This month produced many interesting reports although local Christmas Bird Count (CBC) compilers noted there were relatively low waterfowl numbers this season. Up to three Red-breasted Mergansers were found throughout the month on Folsom Lake, and one was found on the Sherman Island CBC near Brannan Island on 1/2. More impressive was the report of at least 29 Red-breasted Mergansers (eBird checklist S160083362) on a Lake Camanche boat trip on 1/28. Mid-winter Common Poorwills are very rare, but not completely unexpected. Afterall, they are the only birds known to hibernate. One was found on 1/28 along Yolo County Rd 53 to the west of the Capay Valley. A well-seen and photographed male Costa's Hummingbird (eBird checklist S160274430) spent most of the month in northeast Davis.
Mountain Plover reports were a little more encouraging this winter than in recent years. They continued in the fields along Hwy 45 in Yolo County, just south of the Colusa County line, with a high of just over 100 reported. A high of 54 at the old hotspot south of Dixon along Flannery Rd was a pleasant surprise after so few have been found there in recent years. Western Sandpipers appear to be getting a bit more common in winter, with three reported on the 1/2 Sherman Island CBC, up to 13 found at the Sacramento Regional WTP, and 21 on 1/20 at Cosumnes River Preserve (CRP). An adult Glaucous Gull was reported as a flyby near the Gristmill access to the American River Parkway on 1/26 and over the nearby Rosemont neighborhood on 1/28. During the first week of the month, Hill Slough Wildlife Area, south of Fairfield, hosted a Neotropic Cormorant (eBird checklist S157909566). This species is marching north into our area and is already breeding in the southern Central Valley.
Most of the recent news about Burrowing Owls has been bad, so the discovery of six on a private ranch in southeastern Sacramento County was a pleasant surprise. This has been a very poor winter for finding Short-eared Owls in the region, and the only reports were of up to three birds along Sankey Rd in Sutter County, east of the Sacramento River. By mid-winter, it became very difficult to find Lewis's Woodpeckers locally. Oddly, one persisted from December at the Orr portion of CRP where they aren't expected. They were mostly absent from their typical, low foothills haunts. It is all the more surprising in a winter season with high numbers of Acorn Woodpeckers at sites on the flats of the Valley (CRP and the Bufferlands, for example) where they are often absent or nearly so.
A Steller's Jay was a nice find on a private ranch in southeastern Sacramento County on 1/29. Earlier in the season they were showing up more widely in our area. At least two different Winter Wrens were reported upstream of Lake Solano along Putah Creek between Fishing Access #3 and Fishing Access #1. Up to three Red Crossbills were at the old Sacramento City Cemetery from 1/21-1/25.
There were surprisingly few Vesper Sparrow reports, with only singles along Robinson Rd, south of Dixon, on 1/14, and along Meiss Rd on 1/20. The Orchard Oriole found at the UC Davis Arboretum on 10/11 continued into February. A Bullock's Oriole, very rare in winter, was found on Brannan Island on 1/2. Perhaps the bird of the month was an Ovenbird (ebird.org/checklist/S159709785) found on 1/24 at the WPA Rock Garden in Land Park. Despite how secretive this bird has been, many were able to see it into February, and some were even able to get nice photos. The first-winter male American Redstart found on 12/31 in El Dorado Hills continued into January. A Wilson's Warbler was found on 1/7 along the Lost Slough portion of CRP; they seem to be turning up more often in winter in recent years. The male Summer Tanager that has spent three winters in Land Park in the vicinity of Fairytale Town continued into February.
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, Ralf Baker, Dan Brown, Lyann Comrack, Konshau Duman, Andy Engilis, Jr., Gil Ewing, Kasey Foley, Robert Furrow, Linda Gal, Susan Goodrich, Joshua Greenfield, Cliff Hawley, Marcel Holyoak, Scott Hoppe, Mackenzie Hollender, Emmett Iverson, Logan Kahle, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Dominik Mosur, Roger Muskat, Adam Panto, Ron Pozzi, Samuel Schmidt, Steve Scott, Kevin Thomas, John Trochet, Dan Williams, and Lynette Williams. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.