February and March are excellent months for birding in the Central Valley. Many wintering birds such as ducks and geese are still in the area as winter transitions into spring. Veteran Birder and Sacramento Audubon Field Trip Leader, Sonja Sorbo, offers suggestions for local birding sites to visit in February.
Mather Lake Regional Park
Mather lake is a nice surprise, offering great avian diversity. Trips can yield 50 or more species, including waterfowl, raptors, wrens, and sparrows. Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Bushtit, Great-tailed Grackles, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Gallinule, White-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk are all commonly reported. While Osprey, Great Horned Owl, and Bald Eagles are also regularly reported. Located in Mather Regional Park, the terrain is fairly flat with easy walking trails, and an accessible bathroom.
Directions
Address: 4111 Old Eagle's Nest Road, Mather, CA 95655
From Highway 50: go south on Zinfandel, Exit #17, about 2-1/2 miles. After crossing Douglas Blvd. take the first left into the park area.
Parking & Fees: A Sac County Park Pass or $5 entry fee is required for all vehicles.
Osprey, Image by Ray Rozema
Arrowhead Marsh and MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline
For those of you who don’t mind a drive to the east Bay Area (San Leandro Bay), this is a jewel. The habitat includes estuary, mudflats, salt marsh, grasslands, lawn, small groves of trees. The terrain is flat and the walking is easy on the numerous trails. The highlight for birders is Ridgway’s Rail, often in fairly good numbers. Other targets include Greater and Lesser Scaup, Western, Horned, and Eared Grebes, and Surf Scoters. Several duck species are present, including Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, goldeneye, and Bufflehead.
Possible shorebirds to watch for include American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, and dowitchers. For those who like gulls, a half dozen species are possible, including Short-billed, Western, Herring, Glaucous-winged, California, and Ring-billed. Forster’s Tern usually shows up as well. Trees and open areas near the water can hold various sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Chestnut-backed Chickadees.
A spotting scope is quite helpful.
Directions
Arrowhead Marsh points northwest into shallow San Leandro Bay between Oakland International Airport and McAfee (formerly Oakland-Alameda County) Coliseum.
Address: 1 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621 (for MLK Regional Shoreline)
From MLK Jr Regional Shoreline: take the first left and follow the road into the Arrowhead Marsh.
From Oakland: take I-880 (Nimitz Frwy.) south to Hegenberger Rd. and turn right. Drive about a mile to Doolittle Dr. and turn right. After a third of a mile, turn right again onto Swan Way. Then make your first left and follow the road into the wetlands.
Marbled Godwit, Image by Larry Hickey
Sutter National Wildlife Refuge
The seasonal trails inside Sutter NWR are open to the public on February 16 and remain open through June 30. The rest of the year the area is closed for hunting. In early spring, you can expect to see a profusion of ducks and waterbirds, as well as a variety of raptors and passerines. The trails around the seasonal ponds while not paved are mostly flat and level. The refuge provides a convenient and easy to read trail map. There is no fee to visit Sutter NWR. Park in Parking Area B, located on the east side of the Sutter Bypass and sign the register located in the mailbox attached to the parking sign. Brochures and additional copies of the trail map can generally be found here as well.
Directions
Address: 4529 Schlag Rd, Yuba City (This address will take you into the refuge north of the parking area. From here head south on the Bypass Levee Rd to reach Parking Area B on your left.)
From Sacramento: head north on Hwy 99 toward Yuba City, go 5 miles west on O'Banion Rd to the East Bypass Levee Rd, go north on the Bypass Levee Rd for 1/2 mile to Parking Area B (on the right).
Greater Yellowlegs, Image by Daniel Brown
If you don’t want to wait for Sutter NWR to open, some of the other major wildlife areas, recommended in previous months, are still great places to visit (Sacramento NWR, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Cosumnes River Preserve). This time of year also still yields good birding at Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area and Bridgeway Island Pond. See January’s suggestions for details.