Yolo Bird Alliance

Bobcat Ranch Tour
2023-04-16 07:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
House Finch; © Kelli O’Neill

Join Yolo Audubon Society for birds and wildflower tour of Bobcat Ranch. This sprawling blue oak woodland property sits in the hills of the coastal range just north of Berryessa Gap. The hills are green, flowers are blooming, and we should have some early spring migrants showing up. Bobcat Ranch is great for spotting woodpeckers, raptors, and the occasional resident bald eagle as well as lupine, blue dicks, and a variety of other wildflowers. We will climb to a natural spring where warblers and small passerines are often abundant.

This trip will involve moderate-strenuous hiking with portions of sustained uphill on uneven, unpaved surfaces. We will hike a loop approximately 2 miles long and gain about 300-400 feet in elevation. Bring binoculars, plenty of water, snacks, hiking poles if needed, and sturdy hiking shoes. Dress in layers as it can be cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Trails may be muddy depending on the weather. Heavy rains or high winds cancels the trip.

We’ll meet at 7:30 a.m. and likely return to Davis by noon. Location and further details will be provided to those who have reserved a spot on the trip.

Trip leaders are Ryan Janke and Sonjia Shelly.

This trip has limited space. Please reserve a spot by emailing Ryan Janke (rhjanke29@gmail.com).

Flight Calls to Monitor Nocturnal Migration in the Central Valley
2023-04-19 19:00
Rob Furrow & Cameron Tescher

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Most of the migration of songbirds happens while we’re sleeping, as warblers, sparrows, and other birds pass overhead during their nocturnal flights. These migrating birds are not entirely silent during the night; many species repeatedly make short calls as they fly, referred to as nocturnal flight calls. In this presentation we will outline the basics of how bird migration can be monitored using audio recordings of nocturnal flight calls. Then we will describe the methods and some preliminary results of a study assessing migration timing and intensity at sites ranging from the Coast Range near Lake Berryessa to the town of Davis and nearby natural areas. We focus on a few species that are common migrants that regularly give nocturnal flight calls: Lazuli Bunting, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, and Swainson’s Thrush. In addition to describing our initial findings and many challenges, we will teach the audience a bit about when and where they might be able to hear these flight calls, and how to identify a few of the most common ones.

Rob Bio. Rob Furrow is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UC Davis. He has been birding since his youth, and revels in early mornings with migrating songbirds. Nocturnal flight calls have long been an interest of his, so he was thrilled when Cameron proposed a project systematically assessing local bird migration using these calls.

Cameron Bio. Cameron Tescher is a fourth year majoring in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UC Davis who is interested in migration of songbirds, especially those in the Central Valley. Through multiple years of birding across the state including in Yolo County for four years as a college student, he has always wanted to learn more about nocturnal migration. He planned this project with support from Rob Furrow and the Yolo Audubon Society to help understand the when’s, where’s, and how’s of the massive number of migrants that travel across the Central Valley.

This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.

DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING

You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (you can unsubscribe at any time.)

During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.

Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.

Capay Open Space Park - Lesser Nighthawks
2023-04-30 18:00 - 21:00
Lesser Nighthawk; © Zane Pickus

Nighthawks are a family of cryptically colored, primarily nocturnal bird species that are a favorite of many birders. Cache Creek is the summer home of the Lesser Nighthawk, which winters in Central and South America before returning to California’s Central Valley to breed. Lesser Nighthawks primarily feed on insects under the cover of darkness, but in the spring they routinely engage in dusk courtship rituals. Capay Open Space Park is the perfect place to observe nighthawks as they chase each other in acrobatic flights and sing their eerie trilled songs.

You can learn more about Lesser Nighthawks and listen to their song here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Nighthawk/overview. Join Zane Pickus and Frank Fabbro in a dusk birding trip to Capay Open Space Park. While this trip will be focused on the nighthawks, there should be plenty of other birds to see. California Thrashers, though inconspicuous, nest here. Western Meadowlarks, California Quail, and a variety of swallows will be abundant. Given the date, we could encounter a neotropical migrant or two!

We’ll meet at 6:00pm at the Marketplace Shopping Center (near Big 5 Sporting Goods, 1301 W.Covell, just east of Hwy 113). We will plan to bird until dark, and should return to Davis between 8:30pm and 9:00pm. Bring binoculars, cameras, snacks, and water. The trip will include a short walk along the gravel creekbed. High winds or a significant rainstorm will cancel the trip. Yolo Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public. Carpooling is strongly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between driver and riders.

Trip leaders: Frank Fabbro and Zane Pickus.

Contact Zane for more information – zanep987@gmail.com

(Late) Spring Migration at Willowbank Ditch
2023-05-06 07:00 - 09:30
Warbling Vireo; © Zane Pickus

This walking trip focuses on the migrating songbirds passing through Davis. Willowbank Ditch in South Davis has a fantastic mix of mature trees, dense understory, and diverse fruiting and flowering plants. Early May is at the tail end of sparrow migration, but still in the heart of warbler and flycatcher migration through the area. We will hope for foraging groups of warblers and flycatchers as we practice learning the songs and calls of an array of local songbirds. Some targets will include Wilson’s, Yellow, and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Western Wood-Pewee, Western Tanager, and Lazuli Bunting. We will also practice thinking from a birds-eye view, discussing habitat, food sources, and tips and tricks for predicting the best spots to find migrating songbirds.

The trip will leave from the junction of Almond Lane and Rosario Street in Davis. There is street parking on streets by this junction, and this intersection has a walking path that leads to the footbridge over the Willowbank Ditch. We will meet at 7am and the trip will end around 9 or 9:30am. Expect ~1 mile of walking, although we will never be more than 1/2 of a mile from the meeting spot. Please bring binoculars as well as any desired snacks and water. Heavy rain will cancel the trip.

