Date: 4/29/26 3:35 pm From: Michael Perrone via groups.io <michaelperrone10...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] say's phoebe
A say's phoebe was singing steadily at the south edge of Community Park in Davis on Tuesday. It was close to school buildings that could readily supply an under-the-eaves nest site.
Michael PerroneDavis
Date: 4/23/26 2:31 pm From: Clifford Hawley via groups.io <yellowhammerCA...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] The City Nature Challenge is coming up next week! April 24-27
Hey birders,
This great event starts tomorrow and goes through Monday. The Sacramento
Region's previous high species count was 177 bird species but well over 250
species have been recorded in the region for the month of April over the
years. Any photos or audio recordings of birds taken in the 8 counties are
counted to the challenge. Upload any observations to iNaturalist this
weekend and help us break 200 species this year. Shoot me an email if you
need any help getting started. Good birding,
Clifford Hawley
Sacramento, CA
"For, what are the voices of birds...
But words, our words,
Only so much more sweet?"
Robert Browning
On Fri, Apr 17, 2026, 5:21 PM Clifford Hawley via groups.io <yellowhammerCA=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi Central Valley Birders,
>
> There is a very cool event coming up at the end of this month. Most of
> the Central Valley is represented this year.
>
> CITY NATURE CHALLENGE, Sponsored by the Center for Community and Citizen
> Science in the UC Davis School of Education
>
> April 24-27, 2019
> Calling all naturalists!
>
> Not familiar with the City Nature Challenge? It’s a global event to see
> which region can record the greatest number of species and observations
> of their local wild plants and animals over a 4-day period. And from April 2
> 4-27, The Center for Community and Citizen Science is spearheading a
> local effort to get residents and visitors of the Sacramento Region to
> document as many species as possible using iNaturalist
> <https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2019-sacramento-region> > .
>
>
>
> The City Nature Challenge begins Friday, April, 24 at 12 AM PT and ends
> Monday, April 27 at 11:59 PM PT. Global results will be announced around
> 2pm Pacific time on Wednesday, May 13th
>
>
>
> How to contribute to the count
>
> Visit as many habitats as possible and get photos of the birds you see
> (plants, insects, reptiles, mammals as well – but for our purpose the focus
> is on the birds). If you cannot get photos, get a recording of the
> call/song. *Everyone* reading this has the ability to participate at some
> level!
>
> Upload your photos and observations to iNaturalist
> <https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2019-sacramento-region>.
> You can use a desktop computer or the app. Not familiar with the app? Not
> to worry, it’s designed to be user-friendly. All you have to do is:
>
> 1. Download the free iNaturalist app to your Android or iPhone
> 2. Create an account.
> 3. Join the 2026 City Nature Challenge: Sacramento Region
> <https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-sacramento-region> > iNaturalist project or your local project.
> 4. Take photos from April 24-27 of wild plants and animals in the
> Sacramento Region (in your backyard, at a park, etc.)
> 5. Upload your photos to iNaturalist
> 6. Learn more as the iNaturalist community helps identify your
> observations and help identify the observations of others
>
> I recommend using iNaturalist before the weekend starts, and as the event
> approaches, we would love to organize maximum coverage.
>
> Good birding.
>
> --
> Clifford Hawley
> Sacramento, CA
> "For, what are the voices of birds...
> But words, our words,
> Only so much more sweet?"
> Robert Browning
>
> --
>
> Clifford Hawley
> Sacramento, CA
>
> "For, what are the voices of birds...
> But words, our words,
> Only so much more sweet?"
> Robert Browning
>
>
>
Date: 4/22/26 2:26 pm From: Chuck & Barbara Vaughn via groups.io <cevaughn...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Noyo Pelagics 4/26
Greetings Central Valley Birders. I am forwarding a message from Peter
Pyle:
(Chuck Vaughn, Ukiah)
Greetings all -
We have some space available for this Sunday's full-day trip. Weather
forecast looks great, NW at 15 dropping to NW at 5 by late afternoon and
low swell. It will also be NW at 15-20 for much of the interim period
from now, which should be good for Pterodroma petrels in the vicinity.
