Despite a steady wind (which affected me more than the birds), it was also a big day for western migrants along South River Road in West Sacramento. Nashville Warblers (10+), Townsend's Warblers (5+), and Hermit Warblers (2) made an unusually good showing for this location.

Leo


<372a6231.33b-@...> wrote:
Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/central_valley_birds/?start=13

This morning I had a Townsend's Solitaire at Lodi Lake Nature Area.
Lodi Lake is on Turner Rd in n Lodi, and can be accessed via both I-5
and 99. The nature area is off the east portion of the lake. The bird
was about 100 yds down the dirt path at the point where there is a
connecting path to the paved path.

The nature area was "dripping" with migrants this morning. Not
surprisingly, the fallout occurs after the strongs winds of the past 2
weeks subsided, and there was a light cloud cover during the evening. A
sampling was 30+ Wilson's, 20+ Orange-crowned, 12 Nashville, and 10
Black-th Gray warblers, and 15 Warbling and 4 Cassin's Vireos.
Noticeably absent were flycatchers. Looks like we may have a hot May.

In a conversation with Debi Shearwater yesterday, she shared while on a
Tricolored Blackbird survey in Panoche Valley, San Benito County, she
had no less than 10 Lark Buntings!! Four breeding plumaged males and 2
females were together on a fenceline on New Idria Rd, 1.5 mi before the
junction with Panoche Rd. She also had 3 Blue Grosbeaks in the area.
While Panoche Valley isn't part of the Central Valley proper, it's flora
and fauna are decidedly part of the CV, and it drains into the CV.

Last sighting of rare small gulls at the Stockton sewage ponds was 2
Little and 1 Franklin's gulls on April 21 (myself). However, I don't
know if anyone has been out looking this week.

David Yee

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Hi Folks:

The two male Lark Buntings present for some time along Phillips Road in
southwestern Placer County were seen there today, 5/2, at about 2:30 pm.

They were seen along the fencelines a few tenths of a mile west of the dog
kennels (near a driveway on the north side of Phillips).

One has nearly all of the black breeding-season feathering, the other is
mostly black. At one point we had them singing simultaneously within about
12 feet of each other and less than 20 feet away from us as we sat in the car
and enjoyed them.

I recommend you go see them soon as they probably will not be around much
longer.

Cheers,

Tim & Annette

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- RBA
* California
* Central Valley Bird Box
* 5/2/99
* CACV9905.02

- Birds mentioned

Lesser Nighthawk (Sacramento)
VEERY (Sacramento) **CBRC Review Species**
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Sacramento)
Great-tailed Grackle (Placer)

- Transcript

hotline: Central Valley Bird Box, CA
sponsor: Sacramento Audubon Society
to report: (916) 481-0118 -- DO NOT e-mail reports
coverage: California's Central Valley and Northern Sierra Nevada
compiler: Steve Abbott
email: lanius@... -- DO NOT e-mail reports

PLEASE NOTE: Any birds considered locally rare in these reports may not
yet be confirmed and should be documented and forwarded to the
appropriate records committee (see contacts below) or sub-regional Field
Notes editor.

Placer County:
--------------------
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE-- 3 males at Baldwin Dam Resevoir. To get there:
Take Oak Ave off of Folsom-Auburn Rd to Baldwin Dam Rd. Go to the end
and park at the hurricane fence. The grackles are visible through the
fence in the pond. (Note: Baldwin Resevoir sits on the Sacramento/Placer
County line. The line runs along the southern edge of the resevoir-the
grackle colony is in Placer) (GE 5/1)

Sacramento County:
----------------------------
VEERY-- 1 along the Willow Slough Trail at Consumnes River Preserve
between posts 15 and 17 near Wood Duck boxes 9-11. This area is also
known as "The Point". Take Twin Cities Rd off of I-5 to Franklin Blvd
and turn south (right). The Willow Slough Trailhead is past Desmond Rd
on the left--look for a pull-out parking area on the left. (JT 5/2)

*******VEERY is a California Bird Records Committee review
species. Please document all sightings and forward to Michael M.
Rogers (see Below)*******

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW-- 1 on Meiss Rd approx 1.25 mi from Ione Rd. (EG
5/1)

LESSER NIGHTHAWK-- 3 on Meiss Rd approx 100yds from Ione Rd. (EG 5/1)

Reporters-
(GE) Gil Ewing, (EG) Ed Greaves,(JT) John Trochet.

