Birding the Americas Trip Report
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U.S.A. -- CALIFORNIA
04 - 09 August 2001
by Jay Greenberg
On August 4-9, I combined a trip to California for my son’s wedding with
birding. August wasn’t my preferred time of year, but I didn’t pick
the wedding date. Aug. 4 was devoted to travel and activities
related to the wedding. By the time I got to bed at my hotel in Davis,
I had been up for 21 h. I was so tired and jet lagged that I couldn’t
think straight and considered myself lucky to get there in one piece.
Nevertheless, I was unable to sleep soundly. It didn’t help that the
hotel was only yards from a busy railroad track. It seemed like a train
came through my room at least once an hour, sometimes with horn blaring and
bells clanging.
Somehow, I got up at 6:00 on the 5th and was ready to meet Kevin, my local
birding guide, in the lobby by 7:30. He is a Sacramento area birder
whom I found through the Birding Pal web site. He turned out to be
a great find. He is an expert birder who leads trips all over the country.
He is also a former president of the Yolo County Audubon Society and an ardent
conservationist. We set out for Cache Creek Regional Park in northwestern
Yolo County in Kevin’s car, a1982 Honda Accord with 255,000 miles on it,
but not a speck of rust. Cache Creek is about an hour from Davis.
We climbed the dirt road along the creek to the top of the canyon, dodging
several bus loads of whitewater rafters in the process. Near the top,
we got out to survey the chaparral habitat. Bingo! Almost immediately,
we found sage sparrow, one of the target birds and a lifer for me.
On the way down the canyon, we made several stops to look for Nuttall’s woodpecker,
another target bird and potential lifer. However, it was very frustrating.
We got one or two fleeting glimpses and heard their calls, but I didn’t get
anything resembling a life look. However, we must have seen at least
50 acorn woodpeckers in the process. We also enjoyed an incredible
close frontal look at a northern pygmy owl that Kevin called in. However,
it was being harassed by oak titmice and didn’t stay in view for long.
Although I hadn’t previously seen northern pygmy owl, I had added it to my
life list after hearing it.
On the way back to Davis, we stopped at a bridge over Cache Creek where we
saw a hooded oriole. It was only my second look at this species.
According to Kevin, it is a noteworthy sighting for Yolo County. In
the fields along Route 16, we found several western bluebirds. This
was lifer #2. By this time, the gas gauge was on empty. We pulled
into the only filling station for many miles at an Indian casino just in
time. We got back to Davis around 2:30, later than I intended, with
just enough time for me to grab a bite, shower, take a short nap, and get
ready for the wedding at 6:00. I joked to Kevin that probably not many
people go birding and to a wedding on the same day. He confided that
he had sneaked off on the morning of his own wedding to a non-birder to chase
a rare bird. Strangely enough, they are no longer married.
On the 6th, I was on my own. I wanted to make it a relatively restful
day, so I went to the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area off I-80 between Davis
and Sacramento. It was only about a ten minute drive from my hotel.
VFYWA is a man-made highly managed wetland which reminds me of Montezuma
National Wildlife Refuge in western New York. Like Montezuma, it is
known for waterfowl and shorebirds, especially in the mild California winter.
However, since it is in a different geographic area and different climate,
the birds are different. I had the place almost to myself.
I didn’t know what to expect on a scorching August day, but it was well worth
the visit. One of my first sightings was a white-tailed kite.
This species is actually fairly common in northern California. I soon
also spotted a roosting barn owl. It was surprisingly alert and active
for a bird that was supposed to be asleep. It flew off when I tried
to set up my scope for a better look. By the time I finished my tour
of VFYWA, I saw a second barn owl. This doubled my lifetime sightings
of the species. Three of the four sightings have been in California
where they are much more common than in the east and also, roost outdoors.
At the same spot, I had a leisurely look through a scope at a perching immature
Swainson’s hawk. During the morning, I was to see numerous Swainson’s
hawks and heard a couple of them vocalizing on the wing. Their call
was rather like a weak, hoarse, red-tailed hawk call. Other notable
sightings included numerous white-faced ibises, black-necked stilts, western
meadowlarks, great and snowy egrets, black-crowned night heron, American
white pelicans, and a blue grosbeak. The latter was only my second
sighting of this species.
On the seventh, I set off for my daughter’s home in Daly City just south
of San Francisco with big plans for birding along the way. The first
stop was Mitchell Canyon in Mount Diablo State Park East of San Francisco
Bay. To get there, I had to drive through a thoroughly ugly industrial
area along I-680 and the congested city of Walnut Creek with one eye on the
heavy traffic and the other on the complicated directions for Mitchell Canyon.
