Blog - Shasta Birding Society

Sign-up for the 114th Christmas Bird Count is Now Open

By Larry Jordan on November 14, 2013 in In the News

From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission – often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.

Birders of all skill levels are urged to participate in the Christmas Bird Count.

If you love birds, especially if you are a beginning bird watcher and want to learn about the birds where you live, you will want to participate in at least one Christmas Bird Count. You see, there is always at least one experienced birder in each field party, and each field party needs a recorder, someone to record the birds as they are counted.

While participating in my first Christmas Bird Count, not only did I learn which birds lived in my neighborhood in the winter, I learned where to find them on an American Ornithologists Union arranged bird check list, the same arrangement used by most bird guide books. If you are the group recorder, by the end of the day I guarantee you will have learned how to use a field guide to birds.

If you are an experienced birder you may be asked to lead a field party that covers a specific area within the 15 mile radius of your local count circle. Not only is this an excellent way to support bird conservation but you can also influence younger or less experienced birders by helping them identify birds and build their confidence in bird identification.

Getting involved in the Christmas Bird Count is easy!

All you have to do is go to Audubon’s get involved page to find a count circle near you and sign up! Don’t delay though, the counting starts in less than a month.

If you live in a designated Christmas Bird Count circle and are unable to go out into the field, you may still be able to participate by counting the birds in your own backyard. For more information on the 114th Audubon Annual Christmas Bird Count go to their FAQ page.

To see where and when our local Christmas Bird Counts are happening, check out our calendar of events page and above all, whatever you do, have fun birding!

Vote for the 2013 Audubon California Bird of the Year

By Larry Jordan on November 1, 2013 in Conservation

This will be the fifth year for the California Audubon Bird of the Year contest which began in 2009, with the Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) taking the spotlight (click on photos for full sized images).

This year there are six finalists to choose from or you can write in the bird of your choice. Since the purpose of this process is to recognize a California species of conservation interest, I am personally recommending that everyone vote for the Western Burrowing Owl (Athena cunicularia)!

The Burrowing Owl is listed as a “Species of Special Concern” in California and their numbers have been dropping continuously for decades now. Any spotlight that we can focus on this adorable bird could be a step in the right direction for getting it some badly needed attention.

I urge you to head on over to the California Audubon Bird of the Year website and vote now and vote often for the Burrowing Owl until Friday December 6th when the voting ends. Thank you for your support!

Clear Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Open For Birding

By Larry Jordan on October 29, 2013 in In the News

Wastewater Treatment Plants are known to birders all over the country as great birding spots. If constructed properly, these facilities can be not only a boon to birders and other wildlife enthusiasts but an obvious benefit to their local communities. One of the best examples in the world is the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on the northern California coast. Arcata Marsh has become the poster child for how to turn wastewater into wetland restoration and effluence into affluence.

But this post isn’t about Arcata Marsh, it’s about the leaders of our local Audubon Society chapter convincing the local wastewater treatment plant to reopen to the birding community

The Clear Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant consists of 10 ponds, one of which will be managed to attract shore birds and dabblers with gently sloping sides, native vegetation and shallow ponds and mud flats. You can see the facility in Google Maps here.

This facility had been closed to the public for at least the last five years but due to the diligence and persistence of our local Audubon leaders, the plant management decided to open the facility grounds back up to the birding community.

I snapped these photos on my first birding trip to the newly reopened facility beginning with a White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla). Click on photos for full sized images.

The fence surrounding the facility is bordered by a dense mixed forest of pine and deciduous trees giving several sparrow and finch species a good location to hang out and observe the birders. There were House Finches (Capodacus mexicanus)

a Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

and several Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis)

As I rounded the southern end of the ponds a flock of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) flew over with a lone Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) in tow seen in the photo at the top of this post. Although not unusual to see these species in this location, considering the Sacramento River borders the East side of the plant, it seemed rather early to see the Snow Goose.

The banks along the river are covered with pretty dense vegetation which this spunky Lincoln Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) seemed to enjoy.

Heading back toward the plant there was an area with shallow water and natural vegetation with Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and these Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) taking flight

I also got some nice close-up views of the Savannah Sparrow

what appears to be a female Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

and a Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Good birding at those wastewater treatment plants! Audubon Magazine gives us a list of 10 great birding spots that you probably never thought you’d want to visit.

For instructions on how to access the ponds, see our November Newsletter.

California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Historic Legislation Requiring Use of Non-Lead Ammunition

By Larry Jordan on October 11, 2013 in Conservation, In the News

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Eliminating lead ammunition has been a priority for national agencies, and California is now the country’s leader in eradicating an unnecessary source of this lethal toxin.

In addition to posing a danger to human health, lead ammunition still threatens the California Condor, Golden Eagle and other protected species. One in five wild condors has ingested such significant levels of lead from these sources that they are at risk of dying from lead poisoning. In addition, more than 130 other wildlife species are at risk of poisoning by spent lead ammunition left behind by hunters.

“Governor Brown has made history today in taking a critical step toward protecting endangered species like the California Condor and Golden Eagle,” said Dan Taylor, Audubon California’s director of public policy. “This groundbreaking law implements common-sense changes to help eliminate a toxin in our environment that is detrimental to all of us.”

Read the full article at Audublog.org

Historic Vote Moves California Closer to Banning Lead Hunting Ammunition

By Larry Jordan on August 1, 2013 in In the News

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Senate today passed historic legislation to protect the state’s condors, eagles and other wildlife from lead poisoning by requiring the use of nonlead ammunition for all hunting by 2019. Assembly Bill 711 (Rendon) passed by a vote of 23-15; it passed the state Assembly in May. If the bill is signed by the governor, California will be the first state in the country to require the use of nontoxic bullets and shot for all hunting.