(If you have any interesting sightings in February, you can send them to the Newsletter Editor at tim.ruckle@sbcglobal.net by February 20 for possible inclusion in the March newsletter.)

December 10 – At around 8:30 a.m., Warren and Jennifer Patten saw a Hooded Oriole in their backyard atop an oak tree. It was near a persimmon tree that was loaded with Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, and Northern Flickers feeding off the ripe fruit.

December 2-15 - Anne-Lise Feenstra had the following birds in her yard west of Orland:  a House Wren, a Varied Thrush under a persimmon tree, an Orange-crowned Warbler outside her windows tapping on the glass.  After the Willows field trip on the 10^th she spotted two Common Ravens as well as a Merlin on top of a eucalyptus tree.

December 24-28 - Liam and Scott Huber took a great five-day birding trip to Morro Bay, California over Christmas.  In addition to seeing many birds that we also have here in Chico they were fortunate to see the following: Townsend’s Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, Rock Wren, California Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, Ferruginous Hawk, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Black Turnstone, Black- bellied Plover and Caspian Tern.  Unusual and exciting sightings were: a Ringed Turtle Dove atop a power pole and a pair of Peregrine Falcons perched on side-by-side sailboat masts.  Undetermined were a winter plumage Phalarope (Red or Red -Necked?) and a Shrike (Northern or Loggerhead?), both in Montana De Oro State Park.

January 6 - At about 12:30 p.m. Brianna Wood observed a Golden Eagle on her way to work. The bird was sitting on top of the roadside berm on Hwy 32 about 100 yards south of the cellular tower and maybe 500 yards north of Yosemite drive. She was driving down from Forest Ranch toward Chico and saw it on the right side of the road busily eating some carrion. She said it was amazing, and unmistakable.  The next morning between 8-9 a.m. her husband (Casey Pilkinton) driving back home from Chico saw it fly over his car at the same location.

January 7 – Tim Ruckle saw an adult Trumpeter Swan and three cygnets in Butte County on Esquon Road at the first right angle bend south of the Durham-Dayton Highway.  Others have spotted the swans as well (as late as January 20^th).

January 16 – Mela Garcia, Jackson Shedd and Tim Ruckle had great views of an Ovenbird at Mace Blvd. where it meets Putah Creek near Davis in Solano County.  They also saw some beautiful Hooded Mergansers and some Common Goldeneyes at Lake Solano. 

January 21 - As Liam, Alita and Scott Huber arrived at the Llano Seco viewing platform they were greeted by a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes perched right on the platform. In addition to all of the abundant species, they were treated to repeated views of Eurasian Widgeons and a pair of Ring-necked Ducks. On the way home they stopped at Potter Road to look for Burrowing Owls, but instead had a Prairie Falcon alight on a fencepost just 50 feet away from them.

January 22 – Jackson Shedd and wife, Mela Garcia, while hiking in Bidwell Park along the creek on Ten Mile House Trail spotted a Red-breasted Sapsucker, some Steller's Jays and, at 1:05 p.m., a Northern (or California) Pygmy-Owl right along the creek in a leafless Blue Oak. They had been alerted to the owl by chattering Ruby-crowned Kinglets.