For more information contact trip leader Rob Furrow at robertfurrow@gmail.com or 610-715-9123.

Putah Creek at Kusch Home
2023-05-07 07:30
Barn Swallow; © Zane Pickus

Tour Manfred Kusch’s birding gardens between Davis and Winters. He has cultivated his home garden and surrounding area, which border on Putah Creek, into a true birding extravaganza. He attracts a wide variety of birds in the gardens and habitat around the house, especially hummingbirds and orioles. The multi-layered vegetation on either side of the creek hosts spring migrants and residents such as grosbeaks, tanagers and a variety of warblers and vireos.

Bring binoculars, scopes, cameras, snacks and beverages. High winds or a significant rainstorm cancel this trip.

Space is limited; RSVP early. Contact John Hansen to secure your spot (jjhindavis@yahoo.com)

Searching for Rare Birds in South America
2023-05-17 19:00
Santa Marta Parakeet©John Sterling

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Bird expert and world traveler John Sterling will share his adventures in looking for and photographing some of the rarest birds in the world including those he found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Argentina and Paraguay. John will take us to these exotic places and describe how he found the elusive wonders.

John’s Bio: John has been birding very actively since 1971 and embarked on a career in ornithology while as a student at Humboldt State University in 1979. Since then he has worked for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington DC, research labs of the US Forest Service (Redwood Sciences Lab and PSW Fresno), H.T. Harvey and Associates, Arizona State University, Oregon State University, and many other organizations in Latin America and California. As an avid California birder, he has accumulated detailed knowledge of bird distribution and status throughout the state. As an ornithologist and environmental consultant, He has studied the ecology and conservation of birds as well as the regulatory processes that seek to preserve them.

For more information on John’s projects and tours, check out his website at sterlingbirds.com.”

This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.

DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING

You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (you can unsubscribe at any time.)

During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.

Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.

South Fork Preserve - Putah Creek
2023-05-20 07:00 - 11:00
Hermit x Townsend’s Warbler; © Konshau Duman

Join us for a morning of late spring migrants and riparian breeders next Saturday, May 20th, at the Putah Creek South Fork Preserve parking lot. We will walk the trail west of Mace into Solano County before returning to the Yolo side to walk the South Fork Preserve trails. This area has great valley riparian habitat with a dense mixed canopy of Valley Oak and Oregon Ash with scattered Cottonwood and Willow. The Yolo side will have similar habitat in a narrower strip along with open weedy grassland with Valley Oak and Mulefat plantings.

We can expect to see some later spring migrants like Yellow Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, and Western Wood-Pewee plus riparian breeders like Tree Swallow, Bewick’s Wren, House Wren, California Towhee, and Spotted Towhee. The number of breeding Spotted Towhees on the Solano side is quite stunning compared to other riparian sites in our area, and there are abundant cavity nesters on the Yolo Side due to a wealth of natural and artificial cavity nest sites. Swainson’s Hawks will likely be very abundant as well.

We will cover about 1.9 miles of trail, ~.35 miles (one way) on the Solano side and a ~1.2 mile loop on the Yolo Side. The Yolo side trails are well established dirt trails, and the Solano side trail is a narrower dirt path with occasional stick and log debris brought in by last winter’s flooding to step around.

This trip will be led by Konshau and Lynette Williams Duman (konshaud@gmail.com, lynettebarbarawilliams@gmail.com). Feel free to email us with any additional questions regarding the trip or transportation from Davis to the South Fork Preserve.

Yolo Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public. Carpooling is strongly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between driver and riders.

Sierra Valley/Yuba Pass 2-day Trip
2023-06-03 12:00
Red-breasted Sapsucker; © Kelli O’Neill

Do you enjoy mountain birding? Then this trip is for you. We will explore the birdlife of the Sierras on this two day, (June 3-4) overnight trip.

We will be looking for mountain specialties such as Williamson’s Sapsucker, Black-backed Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Bluebird and Calliope Hummingbird.

We will also enjoy the wonders of the marsh in Sierra Valley, with a cacophony of sound led by the amazingly beautiful Yellow-headed Blackbirds. We will also hope to see and hear displaying Willets, Wilson’s Snipes and American Bitterns.

Please bring plenty of warm clothes and dress in layers. Bring enough food for breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. We will have a group dinner on Saturday evening in Portola and we will be spending the night at the Sierra Motel (530-832-4223).

This trip is limited to 10 participants, so please contact our field trip chair, John Hansen, to sign up at jjhindavis@yahoo.com.

Trip is full.

For more information, please contact either Kevin Guse (harpy12@icloud.com) or Mary Schiedt (maryolo1@netscape.net).

The Magic of Central America: Costa Rica's Birds and Ecology
2023-09-20 19:00 - 20:30
Three-wattled bellbird ©Benjamin Jacobs-Schwartz

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Costa Rica has long been regarded as one of the top tropical birding destinations in the world and with good reason. This small Central American country is roughly the size of West Virginia yet is home to ~5% of the world’s biodiversity, 900+ species of birds with 47 avian endemics to the country.
During our presentation, we’ll visit a variety of ecosystems including the cloud forest, the Caribbean lowlands, the Pacific dry forest, and the ecological factors that have made Costa Rica the international birding mecca that it is!
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join, click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.

SPEAKER BIO
Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and runs a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). Working professionally for over 10 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide, Benny has worked in a variety of locations coast to coast, including exotic places such as coastal Alaska, Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny uses his ample collection of nature-based content to leverage an active social media presence. BIJS uses his passion for the natural world to inspire others to put down their phone and pick up their Binos.

