Following closely on the Central Valley’s first Zone-tailed Hawk (last reported in south Sacramento on 2/7), assuming that report is accepted by the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC, californiabirds.org), a Painted Bunting was found coming to a feeder in Stockton on 2/1.  While just south of the area typically covered by this column, its status as a first for the Valley earns it top billing here.  A female or young male, it continued through press time, being seen and photographed by multiple visiting birders at a private back yard.  Another great backyard bird was a Harris’s Sparrow found near the Gristmill access to the American River Parkway (ARP) on 1/31, continuing through press time and seen by dozens of visitors.

The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull found at the Nimbus Hatchery on 1/9 continued to at least 2/5, and two Western Gulls were at Ancil Hoffman on 2/26.  An adult Glaucous Gull was photographed flying over Rosemont (east of Sacramento) on 2/1.  Impressive Yolo County gulls reports from the Davis Landfill and nearby sewer ponds included up to three Glaucous Gulls and two Western Gulls.  Always on the cutting edge of gull ID, Yolo gull watchers reported a second-cycle Slaty-backed Gull on 2/19 (a CBRC review species), a Kumlien’s (Iceland) Gull on 2/17, and a possible glaucoides Iceland Gull on 2/19 (Iceland Gulls are CBRC review species).

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker found on 2/26 and continuing into mid-March at Serrano and Silva Valley Parkways in El Dorado Hills appears to be a first record for El Dorado County.  The annual bird count at UC Davis, run this year on 2/6, produced some good local winter finds.  To the west of campus along Putah Creek, highlights included a Short-eared Owl at a restored grassland site near Stevenson’s Bridge (one of few reports this winter), a Hairy Woodpecker (rare that far into the Valley), and a wintering Yellow Warbler.  Eleven Red-breasted Nuthatches on the UCD campus was also impressive.

A light morph Harlan’s (Red-tailed) Hawk was photographed along I-5 between Elk Grove Blvd and Hood-Franklin Rd on 2/13, and dark morphs included the returning wintering bird at Thornton and Peltier Rds in San Joaquin County and one at Cosumnes River Preserve on 2/12. 

Rounding out a short but busy month was a Red-throated Loon on Folsom Lake, Folsom Point, on 2/11, a Pacific Loon and a Red-necked Grebe at Lake Camanche on 2/28, a Long-eared Owl at Grasslands Regional Park at archery range on 2/19, a wintering Wilson’s Warbler at the Sacramento County Bufferlands on 2/19 and into March, the continuing Curtis Park Steller’s Jay through at least 2/27, a Mountain Chickadee at Larchmont Park and ARP on 2/21, and numerous Evening Grosbeaks in Davis.

Many of these reports first appeared on the Central Valley Bird Club Listserv. Visit cvbirds.org and click "Listserve" for details.  With nearly 100 reports, it is impossible to list everyone; however, I want to thank the following for reports on the above species and for providing additional information:  Dan Airola, Dan Brown, Todd Easterla, Andy Engilis, Gil Ewing, Maureen Geiger, Steve Hampton, Ed Harper, Dan Kopp, Jeri Langham, Don Marsh, Sarah Newton, Cheri Pillsbury, Linda Pittman, Jim Pompy, John Sterling, John Trochet, and Bruce Webb.  Thanks to everyone for their reports—without them, this column would not be possible.