1. Centralvalleybirds
  2. Topics

Yolo CR104 Ponds upcoming road closure; highlights 3.8.22

Denise and David Hamilton
 

Hi all,

Did some Yolo birding today and decided to check out the CR 104 ponds for the first time for us.  Went into the Yolo County Landfill office to sign in.  While checking to see if the road was clear, the gentleman told me that today was fine, BUT either by later tomorrow or early on Thursday, birders will not be allowed for the rest of the week (and maybe into next week?)  Apparently truckloads of dirt will be coming through.  The woman in the office said when those trucks are there, everyone stays clear of them....apparently they drive fast with no care in the world.  I told them that I would let the birders know, so now I've told you!  She said you can either stop in the office or call them to get updates.

Now to the gulls....where are they??  We checked the pond on 28 H before we went into the Davis Wetlands in the morning - maybe 3 gulls.  Checked again at noon and went to look at the CR104 ponds - no gulls.  Went over to Yolo Bypass, then returned back to look for gulls around 3 pm, no gulls on the 28H pond (a lot of huge construction vehicles moving dirt above the ponds, so maybe too scary for gulls?) Then signed in and went back to the CR104 ponds -no gulls!  We didn't walk back to see the further pond because we had friends to go visit, but we did take a look at it from 28H when we were leaving.  At best there were 100-150 gulls there.  So much for gull watching today!  

Davis Wetlands: 1,000's of Dunlin; LB Dowitchers, BB Plovers, a few W. Snipe, LB Curlews, Killdeer, WF Ibis.  Lots of Snow and GWF Geese flocks flying over along with Sandhill Cranes.  A pair of Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinule and others are in the pond at the corner (above where the outhouse is)  Violet-green and Cliff Swallows have returned.

Yolo Bypass:  Duck numbers down, but still a nice variety.  Ate lunch in parking lot E overlooking the marsh - Snipe, Ibis, Yellowlegs, and a Sora which stood out at the edge of the reeds to preen.  While David was taking pictures of the Sora, he said he saw movement next to it .... we looked with binocs and saw nothing.  But when we looked at the pictures, the Sora was photobombed by a Virginia Rail!

Good birding,
Denise and David Hamilton
Napa
Noah Arthur
 

As to the missing gulls, we’re seeing the effects of changes in organic waste disposal policy that took effect January 1st. Food scraps are no longer supposed to go to landfills. This is almost certainly the end of good gulling in most of California.

Here’s the details:

https://www.ktvu.com/news/california-enacts-statewide-law-to-keep-food-scraps-out-of-landfills.amp

Noah Arthur (Oakland)
On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 10:16:34 PM PST, Denise and David Hamilton <napabirders@...> wrote:


Hi all,

Did some Yolo birding today and decided to check out the CR 104 ponds for the first time for us.  Went into the Yolo County Landfill office to sign in.  While checking to see if the road was clear, the gentleman told me that today was fine, BUT either by later tomorrow or early on Thursday, birders will not be allowed for the rest of the week (and maybe into next week?)  Apparently truckloads of dirt will be coming through.  The woman in the office said when those trucks are there, everyone stays clear of them....apparently they drive fast with no care in the world.  I told them that I would let the birders know, so now I've told you!  She said you can either stop in the office or call them to get updates.

Now to the gulls....where are they??  We checked the pond on 28 H before we went into the Davis Wetlands in the morning - maybe 3 gulls.  Checked again at noon and went to look at the CR104 ponds - no gulls.  Went over to Yolo Bypass, then returned back to look for gulls around 3 pm, no gulls on the 28H pond (a lot of huge construction vehicles moving dirt above the ponds, so maybe too scary for gulls?) Then signed in and went back to the CR104 ponds -no gulls!  We didn't walk back to see the further pond because we had friends to go visit, but we did take a look at it from 28H when we were leaving.  At best there were 100-150 gulls there.  So much for gull watching today!  

Davis Wetlands: 1,000's of Dunlin; LB Dowitchers, BB Plovers, a few W. Snipe, LB Curlews, Killdeer, WF Ibis.  Lots of Snow and GWF Geese flocks flying over along with Sandhill Cranes.  A pair of Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinule and others are in the pond at the corner (above where the outhouse is)  Violet-green and Cliff Swallows have returned.

Yolo Bypass:  Duck numbers down, but still a nice variety.  Ate lunch in parking lot E overlooking the marsh - Snipe, Ibis, Yellowlegs, and a Sora which stood out at the edge of the reeds to preen.  While David was taking pictures of the Sora, he said he saw movement next to it .... we looked with binocs and saw nothing.  But when we looked at the pictures, the Sora was photobombed by a Virginia Rail!

Good birding,
Denise and David Hamilton
Napa

1 - 2 of 2