Northern Harrier ©Zane Pickus
Event Organizers: Yolo Bird Alliance, Yolo Basin Foundation, Birdwatching Club at UC Davis
Description:
You are invited to join the Yolo Bird Alliance, Yolo Basin Foundation, and the Birdwatching Club at UC Davis for a joint event at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area! On Sunday, November 16th we will host a “Big Sit!” You may have heard of a “Big Day” or a “Big Year” – birding challenges where birders attempt to see as many species as possible in a given time frame, but a Big Sit is different. The challenge is to detect as many species as possible while remaining in one stationary location. For our event, we will be looking for birds from Parking Lot C of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. This will put us right in the middle of excellent marsh habitat, which is perfect for seeing a great diversity of species! Those who stop by can expect to see or hear a variety of geese, ducks, rails, sparrows, herons, and shorebirds. It is certain to be a fun day for all involved.
Unlike many birding field trips, this event is special in that participants can come and go as they please. Feel free to visit for a few minutes, an hour, or longer! The intention behind this trip is for it to be accessible to as many people as possible. We hope that anyone interested will stop by and share in enjoying the birds of the wildlife area. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, and excitement about birds!
The organizations listed above will have representatives who are happy to talk about birds, wetlands, and the wildlife area. Additionally, we will have binoculars and spotting scopes out to share. We will keep a running list of species detected throughout the day, consistent with Big Sit birding guidelines. The event will conclude at 1:00pm.
Accessibility:
This is a stationary event in which participants can come and go as they please. No prior birding experience is necessary, and the area is handicap accessible. Outhouses are available nearby. Besides our Big Sit area, the rest of the auto tour loop is sure to be full of birds and is worth exploring on your own (please see the attached map from Yolo Basin Foundation). When visiting the wildlife area, please stay in the public areas denoted on the map and do not block roadways, as there can be increased vehicle traffic during hunting season. There are plenty of maintained public trails along the auto tour loop to enjoy. Feel free to ask for recommendations from the groups tabling at the Bit Sit.
Meeting Location and Registration:
The Big Sit will take place at Parking Lot C of the Yolo Bypass WIldlife Area, beginning at 8:00am on February 8th. We will have a table with information on local birds, the organizations involved, and extra binoculars to share. Anyone can stop by! Parking Lot C is located here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hJjX2xCg3PhEgZyP6?g_st=i&utm_campaign=ac-im
Winter birding events are always at risk of bad weather. A postponement will occur in the event that the wildlife area is closed due to flooding, or if heavy rain is projected on the day of the Big Sit. Please check back on the Yolo Bird Alliance website and Facebook page for more details, or contact Zane Pickus at yolobirdalliance@gmail.com
Yolo Bird Alliance field trips are free and open to the public. Carpooling is highly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between drivers and riders.