---------------------------
Any observations of rare species should be documented and
forwarded to the Sacramento Bird Records Committee (SBRC) which reviews
records of unusual birds reported within the area described by the
Checklist of the Birds of the Sacramento Area.
Send reports to:
Tim Manolis
808 El Encino Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
email: Ylightfoot@...


For California Bird Records Committee review species, please send reports
to:
Michael M. Rogers
Secretary CBRC
P.O. Box 340
Moffett Field, CA 94035-340
email: mrogers@...

- End transcript




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Central Valley Birders:

This is old news by now. I will mention only the highlights. Marcel:
please comment if I have messed up any of the locations or birds in this
report.

I had not decided to join the Yolo Birdathon until I received an
invitation from Jean Broadvest and asked to join an already existing
team as being from Alameda County, I was not that familiar with Yolo
County birding locations. I also had no idea that one of the other
competing teams was made up of four of my county-birding compatriots.

Our team was made up of Hugh Dingle and Marcel Holyoak both of Davis,
myself, and two who joined us for the ride: Ute from Finland and Jrg
from Germany. We got a late start as Jrg had overslept. He got
wake-up call via cell-phone from Marcel. Our first bird was a singing
Northern Mockingbird in front of Marcel's house at 4 AM. The second bird
was a Barn Owl that I did not see as I was in the back seat on the right
again!

Around Rumsey we heard a Great Horned Owl, and a Western Screech-owl.
We began daylight where Road 41 (Sand Creek Road) crosses into Colusa
County. Here we had one Merlin, Prairie Falcon (both Counties), Sage
Sparrow (both Counties), a single Vaux's Swift (both Counties), Orange
Crowned Warbler (both counties), California Quail (both Counties),
Mountain Quail, Mourning Dove (both Counties), Ash-throated Flycatcher
(both Counties), Western Kingbird (both Counties)Cliff and Barns
Swallows (both Counties), California Thrasher (both Counties), a single
Cedar Waxwing (both Counties), Yellow-rumped Warbler (both
Counties)California Towhee (both Counties), Brewer's Blackbird (both
Counties, Lesser Goldfinch (both Counties), and Wrentit (both Counties).
Marcel found several Rufous Hummers none of which I saw.

Headed back along Highway 16 we picked up Common Raven and Rough-winged
Swallow.

Along Rayhouse Road we had a fly-over Golden Eagle, Lazuli Bunting, and
Nashville Warbler.

Along Road 12A we picked up two Lawrence's Goldfinches and a female
Black-chinned Hummer.

At the bridge north of Capay we saw one of the Lewis'(s) Woodpeckers,
the small flock of Common Mergansers, and one White-fronted Goose.

At the bridge north of Esparto just west of I-505 we found one to two
Bank Swallows.