Cost is $185; you can sign up for this trip at
https://noyopelagics.com/.
Mendocino Coast Audubon Society has been a great supporter of Noyo
Pelagics, including making scholarships available to pay full fare for
high school or collage students. They are also now stepping up further,
reserving camp sites for the night before each trip to lower the lodging
costs for those who don't mind listening to owls and waking up to
singing Pacific Wrens in the woods of MacKerricher, Van Damme, or other
local state parks.
If you are interested in the scholarship program and would like to apply
for one, contact Tim Bray <tbray...>. If you are interested in the
camp sites, contact me <ppyle...> and/or Roger Adamson
<radamson...>.
We were out for a half-day trip on the 19th and it was quite birdy out
there, with spectacular migrations of scoters and loons and an abundance
of alcids, gulls, phalaropes, and shearwaters, although the south winds
kept the albatross numbers lower than usual (15-20 as opposed to 135 at
once on the 15th) and brought us no deep-water species. Northwest winds
should change that. There are also tons (literally) of Humpback Whales
out there now, with bird flocks all around them. Marine productivity
seems very good off Mendo at the moment.
Hope to see you out there this weekend or later in the summer or fall.
Date: 4/22/26 8:37 am From: Chris Conard via groups.io <conardc...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] This Saturday: Bufferlands Open Trail Day--Birds and Blooms!
Hi folks,
We’re excited to share a portion of the Bufferlands with you this Saturday.
Don’t let this crazy weather keep you away. Things are looking good for
Saturday. We’ll have at least a three-mile loop trail open—one additional
planned section may not be accessible because of all the rain.
This event will be an Open Trail Day, so you are welcome to visit any time
from 7 am until 1 pm. See below for additional details. The latest on all
the upcoming Bufferlands events is posted here:
https://www.sacsewer.com/events-calendar/
*Birds and Blooms Walk*
April 25, 2026 | 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join us on Saturday, April 25th, for the Birds and Blooms Open Trail Day at
the Bufferlands, any time from 7 am to 1 pm, to visit areas normally closed
to the public. The event is FREE. You do not need to sign up in advance;
you can visit any time during open hours (7 am-1 pm), though we will close
at 1 pm.
This is a great time of the year to see a wide variety of plants in bloom,
including wetland and vernal pool species. Birds should be at their most
conspicuous, with lingering winter species, singing nesters, and migrants
on their way north. With luck, you might see a jackrabbit…or 12.
*IMPORTANT*: Access will be on the eastern side of the property, and some
locations are rarely visited on public tours.
See directions below.
Trails are a mix of gravel and dirt roads, plus mowed paths around seasonal
wetlands with stretches of uneven ground, though the area is generally
flat. There are some shady areas, but much of it is pretty open—Saturday’s
forecast is for a high of 66F, so overheating shouldn’t be a problem.
Staff and docents will be on hand to answer questions and assist with
logistics. We plan to have a few volunteers stationed with spotting scopes
to view nesting raptors and waterbirds.
Aside from a portable toilet, there are no facilities, so plan to bring the
water and food you need. If you have binoculars, bring them for wildlife
viewing.
* ***As with all Bufferlands events, no pets, please.****
*Directions: I-5 south* of Sacramento, exit at Cosumnes River Blvd. Drive
East to Franklin Blvd. Drive south on Franklin for approx. 1.7 miles, then
turn right onto Sims Rd (a landscaped entrance with no traffic light).
Follow the signs to the parking area.
*Hwy-99 south* of Sacramento, exit at Cosumnes River Blvd. Drive west to
Franklin Blvd. Drive south on Franklin approx. 1.7 miles and turn right
onto Sims Rd (a landscaped entrance with no traffic light). Follow the
signs to the parking area.
*If coming from the south*, from the intersection of Laguna Blvd and
Franklin Blvd, go north on Franklin Blvd for one mile. Turn left onto Sims
Rd (a landscaped entrance with no traffic light). Follow the signs to the
parking area.
