As the days grew warmer and the sunsets later, birds were on the move. March is a month of transition in the bird world, marking the conclusion of winter and the beginning of spring. In the past two weeks, our wintering species have thinned out, and the first migrants have arrived. SWAINSON’S HAWKS and RUFOUS […]
From the President: March 2024
The Yolo Bypass is flooded from overtopping by the Sacramento River at the Fremont Weir, which is what it was designed to do to keep the city of Sacramento from flooding. At this point it’s anybody’s guess when things will dry out and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area will reopen. Check the Yolo Basin […]
Yolo Notable Sightings: February 2024
While February had multiple periods of intense storms, a few breaks of warm, spring-like weather gave birders a chance to get out and discover some noteworthy birds. The diverse scattering of rarities throughout the county kept Yolo County birders busy and made for an exciting month. February started strong with a gray-scale PLUMBEOUS VIREO that […]
Conservation Corner: March 2024
Hearing aids for birders – a personal story Many birders rely crucially on our ears to detect and identify birds. But what happens when our ears start to wear out? As we age, our capacity to hear higher-pitched sounds diminishes. The result is that many bird calls must be closer to us than before, in order […]
From the President: February 2024
We’re finally getting some interesting weather as we come to the end of the waterfowl season. Garrett Spaan, the General Manager of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, says that the Wildlife Area has closed, and the youth hunt scheduled for this weekend has been canceled. There’s a veterans’ hunt scheduled for Feburary 10-11, which […]
Conservation Corner: February 2024
A Contemporary Aid for Bird-Finders In the quiet corners of Yolo County, a passionate group of bird enthusiasts embarked on a quest to uncover the mysterious world of owls. Armed with binoculars, field guides, and an insatiable curiosity, they ventured into the diverse landscapes that make up this region. Their journey began in […]
Yolo Notable Sightings: January 2024
A rather rainy January was brightened by the discovery of a young male COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD, the first in the county in three winters, in a north Davis backyard on 1/5 (JR). The bird has been frequenting a backyard feeder and continues to be enjoyed by observers almost daily. Upon its initial report, the Costa’s had […]
From the President: January 2024
You don’t have to go farther than your yard to see amazing birds, like Lynda Goff’s sweet Bushtit above that she snapped after Christmas. If you’ve got a favorite image of a bird from your yard, please send it to us, so we can feature it in the newsletter. We’re so lucky to live in such […]
Conservation Corner: January 2024
California Chaparral and its Birds at Risk Regardless of how we regard global warming or the climate crisis, there is no doubt that wildfires have grown massively in frequency and intensity in California in the twenty-first century. On the broad line of hills called the Blue Ridge […]
Yolo Notable Sightings: December 2023
The holiday season makes for great birding! By this point birds have settled in for the season, wetlands are full of water and teeming with waterfowl, and towns are filled with the calls of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, CEDAR WAXWINGS, AMERICAN ROBINS, and dozens of other wintering species. What’s more, many local birders find themselves with extra […]
Yolo Notable Sightings: November 2023
Fall came to a close and with its end came the cold, dreary days of winter. Our winter birds have arrived en masse, and with them a nice sprinkling of rare birds have shown up as well. An out-of-season GRASSHOPPER SPARROW on 11/5 at Capay Open Space Park was interesting as a potential wintering individual, […]
Conservation Corner: December 2023
The BirdsReturns Program A few years ago, seeing a big need for wetland habitat for migratory birds in the Central Valley, Audubon California, The Nature Conservancy and Point Blue Conservation Science partnered to develop the BirdReturns project. They identified places that birds historically used but now lacked enough wetlands, and developed a novel way […]
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