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Kasey Foley
Stockton, CA

I spent a couple of hours at Ripon sewage ponds west this afternoon and found a few migrants along the river. I had one Western Wood-Pewee, one Warbling Vireo, three Yellow Warblers, one Black-throated Gray Warbler and four Wilson's Warblers. Most of those were in a single flock. As for shorebirds, I didn't have anything unexpected but a Lesser Yellowlegs was nice to see. I also had nine Western Sandpipers, a Short-billed Dowitcher (that I was sure of, there may have been one-or-two more, but only one called), one Wilson's Phalarope, nearly 100 Greater Yellowlegs, two Spotted Sandpipers and over 1,000 Long-billed Dowitchers. I also saw two Raccoons eating grapes, one of them sat up and stared at me just long enough to get my camera out and put my finger on the shutter button, but not long enough for me to push the button and get a photo. Nature can be cruel sometimes.

Cheers,
Ralph Baker, Riverbank

Birding the Riverview Circle trail near Jack Tone Golf Course in Ripon and it is very birdy. So far, Nashville Warblers, Wilson’s Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Townsend’s Warblers, Yellow Warblers, a Hermit Warbler, Warbling Vireos, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Western Tanagers...