SAS Field Trip: Spenceville Wildlife Area, May 10, 2025
Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Image by Ray Rozema
Leader Richard Barbieri reported: With four people joining me at the start and another who caught up to us later in the morning, we made several stops along the way to SWA. As the day progressed it became quite warm and ended up being the hottest day so far this season. We were rewarded with a decent amount of species overall (61), with a few highlights. Good looks at a Common Yellowthroat and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. We also had a Black-necked Stilt, female Bufflehead, and a Bald Eagle on its nest.
SAS Field Trip: William Pond Park, May 11, 2025
Bullock’s Oriole, Image by Ray Rozema
Leader Mark Martucci reported: 23 birders detected 51 species of birds on a cool early May morning along the American River Parkway. Highlights included Osprey, Western Wood-Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Western Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak.
SAS Field Trip: Crystal Basin, Eldorado National Forest, May 17, 2025
Brown Creeper, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Leaders Phyllis Wilburn and Maureen Geiger reported: The Crystal Basin trip in Eldorado National Forest was, as always, a magical trip. Unlike last year, it was a very cool, mostly overcast day, so the 8 participants enjoyed the hikes as well as the birds. From Hermit Warblers, Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Red-breasted Nuthatches to Calliope Hummingbirds, Lazuli Buntings, Green-tailed Towhees, and calling Mountain Quail, to name a few, birds were abundant. Some great photos will be uploaded to the 4 eBird lists as well.
Ice House Rd across from Silver Creek
https://ebird.org/checklist/S239446625
Crystal Basin--Access Rd. just before Ice House Campground: https://ebird.org/checklist/S239771382
Ice House Rd, Pollock Pines US-CA 38.77476, -120.45193 https://ebird.org/checklist/S239773074
Cleveland Coral Picnic Area: https://ebird.org/checklist/S239772736
SAS Field Trip: Teal Bend, May 18, 2025
Two of the 5 Osprey observed on this field trip in the vicinity of a nest platform, Image by Dana J. Blair-Miller
Leader Richard Barbieri reported: Eleven people met me for an early morning walk on what turned out to give a decent amount of birds despite the blustery weather. With highlights of several birds of prey species including 5 male Osprey circling around a nest platform. Total species count for the morning was 57 with the best bird being an Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Young Birders Club Field Trip: Babel Slough, May 18, 2025
Leader Mackenzie Hollender reported: Four other young birders and two parents met my father and I at the beginning of Babel Slough Road this morning. Right off the bat, a brilliant male Black-chinned Hummingbird sat perfectly still on a telephone wire, offering great looks! We were excited by a singing Blue Grosbeak in a large Sycamore at the start of the road, but that bird sadly eluded our sight. We quickly picked up Spotted Towhee, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Black-crowned Night Herons passing overhead, and singing Swainson's Thrushes in the dense understory. We moved along through the oak riparian woodland, noting a White-breasted Nuthatch on a telephone pole and two Ash-throated Flycatchers at the top of an oak. We reached the spot where I was expecting to see Lazuli Buntings, but these were a no show. Instead, we heard and caught small glimpses of a singing Wrentit in a blackberry and willow patch. We noted Swainson's Hawks and Turkey Vultures drifting above our heads.
American Barn Owl, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
After moving on from the bunting spot, we flushed and caught a very brief glance at what we think was a Great Horned Owl seen across the slough, flying out of a willow, which we never saw again. A singing Common Yellowthroat, perched Western Bluebirds, and flyover Tree Swallows were also highlights. A singing Northern House Wren bouncing around eye level branches was another highlight and a lifer for one of the attendees. We later saw the House Wren travel inside of a tree cavity that it was likely nesting in! Soon after we reached the very old oaks just before the winery, we noticed a bigger, creamy white bird flush from the upper mid-levels of the oaks. We traveled quickly in its direction, and it flushed a second time, this time revealing its broad, heart shaped face. An American Barn Owl! We watched the bird hover in place briefly at the top of an oak, then travel further down the road to a section of willows, where it was not seen again. A highlight for all. On the way back we saw a male Wood Duck swimming in the slough, we caught brief looks at a Western Flycatcher and a Warbling Vireo and enjoyed a bright male Townsend's Warbler foraging in the back of an oak, another surprise. Overall, it was a well-rounded riparian day.