Date: 4/20/26 7:47 am From: Amy Williamson via groups.io <amywillbird...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Magpies
Hello Birders,
I just noticed eBird proclaiming that I saw 6 Yellow-billed Magpies in
South Lake Tahoe. I did NOT, of course--they were Black-billed Magpies.
When I noticed the March date, I finally realized I'd marked the wrong
Magpie, which i just fixed. 🤦♀️😂
If you want Yellow-Billed Magpies in El Dorado Co, I find them (almost, but
not every year) in Cool, CA. I had some in February 2026
Date: 4/20/26 12:42 am From: Michael Perrone via groups.io <michaelperrone10...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Breeding Dark-eyed Junco
In the past few years--for the first time, I believe-- juncos have nested at UC Davis in a redwood grove and in a shady spot along Willowbank ditch in south Davis. That second pair fledged young. Last spring one sang endlessly for weeks in the sping in a line of redwoods at Slide Hill Park, but found no mate and left the site for parts unknown.
I was boggled a few years ago to find juncos apparently nesting in a residential area on Point Loma in San Diego. They have adapted to urban forests.
Michael Perrone Davis
On Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 03:31:46 PM PDT, kuschmanfred via groups.io <makusch...> wrote:
In the almost 40 years I have lived in this location I have only very rarely seen a Dark-eyed Junco in my garden next to the riparian woodland of Putah Creek. A small group would overwinter quite consistently in a small area about half mile upstream from me, feeding often on the crushed olives on my neighbor’s driveway. They seem to have left a little while ago. So I was quite surprised when a female Dark-eyed Junco flushed today out of a low weedy bank next to my trail directly behind my house and only 10 feet away from the creek. When I carefully checked I found a cup nest with three eggs tucked behind a small tuft of grass built into the dirt of the bank about 1-2 ft above my trail. How common is it to have juncos nest in our area?
Manfred Kusch
3 miles west of Davis
South bank of Putah Creek
In the almost 40 years I have lived in this location I have only very rarely seen a Dark-eyed Junco in my garden next to the riparian woodland of Putah Creek. A small group would overwinter quite consistently in a small area about half mile upstream from me, feeding often on the crushed olives on my neighbor’s driveway. They seem to have left a little while ago. So I was quite surprised when a female Dark-eyed Junco flushed today out of a low weedy bank next to my trail directly behind my house and only 10 feet away from the creek. When I carefully checked I found a cup nest with three eggs tucked behind a small tuft of grass built into the dirt of the bank about 1-2 ft above my trail. How common is it to have juncos nest in our area?
Manfred Kusch
3 miles west of Davis
South bank of Putah Creek
Date: 4/17/26 5:21 pm From: Clifford Hawley via groups.io <yellowhammerCA...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] The City Nature Challenge is coming up next week! April 24-27
Hi Central Valley Birders,
There is a very cool event coming up at the end of this month. Most of the
Central Valley is represented this year.
CITY NATURE CHALLENGE, Sponsored by the Center for Community and Citizen
Science in the UC Davis School of Education
April 24-27, 2019
Calling all naturalists!
Not familiar with the City Nature Challenge? It’s a global event to see
which region can record the greatest number of species and observations of
their local wild plants and animals over a 4-day period. And from April 24-2
7, The Center for Community and Citizen Science is spearheading a local
effort to get residents and visitors of the Sacramento Region to document
as many species as possible using iNaturalist
<https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2019-sacramento-region> .
The City Nature Challenge begins Friday, April, 24 at 12 AM PT and ends
Monday, April 27 at 11:59 PM PT. Global results will be announced around
2pm Pacific time on Wednesday, May 13th
How to contribute to the count
Visit as many habitats as possible and get photos of the birds you see
(plants, insects, reptiles, mammals as well – but for our purpose the focus
is on the birds). If you cannot get photos, get a recording of the
call/song. *Everyone* reading this has the ability to participate at some
level!
1. Download the free iNaturalist app to your Android or iPhone
2. Create an account.
3. Join the 2026 City Nature Challenge: Sacramento Region
<https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-sacramento-region> iNaturalist project or your local project.
