Blue-winged Teal ©Kelli O’Neill
Date: Sunday, November 15th, 2026
Time: 8:00 am- 10:30 am
Trip Leaders: Henry Witsken and Peyton Bounds
With winter duck season well underway, please join us at Bridgeway Island Pond and the adjacent Deepwater Shipping Channel in West Sacramento! Bridgeway Island is one of the premier locations in California to observe large concentrations of Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal at close range. It is also a great place to look for Spotted Sandpiper, Common Gallinule, American Avocet, plus rails if we’re lucky! As is always the case when out birding, you never know what shorebird or waterfowl species may be sitting on the muddy spit waiting to be discovered!
After covering Bridgeway Island Pond, we will walk up the levee and scan the Deepwater Shipping Channel. Our targets here will be water-loving birds such as Bald Eagle, Osprey, Common Merganser, Forster’s Tern, and Western Grebe. The stand of cottonwoods and bushes may yield passerines such as Spotted Towhee, Orange-crowned Warbler, and plenty of Lincoln’s Sparrows!
Most birding will be done on foot. We will begin on a level path, and walk up a graveled levee to reach the shipping channel. There will be a small stretch where the path is quite narrow but still largely level. Bathrooms are not available at this location.
We will meet at 8:00am at the cul-de-sac at the end of Pender Island Rd in West Sacramento, here: (38.540733, -121.577855). Bring binoculars, a scope (if you have one), water, and snacks. High winds or significant rain will cancel this trip. Beginners are welcome and no sign-ups are necessary! We will conclude at approximately 10:30am. https://maps.app.goo.gl/JSFKhM9MD8TMxoB27
Please contact Zane Pickus with any questions 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.