We were still lacking Ruddy Duck. So, we stopped of at the Davis Sewage
Ponds where we ran into the 4-Out-of_County-Ringers. I was told: "Now
no helping!" as if they really needed our help! Here we got our Ruddy
Duck and moved on to Gray "something" Road in the north-eastern part of
the county where we picked up Wood Duck. On the way here Hugh spotted a
single Blue Grosbeak, and Hugh was the only observer here. At the
Tressle Ponds we picked up quite a few more species including Green
Heron, various ducks and shorebirds. At the Yolo Bypass we picked up
only one Lesser Yellowlegs. We saw no Greater Scaup, Osprey, Solitary
Sandpiper, or Semipalmated Sandpiper (these were seen at least an hour
earlier by the 4 Ringers). Next we moved on to the eastern-most part of
the county at my suggestion to pick up Western and Clark's Grebe, Purple
Martin, and White-throated Swift which we all did see. Regarding
entering the Port of Sacramento, the guard was very reluctant about
allowing us entry. He even said someone (the 4 Ringers?) had just been
there a few minutes earlier. The 4 Ringers you will recall were not let
in. The guard finally let us drive in but made us promise not to get
out of the vehicle. Next at dusk we birded the road along the west side
of the Davis City Dump where we saw one Short-eared Owl and three
American Bitterns. After the pizza at Steve's Pizza we looked for the
supposed next box with a barn owl in it in the parking lot across from
Steve's Pizza but found none. On the drive home to Livermore I stopped
of along the road where we had seen the American Bitterns to find one
Barn Owl sitting on a fence post, a new county tic. We recorded a
total of 139 species which broke the earlier birdathon record by one.
The all-time earlier records was 143. Both of these were surpassed by
the 4 Ringers with a total of 153. I hope to make a return trip to Yolo
County soon in search of Common Poorwill and Lesser Nighthawk.

--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, pac_loon@...

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Central Valley Birders:

Yesterday (5-1-99), I birded Kings County. This was a non-big day (I
spent over 6
hours alone birding Tar Canyon Road), but did get a total of 73 species
for the day,
ten of which were new ones.

Throughout the day there were no owls, hummers, vireos, warblers, or
grackles anyplace of any kind.

For more directions to the Kings County locations mentioned in this
report see: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/kingbirding.htm

I began the day starting at Tar Canyon Road and Highway 33 at 6:44 AM.
I hiked in which was about a 12-mile round trip. The lower portions of
Tar Canyon Road were rather birdless although I did find a couple
Red-winged Blackbirds and a couple
Western Meadowlarks.

The real birding began at the first corral on the right which is about
two miles from Highway 33. Here an adult GOLDEN EAGLE flew in from
the south and landed at the top of the hill above the corral which was
being pestered by two COMMON RAVENS. Three CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS (called
ki-dear, lacked white outer sides to tail, whiter chin) were around the
corral. A WILLOW FLYCATCHER (did not call, flicked its tail slightly
upward, light lower mandible, inconspicuous eye-ring) made use of the
lower branches of the tree within the corral. Further up the road on
the left 50 TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS and 1 female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
were perched on the fence.

Just past the 2nd gate (which has now been repainted green) I heard the
first GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and HORNED LARKS. Last year I had found
these at a lower elevation.

About another mile up the road a leaning wall of rock runs perpendicular
from the canyon floor to the top of the canyon on both sides of the
road. Here CANYON WREN and ROCK WREN were heard. A PRAIRIE FALCON flew
northward along the north wall and over the hill. A male PHAINOPEPLA
flew east away from me down the canyon. A BEWICK'S WREN and at least
one LAZULI BUNTING were singing. A MALLARD flew up the canyon (I don't
know if there was a nearby pond). Three singing RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROWS
flew and landed on a orange-colored lichen-covered rock. Several
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, SPOTTED and CALIFORNIA TOWHEES were in the
area.

Between here and the turn-around at the end of the road I noticed black
tar oozing out of the should of the road. Either this is how the road
has got its name or somebody has been dumping used oil here.

Soon the road comes to an end with a locked gate with a no trespassing
sign (my pedometer registered the distance from Highway 33 as 5.4
miles). Here there was one SAY'S PHOEBE and several WESTERN KINGBIRDS.
A couple BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were also present.