SAS Field Trip: Cosumnes River Preserve, May 24, 2025
Hutton’s Vireo, Image by Mark Sawyer
Leader Cliff Feldheim reported: Eight of us had a nice morning at the Cosumnes River Preserve. We were all surprised to see a beautiful adult Bald Eagle and enjoyed watching its interaction with a Swainson’s Hawk. We heard and then found a Yellow-breasted Chat. We also got good looks at Hutton’s Vireo and Bullock's Oriole. We saw 28 species of birds while enjoying our walk along the River Trail while talking about the Preserve, and fish and wildlife conservation.
SAS Field Trip: Avery’s Pond, May 31, 2025
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Image by Larry Hickey
Leader Ben Graber reported: We had a decent showing of 34 species, despite unseasonably hot weather. Highlights were a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, several Rufous-crowned and Lark sparrows, Ash-throated Flycatchers, and an Orange-crowned Warbler. Participants who braved the heat all the way to the pond itself got to hear the unique vocalizations of the Yellow-breasted Chat, but unfortunately did not get a look at the bird itself. Black-headed Grosbeaks, Wrentits, and a Hutton's Vireo also made their presence known but did not come into view.
Young Birders Club Field Trip: Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, May 31, 2025
Blue Grosbeak was a lifer for many on this field trip, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Leader Mackenzie Hollender reported: Five other young birders and two parents met my father and I in the first parking lot of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife area on this sunny and quickly warming morning. Once we all arrived, we had a quick introduction and then started driving to our first stop, Parking Lot F. On the way, we spotted a female Blue Grosbeak singing from the top of a willow, and Mallard ducks swimming with ducklings. At Parking Lot F, hundreds of Cliff Swallows flying and calling around the bridge were a sight, as well as an enormous flock of American White Pelicans resting and taking off from an island in the wetland beyond the bridge. Many flyover Black-crowned Night Herons, two male Northern Pintails, and an impressive number of Great Egrets in the bare willow branches were also memorable. Our highlight of the trip was getting amazing views at a male Blue Grosbeak in the willows just beyond the bridge at parking lot F. The grosbeak would perch near the top of the willows, half the time on exposed branches, and would change perches often, thankfully it never flew too far from where we were. At one point the bird landed on some dead plant stems next to the canal, perfectly in the sun! We admired its impressive royal blue coloration, rusty brown wing markings, thick silvery bill, and black mask. Blue Grosbeak was a lifer for many attendees. Our next stop was Parking Lot E, where we heard and saw Pied-billed Grebes, and a pair of Bullock's Orioles flying from the canal side vegetation. Along with the birds, a muskrat and some catfish were also seen and enjoyed. At our last stop, Parking lot G, we observed a singing Song Sparrow at the top of a willow, some American Goldfinches, a Western Kingbird perched on a wire, and a beautiful male Black-headed Grosbeak on the exposed branches of a cottonwood. Other notable sightings of the day included Brown-headed Cowbirds, a distant Belted Kingfisher, Swainson's and Red-tailed hawks, Marsh Wren, and White-faced Ibis.
Beginning Birder Walk, William Pond Park, June 1, 2025
Western Kingbird, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Leader Larry Hickey reported: 15 beginning birders joined us at the William Pond section of the American River Parkway on a beautiful late spring morning. We were treated right away to views of a Red-shouldered Hawk interacting with its nest and perching in good light. We were able to get good looks at a pair of Killdeer and Yellow-billed Magpies foraging in the grass, and two Great Blue Herons perched in a tree on the island in the center of the open water. Western Kingbirds, Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Bullock’s Orioles were seen in good light by everyone. Highlights included a female Wood Duck swimming with babies near a female Mallard with her babies. One of our keen-eyed beginning birders spotted a Northern Rough-winged Swallow fly into a hole in the riverbank, and after watching the spot many of us were treated to the same scene. We had a total of 44 species for the morning.
SAS Field Trip: Mono Basin, Weekend Trip, June 7th-8th, 2025
Trip Cancelled
SAS Field Trip: Cache Creek Nature Preserve, Yolo County, June 8, 2025
Swainson’s Hawk was well seen along the creek, Image by Ray Rozema
Leader Maureen Geiger reported: Of the 9 birders at the Cache Creek Preserve trip this morning, 8 were new to this location, so exploring several miles of this beautiful Preserve guided by Felicia Wang, was very informative. The 130-acre Preserve has a surprising variety of habitats including ponds, fields, lots of riparian areas, as well as the Putah Creek streamside which gave good looks at Swainson's Hawks, Pied-billed Grebes, Belted Kingfishers, Ash-throated Flycatchers and about 37 additional species. Great place to visit, and we agreed it would be good to return during peak migration next time.
