Meiss Road, 4/17

Leader Chris Conard reported: Twenty participants enjoyed an evening tour of Meiss Rd. Wildflowers were in full force, and we had nice views of the mountains to the east and west, and a colorful sunset. A flyby Merlin was a nice surprise, and Western Meadowlark songs, rattles, and whistles filled the air. Horned Larks also showed well, flying about, singing, and dust-bathing in the road. We had somewhat distant, but extended views of at least five Lesser Nighthawks. We also enjoyed their faint trills as darkness fell and a few bats zipped by.

Pine Hill/Kanaka Valley, 4/20

Leader Chris Conard reported: We had beautiful weather and a group of 16 to enjoy a three-mile round-trip walk, with good wildflowers and a nice mix of the special plants that are the reason for the creation of Pine Hill Preserve. Bird highlights included vocal and well-seen Ash-throated Flycatchers, Hutton's Vireos, Violet-green Swallows, some heard-only singing migrant vireos and warblers, but good views of a Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak. Some of us heard distant California Thrasher song, but we had excellent and repeated views of singing and frisky Bell's Sparrows, as well as the more widespread but beautiful Lark Sparrows in a similar disposition.

Effie Yeaw Nature Center, 4/20

Rachael Cowan, co-leader with Cliff Feldheim, reported: Cliff and I had the pleasure of walking with a group of 15 participants, many of which were American River College students satisfying a zoology course field trip requirement. It was a warm mid-morning start, kicked off with binocular tips on a posing Mourning Dove. A Northern Flicker caught our attention with its repetitive spring call and we found it preening its wings on top of a snag with the orange shafts on display. The walk was filled with observations of cavity nesters, including Acorn Woodpecker, European Starling, Tree Swallows, and a House Wren bringing a sizable moth to its young in the nest. Cliff discussed the origins of our local Wild Turkey population as we watched some young male Turkeys cross the trail and forage. At the river we saw a pair of Mallards and Canada Geese coming in. Great Egret, Common Merganser, and Killdeer were observed in the distance. Cliff talked about changes in waterfowl populations with regard to climate change with some uplifting messaging for the group. We also had good looks at soaring Turkey Vultures, a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk. On the walk back we set eyes on Nuttall’s Woodpecker and both California and Spotted Towhees. At the end, we pointed out the Red-shouldered Hawk nest on the Bluff trail, although it was hard to tell whether there was a hawk on the nest. We had 23 species total on our checklist and encouraged attendees to attend future SacAudubon field trips.

Traylor Ranch Bird Sanctuary, 4/21

Mary Forrestal, co-leader with Susan Goodrich, reported: Wood Ducks, Whimbrels, and a California Thrasher were just a few of the wonderful sights on this lovely Sunday morning walk at Traylor Ranch Bird Sanctuary in Penryn. Seventeen birders, including many first timers and beginners, joined Susan and Mary to watch Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds darting in and out of nest boxes. A pair of Northern Flickers also obligingly showed off their cavity nest. Western Kingbird pairs chattered high in the trees, along with Acorn Woodpeckers and a pair of Bullock’s Orioles who were carrying nesting materials. A few White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows remained in the area, along with numerous Song Sparrows singing away and Lincoln’s Sparrows zipping about. In total, 60 species were seen and fun was had by all. https://ebird.org/checklist/S169679847

Beeks Bight, 4/25

Nicole Barden, co-leader with Rich Howard, reported: The road to Beek’s Bight is still closed to cars, but we were able to gain special access through leader Nicole who works at State Parks.

As our group of 15 birders started our walk, we quickly realized that the water in Folsom Lake was quite high.  In fact, water covered several sections of the trail and we had to find alternate routes to continue our walk north along the shoreline.  That didn’t stop us from finding a good number of species and we quickly saw and/or heard many of the usual suspects including Lesser Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Spotted Towhee, Wrentit, and Tree Swallow.  We soon heard our first Ash-throated Flycatcher of the day and found several over the course of the trip.  Warblers also made an appearance, with Wilson’s Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers singing in the trees. A little way down the trail, just past our first off-trail adventure to get around the waterline, we stopped to enjoy a beautiful show of flowers, mostly Lupine and Hairy Vetch, carpeting the slope.  What a beautiful sight! 

Another treat for the day was a total of five Rufous-crowned Sparrows, including one singing his little heart out in the top of a tree. They seem to really like this area this year!  We also had two different adult Bald Eagles fly overhead, one was very slightly mottled suggesting it was a bit younger. When we got to the beautiful overlook at our turnaround point, we were delighted to see three Forster’s Terns cruising over the water.  At least one person reported seeing them dive for fish! Other highlights include:  three Red-tailed Hawks orbiting each other overhead, a Double-crested Cormorant showing off its Einstein-esque feathers sticking out on its head while balancing on a rotating buoy, and two Western Fence Lizards, one flirting with the other by chasing and doing push-ups. We also saw plenty of ticks along the trail, both American Dog Ticks and Pacific Coast Ticks. To see our full list of 36 bird species for the day, please visit https://ebird.org/checklist/S170438794.

Sierra Discovery Trail, Emigrant Gap, 4/27

Leader Paul Miller reported: Trip was cancelled.

Knickerbocker Creek, Auburn State Recreation Area, 4/28

Leader Timothy Johnson reported: Three people enjoyed a pleasant morning birding along and nearby Knickerbocker Creek in Auburn State Recreation Area.  The weather was comfortable throughout the whole walk.  A total of 50 species were observed.  The visual highlight was a Nashville Warbler at a very birdy spot early in the trip.  Warbling Vireo was heard.  The group saw lingering Golden-crowned and White-crowned sparrows as well as recent incoming migrants Ash-throated Flycatcher and Western Kingbird. Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Tanager were heard.  The link to the ebird checklist is https://ebird.org/checklist/S170792649.

