September is probably the most anticipated month on the birding calendar. The possibilities seem endless. Waterfowl are building in numbers, shorebirds are still numerous, Sandhill Cranes are calling overhead, and it is undoubtedly the best time of year to find a rare warbler or other songbird highlight. A Costa's Hummingbird was briefly seen and heard calling at Ancil Hoffman park along the American River Parkway (ARP) on 9/12. The shorebird highlight of the period was a Stilt Sandpiper found on private ag land west of Clarksburg on 9/14 and 9/21 (eBird Checklist). A hatch-year Franklin's Gull continued from last month at the Woodland WTP through 9/2.

Lewis's Woodpeckers were widely reported moving through the flats of the Valley, especially in the last ten days of the month, and good numbers are being reported from their usual wintering areas. A Least Flycatcher found on 9/6 north of the Tall Forest at Cosumnes River Preserve (CRP) was the first report for Sacramento County in several years. Gray Flycatchers, much more regular in spring, were reported at Sacramento Bar (ARP) on 9/1 and along Elk Slough in southeastern Yolo County on 9/6. A Red Crossbill was reported as a calling flyover at the UC Davis campus on 9/2. Numbers of Brewer's Sparrows continued to be reported at Folsom Point along Folsom Lake. Impressive numbers of Green-tailed Towhees were reported, with up to five along upper Mix Canyon Rd (northwest of Vacaville) from 9/8-9; the species was also found on 9/2 near the Gristmill access to ARP, on 9/4-7 and 9/16 at Reichmuth Park, and on 9/10 and 9/19 along Babel Slough.

There was a particularly good showing of uncommon to rare warblers this month. A Black-and-white Warbler was reported at the Tall Forest of CRP on 9/3, and Tennessee Warblers were reported along the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve (PCRR) upstream of the UC Davis campus on 9/12, at the Elkhorn Regional Park along the Sacramento River on 9/18, and near the Stevenson Bridge downstream of Winters on 9/19. American Redstarts were reported from the PCRR on 9/5-6 and from Paradise Beach (ARP) on 9/12. A Chestnut-sided Warbler was found and photographed (eBird Checklist) along the PCRR from 9/11-14. A Blackpoll Warbler was also found and photographed (eBird Checklist) along the PCRR from 9/12-18, as well as along Babel Slough on 9/17. Finally, a Palm Warbler was reported on 9/9 and again from 9/15-22 at Folsom Point; it seemed unusually skulky for the species and evaded being photographed.

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, Paul Cordero, Konshau Duman, Andy Engilis, Gil Ewing, Linda Gal, Cliff Hawley, Davis Hamilton, Denise Hamilton, JIm Holmes, Emmett Iverson, Jeri Langham, Barbara Leary, Andrew Lee, Mark Martucci, Roger Muskat, Zane Pickus, Jim Rowoth, Steve Scott, Gavin Stacey, Kirk Swenson, Craig Swolgaard, Kevin Thomas, John Trochet, Bart Wickel, and Lynette Williams. Thanks to everyone for their reports--without them, this column would not be possible.