Next, after hiking back down to the car...it was not 1 PM, I made a
quick drive around the Utica Avenue Ponds where there were lots of EARED
GREBES, 2 WESTERN GREBES, 1 CLARKS GREBES, 1 GREAT EGRET, 1 SNOWY
EGRET, 3 CATTLE EGRETS, about 100 REDHEADS, 1 CANVASBACK, several
MALLARD, GADWALL, and RUDDY DUCK, AMERICAN COOT, WESTERN
SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, KILLDEER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 10
WILSON'S PHALAROPES, FORSTER'S TERN, CASPIAN TERN.

From here I drove east along Utica Avenue where at one location I found
6 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS. I tried around both 10th Avenue with no
BROWN PELICAN which I did see on 10-25-98 and 6th Avenue which had no
sign of the GLAUCOUS-WINGED
GULL.

From here I returned the same route back to I-5 and headed north and
exited onto Highway 41 in Kettleman City where I tanked up ($1.559) the
first time since Thursday doing my part in the boycott. I was hoping to
find something along Highway 41. Few birds were around, and the Kent
Avenue Ponds were birdless.

Next I headed east on Highway 198 to get to Burris Park. The ponds
north of the park were almost dry, but did have several WESTERN
SANDPIPERS, a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, and 4 SEMI-PALMATED
PLOVERS. Within the park I checked out the tree tobacco along the west
side of the park which had attracted hummers in the past. These were
hummer-less. The ponds between here and the neighboring ranch were
almost dry, but 6 squawking WOOD DUCK did fly out to the north. Each
time I have visited Burris Park I have found WOOD DUCKS here. In one
tree I did count about 50 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS. A couple ACORN
WOODPECKER, a female NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, and at least one NORTHERN
FLICKER were to be found. A GREEN HERON flew south along the almost-dry
creek along the east side of the park. I walked the trail to the south
of the park toward KING ROAD (didn't get all the way there) where I
found one singing HOUSE WREN and several TREE SWALLOWS (still no
VIOLET-GREENS!). Also present were AMERICAN CROW, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY,
AMERICAN ROBIN, BULLOCKS ORIOLE, and HOUSE FINCH.

At this point I left Kings County heading back through Fresno, Merced,
and Stanislaus Counties. In Merced County along Road J9 at the Attwater
City Limit sign I found one BURROWING OWL standing next to the road near
the pond on the right.

In Stanislaus County at dusk I made my way to Tim Bell Road where I
flushed a BARN OWL from the Tim Bell Road Bridge (built in 1915). Along
the road I noted at least two LESSER NIGHTHAWKS in flight. At Tim Bell
Road I was hoping to hear an AMERICAN BITTERN. After all, that my why I
was looking for. All I heard here were peacocks and guinea fowl.
Further down the road around the ponds just before Claribel Road I found
4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, a specie I missed on all my previous trips
through Stanislaus County.


--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, pac_loon@...

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Three years ago Stanislaus County had its first ever big year. We logged a
total of 237 out of 284 species from our county list for a total of 84%. In
the year 2000, we are going to try again. This time we would like to extend
a friendly challenge to other counties. Let's see who can get the highest
percentage of their county list in one year. County lists will have to be
set and accepted prior to the beginning of the year. Any new county species
will not count against the established county total, but will count in your
year's total. For example, Stanislaus County has a set total of 286 county
species as of 12/31/99. Harold Reeve finds a Hooded Warbler in May (which
would be a county record). This would add to our year total, but our preset
county list would remain at 286 for the competition. I will be posting the
ongoing tally on our webpage. Documentation of rarities will have to be
dealt with by each county's record keepers or appropriate records committee.

I will also be keeping track of the highest person 's total for our county.
The high count for the last big year was 233. I am taking myself out of the
competition this time around, but will add my species seen to the county
list.

Any takers?

We had a lot of fun last time.
Jim

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Sunday, May 2

Still lots of nice birds at the Trestle Ponds near Woodland.
Ponds 2 and 3 (starting from the east) have good shorebird conditions;
4 is all mud but with lots of birds. I saw all the expected shorebirds,
mostly peeps and dowitchers, Long-billed Curlews were there,
and of interest were YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS in the cattails
of ponds 2 and 3.

