Date: 4/30/24 5:12 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Sonoma County- Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa area 4/27 and 4/29/24
Got a chance to bird some sites in Sonoma County the past few days.
On Saturday 4/27 I made several visits throughout the day to Crane Creek Regional Park of Roberts Ranch/Pressley Rd.s east of Rohnert Park. This is a very fun and accessible (128 acres) park for birding that features Oak Savannah, restored Riparian and especially Grassland.
Here are some observations I found interesting/notable :
White-tailed Kite - foraging over park in the morning and afternoon, likely breeding nearby
SWAINSON'S HAWKS - I did not expect to see Swainson's Hawks in the Laguna de Santa Rosa this late into spring. A pair of Light Morph birds were foraging together and interacting over the park and neighboring vineyard/ranchland several hours apart in the early and late afternoon. Based on this behavior it may be that these birds are looking to pair and nest nearby, they were not behaving as migrants just passing through the area do.
American Kestrel - our smallest falcon has decreased dramatically in recent decades as a breeding bird in Marin as well San Mateo and San Francisco (nearing extirpation in the last two.) I'm not as familiar with its status in Sonoma but I think it is always worth noting in the breeding season
Western Kingbird - a pair was teaming with Red-winged Blackbirds to mob a scrub jay in the tree at the entrance to the park. I initially thought they were defending their nest but turned out the scrub jay was hunting fence lizards. The jay successfully captured its prey, shook the pursuers, then flew with the food into a presumed nest tree/Live Oak north of the parking lot
Savannah Sparrow - perhaps a lingering wintering bird, briefly in the tree at entrance driveway to park in the morning only, I'm not aware of nesting Savannah Sparrows in Sonoma County away from the Bayside and immediate coast,
Grasshopper Sparrow - several very cooperative individuals found throughout the day at edge park/frisbee golf course
On 4/29 Megan Mosur and I Hiked the lower Johnson Ridge Trail from the parking lot at Hood Mountain Regional Park to Merganser Pond in the early afternoon. This is accessed from Pythina Rd. on the north side of HWY 12, across from the east entrance to the Oakmant Active Senior Community.
Some observations we found notable here :
Mountain Quail - several very vocal birds audible along the two mile route from 800-1600' elevation despite the late hour
Turkey Vulture - a pair of birds landing on a steep cliff and hanging around at the base of a fallen tree may have been near a nest site
Pileated Woodpecker - very cooperative individual gathering some sort of larvae (carpenter ant, termite?) from a tree it was working just past the parking lot/restrooms. A lifer for Megan and an exciting bird to start the hike.
Olive-sided Flycatcher - singing and calling above the burn just above parking lot
Chipping Sparrow - a very localized breeder in the Bay Area in recent years, interesting to note one on Pythian Rd at the entrance to the Juvenille Correctional Facility Los Gullicos, not far from the burn. This species is known to move into clear cuts/burns in the Sierra.
Western Tanager - vocal at 1600' near Merganser pond, habitat here looks good for this species breeding
On the way back to San Francisco as we got on HWY 101 at the Old Redwood Highway on-ramp in N. Petaluma, Megan spotted a precocial juvenile Black-necked Stilt accompanying an adult at the season marsh next the highway.
A full trip list from the two days with related checklists can be seen here:
