Flycatcher (eBird checklist S100874445) at CRP continued into February. The Eastern Phoebe at the southern tip of Tyler Island continued from 12/12 into February. A Pacific Wren at Sweetwater Creek was a nice find on 1/2 of a species that is getting increasingly hard to find locally. A small flock of Evening Grosbeaks were reported near the Nimbus Hatchery on 1/1. A Grasshopper Sparrow photographed (eBird checklist S100560759) at the Yolo Bypass was a nice surprise for the location and season, while Chipping Sparrows were hard to come by this winter after being quite regular in recent winters. A Swamp Sparrow was found south of Lambert Rd on 1/3, and another was reported off East Levee Rd on 1/24. Unexpected warblers from portions of CRP with limited access included a Nashville Warbler on 1/3 and 1/26, and the Hooded Warbler refound from November on 1/6 and 1/9. A male Black-headed Grosbeak (eBird checklist S100995673) was quite a surprise near Sacramento Bar along the American River Parkway on 1/18-19.
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, Lyann Comrack, Konshau Duman, Andy Engilis, Gil Ewing, Lauren Glevanik, Susan Goodrich, Mike Guard, Cliff Hawley, Jim Holmes, Liam Huber, Emmett Iverson, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Nora Papian, Michael Perrone, Jim Rowoth, Steve Scott, John Trochet, Jane Van Kessel, Dan Williams, and Lynette Williams. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.