This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.

DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING

You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (you can unsubscribe at any time.)
Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.
Visit to learn how to join a Zoom meeting. You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need help.

Beginners trip to Putah Creek Riparian Reserve
2023-09-30 07:30 - 12:00
Nuttall’s Woodpecker; © Kelli O’Neill

Have you always been interested in birds and want to learn more? This field trip is intended for beginning and inexperienced birders. Several Yolo Audubon members will lead this visit to the Putah Creek Reserve. The Reserve, on the west edge of the UCD campus, is an Oak Woodland and Riparian habitat. We will be looking for resident species as well as late fall migrants. The group may see hawks, Wood ducks, Western bluebirds, woodpeckers, and various warblers, among others. Expect a 2-mile walk on fairly level terrain.
Participants will meet at the gravel parking lot at the end of Hopkins Road at 7:30 AM. The trip will end by noon. Bring water and binoculars. The club does have some binoculars for loan. Rain or strong wind will cancel the trip. No reservations are necessary, everyone is welcome.
More info: John Hansen, jjhindavis@yahoo.com

Point Reyes Field Trip
2023-10-01 07:00 - 20:00
Chestnut-sided Warbler; © Kevin Guse

Join us for this is the annual Terry Colborn Memorial trip to Pt. Reyes. Fall migration at Pt. Reyes can be spectacular and makes this area a well-deserved birding hot spot. Depending on the weather, the numbers and diversity of songbirds passing through the “Outer Point” can be impressive. In addition to the passerines there are usually plenty of raptors, other migrants, and several species of mammals to enjoy.
All participants are expected to be vaccinated. Masks are not required while out of doors but may be required in vehicles depending on preferences of the driver and passengers. Federal, state, and local health guidelines will be followed.
Please bring a lunch, plenty of fluids and dress in layers. Be prepared for cool temperatures, wind and maybe fog, though Pt. Reyes can also be warm at this time of year. There will be easy walks and good bird photo opportunities on the trip.
This is an all-day trip. Due to safety and liability reasons Yolo Audubon Society will be limiting this trip to 8 participants and no more than 3 vehicles. For reserving a spot or for any logistics questions please contact rhjanke29@gmail.com. You must have a reservation to participate in this trip.
Trip Leader: Kevin Guse
For questions related to reservations and trip logistics contact Ryan Janke: rhjanke29@gmail.com

Bodega Bay Day Trip
2023-10-15 06:30 - 17:30
Red Knot ©Kevin Guse

You are cordially invited to join us for a trip to one of the crown jewels of Northern California birding, Bodega Bay. We will be looking for fall migrant passerines as well as shorebirds, loons, grebes, ducks, raptors and wading birds. Birders of all skill levels are welcome! There will be short walks on fairly level terrain.
This outing will be limited to 8 people in 3 cars. It will be an all-day trip, beginning at 6:30 AM. Due to safety and liability reasons Yolo Audubon Society will be limiting this trip to 8 participants and no more than 3 vehicles. For reserving a spot or for any logistics questions please contact rhjanke29@gmail.com. You must have a reservation to participate in this trip.
Please bring a lunch, sunscreen, water and layers of clothing. Masks are not required while out of doors but may be required in vehicles depending on preferences of the driver and passengers. Federal, state, and local health guidelines will be followed.
Trip Leader: Kevin Guse
There is still room on this popular Yolo Audubon trip. Contact Ryan below to reserve your spot soon.
For reservations contact Ryan Janke: rhjanke29@gmail.com

Southern Africa--Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, plus a little bit of South Africa.
2023-10-18 19:00 - 20:30
White-quilled Bustard ©Chris Conard

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

In August 2023, Chris Conard joined a group largely composed of Sacramento-area birders to southern Africa. The birds were wonderful, and the mammals were absolutely mind-blowing. We moved east from the Namib Desert on the Atlantic Coast, through Etosha National Park, the Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, with a single day in South Africa before heading home. Highlights are too many to catalog, but include a great diversity of hornbills, kingfishers, and shrikes in starkly beautiful settings, with a cavalcade of large mammals coming to and interacting at waterholes. Lions, leopard, 17 species of antelope, elephants, and both species of rhino jockeyed for first prize as most spectacular–the rhinos won!
SPEAKER BIO
Chris Conard is a Natural Resource Specialist at the Bufferlands in Sacramento County. He regularly leads field trips for Sacramento Audubon, serves as a county reviewer for eBird, and is a past president of the Central Valley Bird Club.

This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join, click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.

DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING

You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.
Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.
Visit to learn how to join a Zoom meeting. You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need help.

Lake Solano County Park/Putah Creek Trip
2023-10-21 08:00
Yellow-rumped Warbler ©Sharon Kirkpatrick

On this trip we will visit Lake Solano County Park where Putah Creek runs between Yolo and Solano Counties. We will be looking for resident species as well as those that come to spend the winter in the area. The oak woodland, riparian habitat and creek can result in bird sightings that include Osprey, Phainopepla, Wood Duck and hopefully several species of woodpeckers. There could be some surprises like Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker and Bald Eagle.
Meet at 8:00 AM at Lake Solano County Park day-use parking lot, on Pleasants Valley Road. There is a $6 fee per vehicle for parking. All trip participants should be vaccinated. Federal, state, and local health guidelines will be followed. Trip will conclude early afternoon. Bring water, binoculars and spotting scopes if you have one. We will not be stopping for a designated lunch break. There is some walking on uneven terrain but for the most part it is flat. Beginning birders are welcome. Rain and strong wind cancels trip.
Trip Leader: Sharon Kirkpatrick (530)220-3735 (cell) or sckirkpa@gmail.com