I hear a SNOWY PLOVER was at the Yolo Basin Wildlife Area north
of lot F on Sat.



Steve Hampton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Economist, Ph.D.
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
Calif. Department of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: (916) 323-4724 Fax: (916) 324-8829
shampton@...


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This morning I had a waxwing following behind a larger group (15) of
waxwings and was giving a different call. I rushed inside and wrote down
brzzzssssh with the b being a soft b almost a p sound. None of my bird
recordings have Bohemian. The undertail coverts appeared dark, but the sky
was bright and the undertail in shadow. I'm not sure if the bird was just a
Cedar Waxwing crying "wait for me" or if it was a Bohemian. I have never
heard this call before.

Any ideas?
Jim Gain
Modesto

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Dear Birders,
Yesterday's message along these lines bounced, so I am trying again.

I returned yesterday morning to "the Point" on the Willow Slough
Trail in hopes of refinding the veery. Gil Ewing spoke to me Monday,
saying he and Louise McCullough had no luck Sunday afternoon. While the
place had been one of really good bird activity in late morning and
midday, after the rain ceased, they found few birds late in the day.
Apparently the wind came up, and that rarely helps. Like Gil and Louise
found the area, Tuesday morning was pretty slow, with none of Sunday's
Cathari seen again. Andy Engilis also tried his luck Tuesday afternoon
and again this morning, but did not refind the veery either. Someone
else was playing a veery tape yesterday afternoon. Andy did see a trio
of evening grosbeaks.
Friday last produced another great bird at Cosumnes. When I got out
of the Tall Forest, I found a note from Bruce Webb on my windshield
saying that Tim Manolis and he had a rufous-necked stint at a spot near
the farm center. I raced there to see a spectacular, gaudy peep
associating with western sandpipers. I have never seen a red-necked
stint, and this bird looked really different than any individual of the
common North American species I have ever seen. It was bright rusty on
the head, the throat, the side of the breast, the nape and the mantle.
But it was not an Old World stint- it had semipalmated feet, as Tim had
earlier noted. Its bill was ample and the lateral streaking was
extensive, so I think this was a rare plumage of a seasonally common
bird, a western sandpiper, concurring with Bruce and Tim. It was a neat
bird to see regardless.

Best,

John Trochet


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John,
Interesting note about he Western red-necked lookalike Sandpiper.
The other day at YBWA I encountered, among many Westerns, one
with exceptionally bright orange over much of the head, obscuring most
of the blackish streaks. I believe the throat was white, however. It
was a beautiful bird, and clearly stood out from the others (despite much
variability among them). It was a Western Sandpiper in all other regards.




Steve Hampton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Economist, Ph.D.
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
Calif. Department of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: (916) 323-4724 Fax: (916) 324-8829
shampton@...


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It seems that late April was a popular time to do Big Days! A group
consisting of Richard Redmond, Phil Johnson, Mike Skram, and myself (Skip
Augur) chose that day to try our luck in Butte County. We slept in later
than some groups we've heard about, arising in Butte Meadows at 5 AM; we had
no luck owling that area. We got most of the expected montain species up
there, and so headed down highway 32 towards the valley, with a few
strategic stops at various altitudes along the way. We picked up Blue-Gray
Gnatcatcher on the Frisbee-golf course, which none of us expected (we were
hoping for Canyon Wren at that spot, but missed it).

We checked out Humboldt Road for Rock Wren and Phainopepla, but had no luck.
We did get most other expected species there, and it yielded our only
Lewis's Woodpecker.

At California Park Lake we picked up a number of swallows, Green-backed
Heron, and Caspian Tern, then headed up Cohasset Ridge to try for Calliope
Hummingbird and California Thrasher, but we struck out on those too. That
whole leg or the trip was fairly unproductive, although with luck a few nice
birds can be seen there.

