Local Birding Sites

March 16, 2019

On this Saturday morning, Mary Wrysinski and I visited some Tehama County birding spots including Red Bluff Recreation Area, Cone Grove Park, and Foothill Road.  It was a sunny day with the temperature ranging from 51˚ to 71˚.

We arrived at the Red Bluff Recreation Area at 9:30 and spent about three hours here.  We walked many of the trails beginning with the Nature Trail at the boat ramp.  An American Robin and Tree Swallows were noticed first, with the swallows seen repeatedly soaring overhead and occasionally taking a brief perch.  A Red-shouldered Hawk landed in a nearby tree, and later we saw one being chased off by a Red-tailed Hawk.  The sky was frequently dotted with Turkey Vultures, and the songs of House Finches and Oak Titmice were often heard.  Four species of woodpeckers made an appearance including Northern Flicker and Acorn, Downy, and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers.  California Quail was heard calling as well as Canada Goose and Mallard.  

We viewed an Anna’s Hummingbird perched on a thin branch and watched Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and European Starlings flying from tree to tree.  Western Bluebirds seemed to be paired up, and White-breasted Nuthatches were heard and seen several times.  A Spotted Towhee offered up a couple different songs, and a Black Phoebe announced its presence before it was finally spotted.  We found White-crowned Sparrows and several first-winter Golden-crowned Sparrows near the river and came across a couple of American Kestrels.  Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer’s Blackbird, Northern Mockingbird, and California Scrub-Jay were also seen.

Yellow-billed Magpies were also found here, and I believe they have nests in the trees along the river north of the Sacramento River Discovery Center.  They nest in small colonies, and there were several nests that look like ones I’ve seen in the past and spaced in the way I’ve observed them before.  Although we did not see them at the nests, they were present in and below these trees.

Our next stop was Cone Grove Park.  We arrived about 1:00 and walked over to Antelope Creek finding Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, California Scrub-Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, and Yellow-rumped Warbler along the way.  A Common Merganser flew upstream and a Song Sparrow was spotted on the opposite bank.  House Finch, European Starling, and Eurasian Collared-Dove were heard as we made our way back to Cone Grove Road.  We walked east on the road and found American Robin and Ruby-crowned Kinglet and heard California Quail.

Returning to the car, we continued east on Cone Grove Road and soon spotted a few Bushtits close to the road.  Turning south of Foothill Road, we found Western Meadowlarks before stopping to view a pond to our right.  A Great Blue Heron flew off to our left, and on or near the pond, we found Killdeer, Greater White-fronted Goose, Mallard, and American Wigeon.  European Starling and White-crowned Sparrow were also seen on this road.  We headed home from here, ending our birding adventure with a total of 39 species.  

April 6, 2019

On this spring Saturday, Nicky and I headed for an annual vintage motorcycle race in Chrome that Nicky was helping facilitate.  While he was there, I ventured out for a day of birding.  I drove west on Newville Road from Road 306, traveling up Round Valley Road into the foothills and then driving through Paskenta before looping back to Newville Road via Corning Road and Black Butte Road.  Before returning to the race, I also explored Morrison Bryan Road.

Birds found on Newville Road toward Paskenta were Common Yellowthroat, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, California Towhee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Oak Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, California Scrub-Jay, Cliff and Violet Green Swallows, Mourning Dove, House Wren, Mallard, Common Raven, Western Meadowlark, Western Kingbird (first of the season for me), Savannah Sparrow, American Kestrel, three Red-tailed Hawks (two of which were by a nest), Red-winged Blackbird, Turkey Vulture, and an unidentified falcon.

Species found on Round Valley Road were Western Bluebird, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Turkey Vulture, Western Meadowlark, Oak Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, Canada Goose, California Towhee, Wild Turkey, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, California Scrub-Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Killdeer, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Kestrel, House Finch, Savannah Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Kingbird, White-crowned Sparrow, and Mule Deer.

I found these in Paskenta and its outskirts to the east – Eurasian Collared-Dove, European Starling, White-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Red-tailed Hawk on a nest, White-crowned Sparrow, Tree and Violet-green Swallows, Acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, Wild Turkey, and Turkey Vulture.

