American Dipper ©Ethan Matsuyama
November was filled with periods of heavy rain and wind, starting off the wet season by filling wetlands and raising water bodies throughout the county. In spite of the hit-or-miss weather, birders managed to get out and keep Yolo County eBird reviewers busy. By pure rarity, the highlight of November was a RED-THROATED LOON, first photographed on 11/22, at the Deep Water Shipping Channel in West Sacramento (JG). While this is only the sixth county record, it is the second individual in the county this year! Another RED-THROATED LOON was in the same location back in February.
Banded birds offer the opportunity to see into the life of an individual, and create a special chance to understand life where a bird travels and how long it lives. On 11/4, the long-returning WESTERN GULL was photographed in its usual location at the City of Davis Wetlands (JG). This gull has federal tracking bands on its legs, and based on the code on its bands, it was determined that this bird was hatched and banded in 2008 on Southeast Farallon Island (per MB). It has returned to the same pond at the wetlands every winter for over a decade, usually arriving in early November and departing around late February. While 16 years old may seem like a lot for a bird, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds reports that the oldest record WESTERN GULL was 33 years, 11 months when it was recaptured in 2007, so perhaps the Davis Wetlands bird will be returning for years to come_(https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Gull/overview).
This November saw winter specialties appear at different locations around Yolo County. Three RED CROSSBILLS were reported in West Sacramento on 11/26, the first in the county in this calendar year (SK). Unfortunately, like most Yolo crossbills, they disappeared quickly and were never seen by anyone but the initial observer. MOUNTAIN PLOVERS returned to their now-expected location along Highway 45 south of the Colusa County line, and were first reported on 11/28 (JG). MOUNTAIN PLOVERS continue to decline drastically across their range, and Yolo County is fortunate to retain one of the last known winter flocks in the Sacramento Valley.
There were at least two GREATER ROADRUNNERS in the county this month. The first was seen twice along County Road 8 near Dunnigan, first on 11/8 (JG), and later on 11/24 (DN). Another roadrunner was observed briefly on a private property near Woodland on the week of 11/11 (per AT). While incredibly scarce and difficult to locate, GREATER ROADRUNNERS are resident in the county and turn up from time to time, most often in the Dunnigan Hills and Capay Valley areas.
An interesting story in recent years has been the massive decline of HUTTON’S VIREOS in the county. While traditionally a relatively common bird in the western foothills, as well as a regular wintering bird on the valley floor, reports in the past two to three years have been shockingly few and far between. This may be a result of the destruction of old growth oaks and grey pines that took place during the LNU Lightning Complex Fires of 2020. With this in mind, it was both exciting and intriguing to see multiple records of HUTTON’S VIREOS in the county this month, including at least four individuals from Putah Creek Canyon (m.obs.), and one from Slide Hill Park in Davis on 11/10 (MP).
November is the time when migratory owls are often on the move. A LONG-EARED OWL was reported on Rayhouse Road on the night of 11/18 (JG). Additionally, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was observed at a private residence near Clarksburg on 11/22 (per MS). The bird crashed into a window during a major storm event, but fortunately the homeowners gave the cold owl shelter for a few hours and the bird recovered enough to be released safely. In a happy ending to the story, the Saw-whet flew away under its own power. There are a scant few records of NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in Yolo County, though they presumably pass through in small numbers in late fall. Quiet, tiny, and secretive, they are rarely detected in migration.
Other winter specialties included a juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER on Putah Creek just below Monticello Dam on 11/14 (JG). Despite some effort, the bird was not observed after this first day and may have been a migrating individual as opposed to a wintering bird. The AMERICAN DIPPER at Putah Creek, first noted last month, continued through the month of November and was joined by a second individual (RM). One dipper is an adult and the other appears to be a juvenile bird. Both have put on a show for those who look, bobbing around the rapids just downstream of Monticello Dam. A SWAMP SPARROW, the second in the county this year, was observed at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area beginning 11/29 (m.obs.).
Two male YELLOW WARBLERS, incredibly late in November, were observed together at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area on 11/27 (JG). While a common migrant earlier in fall, there are only about five prior records for November in Yolo County, and even fewer in December. It remains to be seen whether these warblers will winter. While not rare in and of itself, an exceptional tally of over three-hundred COMMON MERGANSERS were seen together in a giant flock at a gravel quarry pond near Capay Open Space Park on 11/25 (JG, SS). This represents a new high-count for the species in Yolo. Finally, the stunning male COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD continues to be seen in north Davis, reported infrequently from the Wildhorse neighborhood (JR).
Thanks to the following for their reports:
Autumn Turner (AT), Derek Nunes (DN), Jennifer Raven (JR), Josh Greenfield (JG), Mark Sawyer (MS), Matt Brady (MB), Micheal Perrone (MP), Roger Muskat (RM), Sam Schmidt (SS), Stephen Klotz (SK), “Many observers” (m.obs.)
Photos and Audio Recordings:
Red-throated Loon: https://ebird.org/checklist/S203426567
Western Gull: https://ebird.org/checklist/S201431075
Mountain Plovers: https://ebird.org/checklist/S203927582
Hutton’s Vireos: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202730393
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202508087
American Dipper: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202867865
Swamp Sparrow: https://ebird.org/checklist/S204132323
Yellow Warblers: https://ebird.org/checklist/S203822073
–Zane Pickus