Date: 11/12/26 8:57 pm From: Zane Pickus via centralvalleybirds <zanep987...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Yolo County GARGANEY - Bridgeway Island Pond, West Sacramento
Hi Birders,
Tom Uslan and I spent some time today birding a few spots in the Clarksburg/West Sacramento area of Yolo County. The indisputable highlight was finding a male GARGANEY at Bridgeway Island Pond in West Sac. It was hanging out with hundreds of Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal in the retention pond there. Local birders know this location as having hosted one of Yolo's previous records of Garganey, an adult male found in March 2019 and returning the next winter for a month in January 2020.
The bird appears to be an immature male, but opinions on age are welcome. Some nice spread-wing and flight shots were taken and are on eBird from various birders. It is a subtle bird to pick out, but the facial pattern is useful when visible, and when facing toward you the bird has a strong demarcation between the intricate breast pattern and the pale/off-white belly. Many photos of the bird are on eBird.
The exact location of the pond is below. The Garganey moved about the pond with the other dabblers (mostly teal) and was apparently last seen this evening flying to the western-most of the three islands in the pond.
(38.5413772, -121.5792762)
Other sightings of local interest include a Short-billed Gull at Bridgway Island Pond, a Brown Creeper in full song ("Trees! trees! Beautiful trees!") at Babel Slough, and a continuing Hairy Woodpecker in Clarksburg at Uslan Reserve. The woodpecker represents one of few/the only record of the species for the southeastern part of the county.
Good luck to those who search tomorrow. I hope to see many of you at the Central Valley Birding Symposium in a few weeks.
