ArnelGuanlao
Well-known member
Hello Birders....
Here's my first trip report on the BF.....!
Yesterday, June 14, I made a short visit to the Willow
Slough Trail at Cosumnes River Preserve, south of
Sacramento in California's Central Valley. I planned
the visit, hoping to see the Blue Grosbeaks that nest
there in the summer months. As there are no more
than a few pairs that nest along the trail, seeing them
is always a hit-or-miss affair . This time around, I may
have heard them in a densely vegetated area, well off
the trail; however, my experience with their calls is
limited, so I can't really say for sure.
The weather was sunny and hot, with temperatures
in the low 90s, so a lot of the other birds were rather
inactive. I was especially mystified by the absence of
Red-winged Blackbirds, which are usually calling and
chasing each other through the cattails here, no
matter how hot it gets. I saw and heard lots of SONG
SPARROWS and MARSH WRENS, but no red-wings
.....very strange.
I did observe 2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES in the
wooded areas in and around the junction of the
Mokelumne River and Willow Slough. Although they
might nest elsewhere on the preserve, I have never
before seen them in this area at this time of the year.
Perhaps their presence here - and the Red-winged
Blackbirds' absence - are just more side effects of
the topsy-turvy weather regime that we've had out
here in California this year.
Good Birding!
Arnel Guanlao
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIRD LIST
Willow Slough Trail, Cosumnes River Preserve
Sacramento County, CA
6/14/2003
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) - 1
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) - 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - 2
Nuttall's Woodpeckeer (Picoides nuttallii) - 3
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) - 2
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - 3
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) - 1
Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) - 7
Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) - 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhyncos) - 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) - lots
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) - lots
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) - 1 [heard]
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) - at least 5
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) - lots
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) - 7 [all heard]
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) - 8
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - at least 10
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) - 5
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) - 2
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - a few
Here's my first trip report on the BF.....!
Yesterday, June 14, I made a short visit to the Willow
Slough Trail at Cosumnes River Preserve, south of
Sacramento in California's Central Valley. I planned
the visit, hoping to see the Blue Grosbeaks that nest
there in the summer months. As there are no more
than a few pairs that nest along the trail, seeing them
is always a hit-or-miss affair . This time around, I may
have heard them in a densely vegetated area, well off
the trail; however, my experience with their calls is
limited, so I can't really say for sure.
The weather was sunny and hot, with temperatures
in the low 90s, so a lot of the other birds were rather
inactive. I was especially mystified by the absence of
Red-winged Blackbirds, which are usually calling and
chasing each other through the cattails here, no
matter how hot it gets. I saw and heard lots of SONG
SPARROWS and MARSH WRENS, but no red-wings
.....very strange.
I did observe 2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES in the
wooded areas in and around the junction of the
Mokelumne River and Willow Slough. Although they
might nest elsewhere on the preserve, I have never
before seen them in this area at this time of the year.
Perhaps their presence here - and the Red-winged
Blackbirds' absence - are just more side effects of
the topsy-turvy weather regime that we've had out
here in California this year.
Good Birding!
Arnel Guanlao
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIRD LIST
Willow Slough Trail, Cosumnes River Preserve
Sacramento County, CA
6/14/2003
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) - 1
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) - 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - 2
Nuttall's Woodpeckeer (Picoides nuttallii) - 3
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) - 2
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - 3
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) - 1
Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) - 7
Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) - 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhyncos) - 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) - lots
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) - lots
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) - 1 [heard]
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) - at least 5
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) - lots
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) - 7 [all heard]
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) - 8
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - at least 10
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) - 5
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) - 2
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - a few