Ed Whisler Memorial Bird Walk at Davis Cemetery
2023-10-28 08:00 - 10:00
Ed Whistler ©Ken Kemmerling

Yolo Audubon will sponsor a bird walk on Saturday, October 28, 2023, from 8am to 10am, at the Davis Cemetery in honor of our friend Ed Whisler. Ed was one of the top birders and wildlife biologists in our area for the past forty years. He was very generous in sharing his vast knowledge with the Davis community. He was a former president of Yolo Audubon, co-designer of West Pond and North Ponds, a conservationist, activist and educator. The Halloween trip to the Davis Cemetery was led by Ed for many years and is a favorite among Yolo Audubon members. This walk will retrace Ed’s steps to look for late fall migrants and incoming winter resident birds including warblers, woodpeckers, and sparrows.
Twenty years ago, in June 2003, Ed Whisler discovered Western Bluebirds nesting in the old tree at the eastern edge of the Davis Cemetery, the first time in thirty years that Bluebirds had nested in Davis. It was Ed who first suggested a nest box trail along the greenbelt from Veterans Memorial to North Davis Ponds. With the nest box programs, nesting Western Bluebirds (and Tree Swallows) are now common in Davis and along Putah Creek.
Ed was also an excellent teacher because he was so in-tuned with birds, especially their calls. Even during conversations, he was always aware of birds, and would interrupt a conversation to point out and identify any of our feathered friends, who happened to be in the area. Sadly, Ed Whisler passed away on July 4, 2023. His earthly remains were interred in the Davis Cemetery, alongside his parents.
Anyone interested in birds is welcome. The event is free and for all age levels. The cemetery has some uneven ground and wet grass. Recommended: binoculars. Suggested: water, hat. Heavy rain or wind cancels event.
Once you arrive at the Davis Cemetery entrance (820 Pole Line Rd, Davis, CA 95618), there will be a stone statue which has a few parking spaces adjacent. You can also park along the cemetery road.
Co-leaders and coordinators are Joshua Greenfield, Donna Jury and Ken Kemmerling. For logistical questions please contact Ryan Janke: rhjanke29@gmail.com

Sparrow Bingo 2023
2023-11-05 07:30 - 15:00
Fox Sparrow©Zane Pickus

Fall migration is largely over and the winter birds are settling in. Join Bart Wickel and Zane Pickus for a local jaunt around Yolo County. The challenge: to find as many species of sparrows as possible. To further the fun of this trip participants will be able to check sparrows off of a bingo card! As believers in the rule that when you search for one bird, you discover another, expect anything on this trip– the sparrows are just the excuse to get out and about. This will also be a good trip to practice birding by ear. Route to be determined as conditions warrant.
We’ll meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Marketplace Shopping Center (near Big 5 Sporting Goods, 1301 W. Covell, just east of Hwy 113). Bring binoculars, scopes, cameras, snacks, lunch, and beverages. High winds or a significant rainstorm cancel this trip. We will return by 3:00pm.
*Note that Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 5th at 2:00am.*
Contact trip leader Zane Pickus for more details: zanep987@gmail.com
Yolo Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public. Car-pooling is encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between driver and riders.”

Project Phoebe: Studying and Supporting a Uniquely Urban Flycatcher
2023-11-15 19:00 - 20:30
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Most of us have enjoyed sharing our neighborhoods with Black Phoebes, whether nesting in a park or on a ledge attached to one of the houses, we are entertained by their antics and pleased with their diet of insects. Project Phoebe is a research program started by a team of UC Davis graduate students in 2022 to shed light on the experiences of the Black Phoebe, one of our familiar but ecologically surprising urban neighbors. Two members of Project Phoebe, UC Davis students Alia Tu and Ian Haliburton, will discuss the research program as a whole, introducing its unifying themes and emphasizing the accomplishments of its first year. Additionally, Alia and Ian will each present on their sub-projects within Project Phoebe. More than anything, Ian and Alia hope to show how extraordinary these backyard flycatchers are, fostering an appreciation for the challenges they overcome and encouraging participation in Project Phoebe’s continuing efforts to understand them and promote their success.
Please join us for an illuminating session on urban Black Phoebes!
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join, click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.
SPEAKER BIO

Alia is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis, majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Wildlife Fish and Conservation Biology. She is excited about working in the field, observing bird behavior, and learning more about the scientific process and how birds and humans can coexist in an increasingly urbanized world. She greatly appreciates the many wonderful opportunities for exploring the world of research and ecology in the Davis and surrounding area. Along with her studies, Alia is also an artist, musician, aspiring educator, and overall nature-lover.
Ian is a second-year PhD student in the UC Davis Animal Behavior Graduate Group. He is interested in the role of behavior in wild birds’ responses to anthropogenic challenges as well as the ways that behavior research can inform bird conservation, especially within urban environments. His focus is on the challenges of chemical pollution, and he is exploring ways to bridge the fields of ecotoxicology and behavioral ecology in his research. Working with the dapper Black Phoebe and its nestlings, Ian is planning to pick apart relationships between an individual’s environment, behavior, reproductive success and risk of exposure to chemical pollutants. He is thrilled to be doing work where he gets to think about and interact with the local birds he loves every day, and he is infinitely grateful that he no longer spends so much time in windowless laboratories like when he was an undergrad studying neuroscience at UCLA. Outside of his grad student life, Ian is an illustrator, a climber and a bird dad to two adorable budgies.

DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING

You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.
Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.
Visit to learn how to join a Zoom meeting. You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need help.

