View from Bobcat Ranch (Frank Fogarty)
Frank Fogarty will be presenting recent research that he and Chris Adlam, a fellow doctoral candidate at UC Davis, conducted at Audubon’s Bobcat Canyon Ranch near Winters, California.
Their field work from 2016-2018 examined how recent fires, cattle grazing, and vegetation influence the diversity of the wintering bird population across the ranch. Many California bird species have been studied extensively on their breeding ranges, but far less is known about their ecology in winter. Bobcat Ranch presented a fascinating natural laboratory to study wintering birds, with its diverse foothills vegetation and both grazed and ungrazed parcels. The reserve also partially burned in both 2016 and 2017, allowing a direct comparison between adjacent burned and unburned areas.
The Yolo Audubon monthly meeting will take place at the Davis Senior Center (646 A St, Davis, CA 95616). The program starts at 7:30 p.m., but everyone is invited for refreshments and conversation at 7:00.