August 23, 2006
Return to Davis
Following reports of 115F temperatures and cows dropping dead in the fields, it was with some trepidation that I arrived in Davis. In fact, I had quite the opposite problem, and after the sultry Memphis evenings I found myself shivering in the delta breeze-cooled nights! I rather foolishly decided that one week would be enough time to catch up with all my old friends (avian and human) - I just about achieved this goal, but at the cost of less than 5 hours' sleep on any given evening!
The birding started early on Saturday morning, when Joan and I headed out to the Yolo Wildlife Area in the hope of chancing upon last week's hot bird, a Little Blue Heron. We didn't find this, although there were still plenty of egrets to scan through.
The biggest surprise that morning was a juvenile male Grasshopper Sparrow, which sang sporadically from the top of sunflower stands - a plumage tick for both Joan and I, and an unusual sighting for this time of year. I managed a couple of backlit shots of the bird before a Marsh Wren displaced it.
Our next stop was the City of Davis Wetlands, which was teeming with shorebirds, the best of which were a single Marbled Godwit and 2 Willets, which gave good views as they roosted with Long-billed Curlews on the levee of the Wastewater Treatment Ponds.
After a brief hiatus for the Fort Bragg pelagic and non-birding commitments, I didn't get out again until Tuesday morning, when I was joined by Sami, Roger and Joan. This morning's prize was a Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding at close range with Least and Western Sandpipers.
This bird looked distinctly greyer than the nearby Least Sandpipers.
For comparison, here's a juvenile Western Sandpiper - note the longer bill and extensive rufous on the scapulars.
Next morning, Joan and Roger indulged my crazy plan to add Band-tailed Pigeon to my county list at Monticello Dam at dawn - no pigeons, just a very cold wind and an obliging Canyon Wren! Birding our way down the canyon we had great views of Violet-Green Swallows and White-throated Swifts, Turkeys and a lone Common Merganser at Lake Solano, and 18 Red-necked Phalaropes at the Winters Sewer Ponds before the obligatory macaroon stop at the bakery.
At my old haunt of the Pedrick Road 'birdbath', we picked up Karen and Sami, Ash-throated Flycatcher, a Hermit Warbler and Western Wood-Pewee. News of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak sent us hurrying over to Babel Slough - that had long gone but we had magnificent views of some old favourites of mine - Nashville, Townsend's, Black-throated Gray and Hermit Warblers, plus a bonus visit with Johns Luther and Sterling, and Sac-based photographer Chris. After a pit-stop at Betty Berteaux's, an afternoon check of the City of Davis Wetlands provided a good excuse to catch up with Chris Conard and Kimya Lambert. The most unusual birds we saw were a summering Bufflehead and White-fronted Goose.
15 or so birders joined me for a farewell birding tour around the City of Davis Wetlands. Perhaps the highlight of the morning was the spectacle of a dense crowd of Snowy and Great Egrets scrambling for crayfish in the rapidly drying ditch. A fly-by Bittern and a calling Sora were nice surprises here too.
We located a (the?) Semipalmated Sandpiper and saw at least 8 Marbled Godwits. Wastewater Lagoon held 3 Forster's Terns and more unusual summering ducks (Green-winged Teal, Pintail, Ring-necked Duck). Some members of the party were lucky enough to watch a Peregrine take out a Cinnamon Teal. I was content to enjoy the flocks of White-faced Ibis and White Pelicans.
Breaking news of a Red Knot (very good Yolo County record) sent us hurtling over to the Yolo Wildlife Area. The bird had flown, so we had to content ourselves swapping bird stories over a Mexican lunch. From left to right around the table: Mary, Cliff, Ed, Bill, Mary, John, Sid, Kevin, Denise, Laura
... and latecomers Joan, Allan and Alison.
In the hottest part of the day we took over Roger and Grete's house for ice-cream, chat and bird photos. Joan looked thrilled to finally get a Snowy Owl in Yolo County - albeit of the stuffed variety!
Potluckers at work: Jo Ellen, Mary (hitting the cooking sherry), Sami, Laura and Joan.
We rounded off the day with a personal tour by Mary Schiedt to see the amazing sunset flyout of Mexican Free-tailed Bats in the Wildlife Area.
In two weeks in the US I managed to pick up 243 species (about 20 more species than I've seen in the whole of France this year). Among these were 30 species of shorebird and 19 species of wood warbler! My ABA area list climbed to 577, and 2 new state birds took my California list up to 413. I'd like to thank the bunch of birders and non-birders that offered me food, lodgings, car rides and company over the last week - in particular Joan, my acting PA for the week, Marcel for a couple of fun road trips, Mary for the private bat tour, and Roger and Grete who left me their house, and cellphone, to use for the week. It was sad to leave, but I'm sure you haven't seen the last of me!
Posted by rjhall at August 23, 2006 12:33 PM