The month of December was a relatively slow one for the birders of Yolo County, with storms drenching the Valley and dumping more than a dozen feet of snow on the Sierra. Rivers and bypasses have swollen, making ample habitat for ducks and geese. This influx of water should create shorebird habitat in rice checks and wildlife refuges come April. In the meantime though, rain has hindered birders from getting out as much and as one would expect this resulted in fewer notable sightings than normal for December.
A Hammond’s Flycatcher was found on December 7th, at the Community Gardens on UCD campus (RF). This neotropical migrant comes through in low numbers during fall and spring migration but is a rare treat to find in winter. It seems as if this bird is spending the winter and could likely be relocated should someone wish to see it. A Red Crossbill was also observed flying over the UCD campus on December 7th (JR); this irruptive species of finch is rarely found on the valley floor.
A Red-Breasted Merganser was found diving for fish in the Deepwater Shipping Canal in West Sacramento on December 16th (MM, LC). This species is common along the coast in saltwater but rarely found inland to Yolo County. This marks the 2nd record of this species in 2021.
Also of note was a Pacific Wren in West Sacramento (MS), and a male Hooded Oriole in Woodland (BC). The flock of Mountain Plovers north of Knight’s landing continued through December as did a number of Rough-legged Hawks scattered across the county. The American Dipper has been seen sporadically at its historic location just downstream of the 128 Bridge near Monticello Dam (JL).
Thank you to the following for their reports: Rob Furrow (RF), Jason Riggio (JR), Mark Martucci (MM), Lyann Comrack (LC), Mark Sawyer (MS), Brent Campos (BC), and Jasen Liu (JL).
Ebird checklists:
Hammond’s Flycatcher: https://ebird.org/checklist/S98969529
Red Crossbill: https://ebird.org/checklist/S98595185
Red-breasted Merganser: https://ebird.org/checklist/S98977078
Hooded Oriole: https://ebird.org/checklist/S99410487
Mountain Plover and Rough-legged Hawk: https://ebird.org/checklist/S98764791
American Dipper: https://ebird.org/checklist/S99141342
Compiled by Emmett Iverson, Davis, CA