Date: 1/1/26 6:28 pm From: Chris Conard via groups.io <conardc...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] It’s Official: California Bird Atlas Has Launched
I strongly encourage folks to get involved with this ambitious project.
Chris Conard
Sacramento
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Van Pierszalowski <van...>
Subject: It’s Official: California Bird Atlas Has Launched
Join California’s first statewide Bird Atlas today; your observations will
help guide conservation for decades.
If you are not able to see this mail, click here
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/mr/sh/6rqJ8GoudeITQRjgnMBqUgnRwif/boqYKjT8-ijS> [image: California Bird Atlas silhouette logo of a California Thrasher.
Design: Shayna Marchese.]
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/sh/6rqJfgq8dINmO1iZIiynNIU8Et7/aODD47PiIa5A> [image: Did you know Great Horned Owl nests with young (NY) are also
possible in January? Photo: Mick Thompson/Flickr.]
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/sh/6rqJfgq8dIPRQU0in2OLItc3sC9/CoRu-s4Od3GU>
*Did you know Great Horned Owl nests with young (NY) are possible in
January?* Photo: Mick Thompson/Flickr.
It’s Official: California Bird Atlas Has Launched!
Today marks the launch of California’s first statewide Breeding Bird Atlas,
a community-powered initiative to document breeding birds across the state
and generate the science needed to guide habitat protection, restoration,
and long-term conservation planning for decades to come.
Thank you again for joining the California Bird Atlas
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/sh/6rqJfgq8dIR6SwIsHLntEUjzVVB/grxdZpa75Umw> (CBA) newsletter — your official source for updates from CBA, the newly
formed independent nonprofit leading this landmark initiative alongside
state agencies, dozens of partner organizations, *and (starting today)
thousands of birders like you*.
Take 2 Minutes to Join the Atlas Project!
All birders are now officially invited to join the project by visiting the
new California Bird Atlas eBird website here
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/sh/6rqJfgq8dIUQXqtBFycz5gzqm7F/dCh22rkUVW9F>.
Simply click *“Join Project”* (or “Log In to Join Project”), and you will
automatically be able to contribute checklists to the Atlas project.
*Brandt's Cormorants may return to their colony sites as early as
January! *Photo:
Rick Evans.
Did you know some of California’s colonial waterbirds may have already
returned to their colony sites?
We will be growing our team, expanding resources, and continuing to build
this grassroots movement in the coming months. As we launch, early
donations are especially impactful — supporting training, field tools, and
outreach in the first critical months. We’re a nonprofit, and every
contribution is tax-deductible and genuinely appreciated. If you have the
means, *please consider making a gift today to help the Atlas start strong
— your support right now truly matters. Donate here
<https://lq9tp.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/sh/SMK1E8tHeGM0l5agvbXUYcITvewz/4zgJE_Hy2kTv>.*
Date: 12/31/25 11:39 am From: Fred Werner via groups.io <sustainablefred...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] CV-wide updates?
Happy New Year everyone! Is there a blog or website (or a person?) that can give a broad sense of where in the valley the biggest waterfowl flocks are at any given time, or how the birding is at various hotspots relative to what it's typically like (or can be at its best) at this time of year? Or how would you recommend someone visiting the Central Valley decides which of the many rich birding areas is their best bet on any particular day?
Each year, we make a few trips into the valley to see the wintering cranes and waterbirds. And every year, it's a bit of a struggle to get good info on current conditions that could help us decide which route to take. Should we head north to Sacramento NWR or Gray's Lodge? Or south to San Luis or Merced? Or stay in the Delta, maybe Cosumnes, Woodbridge Rd., Staten Island? Or explore other places?I've often posed the question here, and typically have gotten helpful responses though of course it's never truly comprehensive.
eBird does have tons of data, and it's easy to map hotspots by species #, and high-numbers of a given species. For each hotspot, it also shows recent lists or the lack thereof (which leaves the question of whether there's few birds there or it just hasn't been birded recently for other reasons). It seems like someone could use that data to support a broad overview. But sifting through it on your own is time-consuming and unreliable, it didn't pan out so well for us yesterday.