On Butte Valley Road, I came across Red-tailed Hawk, Western Kingbird, Horned Lark, Savannah Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, and many American Bison at the Black Butte Bison Ranch.  (The American Bison is our national mammal.  You can read more about them here - https://www.doi.gov/blog/15-facts-about-our-national-mammal-american-bison .)  Turning right on Newville Road, I had a Golden Eagle fly across the road, and I also saw Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Vulture. 

Morrison Bryan Road produced Oak Titmouse, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Lark and White-crowned Sparrows, House Finch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Turkey Vulture, Wild Turkey, Western Meadowlark, Western Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Osprey, and a male Northern Harrier.  Returning to Newville Road, I added Red-shouldered Hawk to the birds seen for the day.

It was great to be on this side of the valley in the springtime.  Everything is green and the wildflowers are in bloom.  Besides the Mule Deer and American Bison, my avian species count for the day was 45.

May 27, 2019 

On this Memorial Day, Mary Wrysinski and I spent the day birding the Black Butte Lake area.  We expected it to be crowded because of the holiday, but due to the rain earlier in the weekend, there weren’t too many people around.  

We started our day trying to hike the Big Oak Trail, but didn’t get very far before we were busy removing deer ticks.  The trail is not well maintained beyond the area close to the parking area, which didn’t use to be the case.  Birds we did notice on the road in and while we were there included Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Turkey Vulture, Western Kingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, House Wren, a Black Phoebe and its nest on the restroom building, White-breasted Nuthatch, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawk, California Scrub-Jay, and Western Bluebird.  

From there, we made our way over to the Paul Thomas Trail. At the trailhead, we spotted the Osprey nest that has been there for years with an adult on the nest.  We walked the trail and found Oak Titmouse, Western Meadowlark, Western Wood-Pewee, Western Kingbird, Mourning Dove, American Robin, Killdeer, Ash-throated Flycatcher, California Towhee, Common Raven, two more Ospreys near their nest, Cliff Swallow, Mallard, Clark’s Grebe, and Great Blue Heron. 

Before leaving this area, we decided to walk the Orland Buttes Campground.  Here we came across House Finch, Red-winged Blackbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Acorn Woodpecker, Great Egret, and adult male and first-year male Bullock’s Orioles.  This campground is a reliable place to find Bullock’s Orioles in the spring.

We then took Newville Road to the north side of the lake, and I decided to show Mary the Black Butte Bison Ranch along Black Butte Road.  This time there were lots of bison calves to see.  We ate our lunch in the car as we viewed the herd from a pull-out near the ranch entrance.

Driving to the west side of the lake, we cruised down Morrison Bryan Road to see what we could find.  Birds seen included an adult male Bullock’s Oriole, Snowy and Great Egrets, American White Pelican, Tree Swallow, Mourning Dove, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Wild Turkey. 

On our way back we stopped at the bridge and walked over it, spotting Cliff Swallow, Black Phoebe, Turkey Vulture, and two Ospreys on one nest and two more on another.  We then went to the Eagle Pass Recreation Area, finding Western Kingbird, House Finch, and Bullock’s Oriole.  At the dam observation point, we located a Rock Wren. This concluded our day of birding, and we headed back to Chico.  Our avian species count for the day was 38.

August 2, 2019

On this Friday morning, Mary Wrysinski and I headed for Warner Valley in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  We arrived about 9:15, and the temperatures that day were in the 70s and low 80s.  It was a beautiful sunny day.

We took the upper trail to Devil’s Kitchen, making a little side trip to Dream Lake along the way.  It is more of a meadow now, but still bears that name.  On the way to Devil’s Kitchen, Mary spotted a large blond-colored Black Bear foraging in the forest.  She made lots of noise to keep it at bay, and fortunately he seemed very preoccupied with his own quest.  On our return trip, we took the trail across the boardwalk to Drakesbad and then back to the car.

Birds heard or seen on this day included Steller’s Jay, Western Wood-Pewee, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, American Robin, Mountain Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, a male White-headed Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, and Wilson’s Warbler.  We also caught sight of a Warbling Vireo feeding a fledgling, both male and female Western Tanagers, five Clark’s Nutcrackers, and a juvenile sapsucker that we could not identify as to species.  Our total avian species count was 16.