The white wing bars of Common Nighthawk were well-seen as they gracefully flitted high above, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
Young Birders Club Field Trip: Crystal Basin and Ice House Road, June 8, 2025
Leader Mackenzie Hollender reported: Three other young birders and two parents met my father and I at the Aspen Grove off Ice House Road. Right off the bat, a White-headed Woodpecker flew out of its nest hole in an aspen and landed on a broad trunk of a tall pine. We hadn't moved an inch when suddenly, we heard the peeernt! trills of Common Nighthawks! We looked to the sky and saw two nighthawks gracefully flitting on long thin wings high above, calling and flashing their glowing white wing bars. A male Western Tanager singing from the very top of a pine was a third highlight we shared, and we hadn't even moved from the parking spot! As we headed down the trail, we came to an opening in the forest, and spotted two gray, medium-sized birds running down a slope-- Mountain Quail! We noted their long, upright head feathers, and white streaks on the side of their backs as they ran quickly into cover. It was very special to see the seldom-seen Mountain Quail, even if it was just a glance. It was a lifer for us all, including me. We continued to hear their Qua! calls throughout our time at Aspen Grove. A Hermit Warbler with a bright yellow face in the lower, eye level branches of a pine was another highlight. At the start of the aspens, Western Wood-Pewees were hunting for insects and chasing each other, and Chipping Sparrows foraged on the sandy ground.
MacGillivray’s Warbler were signing in the aspen grove, Image by Ray Rozema
Once we arrived at the open meadow, we quickly spotted a male Calliope Hummingbird perched on the top of a short pine, turning its brilliant pink throat streaks towards and away from us. We also observed Fox Sparrows singing, Yellow Warblers, a female Western Tanager, and more Western Wood-Pewees by the stream. We worked very hard to pick out a singing Macgillivray's Warbler in a clump of aspen, and when looks of the warbler were achieved, we noted its broken white eye ring. From there we headed out of the meadow and into an open forest area, where we spotted more Fox Sparrows and another Macgillivray's Warbler. A Red-tailed Hawk circled overhead. We heard the nasally, raptor-like call of the Red-breasted Sapsucker but did not see it. On the way back, an Olive-sided Flycatcher hawking from the very top of a pine was a highlight. A Mountain Chickadee caching seeds at the beginning of the trail was our last notable sighting from the Aspen Grove.
Green-tailed Towhee, Image by Daniel Lee Brown
We stopped at the Ice House general store for lunch, noting the Barn Swallows flying all over the place. Then, we drove up to the big hill lookout. At the lookout, we enjoyed the incredible 360 scenic views, waited out a short patch of rain, then began walking the perimeter of the lookout. We noted an abundance of Fox Sparrows, and got great looks at the multicolored Green-tailed Towhee as we watched one sing from the top of a small pine. We watched another Green Tailed Towhee chase away a foraging Dark-eyed Junco. A Spotted Towhee trilling from the top of a tree was another highlight of the lookout. From there, we drove to our last stop, a gated road by the Ice House Sanitation Station in the deep woods. We quickly located a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets foraging and giving quiet tsee calls in the small pines next to the road. Another Hermit Warbler foraged with the kinglet flock. Multiple pairs of White-headed Woodpecker foraged from all levels of the forest. The Whit calls of Hammond's Flycatchers accompanied us as we traveled farther into the woods. We later got to see one perched at the very top of a tall pine. Hairy Woodpecker, singing Hermit Thrush, and a brilliant male Western Tanager singing from an eye level stump were all notable sightings. Red-breasted Nuthatches flew in and out of holes in the tree trunks. A Townsend's Solitaire perched right on the limbs of a fallen tree next to the road. We observed it flying and landing in the middle of the road, picking something up from the ground to eat, and then flying back to its roadside perches. We noted its full white eye ring and light-yellow wing bars in flight. We all headed down the mountain and back to the valley satisfied with the incredible diversity of birds we had seen on the first ever Sacramento Valley Young Birders Club summer day trip.