We then headed to the river for lunch and picked up a few "river birds",
like Downy Woodpecker, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, and Lazuli
Bunting. Hitting the sewer ponds picked up the expected sandpipers,
Bonaparte's Gull, a lot of ducks, and a Whimbrel.

We then headed to Llano Seco, which was quite productive, giving us
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Black-Bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, and Common
Moorhen.

We finished the day in various parts of Oroville, where we picked up Common
Loon, White-Throated Swift, and Bald Eagle. We then headed back to Chico
(looking for, but not seeing, night birds) for a fine Chinese dinner, after
which we wandered downtown to tick of one of the Barn Owls in the park
(although it didn't really seem too ticked off...).

All in all, a great day. Total species 139, nowhere near the record of 161.
That's going to be tough to beat! Here's the list of what we saw:

Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Ruddy Duck
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
American Bittern
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Common Snipe
Whimbrel
Greater Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Black-necked Stilt
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Loon
Rock Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl
Great Horned Owl
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub Jay
Yellow-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Warbling Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
American Dipper
Varied Thrush
Western Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Bushtit
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
Purple Finch
House Finch
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Savannah Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bullock's Oriole
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird

======================================
"Programmers can't be sued for malpractice, but surgeons don't have to deal
with patients who install new versions of their own innards."

Wayland B. Augur
Chico, Butte County, CA, USA.
wba@...



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- RBA
* California
* Central Valley Bird Box
* 5/6/99
* CACV9905.06

- Birds mentioned

Blue-winged Teal (Placer)
Short-billed Dowitcher (Placer)
LITTLE GULL (San Joaquin) **CBRC Review Species**
Black Tern (Placer, San Joaquin, Yuba)
Bank Swallow (Yuba)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Sacramento)
Nashville Warbler (Sacramento)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Sacramento)
Wilson's Warbler (Sacramento)
Lawrence's Goldfinch (El Dorado)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Sacramento)

- Transcript

hotline: Central Valley Bird Box, CA
sponsor: Sacramento Audubon Society
to report: (916) 481-0118 -- DO NOT e-mail reports
coverage: California's Central Valley and Northern Sierra Nevada
compiler: Steve Abbott
email: lanius@... -- DO NOT e-mail reports

PLEASE NOTE: Any birds considered locally rare in these reports may not
yet be confirmed and should be documented and forwarded to the
appropriate records committee (see contacts below) or sub-regional Field
Notes editor.

El Dorado County:
-------------------------
LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH-- 1 male, 1 female 100ft from the entrance to the
Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake. (LI 5/1)

Placer County:
--------------------
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER-- 1 in fields to the east of Brewer Rd north of
Phillip Rd. (CH)

BLACK TERN-- 1 to the east of Brewer Rd north of Phillip Rd. (CH 5/2)

BLUE-WINGED TEAL-- 1 male at the Lincoln Sewage Ponds. (CH 5/2)

Sacramento County:
----------------------------
Mather Lake-- BLACK-THROATED GRAY, WILSON'S, NASHVILLE, and
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. (SS-B5/2)

San Joaquin County:
----------------------------
LITTLE GULL-- 2 were present again in large Bonaparte's Gull flocks both
at the gate area of the Stockton Sewage Ponds. (JD 5/5) To get there,
take I-5 to Hwy 4 west. Take a right onto Tillie Lewis Rd. Turn left on
Navy Dr and the Headquarters will be on the left at approx. 1/2 mi. Park
here and enter the main building to sign in and gain permission. Return
to Hwy 4 heading west to the sewage ponds (will be visible on the right
after crossing over the San Joaquin River) and there will be someone at
the gate to let you in. Take the outside perimeter
dyke immediately on the right and look for large numbers of Bonaparte's
Gulls. The ponds are only open Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.

