Fall is almost here—warblers are stopping by the water feature in my yard—so it’s time to gear up for birding!  John Mott-Smith has assembled a great series of field trips this season, with Covid precautions.   Please check out the details on the Yolo Audubon website as they become available. While you’re on

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the end of the Yolo Audubon 2020-2021 season.  This is our last newsletter until September.  Thank you for sticking with us through these unsettled times.  We’ve had record attendance at our Zoom monthly meetings and are in the process of trying to decide what

Spring is underway and I thought you might enjoy seeing how Bobcat Ranch currently looks.  The fire was devastating, but you can’t but feel hopeful when you see a sight like the one above.  The phenology volunteers reported a great survey on March 20th that included Lawrence’s Goldfinc, Band-tailed Pigeon,

Signs of spring are here!  The migratory waterfowl are moving north, and some birds are starting their nesting activity, like the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks on my property.  I checked in with Audubon member Manfred Kusch who lives along Putah Creek and always writes eloquently about the birds on his

The Broad-billed Hummingbird recently found in Davis has given hundreds of people great pleasure.  This first county record (and perhaps even first Central Valley record) was all thanks to Victoria Cross and Thomas Gatewood, who first observed the bird in their backyard on January 29th.  They knew it wasn’t an Anna’s, but

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

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

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

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

The migrating warblers have decreased significantly in my yard and are being replaced primarily by yellow-rumps.  Other old friends are showing up: White-crowned Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Spotted Towhees, Hermit Thrushes, Fox Sparrows, etc.  Their presence is soothing and provides a sense of normalcy after all the recent terrible wildfires, especially