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.
The welcome committee was a Western Wood-peewee who sang atop a tall fir. Image by Daniel Brown.
Carson Pass, Winnemucca Loop, (8/12)
Leader Sonja Sorbo reported: "The snow finally melted from Carson Pass, and a dozen birders took advantage of beautiful weather conditions to hike a seven mile loop in a quest for birds. With blue skies and air temps in the 60s and low 70s, we were blissful. The welcome committee was a Western Wood-Pewee who sang from atop a tall fir near the parking lot. Our first adrenaline spike came about 20 minutes into the walk, with the spotting of a robust-looking perched raptor. We quickly adjusted our position to reduce glare while Alex scrambled up the hillside to get a photo. After observing the field marks and confirming with photos, we determined that the bird was a juvenile Goshawk. Next, a nearby stand of conifers teemed with a mixed flock of Mountain Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers. While watching them, a White-breasted Nuthatch scuttled into a nest hole on a snag next to us. A lone Chipping Sparrow sunned itself on a high bare branch in the morning sunlight. Dark-eyed Juncos seemed to be everywhere. We were interrupted by loud raucous squawking from Clark’s Nutcrackers, flying from conifer to conifer to snack on pine nuts. Also cruising the conifers were a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches. An American Robin cackled and flew by, but despite this distraction, we noticed a Hairy Woodpecker who had landed on a snag down the trail. A threesome of Green-tailed Towhees delighted us with great looks as they popped up and down amid a field of sagebrush and small juniper trees. On approach to Lake Winnemucca, we were awed by a mountainside of myriad wildflower species in full bloom. It felt as though we were walking into a living quilt. We weren’t the only ones enjoying the flowers — a feisty little Rufous Hummingbird buzzed all over, seemingly unable to decide which bloom to visit next. Luckily, he took some breaks and rested on a snag which was directly in our field of view. A couple of White-crowned Sparrows joined him. After lunch at Lake Winnemucca, we visually scoured the snowfields on Round Top, hoping to find a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. Alas, we weren’t successful, although two Mountain Bluebirds and a Cassin’s Finch were added to our list for the day. The second leg of our journey was the trail to Woods Lake, and again, the hillside was bursting with spectacular fields of wildflowers. We spotted a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk soaring above us. Near Woods Lake, our day list jumped quickly with the observation of two Hermit Warblers, a Brown Creeper, a Townsend’s Solitaire, and a Pine Grosbeak. A foraging female Hairy Woodpecker generously shared her tree with a family of Western Tanagers who were passing through. Our seven-mile trek yielded 25 bird species, with several of them being life birds for members of the group."
A great finale was an Osprey soaring over the lake as we returned to our cars. Image by Daniel Brown.
Folsom Point, (8/5)
Leader Rich Howard reported: "Ten folks met at the Raley's parking lot (where we got our only Feral Pigeon for the day!), then proceeded to Folsom Point State Recreation Area. This was a new location for several of the participants, and a first Sacramento Audubon trip for some! The trees at the edge of the boat ramp parking lot gave us good looks at Lark Sparrows and Lesser Goldfinches; scanning the lake gave more distant views of Barn Swallow, Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Greater Yellowlegs, and Spotted Sandpiper. We were disappointed to see that the area next to the boat ramp has been scraped down to bare soil; we hope this doesn't affect the cool birds seen here in winter. The inlet on the north side of the boat ramp had a Great Blue Heron, Black Phoebe, and a group of 33 Killdeer flew in. We walked from the boat ramp area to the Folsom Point picnic area, passing through Oak Woodland that did not disappoint, with Acorn, Nuttall's and Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Anna's Hummingbird, a flyover American Kestrel, California Towhee, California Scrub-Jay, and an eye-level Red-shouldered Hawk. The Point had both Brewer's and Red-winged Blackbirds, while the inlet on the east side had a Mallard pair in eclipse plumage and two Common Mergansers. A great finale was an Osprey soaring over the lake as we returned to our cars. Back at the Raley's parking lot, we did a quick loop down to the trail by the wetland and picked up six species not seen at Folsom Point, including a family group of California Quail, Spotted Towhee, House Wren, and of course House Sparrow. We also had a good look at an Ash-throated Flycatcher, which we only heard at the lake. Great day with friendly people, good spotters, and enthusiastic birders of many ages. 44 bird species total. An eBird trip report can be found here: eBird Trip Report
Walked to the boat ramp and had a Say's Phoebe trying to catch a bug or just doing a dance. Image by Daniel Brown.
Sailor Bar, (8/3)
Leader Darrell Mohr reported: "An early morning get together for a tour of Sailor Bar. We started at 7 AM and went up towards Hazel Avenue hoping to find a Rufus-crowned Sparrow. Did not find the bird, although, we did see Double-crested Cormorants. Turned around and headed back to the parking lot where we met two more people. Walked to the boat ramp and had a Say's Phoebe trying to catch a bug or just doing a dance. One person had a camera and was able to take a photo of the bird. From the boat ramp area we proceeded down along the bank of the American River. At one point we stopped so everyone would be able to have a good view of a Phainopepla. After that sighting and farther down the river bank we spotted a duck in the middle of the river. We had difficulty identifying the bird, so we took a picture of the bird. It turned out to be a Bufflehead. We had a total of 41 species. It was a very good day."