**LITTLE GULL is a California Bird Records Committee review
species. Please document any sightings and forward to Michael
M. Rogers. (see below)**

BLACK TERN-- 1 foraging over the Stockton Sewage Ponds. (JD 5/5)

Yuba County:
------------------
BLACK TERN-- 1 seen in the area of Shanghai Bend in the Feather River.
(CS 5/2)

BANK SWALLOW-- colony on the Feather River approx 1.5 mi upstream from
the mouth of the Bear River. (CS 5/2)

Reporters-
(JD) Jason Davis, (CH) Cliff Hawley, (LI) Lori Isso(?), (SS-B) Sandra
Steurer-Bessler, (CS) Craig Swalgard.
---------------------------
Any observations of rare species should be documented and
forwarded to the Sacramento Bird Records Committee (SBRC) which reviews
records of unusual birds reported within the area described by the
Checklist of the Birds of the Sacramento Area.
Send reports to:
Tim Manolis
808 El Encino Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
email: Ylightfoot@...


For California Bird Records Committee review species, please send reports
to:
Michael M. Rogers
Secretary CBRC
P.O. Box 340
Moffett Field, CA 94035-340
email: mrogers@...

- End transcript




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Birders:

Some recent highlights: in Merced CO, one of the best birds at the
Central Valley Bird Club trip to San Luis NWR was a male Lawrence's
Goldfinch on May 1; the two Little Gulls were still at the Stockton
sewage ponds on May 3; doing a big day with Joan Humphrey and Marcel
Holyoak in Yolo County on May 4 to bring the record back home to Yolo
folks at 161 was an amazingly fun time - those two really know their
county.
-David Yee

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A student in my birding class just let me know that she had 17 Lark Buntings
last Saturday in eastern Stanislaus County. She described them well in their
varying plumages. She had 12 males and 5 females. 15 of them were together
in one spot. I'm rushing out tomorrow to find and photograph them. I feel
confident in her descriptions. It's the same general area as others were
found earlier this year and 2 years ago.

At the intersection of Warnerville Rd. and Crabtree Rds go west on
Warnerville. The buntings were along the first quarter mile close to a
turkey farm. They were flying back and forth across the road and out into
the grasslands. The other 2 buntings were on Cooperstown Rd. 1 mile east of
Willms Rd. between the bridge and the rock outcroppings next to the road.

Its probably easiest to get to Warnerville Rd. from Knights Ferry and Hwy
108/120. Head south on Willms Rd to the intersection of Warnerville and
Crabtree.

She called me once and didn't try again. She didn't even leave a message on
the answering machine. I'll have to retrain my students......

Jim Gain
Modesto

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To follow up on David Yee's report of Lawrence's Goldfinches in Merced, on
April 28 John Luther, Kent Van Vuren and I saw several in Merced County at
the park in the town of Snelling. Also on May 3, John Luther, Steve Glover,
Tim Manolis and I also found a pair (with nesting material) on Kings Row in
Kings County (near Burris Park). Are there nesting records for the Valley
floor?

Other interesting birds include in Kings County--Sanderling off 10th Ave.,
Red Knot at Westlake mitigation ponds (off Utica Ave.) and in Fresno
County--4 Red Knots at Fresno Sewage Ponds and female Great-tailed Grackle
at Mendota Wildlife Refuge (near metal gate at start of auto tour).

John Sterling
Wildlife Biologist
http://www.si.edu/smbc/start.htm
http://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org
___________________________________
________________V__________________

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
National Zoological Park
Washington, DC 20008

202-673-4908
FAX 202-673-4916
ani@...



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At least one male Lark Bunting still present and singing this morning near
the Dog Kennel on Phillip Road. Also encountered a flock of some 200
Tricolored Blackbirds which included at least one Yellowheaded Blackbird on
Brewer Road about 3 miles south of Wise Road. I searched long and hard for
Black Terns in the newly flooded rice fields along both Phillip and Brewer
Roads but had no luck.