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July 12, 2019

This Friday morning, Marvey Mueller and I visited the Washout along the Sacramento River arriving about 8:30.  The temperature was in the 70s, and we finished around 9:30 so we avoided the coming heat.

As we walked down toward the river, I heard a Spotted Towhee calling as well as Brown-headed Cowbird.  Common Yellowthroats were quite common here today, but it is perfect habitat for them. Several Killdeer were seen and one near the path was quite vocal.  We think its nest was close by.  All the while, Tree Swallows flew over the water foraging for insects.

A Green Heron flew by and landed on the sandbar island in the river.  We watched as it seemed to be stalking prey.  Turkey Vultures soared overhead, and we noticed an Osprey surveying the river for fish.  An American White Pelican was spotted on the distant bank, and later we saw two in flight.  A Belted Kingfisher was heard but never seen.  

As we continued south, a Lesser Nighthawk flew by us and landed about 25 yards from us on the rocky ground.  What a treat!  We went a bit farther and heard a Black-headed Grosbeak singing.  Turning around, we spotted a male Brown-headed Cowbird perched at the top of a leafless tree.  The last two birds were found near the parking area, Oak Titmouse and Western Kingbird (heard only).  We found 14 species in our brief visit, but it was good to be out birding!

November 16. 2019

On this beautiful Saturday morning, Gaylord Grams and I co-led a trip to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area for the Altacal Audubon Society.  Several of us met at the Chico Park & Ride at 8:00, and others met us at Gray Lodge at 9:00.  We were joined by the following birders, which brought our group total to 18 – Jon Aull, Carol Anderson, Paul Lake, Diana Hoffmeister, Gary Moller, Warren and Jennifer Patten, Victor and Ruth Paz, Margaret Rader, Trish Reilly, Karen Smith, Lorraine Smith, Vickie Stoll, Pamela Waldsmith, and Mary Wrysinski.  It was sunny and the temperature reached into the 70s.

We began by searching the pond adjacent to the parking area and discovered a blue morph Ross’s Goose as well as many other white Ross’s and Snow Geese.  Throughout the day we saw thousands of these geese, and many times they would lift off in large numbers simultaneously, calling loudly as they did so.  One time the sound reminded me of the rumble of an earthquake!  Jennifer told me later in the day that a blue morph Snow Goose was also spotted in another area.  Lots of Greater White-fronted Geese were also found.

A good variety of ducks were present including a Blue-winged Teal swimming in the above mentioned pond.  Other ducks seen included Cinnamon and Green-winged Teals, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, and Bufflehead.  Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Common Gallinule, Sora, Virginia Rail, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Killdeer were also discovered in or around the water.

Raptors seen included American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper's Hawk, and Turkey Vulture.  Another falcon was spotted, but it couldn’t be positively identified as to Peregrine or Prairie.

In addition to the above mentioned species, we were fortunate to find the following – Belted Kingfisher, Loggerhead Shrike, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbirds, American Pipit, Black Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, and Lincoln’s, Song, Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows.

I left without doing the auto tour, but Lorraine Smith reported to me later that they found Black-crowned Night-Heron, Ruddy Duck, and Wilson’s Snipe along the route.  This brought our total species seen on this sunny fall day to 60.

December 21, 2019

Nicky and I spent this Saturday morning looking for raptors in the greater Oroville area.  We began about 7:15 on CA-70 and traveled south on Table Mountain Blvd.  We had breakfast in Oroville and then explored Cottonwood Road before heading south on CA-99 to W. Hamilton Road.  We took that to Riceton Hwy and drove north to CA-162, which we took back to CA-99.  We headed back to Paradise from there.  It was a cloudy day with temperatures in the 40s & 50s.  I am writing this on February 21, 2020, so I am just going to list the birds seen on each road.

