Sacramento Audubon Society is proud to offer a variety of field trips every month. Here’s some of what birders saw, heard, and experienced on recent field trips. Field trips are open to birders of all abilities. We’d love to have you join us on an upcoming Sacramento Audubon field trip.

Bridgeway Island Pond, (12/16)

Leader Cliff Feldheim reported: "Despite a chilly morning, we had a nice walk along the Bridgeway Pond up to the Shipping Channel levee. Although we weren’t trying to maximize our species count and we missed many expected species, we ended up with 38 including looks at the continuing female Hooded Merganser. As the morning progressed, we were provided with great light and close looks at drake and hen Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal and an opportunity to compare the hens of each species. We enjoyed watching the Forster's Terns and Bonaparte’s Gulls foraging in the pond, and the sheer number of Cinnamon Teal, 257 on an early morning count!"

Effie Yeaw Family Walk, (12/16)

*Ruby-crowned kinglets flitted and foraged actively. Image by Larry Hickey*

Leader Lynne Tweeten, assisted by EYNC docent Jennifer Kerr, reported: "Seventeen of us, a mix of enthusiastic children and adults, enjoyed a clear, brisk morning at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. We had a lovely birding walk that included sightings of the usual suspects - noisy and active Acorn Woodpeckers and European Starlings high up in the oak trees. Oak Titmouse, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitted and foraged around us on our walk. Soaring Turkey Vultures shared the skies with a Red-tailed Hawk. Water birds were somewhat scarce but we did find Mallards, a Great Egret, Great Blue Heron and Bufflehead. A majestic deer with sublime antlers sat for us while we admired him and a Northern Flicker waved us goodbye on our walk back."

Staten Island, (12/22)

Leader Bill Beckett reported: "Five participants joined me for a Sandhill Crane fly in from 3pm to 5pm on Friday. Highlights of the trip included California Quail, thousands of Aleutian Cackling Geese, Sandhill Cranes, a Great Horned Owl, and a Coyote eating a goose. The spectacle of watching hundreds of cranes and thousands of geese flying into the island as the sun was setting was nothing short of amazing."

Brannan Island, (12/28)

Leader Dan Williams reported: "Twelve of us had a fantastic morning of birding at Brannan Island State Rec Area; a trip this chapter was trying for the first time and will certainly be running again! We started by slowly working the Willow Campground, and had a bit of a slow start, with a few Western Bluebirds, Nuttall's Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows getting us going. Across Threemile Slough, we could see and hear distant flocks of Sandhill Cranes over Twitchell Island. When we moved over to the Delta Vista Berthing Area, things started to pick up. A very close Great Blue Heron, a very close Double-crested Cormorant, and an obliging Belted Kingfisher provided astounding views in the scope, while a Say's Phoebe put in an appearance on the lawn. As we were just about to get back in our cars and move to the next parking lot, we heard the off-key strained tones of a Varied Thrush and spotted it at the top of a eucalyptus tree where we were able to enjoy rare scope views of that species.

*Our chapter’s logo, White-tailed Kite, was found near Three Mile Slough. Image by Chris Conard*

From the Sportfishing Lot, we moseyed our way north along the slough toward Twitchell Island Road. Along the way we were treated to views of a Great Egret rookery across the slough. After crummy views of them diving away into the underbrush, a Spotted Towhee finally sat up high and proud and was giving us good views when a male Common Yellowthroat flew over from the edge of the slough and did the same. Was cool to see those two species in one field of view! A little further up the slough we spotted 2 Green Herons standing on some flattened reeds, and then a little further still, a Sora emerged from the reeds and gave us a rare few minutes in view. On our walk back, good looks were had at multiple Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks as well as a White-tailed Kite. Then several crows harassed and chased a Great Horned Owl out of one of the groves of eucalyptus trees. All told, we had 62 species and a very enjoyable half-day trip that we will most definitely be replicating in the future!"

Woodland WWTP, (1/9)

Leader Mark Martucci reported: "Nine people braved the cold the wind and light rain to detect 51 species of birds. Highlights included Blue-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, American Avocet, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Merlin and Burrowing Owl."

Sacramento Bar, (1/11)

*Phainopepla was a parking lot bird. Image by Ray Rozema*

Leader Darrell Mohr reported: "At the start of a sunshiny day, although very cold, eight ladies and myself braved the cold morning. We started seeing birds in the parking lot, including a Phainopepla. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was spotted in a cottonwood tree. A debate started to make sure we had correctly identified the hawk. From the parking lot we walked to the trail along the American River. An assortment of birds were flying about, Oak Titmice, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bushtits and other small passerines. Farther along the trail Turkey Vultures were perched in trees waiting for the warm air. Out on the river were Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Common Mergansers. A highlight for most was a good look at a Red-breasted Sapsucker. After we returned to the parking lot and tallied our bird count we had a total of 56 species. It was a good day."

Bridgeway Island Pond, (1/13)

Leader Cliff Feldheim reported: "Three people showed up but it was raining and once the lightening and thunder started, I decided we should cancel the trip. There very few birds around with the storm."

Field Trip Findings: December 16 to January 13