2023 Christmas Bird Count Bird ID Workshop
2023-12-06 19:00 - 21:00
Hutton’s Vireo©Kelli O’Neill

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Please join Yolo Audubon at its December 6th Members’ Meeting, the annual Putah Creek Christmas Bird Count (PCCBC) Bird ID Workshop, with Compiler Bart Wickel and Area Leader Zane Pickus. This program will start at 7:00 pm and will be held at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street, Davis, CA 95616.
The PCCBC is scheduled for Sunday, December 17th, and marks the 53rd Count. To participate in the bird count contact a leader who assembles a team for each designated zone in the Putah Creek count circle. Click here to find a leader.
The workshop consists of a primer on bird identification and an introduction to logging birds using eBird as well as a discussion of recent count trends, including a review of climate change and forest fire impacts on the count circle.
Bart will share data and trends from earlier counts, focusing on climate change and the fire history of the count area.
The 15-mile diameter count circle centers on Putah Creek and is divided into ten different areas, each with its own plan regarding coverage, teams, start time, and method of travel (car, foot, hiking, bike, etc.). Up-to-date information about the count and contact information for the Area Leaders is here on the Yolo Audubon website.
SPEAKER BIO
Bart Wickel, member of the Yolo Audubon Society’s Board of Directors, has been birding Yolo County for almost 10 years now. He is the compiler for the Putah Creek Christmas Bird Count.
Zane Pickus is an undergraduate at UC Davis studying Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. Zane has been interested in birds his entire life, and as he has gotten older, that interest has morphed into a passion. He values the opportunity to teach others through field trips and presentations, appreciating the sense of community found in sharing birds with others. Zane is a member of the Yolo Audubon Society’s Board of Directors, is an officer of the Birdwatching Club at UC Davis, and is a regional reviewer for eBird in Yolo County.

2023 Christmas Bird Count and Potluck Dinner
2023-12-17 08:00
Snowy Egret©Kelli O’Neill

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The 53rd annual Putah Creek CBC is scheduled for Sunday, December 17th, regardless of weather.
For more information about the Christmas Bird Count and to volunteer click here.
After the count please join us for the Summary & Potluck to be held at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street, Davis, CA 95616. The doors will open at 5:00 pm for early finishers and for food set-up. Whether you were able to join the count or not, we invite you to join us to socialize and share the highlights of the day.
This event is free, but please bring a dish to share with others. You do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon to attend however, if you would like to join, click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.
PCCBC Compiler Bart Wickel and the Area Leaders will compile the field data at a later date.
SPEAKER BIO
Bart Wickel, member of the Yolo Audubon Society’s Board of Directors, has been birding Yolo County for almost 10 years now. He is the Compiler for Yolo Audubon’s Putah Creek Christmas Bird Count.

Yolo County American Kestrel Nest Box Program: Program Description and Kestrel Status, Science, and Management
2024-01-17 19:30 - 20:50
American Kestrel©Kelli O’Neill

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The public is invited to join Yolo Audubon and its members for the monthly general meeting on January 17, 2024. The meeting is free and is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. Folks are welcome to arrive at 7:00 p.m. for a pre-meeting gathering with other attendees.
This meeting will mark Yolo Audubon’s first attempt to allow online participants to join the in-person attendees via Zoom, i.e., a Zoom Hybrid meeting. While we have had a successful practice session, there is no guarantee for a problem-free event on the 17th. Thank you for your understanding! Here is the Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqcu6orD8qHty0IqvwaEjI6z3dvjIiAyUa“
The speakers are Kevin Hunting of the American Kestrel Parentship, and John McNerney, City of Davis Wildlife Resource Specialist, and they will talk about a project involving American Kestrels.
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is California’s smallest and previously most abundant falcon species. Kestrel populations have been in decline for several decades in California, the west, and nationally. The reasons for this decline are varied and range from exceptional predation rates to pesticide poisoning. In 2023, we created and launched an American Kestrel nest box program with the goals of supporting local and regional kestrel populations, gathering data for the international American Kestrel Partnership effort, and learning more about how Kestrels use the landscape. Kevin & John will discuss the program including deploying and managing nest boxes, first year successes and lessons learned, and how this program is part of a larger national and international American Kestrel research and conservation effort.
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon to attend. If you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/yolo-audubon-newsletter.
SPEAKER BIO
Kevin Hunting is retired after a career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Resources Agency as a biologist, administrator, and policy lead. He has worked in wildlife management, conservation planning, and resource assessment, for over 30 years. He has authored documents related to bird conservation for Partners-in-Flight, California Bird Species of Special Concern, and technical assessments for several bird species. He is active in wildlife policy efforts including development of the California 30X30 Biodiversity Conservation framework and most recently led an effort to update the Wildlife Conservation Board’s Strategic Plan and was the primary author of the document. Kevin spends his free time birding and enjoying the outdoors.
John McNerney is the staff wildlife biologist for the City of Davis. He has over 25 years of experience in habitat conservation, planning and restoration, wildlife management, CEQA review, human v. wildlife conflict resolution, and natural resource interpretation. His professional interests include birds-of-prey, human and wildlife relationships, and wetlands and grasslands conservation, restoration and management.

Raptor Ramble 2024
2024-01-27 07:30 - 17:00
Merlin©Kevin Guse

Raptor Ramble
The popular trip is full and YAS is no longer taking participants in event.
California’s Central Valley has one of the largest wintering raptor populations in the country. Our goal will be to see how many species of raptors we can find on this annual trip. Highlights of past trips include Ferruginous Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Bald Eagle and Prairie Falcon.Birders of all ages and skill levels are welcome! Please bring binoculars, a spotting scope if have one, lunch, plenty of liquids, layers of clothes and be prepared for a full day trip.
This trip is limited to 15 people on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact Ryan Janke (rhjanke29@gmail.com) to reserve your spot and to receive information on where to meet.