CA-70 – 4 Turkey Vultures, 8 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 hawk species

Table Mountain Blvd – 22 Turkey Vultures, 2 Bald Eagle species, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks,

 4 American Kestrels (A couple of Coyotes were also seen.)

Cottonwood Rd – 1 Turkey Vulture, 6 adult Bald Eagles, 15 immature Bald Eagles, 4 Bald Eagle species, 1 eagle species, 1 Northern Harrier, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 hawk species, 1 American Kestrel (On this road, we also saw a Loggerhead Shrike, 23 Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swan, assorted waterfowl, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Greater Yellowlegs, Common Raven, Western Meadowlark, and White-crowned Sparrow.)

CA-99 – 3 adult Bald Eagles, 8 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 American Kestrels (On this road, 200+ Sandhill Cranes were seen on the east side of the road, and later we saw over 100 Sandhill Cranes near the intersection of CA-149 & CA-99 on the west side of the road.)

W. Hamilton Road – 3 Turkey Vultures, 1 Northern Harrier, 2 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 American Kestrel (A Northern Mockingbird was also seen on this road.)

Riceton Hwy – 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 American Kestrel (14 Sandhill Cranes were also seen here.)

CA-162 – 19 Turkey Vultures, 3 adult Bald Eagles, 5 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 American Kestrel

Durham-Pentz Rd – 1 Red-tailed Hawk

Before I list the totals, it should be noted that on Cottonwood Road, there was a dead cow near the road and something dead far off the road that attracted several eagles on each one.  We found a total of 12 adult Bald Eagles, 15 immature Bald Eagles, 6 Bald Eagle species, and 1 eagle species for a total of 34 eagles.  Other raptor species totals were 49 Turkey Vultures, 2 Northern Harriers, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, 26 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 hawk species, and 10 American Kestrels.  The total number of raptors seen including the eagles was 125.  The total number of species seen for the morning was 16 plus the assorted waterfowl.

February 25, 2018

Liz Webster wanted to see where to go for raptors in the Oroville area, so I took her to a few of the more popular spots. We began about 9:30 on Wilbur Road at CA-162, visited the Oroville Wildlife Area via Tres Vias Road, and then explored Nelson and Cottonwood Roads. It was a sunny day, with temperatures in the 40s to 50s.

We had a good start with Liz spotting a White-tailed Kite perched in a tree right near the corner of CA-162 & Wilbur Road. On Tres Vias Road, we saw a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk perched on a powerline as well as a male American Kestrel. European Starlings and Brewer’s Blackbirds crowded the wires nearby. Western Meadowlarks and another White-tailed Kite were also seen in this area. In and around the pond on the north side of the road, we discovered American Wigeon, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, Mallard, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, and Great Egret.

Continuing north on Wilbur Road, we came across another American Kestrel, Say’s Phoebe, Tree Swallow, and Turkey Vulture. Reaching Nelson Road, we turned left and found Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Raven, and Savannah and White-crowned Sparrows. We only went a short distance before we turned around and headed east. On this part of Nelson Road, we found five more Red-tailed Hawks, three Northern Harriers, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, and California Scrub-Jay.

We then headed north on Table Mountain Blvd. to Cottonwood Road. Here we found more Western Meadowlarks, Turkey Vultures, and another Great Blue Heron. We also spotted the Burrowing Owl by the corral, a Northern Harrier, a Spotted Towhee, and a couple of Northern Mockingbirds. After this we decided to head home. It had been fun birding with Liz again and sharing this area with her. Our total species count for the day was 26.

April 30, 2016 

Saturday morning I joined Steve Overlock and several others for a trip he was leading in Upper Bidwell Park.  Others in attendance were Sandy Taylor, Nancy Kerns, Elaine Light, Dilys Wohletz, Victor Paz, Joyce Bond, Melinda Teves, Ken Gates, and Brian Maddock.  It was a pleasant morning with temperatures reaching into the 70s before we were done.

Exiting my car at the Horseshoe Lake parking area, I immediately heard a Bullock’s Oriole singing from the oaks to the east.  Red-winged Blackbirds were also heard.  American Coots and Mallards were found on the lake, and Tree and Violet-green Swallows soared above it.  Steve gathered the group together for a picture, and soon we were headed down the trail. 