Reichmuth Park, 5/3

Leader Eric Johnson reported: Eight intrepid birders descended upon the urban wilds of Reichmuth Park on a planned 90-minute hunt for flycatchers and migrants. Mission accomplished, albeit in 150 minutes! The south end of the park started things off right with three Townsend's Warblers, several Yellow Warblers and an Ash-throated Flycatcher. Wilson's Warblers would heckle us all morning, along with Spotted Towhees, Bushtits, and the other Reichmuth usual suspects. We heard and then spotted a Warbling Vireo, prompting one of us to say, "That's a lifer!" High-fives all around, and then the youngest among us piped up, "I've got five lifers so far..." More celebration. The north end yielded a Western Flycatcher and Black-chinned Hummingbird, and the best was yet to come. As we ambled back toward our cars, a rumpus erupted as an American Kestrel squawked and flushed a Great Horned Owl to a very visible perch. We spent 15 minutes oohing and aahing, and as we approached our cars, a cry of "UP!!!" yielded our 40th bird of the day, a low-flying Swainson's Hawk. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary, 5/4

Leader Maureen Geiger reported: Trip was cancelled due to weather.

Bannister Park to Sacramento Bar, 5/5

Leader Stan Hunter reported: On Sunday morning a group of 10 birders, ranging from beginner to experienced, joined me for a roughly four-mile stroll starting at Bannister Park and wandering through Sacramento Bar, along the American River in Fair Oaks. At least 36 species were seen or heard by some or all of the group during the hike, primarily seasonal or annual regulars such as Acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatches, California Scrub-Jays, Tree Swallows and others. Raptors included Cooper’s and Red-shouldered Hawks, a handsome male Kestrel, a very good look at an Osprey, and several Turkey Vultures riding the warm thermals. Mallards, Common Mergansers and Canada Geese rounded out the waterfowl, and Bushtits, Anna’s Hummingbirds and Black Phoebes filled out the list of regulars for the area.

Highlights included a Western Flycatcher (previously known as Pacific-slope), and a pair of Great Blue Herons on a nest near the river. The wrens, both House and Bewick’s, were exceptionally vocal. At Bannister Park, resident Wild Turkeys, European Starlings and Yellow-billed Magpies were present, and we had a nice flyover of a pair of Double-crested Cormorants as well. Experienced birders shared binoculars and bird books with the beginners, so everyone could have a good look at the birds. Plus, a Red Slider turtle paused for us as it went across the trail, giving us a close look at this interesting but invasive species. Considering how rainy it had been the previous day, it was a lovely, sunny morning at a very nice spot along the river, and everyone enjoyed the three-hour outing.

Zacharias Ranch, 5/8

Leader Dan Williams reported: Twelve of us joined our two hosts from Westervelt Ecological Services at the private Zacharias Ranch on a WINDY Wednesday, and the birds were surprisingly plentiful and interesting throughout the morning! When we first arrived, Western Kingbirds and Bullock's Orioles greeted us with bickering and chattering from the patches of poison hemlock and wild radish, both species attending to their new nests in the oaks. While 20 mph winds continued from the north throughout our walk, there was no shortage of activity in the riparian woodland trees which diminished the blowing a little as we walked through the corridor. Several of our best sightings came in the form of speedy flyovers pushed along or held up by the wind: a single Vaux's Swift, a pair of (and at least two other) Swainson's Hawks, a flock of dowitchers, a couple of Whimbrels and a Long-billed Curlew.

However, there was lots of singing activity in the riparian woodland habitat as well, including Ash-throated Flycatchers, Tree Swallows investigating cavities, Bewick’s and House Wrens, Wrentits, and at least one each of Warbling Vireo and Wilson's Warbler. Marsh Wrens, Song Sparrows, and at least one Common Yellowthroat sang from the reeds along Snodgrass Slough, which also contained an immature Black-crowned Night Heron that gave us astounding views in the scope. An Osprey and 3 Caspian Terns flew low up the slough giving us gorgeous views. Out on the floodplain, several Canada Geese were tending to their goslings, while a late lingering Greater White-fronted Goose loafed in the mud. A bedraggled Coyote ran across the field causing a brief ruckus among the geese. The star attraction at the end of the hike was the Great Blue Heron colony. We were able to get stunning views of a couple of large heron babies and one of the parents returning to the nest. All told we had 60 species which FAR exceeded our expectations on such a blustery day, and it was a terrific privilege getting to see this magnificent property.

Sierra Discovery Trail, Emigrant Gap, 5/11

Leader Paul Miller reported: Seven people attended this trip for a very enjoyable day with many unique birds.  The Sierra Discovery Trail is located at 5,000 foot elevation along the Bear River within a mature conifer forest.  The trail is wide, fairly level, offering an easy walk.  This is a great location to see an American Dipper hopping and diving amongst the rocks on the river.  We identified a total of 25 species including Hairy and White-headed Woodpecker, Cassin's and Warbling Vireo, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Cassin's Finch, Brown Creeper, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

Spenceville WLA, 5/12

Leader Richard Barbieri reported: I had 9 people join me on one of the first days of the season over 90 degrees. We had expected a strong showing of birds throughout the day but the hot weather seemed to have an effect on the overall numbers. Total species count for the day was 65 with a few highlights like a Willow Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Osprey on the nest, and Bald Eagle.