4. Take photos from April 24-27 of wild plants and animals in the
Sacramento Region (in your backyard, at a park, etc.)
5. Upload your photos to iNaturalist
6. Learn more as the iNaturalist community helps identify your
observations and help identify the observations of others
I recommend using iNaturalist before the weekend starts, and as the event
approaches, we would love to organize maximum coverage.
Good birding.
--
Clifford Hawley
Sacramento, CA
"For, what are the voices of birds...
But words, our words,
Only so much more sweet?"
Robert Browning
Date: 4/16/26 9:36 pm From: John Fulton via groups.io <merced_birding...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Garganeys reported in Merced County
Steve Johnston photographed a male Garganey Monday 4/13. It has not been seen since despite intensive searches by at least a half dozen experienced birders. Steve is retired from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and has been a longtime volunteer at the San Luis NWR complex where he has given birding tours and talks. I have found him reliable. I also know several of the chasers. They are all, without exception, excellent reliable careful observers.
As Chris said, there was more habitat on Monday. The ponds are all being drained. The numbers of Blue Winged teal at the Hollister Club dropped on Wednesday from 14 down to 4. The numbers of GWFG increased to well over 100 as the geese grazed on the sprouting vegetation on/in the drying ponds. Dale Swanburg reported seeing 140 Hudsonian Whimbrels. There was one field with 62 Swainson's Hawks following an alfalfa swather.
The pin placement on the original post, as previously noted, may not be accurate. I do not know where exactly Steve saw the Garganey. The report says Gun Club Rd but the pin is a ahlf mile south of that road and is 5 wiles west of the Santa Fe Grade and the Hollister Club. There is not any wetland habitat at the pin placement. The best wetland habitat on Gun Club Rd is to the east of Santa Fe Grade, over 5 miles away from the pin. The multitude of duck clubs along Santa Fe Grade include some resident caretakers' homes. Some of them may raise exotic waterfowl which may escape or be released from time to time.
If I see the Garganey, I will report it on eBird and let somebody else determine the provenance.
Date: 4/15/26 9:37 pm From: Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a...> Subject: Re: [centralvalleybirds] Garganeys reported in Merced County
I didn't hear anything new about this, but decided to go give it a try
myself anyway late this morning. I did find there was a decent amount of
suitable marshy habitat with several waterfowl species including a group of
Blue-winged Teals. This was in a canal that crosses Gun Club Rd
at 37.231401, -120.958033. There seemed to be lots more habitat in the area
east of there, but most of it appeared to be private property. Despite not
finding the Garganeys, I enjoyed hearing the kerplunking bitterns and
screeching pheasants as well as happening upon my only second
Black-throated Gray Warbler so far this spring.
Cheers,
Chris Ortega
Bay Point
On Wed, Apr 15, 2026 at 8:28 AM Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I don't know the reporter, but I'm intrigued by a great photo uploaded of
> a male Garganey reported on Gun Club Rd in Gustine from Monday morning. The
> report claims there are actually 2 of them, so perhaps a female was with
> him? I wish there were more details or some acknowledgement of what a great
> find this is so I had fewer reasons to doubt it, but if anyone in the area
> would checks it out, please give let us know how it goes!
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S321828361 >
> The pin for this location isn't actually on Gun Club Rd, itself, but that
> road does appear to run alongside a marsh a couple of miles east of where
> the pin is, so it's possible that could be closer to the true location.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Chris Ortega
> Bay Point
>
>
>
Date: 4/15/26 8:28 am From: Chris Ortega via groups.io <chrisorte9a...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Garganeys reported in Merced County
Hi all,
I don't know the reporter, but I'm intrigued by a great photo uploaded of a male Garganey reported on Gun Club Rd in Gustine from Monday morning. The report claims there are actually 2 of them, so perhaps a female was with him? I wish there were more details or some acknowledgement of what a great find this is so I had fewer reasons to doubt it, but if anyone in the area would checks it out, please give let us know how it goes!
The pin for this location isn't actually on Gun Club Rd, itself, but that road does appear to run alongside a marsh a couple of miles east of where the pin is, so it's possible that could be closer to the true location.
