May has many faces. The first week or ten days are often the most exciting period for migrant songbirds all spring, if not all year. Migration is highly variable, so some days can be very slow, while others are much better. This month, the large flow of migrants quickly dried up by Mother's Day, though there were a few surprises to come. Melt water from the heavy snow pack kept rivers high, and left some sites in the low floodplain connected to the high Delta waters and with limited access. By the end of the month, reports of migrants had really slowed, though mild temperatures and breezy days made for pleasant if not bird-filled outings.
A few widely scattered Calliope Hummingbird reports came in during the first eleven days of May. Among the unexpected shorebirds, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, much less expected in spring than in July and August, was found at the Robben Rd ponds, south of Dixon, from 5/13-5/15. A Solitary Sandpiper was found on 5/2 north of Vacaville, near the intersection of Leisure Town and Allendale Rds. An adult Franklin's Gull was a nice surprise on 5/21 at the Robben Rd ponds. A Least Bittern was singing from a marsh at a normally closed portion of Cosumnes River Preserve on 5/27; three were found on surveys at the western tip of Sherman Island, though this site doesn't have public access. A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in Natomas was an excellent find on 5/11 (eBird Checklist S137129604) at River Birch Park, just east of Truxel Rd at Terracina Dr. It was only seen for one day until almost certainly the same bird was found nearby in June.
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was photographed roosting in a tree in Davis on 5/22 (eBird Checklist S138928769). Slowly but surely, Dark-eyed Juncos are establishing themselves as breeders in the Sacramento area. Two singing males, one with a family group, were found at Willowbank Ditch in Davis. Another was singing at Slide Hill Park, and a pair has nested for four years in a row on the UC Davis campus. Another pair was regularly noted in Sacramento near U and 42nd Streets, and fledged young of this pair were confirmed in June. Single Brewer's Sparrows were found on 5/5 at Sacramento Bar along the American River Parkway (ARP), and from more expected grassland sites along both Michigan Bar and Meiss Rds on 5/13. A Vesper Sparrow was a bit of a surprise at Mississippi Bar on 5/1, with another in more expected habitat along Payen Rd on 5/6. Hoped-for vagrant warblers came in the form of two Ovenbirds, both on the same day, and a Palm Warbler. The Ovenbirds were both found on 5/21, at Bobelaine in Sutter County and along Deer Creek off Latrobe Rd (eBird Checklist S138659807) in El Dorado County. The Palm Warbler was on Rayhouse Rd on 5/7, found during an all-day hike that began before 3 AM along this remote Yolo County Rd. A female-type Summer Tanager was photographed on 5/26 near the Glenbrook Park access to ARP between Howe and Watt Aves.
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: Dan Airola, Michael Barnett, Max Brodie, Aidan Brubaker, Kristi Carr, Lyann Comrack, Andy Engilis, Jr., Gil Ewing, Frank Fabbro, Robert Furrow, Cliff Hawley, Jim Holmes, Jeri Langham, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Roger Muskat, Nora Papian, Michael Perrone, Zane Pickus, Karen Richardson, William Rockey, Steve Scott, Sean Smith, Kirk Swenson, Kevin Thomas, and John Trochet. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.