Yesterday, we started at the Beckwith Rd. Observation Platform, which is usually fantastic, and someone had reported 3,000 Snow Geese there on eBird the day before. When we got there, it was quite dry, and there were no waterbirds, it didn't seem like those fields had been flooded anytime recently. We did however find some flocks visible far south of the road, ~1/2 a mile east of there.
Then we went to the San Luis NWR, which has also been great on previous visits, and had some intriguing birds reported that morning. Yes, we found dozens of species, and the massive murmurations of Brewer's Blackbirds and starlings were truly astonishing. And I shouldn't complain about dipping on a Short-eared Owl or Virgina Rail. But it just seemed really quiet overall. Refuge staff said their numbers are way down this year, and their typical big flocks of waterfowl haven't arrived yet, they don't know why. This is the kind of info that would've been useful to know beforehand.
Of course there's never any guarantees in birding, and the quest to see what we can find is a big part of the fun. It just would be helpful if there was some way to find current info on conditions and overall bird pop.s at various locations, to help us choose where to go on the limited days we have to explore the valley, and experience the astounding wildlife spectacle that we're graced with each winter.
Date: 12/19/25 11:45 am From: Chuck & Barbara Vaughn via groups.io <cevaughn...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] [Fwd: Noyo Pelagics 2026 dates]
Forwarding message from Peter Pyle:
Greetings Central Valley Birders-
We have finalized our dates for full-day Noyo Pelagics trips (below).
We are running 2-3 more trips in April-July due to great success last
year with albatrosses (up to 1000 Black-foots, many Laysans, and three
separate Short-taileds) and Pterodroma petrels (6+ Hawaiians, 90+
Murphys, 15 Cook's, and one likely Herald) during these months. I am
also working with the organizers of pelagic trips from Bodega Bay and
Eureka to try and schedule some "runs" of back-to-back-to-back trips
over 3-5 days moving up or down the coast. I have suggested the four
dates below for these but they may occur at other times.
Our payment system for these trips at https://noyopelagics.com/ is not
yet set up. I'll send an announcement when it is, hopefully by mid
January. We wanted to get the dates out now so birders can start
thinking about joining us on one or more trips. Hope to see you at Noyo
in '26!
Peter
April 4th (Saturday) (Easter weekend)
April 26th (Sunday)
May 9th (Saturday) - coordinate with Humboldt and Bodega?
May 30th (Saturday)
June 14th (Sunday) - coordinate with Humboldt and Bodega?
June 26th (Friday)
July 20th (Monday) - coordinate with Humboldt and Bodega?
August 3rd (Monday)
August 30th (Sunday) - coordinate with Humboldt and Bodega?
October 17th (Saturday)
November 1st (Sunday)
Chris Conard
Sacramento, California
--please excuse this brief message sent with my phone
On Sun, Dec 7, 2025, 1:24 PM Chris Conard via groups.io <conardc=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> The bird was spotted at least three times this morning along Rio Bravo
> Circle, mostly near the entrance to Larchmont Park.
> https://maps.app.goo.gl/CZMDcMngcmT94qvY9?g_st=ac >
>
> Chris Conard
> Sacramento, California
> --please excuse this brief message sent with my phone
> Chris Conard
> Sacramento, California
> --please excuse this brief message sent with my phone
>
>
Date: 12/9/25 3:30 pm From: Nathan Parmeter via groups.io <nathanparmeter...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Eastern Merced County CBC Call for Volunteers
Hello all Central Valley birders,
We're still welcoming participants to assist in the annual Eastern Merced County CBC next Wednesday, December 17. Everyone is welcome to join regardless of birding experience! If interested, please fill out the survey linked here: https://ucmerced.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b8f3DugCXGsXdwW. If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email.
Nathan ParmeterSilver Spring, MD (formerly Fresno, CA)
