Hello, and welcome to the Plumas County "Birder's
News." This page contains copies of e-mails sent by birders from
all over Plumas County. If you'd like to add bird sightings to
it, just join the list (above) and send your message. We'll post
new messages here as we receive them.
March 3, 2010
Raymond Gipson
We had the first band tailed pigeons show up to
our feeders today. I take it they have been sighted
around Quincy for awhile? The came in during middle of
snow storm.
March 3, 2010
Anthony Hall
Hi Birders,
I saw some Western and some Mountain Bluebirds on
the fence posts next to the Clear Creek Road
marsh (they also can be seen by looking east from
Quincy Junction Road). They looked brilliant
against the snow. The marsh also has a large
population of noisy tree frogs and I anticipate that
some birds will be coming in for a frog feed. A
Great Blue Heron already has been checking out the
marsh.
March 1, 2010
Bob Battagin
Hi Plumas Birders,
Its been a couple days now since
David made the observations below. I visited the
QSCD sewer ponds this morning and found the ducks
David reported plus a Greater Scaup, four Wood
Ducks, and a few Gadwall. Three Tree Swallows
winged over while I was there. The sewer ponds have
much to offer right now.
Additionally, I checked Hansen's
Pond near the corner of Quincy Junction Road and
Chandler Road. In the adjacent field there were
nine Ring-billed Gulls (I don't see gulls much
around American Valley and when I do they're usually
at the parking lot at Safeway), two Sandhill
Cranes, one Violet-green Swallow, and a River Otter
in the pond itself.
February 25, 2010
David Arsenault
Hi Birders,
River and I enjoyed the beautiful weather today with
a mid-day trip from Hwy 70 along Spanish Creek to
the Quincy ponds. There were a
good number of ducks at the ponds including a pair
of Barrow’s Goldeneye plus Common Goldeneye,
Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, American
Wigeon, American Coot, one female Northern Shoveler,
and a lot of Canada Geese. Along
the Spanish Creek side of the main pond we saw a
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s), Hermit Thrush,
Sharp-shinned Hawk, and singing Bewick and Marsh
Wrens as well as at least 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
We also saw a flock of 12 Tree Swallows,
which are right on schedule for the year.
In 2008, I noted them at the Quincy ponds on
March 2 and Ryan Burnett reported the following:
“I
saw the first Tree Swallow of the year today (Feb
28, 2008) flying over the Feather River. Below are
the first sightings of Tree Swallow from the last
few years. They always show up on a warm clear days
then disappear on cold and cloudy days until late
March.
2008 –
2/28
2007 –
2/18
2006 – 2/9
2005 –
2/26
Ryan
Burnett”
Also note that the list has
been updated.
February 21, 2010
Julie Newman
Hello birders,
My friend and I went birding for a couple of hours in
the sunshine on Saturday afternoon, before what turned
out to be 8 inches of snow.
Highlights of our trip were close-up views of Townsends'
solitaire and loggerhead shrike on Chandler Road. We
saw 2 common mergansers and six ring-neck ducks as well
as 14 Canada geese at the pond across from New England
Ranch. We also saw a red tailed hawk and kestrel
nearby. On Quincy Junction Road further west we saw a
nothern harrier and an adult bald eagle.
Then we drove out to the pond in Thompson Valley and saw
two sandhill cranes, two Trumpeter swans, 8 hooded
mergansers, 6 ruddy ducks. Also mallards and Canada
geese.
February 20, 2010
Bob Battagin
Hi Plumas Birders,
Today at the Quincy Community Services District
sewer ponds there were four Barrow's Goldeneyes
along with 53 Common Goldeneyes. As I was watching
the goldeneyes, 120 Snow Geese and one Ross's Goose
flew high overhead on a northly heading.
There were two Tundra Swans at the Thompson Valley
stock pond and three Sandhill Cranes at Feather
River College.
February 2, 2010
Ryan Burnett
140+ robins in Chester
late last week (usually <10 on CBC) so they have started
moving back in and there was a Yellow-shafted x
Red-shafted Flicker integrate at my feeder yesterday.
It had Yellow shafts (maybe a hint of orange to it),
partial red crescent on the nape, red malars intermixed
with black, and an interesting mix of brown and gray on
the face and crown half way between what both should
be. I will try and get a picture if he comes back.
February 2, 2010
Anthony Hall
On Sunday I saw a flock of kinglets in the marsh
at the end of Carol Lane East. They were in the willows
and mainly were Golden-crowned with two Ruby-crowned
mixed in. I waited quietly next to a willow. The
kinglets had been dispersed among several willow bushes
but they all came to the willow next to me and appeared
to be checking me out. I was very quiet, I was not
pishing. Some came as close as four feet away. A
marvelous photo opportunity but I didn't have a camera.
On Monday I saw a Tundra Swan in the Thompson Valley
pond and an American but not an Eurasian Wigeon. The
wigeon I have seen in this pond have been close to the
near side of the pond and often are hidden from view by
the bank. Today I saw a Hermit Thrush along Clear Creek
Road in the Galeppi Ranch and a Bison was grazing in a
small paddock on the west side of Quincy Junction Road.
January 31, 2010
Raymond Gipson
Today
we went out into the Sierra Valley and found a few hawks
but got one good one and noticed it was banded. It took
off right after we got the shot though. Thought others
might enjoy the bird shots.