Cosumnes River Preserve 2024
2024-02-11 07:00 - 13:00
Sandhill Cranes ©Kelli O’Neill
The Cosumnes River Preserve has an array of important valley floor bird habitats including wetlands, floodplains, agricultural land, and rare valley oak riparian. Birding at the interface of these habitats provides a unique opportunity to view a diverse list of species with relative ease. We will follow the flat and well-maintained walking trails through these habitats to view woodpeckers, raptors, wetland birds, wintering sparrows, ducks, geese, and shorebirds. We will also bird the agricultural fields along Desmond Road which is renowned for Sandhill Cranes.
Expect two to three hours of walking in the preserve plus standing for shorebird/aquatic bird viewing. This trip welcomes all levels of birding experience, especially beginners. Please bring binoculars, plenty of fluids, and dress in layers for cooler temperatures expected at this time of year. We expect to finish in the early afternoon. We will not have a planned lunch break, but if you want to enjoy your lunch at the preserve, there are picnic tables at the visitor center good birding-while-eating opportunities. Bathrooms available at the visitor center.
We will depart at 7:00am from the Park & Ride behind Ikeda’s in Davis. Please arrive beforehand and carpool when possible. Heavy rain cancels the trip.
Trip Leader: Ryan Janke (rhjanke29@gmail.com)

Bridgeway Island Pond Field Trip
2024-02-17 07:30 - 10:00
Blue-winged Teal ©JoAnne Fillatti
As winter winds down join us as we bird Bridgeway Island Pond and theDeepwater Ship Channel in West Sacramento. Bridgeway Island Pond isone of the best places in Yolo County to see species such asBlue-winged Teal, Spotted Sandpiper, Common Gallinule, Cinnamon Teal,and American Avocet. But, as with everything in life, you never knowwhat shorebird or waterfowl may be sitting on the muddy spit waitingto be discovered! We will then walk up the levee and scan theDeepwater Ship Channel. Our targets will be water-loving birds such asBald Eagle, Osprey, and Western Grebe. A small stand of trees andbushes could yield passerines such as Spotted Towhee, Orange-crownedWarbler, and who knows what else!We will meet at 7:30 am at the cul-de-sac at the end of Pender IslandRd in West Sacramento, here: 38.540733, -121.577855. Bring binoculars,a scope (if you have one), water, and snacks. Please note that thereare no restrooms at the pond. We will begin on a level path, and walkup a graveled levee to reach the ship channel. There will be a smallstretch where the path is quite narrow but still largely level. Highwinds or significant rain will cancel this trip. Beginners arewelcome and no sign-ups are necessary! We will conclude at approximately 10am.Contact trip leaders Lynette Williams Duman and Konshau Duman atlbwilliams@ucdavis.edu and kduman@ucdavis.edu respectively.Yolo Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public.Carpooling is highly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangementsbetween drivers and riders.

Four weeks in the Falkland Islands with Manfred Kusch
2024-02-21 19:30 - 20:50
King Penguins©Manfred Kusch

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The public is invited to join Yolo Audubon and its members for the monthly general meeting on February 21, 2024. The meeting is free and is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. Folks are welcome to arrive at 7:00 p.m. for gathering with other attendees before the program.
This program can also be attended over Zoom where the meeting starts at 7:30pm.
In January 2018 and again in December 2022, Manfred Kusch joined a group of 6 bird and wildlife photographers exploring several islands of the Falkland archipelago, moving from the capital of Stanley and the famous penguin colonies at Volunteer Point on East Falkland to Sealion, Saunders, and Bleaker islands before returning to Stanley. Transfers between the islands were provided by sturdy two-engine Islander planes capable of landing and take-off on dirt or grass landing strips. His group stayed in, for the most part, comfortable guest houses run by the sheep ranching families that were typically the only occupant of the island they visited. Located off the tip of South America in the South Atlantic, the treeless and wind-swept islands offer rare solitude and an austere beauty that form the backdrop for their rich birdlife and sea mammal breeding colonies. Besides five species of penguins, large colonies of albatrosses, cormorants, various predators like skuas and petrels, raptors like Southern Crested and Striated caracaras, various species of geese, swans, grebes, and ducks, sea mammals like large Southern Elephant Seals and Sea Lions could be found everywhere and be easily approached and photographed. Manfred will present some of the wildlife photos from his trips and also include photos of the landscapes taken from the ground and the air.
Zoom meeting registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYucemgqDIiEtTGzlXy6X9Co9XgHoDtgFPB
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon to attend. If you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/yolo-audubon-newsletter.
SPEAKER BIO
Manfred is a retired UCD faculty member who taught in the departments of French & Italian and Comparative Literature. He has had a life-long interest in birds and took up bird photography in his retirement. He has traveled with small groups of international bird photographers throughout the Americas from Patagonia and the Falklands to Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, as well as more recently to Borneo and Australia. Locally, his large garden adjacent to Putah Creek west of Davis has hosted many Yolo Audubon bird walks and has been the site of a by now 12-year hummingbird study undertaking by UCD faculty and students.