However, the canyon itself is a beautiful spot closed to motor vehicles,
and there were few people. The main road goes gradually uphill in chaparral
habitat to Deer Flat along a small stream. Along the way, I quickly
got a good look at Nuttall’s woodpecker, life bird #3. I saw a second
one later on.
A few minutes later, I heard a vireo song and eventually got a good look
at the bird. With its white spectacles and wing bars, it was clearly
related to our eastern blue-headed vireo, but which species was it?
At first, I thought it was a plumbeous because of the dull gray and white
coloring with no sign of yellow. However, Mitchell Canyon is out of
range for plumbeous, but a known location for Cassin’s vireo. Also,
the bird I saw did not have the noticeably thickened and hooked bill of a
plumbeous. After much deliberation and consultation with other birders,
I decided that it was a Cassin’s vireo. This suited me just fine because
it was life bird #4. I had seen plumbeous previously in Arizona.
I have now seen all three species of the former solitary vireo complex.
A bit later, I was quite surprised to see a large coyote come out on the
road only about 50 feet ahead of me. For a moment, we looked at each
other with mutual respect and tolerance, then it turned and slowly walked
away. I also saw it rummaging in the brush along the road and, later,
lying in the road behind me. For a while, the birding was not very
productive. However, I then glimpsed a flock of small birds flying
overhead. Bright wing bars were visible, and they had yellow on their
bodies. They were making an enchanting two note bell-like call with
the first note higher. Although I never got a good look at a perched
bird, I was sure that they were Lawrence’s goldfinches, life bird #5.
Although I hadn’t reached the end of the trail, I decided to turn back at
about 11:30. It was getting late and very warm. By the time I
got back to the parking lot/picnic area at the beginning of the trail, it
was 12:30 and quite hot. By this time, I had walked about six miles,
half of it up hill, and had consumed nearly all of the 1.5 quarts of water
I carried with me. I took a rest and shared my lunch with the California
ground squirrels. They were so bold that they went right between my
feet for crumbs. Because of the heat and lateness, I changed my plans.
I decided to skip Mines Road, a well known birding route in the Coastal Range,
and head for my daughter’s place right away. As I left Mitchell Canyon,
I passed a thermometer which said 101̊. An hour later, I was at the
coast where it was 55̊ and foggy. What a difference!
Early on the morning of the eighth, my daughter, Rachel, and I left for a
day of birding in the Santa Cruz area with Todd Newbury whom I had birded
with five years previously after meeting him through the Internet.
One notable sighting was a scissor-tailed flycatcher on the grounds of Long
Marine Laboratory where Todd works. It was not a life bird for me or
Todd, but it is at least as rare in northern California as in western New
York. It was definitely a lifer for Rachel, who has only been birding
for a couple of years. We made a stop at Pinto Lake in Watsonville
in the hopes of seeing a Ross’s goose which has been resident there for years.
This was a potential lifer, but it did not cooperate.
Next, we returned to the fog-shrouded coast at Moss Landing where it was
looking a lot like fall, both weather-wise and bird-wise. There were
numerous shorebirds including marbled godwits, sanderlings, and a willet.
In the water, we saw both common murres and common loons; also, a red-throated
loon. Later, we would see migrating sooty shearwaters from Cliff Beach.
Also at Moss Landing, we saw a loon near shore which seemed rather agitated
and was preening itself vigorously. To our wonderment, it actually
climbed awkwardly onto the beach where it continued to preen itself.
On the basis of its thin bill and brownish plumage, we concluded that it
was a juvenile Pacific loon, although it lacked the dark chin strap found
on many winter Pacific loons. This was life bird #6. It was also
the first loon of any kind I have seen out of the water and the closest I
have been to any kind of loon.
At 6:00 the following morning, I departed by car for Sacramento on the first
leg of the long trip home. My tally for the trip was 86 species.