Yuba Gap, (7/29)
Leader Sandra Steurer reported: "The weather was cool in the mountains. The birds were quiet at first and then started to pick up with their evening feeding. Highlights were the Common Nighthawks aerial displays, along with Black-throated Gray and Hermit Warblers."
Stevens Trail near Colfax, (7/30)
Leader Ben Graber reported: "Nobody showed up so I went by myself. Highlights were Black-throated Gray, Nashville and MacGillivray's Warblers, Wrentit, Osprey, and heard a Pileated Woodpecker."
Napa Wetlands, (7/26)
Maureen Geiger, co-leader with Nancy Gronert, reported: "Nancy and I spent a very nice morning with 3 other birders at American Canyon Wetlands. Identifying and counting as many of the literally thousands of shorebirds present was fun and challenging with highlights including a distant Bald Eagle, a close-in Great Horned Owl, hunting White Pelicans and great views of 3 species of swallows and two Caspian Terns. The morning overcast and cool breeze contributed to a very enjoyable morning."
Highlights among shorebirds included several Black-necked Stilt family groups. Image by Daniel Brown
Blues at the Bufferlands, (7/23)
Leader Chris Conard reported: "An early start allowed us to avoid the worst of the heat, though it was warm and muggier than is typical for Sacramento. On the way out to the Bufferlands, we made a brief stop by a few of the sewer ponds in the wastewater treatment plant. Highlights among shorebirds included several Black-necked Stilt family groups with adults making distraction displays. There was one American Avocet family as well. We saw a couple Semipalmated Plovers, Least and Western Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitchers, and Greater Yellowlegs. On the Bufferlands proper, we enjoyed the active Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Double-crested Cormorant rookery, plus a nearby Swainson's Hawk nest. There were about 150 American White Pelicans on the wetlands and many young Pied-billed Grebes. Resident songbirds included very vocal and cooperative Song Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, and Blue Grosbeaks."
UC Davis Arboretum, (7/22)
Leader Paul Miller reported: "We had a small group of only three people for this outing. While the Arboretum is a lovely wheelchair friendly location, it can sometimes be rather deserted of birds. The typically present Pied-billed Grebes, Green, Great Blue and Black-crowned Night-Herons were nowhere to be seen. In total we observed nineteen species, including the ever present Western Bluebirds actively feeding their young. We also observed a floating mallard decoy, that from a distance sure looked odd. I took the opportunity and named the rare species a Miller’s Mallard (Floatius Decoyus)."
Yellow-headed Blackbirds are now nesting in the growing reed areas on both ends of the pond. Image by Ray Rozema
Woodland Waste Water Treatment Plant, (7/20)
Leader Maureen Geiger reported: "The North Pond at the Woodland Water Treatment Plant always has something to view and today was no exception. The light was just incredibly beautiful on the water which really enhanced the colors of birds in a crisp, wonderful way. The two of us saw the usual suspects including phalaropes, dowitchers, stilts, avocets, Least Sandpipers, ibis and lots and lots of ducks. At least 5 Pied-billed Grebes were sitting on nifty raised, circular nests, and there were other babies everywhere. Yellow-headed Blackbirds are now nesting in the growing reed areas on both ends of the pond instead of just the east side, and we saw about a dozen altogether. Also, a raptor not usually seen at this site was an adult Cooper’s Hawk along with several Swainson’s Hawks, frequently present."
Point Reyes, (7/15)
Leader Dan Williams reported: 10 of us profoundly enjoyed temperatures 40 degrees below those in the infernal valley on this midsummer weekend. Unfortunately, the tides did not cooperate to provide us the shorebird bounty we were hoping for on this trip, but nevertheless, we saw some cool things and a decent time was had by all. We started the day at the Earthquake Trail and Bear Valley Visitor Center near Olema. Highlights included two Ospreys high above clutching fish, nesting Violet-green Swallows under the visitor center roof and Purple Martins overhead, Swainson's Thrushes singing their spiraling ethereal songs from the lush red elderberries, Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Wilson's Warblers foraging in the fragrant bay laurels, and an unusually cooperative Hairy Woodpecker who allowed scope views while she preened on a low branch. Next, we stopped at Inverness Store to scan Tomales Bay, where the tide was just reaching its highest point, and consequently we saw very few birds. A few Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets on the opposite shore from the nearby rookeries, some recently fledged Barn Swallows, and a Red-shouldered Hawk soaring over the nearby ridge with an accompanying pair of ravens was about all the avian action at that location. Our lunchtime venture to Abbotts Lagoon provided more mammals than avian highlights, as the high tide continued to impede our ability to find shorebirds. Coveys of California Quail with young in tow, Song and White-crowned Sparrows, a singing Wrentit, and a hen Gadwall with four ducklings were nice, but they were quite frankly outshined by the barking, swirling, play-fighting family of river otters who briefly emerged onto the sandy shore of the lagoon and played like kittens in a litter box not 50 feet away from us. Following that experience, we soaked in a few last moments of cool, foggy shoreline before beginning the trek back to our inland blast furnace."
Coveys of California Quail with young in tow were quite frankly outshined by the barking, swirling, play-fighting family of river otters who briefly emerged onto the sandy shore of the lagoon and played like kittens in a litter box not 50 feet away from us. Image by Ray Rozema