January 31, 2010
Scott & Amber
Hi Birders,
At Hansen’s Pond
by New England Ranch we were surprised to find a
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and three SANDHILL CRANES.
We went out to
the Thompson Valley pond and did not re-find the
Eurasian Widgeon or the Redhead, however we did find
three CANVASBACK, at least 3 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, & 1
GADWALL, amongst the BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, RING-NECKED
DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, MALLARD and COOT. Also in the
area were 30
CANADA
GEESE & 6 BALD EAGLES (4 juv.)
Near the
Chandler Rd. bridge over
Spanish Creek we saw 3 more BALD EAGLES.
A 9 Eagle day!
January 19, 2009
David Arsenault
Hi Birders,
Thanks Tony and Julie for the heads up on Great Horned
Owls in the northeastern part of American Valley. Last
night, I saw a Great Horned Owl perched on a telephone
pole along Quincy Junction Road near Greenhorn Creek and
I stopped and got out with my son because he has really
wanted to see an owl lately, but the owl flew before we
got close enough to see it. We keep checking the Dowe
barn too for Barn Owls with no luck yet this year. Some
Great Horned Owls will start breeding as early as
January and pairs will duet during courtship where the
male hoots and then the female (higher-pitched) follows
in a coordinated way creating the illusion that it is a
single bird calling.
Thanks Bob for reminding the locals about all the good
birds we're not out seeing. It motivated River, Mark
Serumgard, and I to go see the Eurasian Widgeon at
Thompson Pond on Thursday. That was my first Eurasian
Widgeon in the Quincy area. We also saw the Barrows
Goldeneye at the sewage ponds. Other good birds
recently in Quincy include a Fox Sparrow along the bike
path and a Merlin in downtown Quincy that I was seeing
the first week of January.
Please note that the list has been updated. Some e-mail
addresses have been removed and others have been added.
Please respond to all recipients of this message for
your next posting.
January 19, 2009
Colin Dillingham
The photo is of an immature
sharp-shinned hawk. The tail is too long, the gray tail
bands too broad to be Merlin. Merlin also have a dark
eyebrow line (supercilium) and a mustachial stripe. The
pale colored and round face is typical of sharp-shinned
hawk as well as the white back spots typical for
immature sharp-shinned.
Yesterday - Tony Hall and I went birding in the mild
rain (Ha Ha!) and resighted the male European Widgeon
and male Redhead in the Thompson Valley ponds. We saw
over 300 waterfowl in the ponds, perhaps the most I've
ever seen there. A single Ross' goose came in with a
flock of over 100 Canada geese. We also saw an adult
sharp-shinned hawk kill a mourning dove on Carol Lane
East.
January 18, 2010
Karen Robinson
Hi Birders,
This
e-mail made me wonder about the attached bird. At
first I thought it was a Merlin. . then after
looking through a bird watchers digest I then
thought it was a sharp shinned Hopefully this year
I can meet up with some of you folks who can help me
learn to identify them. (there are so many raptors
in Sierra Valley) This bird has made our backyard
an occasional hunting ground and does very well.
We have spotted several male kestrels and wonder if
some stay here year round or are returning.
We are really enjoying our feeders with a lot of
activity.
Happy Birding
January 16, 2010
Julie Newman
Tony, that is great, and to be able to
distinguish between the male and female! I have been
hearing a great-horned call near us on the north side
of the valley from you over about the last 3 weeks (not
very close however). I must go listen to the CD again
now to see if I can distinguish male and female.
Also a note to Bob re Townsend's solitaire - I went on
a walk in the scrubby area above the railroad tracks at
Quincy Junction yesterday in the afternoon and saw
two Townsend's solitaires flying and singing together
(for a very short time - maybe 30 seconds). Then one
disappeared into the woods, and one sat where I could
see it. They sounded single note calls back & forth for
several minutes afterwards.
January 16, 2010
Anthony Hall
Hi Birders,
On some evenings for the past few weeks a Great
Horned Owl has been calling in the forest around my
home in the Galeppi Ranch. Last Thursday evening
starting before dusk there were many calls from at
least two Great Horned Owls that lasted for several
hours. On Friday evening I sat on my porch and
listened and there appeared to be two owls calling
to each other from different parts of the forest.
After a while they both came to the top of a tall
tree next to where I was sitting and kept calling.
Then one flew to another group of pine trees about
100 yards away and a little later the second flew to
the same group of pine trees. I have now listened
to the CD that David gave us when we went with him
on the very enjoyable Owl Prowl last May. The owl
that had been calling for several weeks was a male
Great Horned Owl, whereas the owl that has now
joined him is a female. But she has not been using
a contact call does this mean she is not yet ready
for mating?
January 13, 2010
Bob Battagin
Hi Plumas Birders,
I birded various locales in
American Valley today.
At the Quincy Community Services
District sewer ponds there was a Barrow's Goldeneye
in with a couple dozen Common Goldeneyes and many
other ducks.
In the Thompson Valley Ranch
stock pond there was a Redhead and a Eurasian
Widgeon. I've seen Eurasian Widgeons in other parts
of the county, but that was my first for the
Quincy/American Valley area.....and the Redhead is
only the third I've seen in the Quincy area in the
last eleven years.
A single Tundra Swan remains in
Spanish Creek a half mile or so below the Chandler
Road bridge (thanks for the heads up Scott and
Amber).