TRIP LIST
Common_Name
Number_Seen Place Name
Red-throated Loon 1
Moss Landing
Pacific Loon
1 Moss
Landing
Common Loon
1 Moss
Landing
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Pinto Lake
Sooty Shearwater 12
Cliff Beach
American White Pelican 2
Pinto Lake
American White Pelican 2
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Brown Pelican
12 Natural Bridges
State Park
Brown Pelican
6 Light
House
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Pinto Lake
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Brandt's Cormorant 1
Long Marine Laboratory
Great Blue Heron 1
Moss Landing
Great Blue Heron 3
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Great Egret
6 Natural
Bridges State Park
Great Egret
100 Vic Fazio Yolo
Wildlife Area
Snowy Egret
6 Moss
Landing
Snowy Egret
12 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Black-crowned Night-Heron1
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
White-faced Ibis 100
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Turkey Vulture
1 Mitchell
Canyon
Turkey Vulture
6 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Canada Goose
6 Pinto
Lake
Mallard
12 Pinto Lake
White-tailed Kite 1
Moss Landing
White-tailed Kite 1
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Northern Harrier 2
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Northern Harrier 1
State Road 113
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Coastal Highway (SR1) between
Santa Cruz and Daly City
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Rumsey
Swainson's Hawk 12
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Swainson's Hawk 6
State Road 113
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Red-tailed Hawk 1
State Road 113
American Kestrel 2
Natural Bridges State Park
Ring-necked Pheasant 6
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
California Quail 1
Santa Cruz Arboretum
California Quail 75
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
American Coot
1 Pinto
Lake
American Coot
1 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Killdeer
2 Pinto
Lake
Black-necked Stilt 20
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Greater Yellowlegs 20
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Willet
1 Moss
Landing
Long-billed Curlew 1
State Road 113
Marbled Godwit
20 Moss Landing
Sanderling
25 Moss Landing
Heermann's Gull 1
Moss Landing
California Gull 12
Natural Bridges State Park
Caspian Tern
20 Moss Landing
Caspian Tern
6 Pinto
Lake
Caspian Tern
1 Light
House
Elegant Tern
12 Moss Landing
Common Murre
3 Moss
Landing
Rock Dove
6 Natural
Bridges State Park
Mourning Dove
12 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Barn Owl
2 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Anna's Hummingbird 6
Arboretum
Anna's Hummingbird 6
Mitchell Canyon
Allen's Hummingbird 6
Arboretum
Belted Kingfisher 1
Rumsey
Acorn Woodpecker 2
Mitchell Canyon
Acorn Woodpecker 100
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Nuttall's Woodpecker 2
Mitchell Canyon
Downy Woodpecker 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Western Kingbird 1
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Western Kingbird 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher1
Long Marine Laboratory
Cassin's Vireo
1 Mitchell
Canyon
Hutton's Vireo
1 Mitchell
Canyon
Steller's Jay
6 Mitchell
Canyon
Western Scrub-Jay 12
Mitchell Canyon
Western Scrub-Jay 12
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Yellow-billed Magpie 1
State Road 113
American Crow
1 State
Road 113
Common Raven
2 Coastal
Highway (SR1) between
Santa Cruz and Daly City
Tree Swallow
100 Vic Fazio Yolo
Wildlife Area
Barn Swallow
12 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Chesnut-backed Chickadee 1
Natural Bridges State Park
Oak Titmouse
12 Mitchell Canyon
Oak Titmouse
25 Rayhouse Road
(CR40)
Bushtit
12 Mitchell Canyon
Bushtit
6 Rayhouse
Road (CR40)
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Mitchell Canyon
Brown Creeper
1 Lake
Merced
Bewick's Wren
1 Natural
Bridges State Park
Bewick's Wren
1 Mitchell
Canyon
Bewick's Wren
1 Rayhouse
Road (CR40)
Western Bluebird 6
State Road 16
American Robin
1 Lake
Merced
Wrentit
1 Natural
Bridges State Park
Wrentit
1 Rayhouse
Road (CR40)
California Thrasher 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Natural Bridges State Park
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Natural Bridges State Park
Wilson's Warbler 2
Natural Bridges State Park
Western Tanager 4
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Spotted Towhee
2 Santa
Cruz Arboretum
Spotted Towhee
1 Mitchell
Canyon
Spotted Towhee
1 Rayhouse
Road (CR40)
Sage Sparrow
2 Rayhouse
Road (CR40)
Song Sparrow
1 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Mitchell Canyon
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Rayhouse Road (CR40)
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Mitchell Canyon
Blue Grosbeak
1 Vic Fazio
Yolo Wildlife Area
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Western Meadowlark 12
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Brewer's Blackbird 12
State Road 113
Hooded Oriole
1 Bridge
over Cache Creek on Road 41
House Finch
12 Santa Cruz
Arboretum
American Goldfinch 1
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Lawrence's Goldfinch 6
Mitchell Canyon
--
Jay Greenberg <conservationist@earthlink.net>
Rochester, NY