Pine Siskin; © Steve Hampton
We are receiving a number of reports of sick and dying Pine Siskins and goldfinches at area bird feeders. Krysta Rogers of the Wildlife Investigations Laboratory of the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife believes this is due to Salmonellosis, a bacterial infection spread through feces of infected birds. The outbreaks always involve bird feeders […]
Never Too Young; © Josh Galland
Happy New Year! As we all try to stay safe and be patient during the COVID times, I’d like to recommend a page from the National Audubon website called The Joy of Birds. It’s described as a “Birdy Care Package from Audubon” and is full of entertaining and useful information–good for a rainy afternoon at home. I […]
LNU Complex Fire; © Sarah Mayhew
The complex of wildfires in late summer that burned large swathes of Yolo, Solano, Napa and other counties devoured oak woodland, forest and chaparral indiscriminately. Wanting a sense of the effects of those fires on the birds of the area, Steve Hampton and I pored over reports from birders around the burned zones, both during and […]
Cassin's Finch; © Sean Smith
December featured a sprinkling of rarities. A Common Loon was in the Ship Canal on Dec 5 (SL). A Eurasian Green-winged Teal was photographed at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (YBWA) on Dec 15 (SH). An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was found at the landfill on Dec 7 (CT) and remains. A Sage Thrasher discovered […]
Colusa NWR; © Ann Brice
As you look for ways to stay sane in the next few months, don’t forget to go birding! We are so lucky to have so many great spots for winter birds in the area, like Colusa National Wildlife Refuge pictured above. You can go on your own or with your family. I have been birding […]
Josh Greenfield on first YAS Phenology Survey after LNU Complex fire
Text by Joe Zinkl, Phenology Survey Coordinator Yolo Audubon members have been conducting a phenology survey at Audubon California’s Bobcat Ranch for over four years. The study is conducted in cooperation with the National Phenology Network. All data collected by our surveyors is sent to NPN. What is phenology exactly? It is the study of […]
Long-eared Owl; © Steve Hampton
A mostly dry November was filled with interesting birds. Most intriguing was the appearance of two Black-throated Sparrows, only the fourth record for the county, at a private residence west of Winters on Nov 6, with at least one bird continuing longer (BG). A Red-breasted Merganser made a brief stop at the Woodland/Davis Clean Water […]
The Sacramento Bypass Wildlife Area (along County Road 126, off River Road just north of the city of West Sacramento) is an excellent birding spot, with 197 species reported on eBird. This large bird list reflects the presence a strip of forest at the foot of the north levee of the bypass, plus wetlands that […]
Yolo Reflections; Painting by John Nichols
I want to invite everyone to Yolo Basin Foundation’s first virtual Bucks for Ducks. As most of you know, Yolo Basin Foundation is the non-profit associated with the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and Bucks for Ducks is the largest source of income for their wetlands education and conservation programs. They need our support now more than ever, so […]
Greater Roadrunner; © Sami LaRocca
Yet another “Indian summer” provided a warm and sunny October, with nary a cloud and not a drop of rain. The best bird was the last, an adult female Vermillion Flycatcher at Woodland Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) found on Halloween morning (SH). Unfortunately, it proved as ephemeral as the last, quickly disappearing before other birders […]
Bewick's Wren; © Deb Ford
In most Yolo County landscapes, birds are usually hidden from view, while fly-overs are often too distant to be identified by eye. And some birds fly by night. In all those instances, birding by ear is essential for knowing who they are, and thus essential for better understanding of the bird life of our county. […]
Gray Catbird; © Bart Wickel
Despite record heat, fires, smoke, and poor air quality, migration seemed largely the same. As with any September, there were plenty of rarities to chase, highlighted by six eastern warblers. Top of the ticket was the county’s first Blackburnian Warbler, found Sept 4 at the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve (EM) and seen by dozens for […]