Sometimes a bird is so rare it leaves birders in utter disbelief. On 4/27, when Tom Uslan looked out his window to see a towhee-sized dove with rufous underwings, he was shocked. Closer inspection and photos proved that he had discovered a RUDDY GROUND DOVE, a species that ranges from coastal Mexico to Central and South America which rarely makes appearances in the U.S. Tom was gracious enough to host dozens of birders in his bird-friendly yard over the course of the day to search for the dove, and while it remained elusive at times, it was seen by many on 4/27. Tom realized he had heard the dove the night prior (4/26), and was one of just two birders to witness it on 4/28 before it disappeared, apparently, for good.
Local birders often engage in friendly debate over what rare species will be the next first county record. This never-ending guessing game often sees seemingly “overdue” species such as Neotropic Cormorant or White-winged Dove thrown into the conversation, but one can be sure that RUDDY GROUND DOVE was not on anyone’s list!! This represents not just a first Yolo County record, but the first for the entire central valley and is the first anywhere in California in 2.5 years.
Tom’s yard in Clarksburg is lined with native plants, a pond, and feeders, so it is no surprise that he has had great luck with hummingbirds this year. A male ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD continues for its third year, displaying for any female Selasphorus hummingbird that will pay him attention (TU). In the midst of the ground dove madness, a tiny female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD was found (TE, TU). Calliopes are rare but expected migrants through the county at this date.
While the ground dove was the indisputable star of April, spring migration was in full swing and a variety of noteworthy birds were discovered. Three GRAY FLYCATCHERS, rare but semi-regular spring migrants, were found. The first was photographed up Rayhouse Road on 4/20 (JG, SS). Another was near Bridgeway Island Pond on 4/26, in the same area as a wildly-out-of-place STELLER’S JAY (LC). The third Gray Flycatcher was photographed in Clarksburg on 4/27 (CE). The crazy winter for TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRES turned into an impressive spring – one was in the willows along the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area levee on 4/17 (BW, SH, MP). Another solitaire was at Slide Hill Park in Davis on 4/27 (MP). Additionally, a GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE at Babel Slough on 4/29 represents just the fourth spring record, and the earliest by two weeks (LC, MM). In the shorebird department, two SOLITARY SANDPIPERS have been hanging out at North Area Drainage Pond in Davis, the first reported on 4/26 (JG) and the second on 4/27 (SS).
Another bird of interest was a GREATER ROADRUNNER near Winters on 4/23 (JA). Roadrunners are rare anywhere in the county but a valley floor record is especially notable. Speaking of birds in decline, a PILEATED WOODPECKER up Rayhouse Road on 4/30 represents the first documented Pileated in the county in almost two years (FF, ZP). The LNU Complex Fire (2020) and other burns have left very little old-growth habitat for this large woodpecker. Finally, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH has been observed singing and exploring tree cavities in downtown Davis for a few weeks (KD, LW). Usually “red-nuts” are seen in irruption winters when many individuals retreat to low elevations in search of food. A single individual in April is curious, but at the very least is providing easy views for birders newer to the county who have yet to see one. Red-breasted Nuthatches have never bred in Yolo County, and this loner seems unlikely to be the first.
Thanks to the following for their reports:
Bart Wickel (BW), Cynthia Elmore (CE), Frank Fabbro (FF), Joseph Atkinson (JA), Josh Greenfield (JG), Konshau Duman (KD), Lyann Comrack (LC), Lynette Williams (LW), Michael Perrone (MP), Samuel Schmidt (SS), Steve Hampton (SH), Todd Easterla (TE), Tom Uslan (TU), Zane Pickus (ZP)
Photos and Audio Recordings:
Ruddy Ground Dove: https://ebird.org/checklist/S135193295
https://ebird.org/checklist/S135351922
Allen’s Hummingbird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S135360632
Calliope Hummingbird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S135498343
Gray Flycatcher (Clarksburg): https://ebird.org/checklist/S135406357
Gray Flycatcher (Rayhouse Road): https://ebird.org/checklist/S134661004
Townsend’s Solitaire (Yolo Bypass Levee): https://ebird.org/checklist/S134149915
Solitary Sandpiper: https://ebird.org/checklist/S135116173
Greater Roadrunner: https://ebird.org/checklist/S134808591
Red-breasted Nuthatch: https://ebird.org/checklist/S133553043
–Zane Pickus