Recent Sightings

Yolo Notable Sightings: October 2023

November 5, 2023

Yolo Notable Sightings: September 2023

October 9, 2023

The month of September is famous in the birding world for its impressive migration and the potential to bring rare birds to unexpected places. September 2023 was no exception, as a slew of rarities kept Yolo County birders busy throughout the month. The indisputable highlight was a stunning BLUE-HEADED VIREO

Yolo Notable Sightings: Summer 2023

September 16, 2023

Summer 2023 was a season for the Yolo birding record books, with an impressive tally of rarities discovered at a variety of locations. As is often the case, the summer was defined by shorebirding and sprinkled with a scattering of rare songbirds. The County Road 104 Ponds

Yolo Notable Sightings: April 2023

May 11, 2023

Sometimes a bird is so rare it leaves birders in utter disbelief. On 4/27, when Tom Uslan looked out his window to see a towhee-sized dove with rufous underwings, he was shocked. Closer inspection and photos proved that he had discovered a RUDDY GROUND DOVE, a species that ranges

Yolo Notable Sightings: March 2023

April 5, 2023

March is a time of transition in Yolo County, as the cold of winter gives way to warmer weather and leaves on the trees. This March saw more rain than in recent years, enough to flood the Yolo Bypass and fill ponds county-wide. Temperatures stayed low and by the

Yolo Notable Sightings: February 2023

March 8, 2023

Late winter is a unique time of year in Yolo County, as winter birds begin to clear out but spring migrants are yet to arrive. Significant rains this season kept water levels high, and gull numbers around the Yolo County Central Landfill swelled into the thousands. This provided the setup

Yolo Notable Sightings: January 2023

February 10, 2023

The new year kicked off with a flurry of new and continuing rare birds around Yolo County. The action started on New Year’s Day with the discovery of a rare hybrid hummingbird. A male ANNA’S x COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD was documented visiting a backyard feeder in north Davis on 1/1

Yolo Notable Sightings: December 2022

January 11, 2023

A handful of rare birds brightened a rather rainy month of December. The action started on 12/2, with a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE in a southern Woodland neighborhood (RW). The bird was relocated a few hours later but was never seen after that evening. The following day, a RUFF was found in

Yolo Notable Sightings: November 2022

December 8, 2022

The month of November was action packed in the Yolo County birding scene. Good weather allowed local birders to get out and as a result a slew of exciting birds were discovered. The undoubted highlight was the discovery of a WINTER WREN at Fishing Access #2 in Putah Creek Canyon

Yolo Notable Sightings: October 2022

November 2, 2022

A wide variety of rare birds were found during the month of October, keeping local birders on their toes all month long. The highlights of the month ranged from a pair of sea ducks to a trio of vagrant warblers, with an impressive mix of everything in between.

Yolo Notable Sightings: September 2022

October 3, 2022

September! Most consider this to be the premier birding month of the year, and this year was nothing short of spectacular. It felt as though rare bird reports were coming in nonstop, and Yolo County birders were kept on their toes with a long list of birds to chase. The

Yolo Notable Sightings: Summer 2022

September 2, 2022

May is an exciting time to be out birding in Yolo County. Migrating songbirds working their way north from the tropics stop over in riparian areas throughout the area. Any morning birders can turn up dozens of “neotropical migrants,” and the keen observer will occasionally pick out unusual species amongst

Yolo County birders were kept occupied throughout October with a couple of very rare songbirds and a handful of other unusual species. The action started quickly with a report of a vibrant BLUE-HEADED VIREO on the evening of 10/1 at Putah Creek, Fishing Access #2 (BW). Photos were frantically shared and a lucky few were able to make it out before sunset to see the vireo and obtain further documentation. The vireo, which is incredibly difficult to tell apart from its Cassin’s Vireo relative, was well-photographed and the identification of this bird has since been corroborated by experts from around the state. This impressive find represents just the second record of Blue-headed Vireo for Yolo County. Shockingly, this individual comes less than a month after Yolo’s first record, which was featured in the September Recent Sightings column. Like the first record, the Fishing Access #2 Blue-headed proved to be a one-day-wonder and was never seen again.
   On 10/11, an ORCHARD ORIOLE was found and photographed in the west end of the UC Davis Arboretum (GP). It was enjoyed by dozens of birders and students alike. This bird was found in the midst of an active molt, and had just two tail feathers upon its discovery. By the end of its first day, the oriole had lost its final two tail feathers and was subsequently seen as a tailless green ball of feathers. By the end of the month, the Orchard Oriole was still being reported daily and had fully grown in its tail. This represents Yolo County’s fifth record, and the first since the winter of 2017. Curiously, the 2017 bird was also molting its tail during its stay in Davis.
   As is often the case, a couple of migratory songbirds were reported well beyond their usual late dates. WILLOW FLYCATCHERS were found much later than usual this year, with multiple reports into October. The latest was a bird on private property near Winters on 10/13 (EM). This represents the latest Willow Flycatcher record for the county. At the end of the month, a HOODED ORIOLE was heard giving diagnostic calls from a palm tree in west Davis on 10/30 (ZP). Regular in summer and migration, it is likely this individual will spend the winter somewhere locally, as some Hooded Orioles have done in recent years.
   Two notable nightjar reports came through in October. The first was a COMMON POORWILL in a private yard near Clarksburg on 10/3 (TU). While poorwill are regular summer breeders in the western foothills, this nocturnal species is hardly ever detected on the valley floor. Three nighthawks, likely LESSER NIGHTHAWKS but not confirmed to species, were found over Cache Creek near the town of Capay on 10/23 (ES). The birds were reported to be suggestive of Lesser, which would be the latest record for the county by almost a month. However, the late date leaves some ambiguity over whether they could have in fact been Common Nighthawks, which have only been recorded once in the county. Although these birds were not relocated or conclusively identified, it is still a notable record.
   Of local interest was a HAIRY WOODPECKER on the valley floor in north Davis on 10/4 (EM). Additionally, a GREATER ROADRUNNER made a brief appearance in the middle of Highway 16 near Guinda on 10/15 (JG, SS). A lingering group of MARBLED GODWITS continue at the County Road 104 Ponds, which also have seen a major increase in roosting gulls. Surely there are more reports to come from that location this winter.

Thanks to the following for their reports:
Bart Wickel (BW), Elliot Schoenig (ES), Ethan Monk (EM), Gerrit Platenkamp (GP), Josh Greenfield (JG), Samuel Schmidt (SS), Tom Uslan (TU), Zane Pickus (ZP)

Photos:
Blue-headed Vireo: https://ebird.org/checklist/S151233525
Orchard Oriole: https://ebird.org/checklist/S151955749
Common Poorwill: https://ebird.org/checklist/S151365635

–Zane Pickus