Rolf Mall
Roseville, CA

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John:

Here in San Joaquin County, Lawrence's Goldfinch has nested on the
valley floor only once in recent times; at Oak Grove Regional Park just
n of Stockton in the early 80's. My impression is that it is of similar
status on the valley floor throughout the CV. It will be interesting to
see if there will be other reports of nesting LAGO on the CV floor this
spring. If there are, I wonder if the stimuli that caused it is similar
to the one causing all the Lark Buntings to be found in this region this
spring.

I understand you and others have been making assults on the Kings' big
day record this spring. I haven't heard/seen much except for the 130
tallied by Cole, Roberson, Caratello back in March. Any update?

David Yee
Stockton, CA

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Dear Central Valley Birders,
I am curious to know if others with the opportunity to get out this
morning also found lots of birds to look at. I went to the Cosumnes
River Preserve for three hours (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.) and didn't cover
much ground because there were too many birds to look at where I was!
There were very good numbers of ash-throated flycatchers, Cassin's
vireos, warbling vireos, a couple ruby-crowned kinglets (I have missed
these for about ten days), orange-crowned warblers, Townsend's warblers,
common yellowthroats, Wilson's warblers, western tanagers, black-headed
grosbeaks, lazuli buntings, and Bullock's orioles. There were fair
numbers of Pacific-slope flycatchers, Swainson's thrushes, hermit
thrushes, cedar waxwings, yellow warblers, Audubon's warblers (most of
these were white-throated [first spring?], but by throat pattern, tail
pattern and call note they were not myrtles), and black-throated gray
warblers. Of the eleven regular western wood warbler migrants here I
missed only yellow-breasted chat, which is least regular at Cosumnes.
The wind made it hard to see birds without gross movements on their
part, and things got slower as the day wore on. But it was still very
decent birding when I had to leave.

Best,

John Trochet


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Hi all,
In response to John Trochet's question, I have seen a total of 1
Warbling Vireo, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 1 Yellow Warbler, 5
Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Wilson's Warbler, and 4 Common Yellowthroats
for the entire week in the Redding area. Of course, I'm mostly looking
during my lunch hour, when it's been windy and warm, but I've had the
impression all spring that migration is zilch in this area.

Cheers,
Bruce Deuel
bdeuel@...

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John and Glennah Trochet wrote:

Dear Central Valley Birders,
I am curious to know if others with the opportunity to get out this
morning also found lots of birds to look at. I went to the Cosumnes
River Preserve for three hours (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.) and didn't cover
much ground because there were too many birds to look at where I was!
There were very good numbers of ash-throated flycatchers, Cassin's
vireos, warbling vireos, a couple ruby-crowned kinglets (I have missed
these for about ten days), orange-crowned warblers, Townsend's warblers,
common yellowthroats, Wilson's warblers, western tanagers, black-headed
grosbeaks, lazuli buntings, and Bullock's orioles. There were fair
numbers of Pacific-slope flycatchers, Swainson's thrushes, hermit
thrushes, cedar waxwings, yellow warblers, Audubon's warblers (most of
these were white-throated [first spring?], but by throat pattern, tail
pattern and call note they were not myrtles), and black-throated gray
warblers. Of the eleven regular western wood warbler migrants here I
missed only yellow-breasted chat, which is least regular at Cosumnes.
The wind made it hard to see birds without gross movements on their
part, and things got slower as the day wore on. But it was still very
decent birding when I had to leave.

Best,

John Trochet

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John and Bruce:

I went out briefly this morning to Lodi Lake and had a good showing of
migrants as well. It wasn't spectacular like on 30 Apr, but the best
since then. I, too, had a couple of R-cr Kinglets where I haven't seen
any in about 10 days. Townsend's Warbler (~10) showed strongest among
migrants. Also neat were three Vaux' Swifts and a Hammond's Fly.

Bruce, the birds are on their way up. I understand s CA had major waves
of migrants the past 12 days. They're hitting c CA now and will drop on
n CA soon I'm sure.

David Yee

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