2024 Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area “Big Sit”
2024-02-24 06:45 - 13:00
Snowy Egret ©Zane Pickus
THE EVENT IS CANCELLED AS THE WILDLIFE AREA IS FLOODED.
Join the Yolo Audubon Society, Yolo Basin Foundation, and the Birdwatching Club at UC Davis for a joint event at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. On Saturday, February 24th, we will be hosting a “Big Sit!” You may have heard of a “Big Day” or “Big Year,” where birders attempt to see as many species as possible in a given time frame, but a Big Sit is different – instead the challenge is to detect as many species as possible while staying in one stationary location. Big Sits are popular elsewhere in the U.S., and some additional information about the concept can be found below. For our event, we will be staking out Parking Lot C at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, which will put us right in the middle of excellent marsh habitat – perfect for seeing a great variety of species. Those who attend can expect to see or hear a variety of waterfowl, 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 may come and go as they please. Feel free to drop by for a few minutes, an hour, or longer! We want this trip to be accessible to as many people as possible, and hope that everyone interested can come to share in enjoying the birds and the wildlife area. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, and excitement about birds! Besides our Big Sit area, the rest of the Yolo Bypass auto tour loop is sure to be full of birds and worth exploring on your own.
Birders from Yolo Audubon Society, Yolo Basin Foundation and the Birdwatching Club at UC Davis will plan to arrive at Parking Lot C at the Yolo Bypass just after sunrise (6:45am) on the morning of February 24th. We will have a table with information on local birds, the organizations involved, and extra binoculars to share. No prior birding experience is necessary, and the area is handicap accessible.
Additionally, we will keep a running list of species detected throughout the day. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Big Sit will conclude at 1:00pm.
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 Audubon Society’s website and facebook page for more details, or contact Zane Pickus, zanep987@gmail.com for the latest information.
Traditional Big Sit! Information: https://www.thebigsit.org/
A map of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=99259&inline

Montane Riparian Birds and Their Habitat in The Great Basin
2024-03-20 19:00 - 20:50
Red-napped Sapsucker©Frank Fogarty

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The public is invited to join Yolo Audubon and its members for the monthly general meeting on March 20, 2024. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. The meeting is free and is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. Folks are welcome to arrive at 7:00 p.m. for pre-meeting gathering with other attendees.
Dr. Frank Fogarty will provide a presentation over Zoom. Attendees in the Senior Center will view the presentation on the monitor.
Riparian areas around creeks, seeps, and snow pockets cover just a small fraction of the Great Basin’s mountains but are a key resource for much of its avian diversity. Dr. Fogarty will discuss his work on these systems, with a focus on better understanding how avian communities are structured in these naturally patchy and fragmented riparian areas. He will also discuss how changes due to climate change and human activity potentially will drive future changes to these communities.
SPEAKER BIO
Dr. Frank Fogarty is currently an Assistant Professor of Applied Avian Ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt. He and his graduate students work on a variety of projects including Snowy Plover predator behavior and ecology, Lewis’s Woodpecker conservation and management, and strategies for maximizing bird diversity in active timber lands. Frank’s most extensive experience comes from his work on bird communities in the mountains of the Great Basin, which was the topic of his doctoral research at UC Davis.
DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING
You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on joining the meeting. Do not lose this email. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (you can unsubscribe at any time.)
During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.
Please note: Participants must have the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting.
Visit to learn how to join a Zoom meeting. You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need assistance.
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon to attend. If you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/yolo-audubon-newsletter.

Using Bird Song to Learn about Migration
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:50
Ed Pandolfino©Ed Harper

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The public is invited to join Yolo Audubon and its members for a presentation on Using Bird Song to Learn about Migration by Ed Pandolfino at the monthly general meeting on April 17, 2024. This free meeting is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. Folks participating at the Senior Center are welcome to arrive at 7:00 p.m. for a pre-meeting socialization with other in-person attendees. Zoom attendees will be admitted a little before 7:30 p.m.
A host of techniques from banding to the more recent tracking devices (geolocators, satellite tags, etc.) have revealed much about bird migration. However, all these approaches require capturing a bird (usually twice), can be quite expensive, and are limited to tracking small numbers of individual birds. What if you could learn about migration without ever capturing a bird and gather data across a huge expanse of geography about many different individuals? Ed will talk about a “low tech” way of doing exactly that by using bird song dialects.
SPEAKER BIO
Ed Pandolfino earned a Ph.D. from Washington State University and, since retiring from a career in the Medical Device industry in 2000, has devoted himself to bird research and conservation. He has served as president of Western Field Ornithologists, vice-president of San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, and on the boards of the Institute for Bird Populations and Sierra Foothills Audubon Society. He has co-authored two books, Birds of the Sierra Nevada: Their Natural History, Status, and Distribution from U.C. Press and Breeding Birds of Sacramento County from the Central Valley Bird Club, and has published more than four dozen research papers, many of which focus on bird vocalizations.
DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING
You do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/yolo-audubon-newsletter/.
This meeting will be a hybrid session with Ed making his presentation at Davis Senior Center. Participants can join the meeting on-site at Davis Senior Center or from the comfort of their home via Zoom.
Attend the Meeting in Person
Registration is not necessary to attend the meeting at the Senior Center.
Davis Senior Center646 A StreetDavis CA
Attend the Meeting online via Zoom.
The presentation will be streamed in real time on ZOOM from the Senior Center. To attend the meeting via Zoom you will need to register for the meeting.
REGISTER TO ATTEND VIA ZOOM
You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)Visit to learn how to join a Zoom meeting.
Please note one can join Zoom meetings from their web browser and bypass downloading the Zoom desktop client or the mobile app. Visit http://tiny.cc/3m3jxz to learn how to join a Zoom meeting on a web browser. FULL LINK: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0064261 – h_d058aa08-10b5-4c9f-b029-4ce9603bb2d1)
Participants can also download the Zoom desktop client to their computer or download the mobile app to their Apple or Android device to access the meeting.
You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need assistance.