Things were kind of quiet at first, but before long we found an Anna’s Hummingbird, and Acorn Woodpeckers and European Starlings were actively making their presence known. A Mourning Dove whizzed by and Turkey Vultures soared above.  A California Quail was spotted on the path, and then a female Bullock’s Oriole made a brief appearance.  We heard an Ash-throated Flycatcher and located it before too long.  Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows shared the same bush, and we found our first Western Scrub-Jay of the day.  A Red-shouldered Hawk was spotted in a distant tree, and we came across Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, and an initially puzzling flycatcher, which was eventually identified as a Willow Flycatcher.

As we reached the Yahi Trail, we hoped to catch sight of the Yellow-breasted Chat that we had been hearing, but it was behind too much vegetation.  We also heard Bushtit, Northern Flicker, and Hutton’s Vireo and located a singing House Wren at its nest site.  Then we came across something truly unusual – an Acorn Woodpecker with a bright yellow crown in place of the usual red one.  It was definitely an Acorn Woodpecker and not another species.  Joyce wanted to get a picture, but it disappeared before she could.

As we continued down the trail, we found Lesser Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, California Towhee, and American Robin.  Then some hikers came by and told us that there was a Yellow-breasted Chat that others were looking at farther up the trail.  It turned out that Victor and Brian had gotten ahead of us and had found it.  We came across the chat singing above the trail in a gray pine, but Brian and Victor had moved on.  We eventually found them too.

Before we reached our turnaround point at Day Camp, we also heard a Bewick’s Wren and saw Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Black-headed Grosbeak.  We also had several Band-tailed Pigeons flyover a couple of different times.  Returning to Horseshoe Lake, I surveyed the lake again and found a Killdeer and several Northern Rough-winged Swallows.  It had been a fun outing, and we ended the day with a total species count of 36.

May 21, 2015 

Robin Rogers, Sheila Frisk, and I met at the Horseshoe Lake parking area shortly after 8:00 on this sunny Thursday morning to bird the Yahi Trail in Chico’s Bidwell Park.  It was a mild morning, cool in the shade and warming up as the trail was more exposed.  It had been quite a while since I had birded this trail, so I was looking forward to see what we would find this day.

We surveyed Horseshoe Lake and the surrounding area before hitting the trail.  Here we found Canada Goose, Red-winged and Brewer’s Blackbirds, Mallard, Tree Swallow, and Killdeer.  Starting down the trail, an American Crow flew over, Acorn Woodpeckers were all around, and we could hear Oak Titmouse calls repeatedly.  We also found Turkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, Western Scrub-Jay, and European Starling.

We then noticed some dark birds a short distance away and were able to identify them as Brown-headed Cowbirds.  We spent some time looking at pictures to note the beak shape and listening to their calls to hone our identification skills.  As we continued on and down to the creek to pick up the Yahi Trail, we found Bushtit and Ash-throated Flycatcher.

We spent some time at a spot right next to the creek and were delighted with what we found.  Several Anna’s Hummingbirds hovered above the water in various places, and we heard the singing of at least one House Wren.  We noticed a pair of Nuttall’s Woodpeckers and a male Downy Woodpecker repeatedly returned to a favorite drumming spot.  A couple of Yellow-breasted Chats serenaded us with their varied song, and Lesser Goldfinches were also present.  A Green Heron flew by and took a perch downstream.  I had noticed a male Mallard behind it and was looking for a female, when I noticed a second Green Heron perched nearby.  The first one was definitely an adult, but the second one appeared to be a 1st summer bird as shown on my Sibley Birds app.  

As we continued on, we discovered a Tree Swallow nest with the adult birds either perched nearby or entering and exiting the tree cavity.  We then came upon another House Wren and soon saw a Bewick’s Wren in the same tree.  In this same area, we also saw a couple of White-breasted Nuthatches, and Sheila heard a Northern Flicker calling in the distance.  Moving on, we heard a Western Wood-Pewee and an Orange-crowned Warbler and eventually found the Wilson Warbler that we heard calling repeatedly.

