Tag Archives | Wintu Audubon

Local Weekday Bird Walk at the Mouth of Cottonwood Creek State Wildlife Area

This little-known State land borders the North side of Cottonwood Creek where it enters the Sacramento River. Broad bands of undisturbed riparian forest, valley oak and grasslands some of which have been planted with shrubs and cottonwoods characterize the area. Frank and Darless Sanderson will lead us in this ½-day outing. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water be aware that toilet facilities are not available. Meet at the South parking lot of the Redding Civic Auditorium to carpool. Anderson folks can catch us at the Anderson Factory Stores at 8:00 am.

Dye Creek Preserve Outing

Join Larry Jordan, trip leader, for a hike up Dye Creek Canyon. We are scheduling a repeat of this jaunt that has proved so popular the last several years. The Nature Conservancy manages this working cattle ranch, hunt club, and ecological preserve west of Los Molinos in Tehama County. Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and Canyon Wrens are a possibility. Wild flowers should be abundant. The trail is rough and a small stream crossing should provide some excitement. Bring water, a lunch, and sturdy shoes for this all day outing. A hiking pole could come in handy. Please note: Because the Redding Civic Auditorium parking lot will be occupied by Kool April Nights we will rendezvous in the parking lot south of the Redding City Hall.

Regular 2nd Saturday Bird Walk at Shasta College

Now that most wintering ducks have moved on and migrating passerines are passing through, it’s time once again to shift our birding to the Shasta College Campus. The oak woodlands, wastewater treatment pond, riparian, and fields support a wide variety of species. Meet in Shasta College’s north parking lot for this ½ day trip that is open-to-the-public. Connie Word will lead.

Clear Creek WasteWater Treatment Ponds Outing

We are returning soon after our last January visit to look especially for migrating shorebirds. Several of these ponds often provide shallow pools and mud flats attractive to shorebirds —a scarce habitat here in the Redding area.. The walk around the ponds is on a graveled roadway but is a couple of miles in length, so wear sturdy shoes. Assemble at the Treatment Plant’s Administration Building at the end of Metz Road at 8:00 am to meet your leader Brooke MacDonald. This is a ½-day trip that may end in the early afternoon if the birding is good..

Here are the directions to the Clear Creek Plant. Take Hwy. 273 and look for River Ranch Road after crossing Clear Creek. Cross over the Railroad tracks and turn left on Eastside Road. Metz Road is on the right.

Local Weekday Bird Walk at Clover Creek Preserve

This preserve within the city limits has a large, permanent pond with surrounding cattails and reed marsh, shallow winter pools and uplands planted to oaks. We should see species rare to urban areas such as Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird, Say’s Phoebe and  a variety of ducks and other waterfowl. The Great-tailed Grackle has expanded its range northward to include Shasta County and inhabits the cattail marsh. Meet your trip leader, Linda Aldrich, at the preserve near the south end of Shasta View Drive for this ½-day trip.