June is a very important time for birds in the Sacramento Area, with many species wrapping up or still in the middle of their annual breeding efforts. That said, it can be a tough time for birders, with uncomfortably warm days and less local species diversity than any other time of year. In many years, we get a late June record of an eastern vagrant warbler or the like, providing an exclamation point for the annual spring migrant. This year, we were not so lucky. Consequently, many birders head to the mountains to enjoy cooler temperatures and species that pass through our area in April and May. Blue-winged Teal continue to be widely reported throughout the year, suggesting they are established to a degree that would have been astonishing a decade ago. A calling Common Nighthawk was a nice surprise in the River Park neighborhood, north of Sac State, on 6/13 (eBird checklist S112879744). An Allen's Hummingbird continued at a private yard southwest of Clarksburg through at least 6/6.
The break in the June doldrums begins around the third week of the month with the arrival of migrating shorebirds. Least Sandpipers and Western Sandpipers are usually among the earliest. A Snowy Plover was a nice find for the area, at the Woodland WTP, on 6/25 (eBird checklist S113789671). A Marbled Godwit was at the same location on 6/22-23, as were three Willets on 6/23; another Willet was found in the Yolo Bypass on 6/27. For only the second time since 2008, a pair or two of Least Terns failed to show up at the Sacramento Regional WTP. A Glossy Ibis reported on 6/3 was an apparent first Yuba County record (eBird checklist S112052831). It was found among a big White-faced Ibis flock along Plumas Arboga Rd, south of Marysville.
Sadly, it appears that Burrowing Owls are nearly extirpated as breeders in the Sacramento Area, with about five known individuals continuing into June. Typically, there is an influx in the fall, with most migrating out of the area by the end of March. After decades of declines and plateaus, numbers in the breeding season have nearly dried up, starting about ten years ago. Habitat loss is certainly a factor, but declines are likely tied to a reduction in prey base because of drought and, perhaps, pesticides such as neonicotinoids (Burrowing Owls are partially insectivorous). A few species of songbirds have a migration pattern lingering into June. These include Willow Flycatchers (last reported on 6/17) and Swainson's Thrushes (last reported on 6/19). Warbling Vireos and Wilson's Warblers were also found into early June. A juvenile Dark-eyed Junco was an interesting find at Sailor Bar on 6/29. A junco pair was reported in Davis throughout the month, and there are previous breeding records for the city. Yellow Warblers continue to breed in small numbers in remote portions of Cosumnes River Preserve, reclaiming their historical breeding territory after decades of absence caused by forest clearing and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds
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: Max Brodie, Aidan Brubaker, Lyann Comrack, Andy Engilis, Gil Ewing, Linda Gal, Leif Gallagher, Cliff Hawley, Liam Huber, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Asher Perla, Michael Perrone, Zane Pickus, Steve Scott, Cameron Tescher, Jim Thomas, John Trochet, Tom Uslan, and Dan Williams. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.