At our turn around point, we walked down to the creek and were surprised as a Belted Kingfisher flew off his hidden perch several minutes after we arrived.  Making our way back to the car, we came across House Finch, California Towhee, and Western Kingbird.  It was about noon and Sheila needed to head home, but Robin and I decided to head over to the Genetic Resource and Conservation Center to eat our lunch.  

We arrived and walked quite a ways in to find a place to eat, but I didn’t bring my book to record what we saw.  However, I took Robin over to see the Nuttall’s Woodpecker nest that I had found on my last visit on April 30th, and it was evident the babies had already fledged, which would be expected as they leave the nest about 15 days after they hatch.  We also checked the Red-shouldered Hawk’s nest where I had seen an adult sitting on my last visit.  This time it was occupied by a good-sized nestling.  It was facing away from us and its back was black/brown and white.  It turned its head to look over its shoulder and its head was covered with white fluff.  We heard an adult calling nearby and later spotted one closer to the center’s entrance gate.  It has been fun watching the reproduction efforts of this pair.  One species conspicuously absent here was the Steller’s Jay.  Although not common for them, they have been in the valley all winter and well into spring, and I was wondering when they would again move upslope.

Before we left the Center, we checked the spot where I had seen the Bushtit family, and it appeared to have been replaced by an Oak Titmouse family complete with begging fledglings.  It was a nice way to end the day.  The combined total for both visits was 34 species.

July 26-28, 2019 

On this hot summer weekend, I headed for the mounains for a joint campout at the Lost Creek Group Campground with the Altacal, Wintu, Redbud, and Redwood Audubon Chapters.  Arriving about 12:30 on Friday, the temperature was in the low 80s, which was much better than the expected triple digits in the valley.  The entire weekend was warm and pleasant.  Although I normally try to get the names of all in attendance, I neglected to do so this time.

The first hike most of the group participated in was a cross-country trek over to Lost Creek on Friday afternoon.  It involved walking over lots of downed trees and branches and encountering stinging wasps, one of which stung Larry Jordan.  Ouch!  However, we persevered and reached the creek.  An American Dipper was discovered perched on a rock in the water, and other birds found along the way included Western Wood-Pewee, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Tanager, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Flicker, White-headed and Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Mountain Chickadee.  

Later that evening after dinner, Steve King and I walked over to the previously burned area behind the campsite to wait for the Common Nighthawks to appear.  It didn’t take too long for several of them to begin their nightly foraging flights.  Here we also noticed Western Bluebirds and had a couple of birds fly into a tree right next to us, at least one of which was a female Black-headed Grosbeak.

Saturday morning, some drove over to join a group from Redding’s Wintu Audubon Chapter to hike around Manzanita Lake.  Many of the rest of us traveled to the King’s Creek Trailhead for a hike.  Some made their way to the falls, while I joined the group led by Jennifer Patten and Mary Muchowski that followed the trail to the Sifford Lakes turnoff.  We hiked toward the lakes for a while before returning the same way we came.  Here we saw Yellow-rumped and Hermit Warblers, American Robin, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Steller’s Jay, Peregrine Falcon, Common Raven, Pine Siskin, Western Wood-Pewee, Cassin’s Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Flicker, Calliope Hummingbird, and Golden-crowned Kinglet and heard Olive-sided Flycatcher and Clark’s Nutcracker.

From there, we drove to the Summit Lake North Campground and had lunch by the lake.  Afterwards we hiked around the lake, including a short detour along Summit Creek before continuing the loop.  We came across Brown Creeper, Dark-eyed Junco, a very vocal Spotted Sandpiper, Mountain Chickadee, Steller’s Jay, Western Tanager, Cassin’s Finch, a juvenile male Williamson’s Sapsucker just as we entered the Summit Lake South Campground, Yellow-rumped and Hermit Warblers, American Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Western Wood-Pewee.  On our short detour, Evening Grosbeaks were spotted.  We heard Clark’s Nutcracker as we returned to the loop trail and also noticed a Mule Deer doe with two fawns.

On Sunday, most of us that had foregone the Manzanita Lake hike the day before decided to hike it this morning.  We found Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Mallard, American Coot, and Pied-billed Grebe on the lake and Spotted Sandpiper and Red-winged Blackbird close to shore.