Putah Creek at Kusch Home
2024-04-27 08:00
Hooded Oriole ©Manfred Kusch
Tour Manfred Kusch’s birding gardens between Davis and Winters. He has cultivated his home garden and surrounding area, which border on Putah Creek, into a true birding extravaganza. He attracts a wide variety of birds in the gardens and habitat around the house, especially hummingbirds and orioles. The multi-layered vegetation on either side of the creek hosts spring migrants and residents such as grosbeaks, tanagers and a variety of warblers and vireos.
Bring binoculars, scopes, cameras, snacks and beverages. High winds or a significant rainstorm cancel this trip.
Space is limited; RSVP early. Contact Ryan Janke to secure your spot (rhjanke29@gmail.com)

Capay Open Space Park - Lesser Nighthawks
2024-05-04 18:00 - 21:00
Lesser Nighthawk ©Zane Pickus
Nighthawks are a family of cryptically colored, primarily nocturnal bird species that are a favorite of many birders. Cache Creek is the summer home of the Lesser Nighthawk, which winters in Central and South America before returning to California’s Central Valley to breed. Lesser Nighthawks primarily feed on insects under the cover of darkness, but in the spring they routinely engage in dusk courtship rituals. Capay Open Space Park is the perfect place to observe nighthawks as they chase each other in acrobatic flights and sing their eerie trilled songs.
You can learn more about Lesser Nighthawks and listen to their song here:https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Nighthawk/overview
Join Zane Pickus and Frank Fabbro in a dusk birding trip to Capay Open Space Park. While this trip will be focused on the nighthawks, there should be plenty of other birds to see. California Thrashers, though inconspicuous, nest here. Western Meadowlarks, California Quail, and a variety of swallows will be abundant. Given the date, we could encounter a neotropical migrant or two!
We’ll meet at 6:00pm at the Marketplace Shopping Center (near Big 5 Sporting Goods, 1301 W. Covell, just east of Hwy 113). We will plan to bird until dark, and should return to Davis between 8:30pm and 9:00pm. Bring binoculars, cameras, snacks, and water. The trip will include a short walk along the gravel creekbed. High winds or a significant rainstorm will cancel the trip.
Yolo Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public. Carpooling is strongly encouraged, but all rides are private arrangements between driver and riders.
Contact Zane for more details. zanep987@gmail.com

Avian Habitat Use of a Yolo County Sustainable Ranching Landscape
2024-05-15 19:00 - 20:50
Bobcat Ranch Phenology Volunteers ©Autumn Turner

Please join us for Yolo Audubon’s Members’ Meeting and Monthly Presentation.
Business Meeting: Ann Brice, President
Prior to start of the program, President Ann Brice will lead Yolo Audubon’s annual business meeting, where a vote will be taken via zoom and in person on the Articles of Incorporation to reflect the new name – Yolo Bird Alliance. In addition, there will be a vote to confirm the slate of 2024-2025 Board of Directors. Participants on Zoom will vote on both actions via polls.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The public is invited to join Yolo Audubon and its members for a presentation on Avian Habitat Use of a Yolo County Sustainable Ranching Landscape by Autumn Turner, Wildlife Management and Conservationist at the monthly general meeting on May 15, 2024. The meeting is free and is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis, and via Zoom. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. People attending at the Senior Center, are welcome to arrive at 7:00 p.m. for pre-meeting gathering with other attendees. Zoom attendees will be admitted a little before 7:30 p.m.
Following a brief background of the phenology project by Sonjia Shelly, Yolo Audubon Phenology Project Coordinator, our main speaker, Autumn Turner, will present the results of her Master’s Capstone Project, which focused on evaluating the habitat features of the avian phenology route at Bobcat Ranch in Winters. As part of the National Phenology Network, Yolo Audubon Society has conducted biweekly bird surveys on Audubon California’s Bobcat Ranch, since 2016. The 6,800-acre property is the state’s demonstration ranch for National Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program. Autumn will discuss interesting highlights from the study including habitat relationships of key oak woodland and grassland bird species found on the Ranch, and how birds have been observed using the different route sections.
SPEAKER BIO
Autumn Turner: A native Woodland resident, Autumn recently received her master’s in wildlife management and Conservation from Unity Environmental College while continuing to work in the field of wildlife conservation. With a background in habitat restoration and wildlife rehabilitation in northern California, Autumn previously worked on several conservation breeding and reintroduction programs in southern California including recovery efforts for the San Clemente loggerhead shrike and Mexican gray wolf. She currently works in the Napa Valley with a large-scale collaborative songbird research project in vineyards and maintains a position on the Yolo Audubon Board as the Newsletter Editor, assisting with bird surveys, nest box monitoring, and local events.
Sonjia Shelly: graduated from THE Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine 44 years ago. Her career focused on diseases of fur/hair bearing friends rather than feathered friends. Thus, her interest in birding began later in life (compared with many Yolo Audubon members) and she considers herself to be a perpetual beginner. Since retirement she has been active as a board member for Yolo Audubon Society and has participated in the YAS phenology survey at Bobcat Ranch, helped organize and monitor nest box projects and volunteered for other organizations. She is a certified CA naturalist.
DETAILS ON JOINING THE MEETING
You do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/yolo-audubon-newsletter/.
Attend the Meeting in Person
Registration is not necessary to attend the meeting at the Senior Center.
Davis Senior Center646 A StreetDavis CA
Attend the Meeting online via Zoom.
The presentation will be streamed in real time on ZOOM from the Senior Center. To attend the meeting via Zoom you will need to register for the meeting.
REGISTER TO ATTEND VIA ZOOM
You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
Please note one can join Zoom meetings from their web browser and bypass downloading the Zoom desktop client or the mobile app. Visit http://tiny.cc/3m3jxz to learn how to join a Zoom meeting on a web browser. FULL LINK: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0064261 – h_d058aa08-10b5-4c9f-b029-4ce9603bb2d1)
Participants can also download the Zoom desktop client to their computer or download the mobile app to their Apple or Android device to access the meeting.
You may email Yolo Audubon Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need assistance.
