28 Apr May 2024 Yellowbill
Editor’s Note
The Yellowbill is published monthly except in June, July and August. Archived issues are available at https://fresnoaudubon.org/the-yellowbill/.
It has been a pleasure to be the editor of The Yellowbill, but the time has come for me to step down and let someone else carry on with the newsletter. This will be my last issue as editor of The Yellowbill. I began editing The Yellowbill in January 2013. At that time the newsletter was produced over about a week, starting with a 4-6 page pdf document that was laid out with Adobe In Design, printed at Office Depot, and then folded, sealed, stamped and addressed by Barbara Bailey and me so that it could be mailed to 103 members and other interested organizations. Today The Yellowbill is a blog on our website that is distributed to 1776 email recipients each month except June, July and August. This saves FAS considerable money and made the editor’s job substantially easier.
The FAS board is looking for a new editor to work with a team of two to three people. I remain available to answer questions about how we use WordPress and Constant Contact to create and publish the newsletter. If you are interested please send an email to admin@fresnoaudubon.org.
I hope to see you out birding some time. Keep looking up!
Robert Snow
President’s Message
Dear Members and Friends,
As we welcome the vibrant colors of spring, it is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest greetings to each and every one of you. May brings with it a renewed sense of energy and opportunity, and here at Fresno Audubon Society, we are embracing both with open arms.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of our dedicated members and volunteers. Your unwavering support and commitment continue to be the driving force behind our mission to conserve and protect our local bird populations and their habitats. Together, we are making a real difference in the world around us, and for that, I am truly grateful.
As we move forward into the heart of spring, I encourage you to take advantage of the exciting birding trips coming up in May and June. Check out the Events Calendar on our website to find the perfect trip for you. Our final trip of the season will be in beautiful Morro Bay on June 15. As with our other field trips, registration is required.
Summer will bring our organization’s off season. Returning in the fall, our board looks forward to a number of exciting initiatives on the horizon, including the expansion of our educational programs, a website update, ongoing conservation collaborations, volunteer opportunities, and the continued growth of our membership base. I am confident that with your continued support and enthusiasm, we will achieve great things together.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your ongoing dedication to Fresno Audubon Society. Together, we are not only preserving the natural world for future generations but also fostering a deeper connection to the beauty and wonder of the world around us.
Wishing you a joyful and fulfilling month of May.
Warm regards,
Rick Grijalva
FAS President
May Field Trips
FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES ⏤ Fresno Audubon Society is offering field trips during the now-endemic COVID-19, subject to the following rules. With the continuing risks of exposure and potential illness, everyone must determine their own level of risk aversion. The CDC has recommended that masks should be optional when outdoors. It has been shown that a well-fitting N95 mask protects the wearer for several hours from an infectious dose of virus, so anyone concerned about exposure can choose to wear a mask near others if they feel at risk. Following are our current guidelines for our field trips.
- Participants must pre-register individually using the FAS event registration system.
- Participants must self-screen their own temperature before the outing and must not attend if they are feverish.
- Participants must consent to Fresno Audubon Society’s Liability Waiver by pre-registering.
- Social distancing is encouraged.
- Masks are not required, but participants are encouraged to wear a mask whenever they feel the need.
- Some field trips meet up at a central point before traveling to the field trip location. Participants may form their own car pools at these meetup points.
- Participants must contact their trip leader should they test positive for COVID-19 within three days following the outing so that we can notify others who attended the trip.
Wednesday 1 May 2024 ⏤ Laton-Kingston Park with Larry Parmeter.
Registration is required.
On Wednesday, May 1, Fresno Audubon will travel to Laton to visit Laton-Kingston Park along the Kings River. This trip was first scheduled for Spring 2020, then had to be cancelled twice due to the Covid Pandemic. Now, it’s finally a go. This 102-acre park is located along the Kings River in the town of Laton. In and around this riverine habitat, our target species will include Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, Bewick’s Wren, and many other Central Valley species. We will also look for migrating warblers.
We will meet in the Walmart parking lot on Blackstone and Ashlan and leave no later than 7:30AM. As there is a $5/vehicle to enter Laton-Kingston Park, we will carpool as much as possible. Participants are responsible for making their own carpool arrangements beforehand. This trip is expected to last until approximately 1:00 PM.
Please be sure to bring binoculars, a hat, sunscreen, lunch, snacks, and water.
Please reach out to trip leader Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com, or at 559-288-3456 with any questions.
Map to meeting location:
Registration is required.
Saturday 3-5 May 2024 ⏤Weekend field trip: Kern County Spring Migration with Penny Stewart and Bob Barnes
Event is currently full. Email admin@fresnoaudubon.org if you would like to know if there are any cancelations.
Weekend field trip: Kern County Spring Migration – America’s late April/early May Birdiest Inland County contest winner 7 years in a row!
Leaders: Penny Stewart (559) 978-7182, and Bob Barnes (760) 382-1260
For multiple reasons this trip will be limited to 14 people including leaders.
Saturday: meet and depart from Ridgecrest Econo Lodge parking lot, at 5:30. A secondary meeting spot, (for those not staying in Ridgecrest), will be 6:10 at Jawbone Station Visitor Center.
Meeting Place: Econo Lodge Inn, Ridgecrest, CA
Secondary Meeting Place:
This is located at the entrance to Jawbone Canyon Rd, just off Hwy 14. From here we will head to Butterbredt Spring, (part of the designated Souther Sierra Globally Important Bird Area (IBA). This spring is an excellent migrant hot spot, and may have vagrants this time of year. The drive is approximately 6 miles paved, and 6 miles of dirt road, from Jawbone Canyon Rd entrance.
After spending the morning and lunch at the spring, we will continue on a loop, traveling through Joshua tree habitat, toward the Kern River Preserve. This is an extensive Riparian corridor, and is one of the first ten Globally Important Bird Areas designated in the United States.We return to Ridgecrest for dinner via 178.
Sunday: Meets and departs at the same location and time as Saturday. We will bird along Hwy 178 for some higher elevation areas, and to various Kern River Valley locations missed Saturday. Expect to have lunch in the field again, and bird till about 3:00. We can leave for home from the Kern Valley area.
Friday option: Meet Bob Barnes at City Park parking lot, in California City at 11:00. Here we will look for migrants, and eat lunch. Second meeting will be at 3:00 at the Ridgecrest Walmart parking lot. Go to the corner nearest to Panda Express. This is on E. Bowman Rd. Bob Barnes will take us to some local spots for desert birds we may not see during the main trip, as well as migrants.
Recommendations:
Participants arrive Friday night, as we will start early Saturday. Bring lunches (all lunches will be in the field) snacks, sun screen, insect repellent, a hat, and lots of water (with a way to carry water on the trail). s The desert can be very cold in the morning and very hot in the afternoon. Bringing gloves and a warm cap is not unrealistic. If able, carpooling from Fresno will be helpful as we will not be returning to some of the meeting spots. No cars with particularly low ground clearance. We encourage people to stay at Econo Lodge as they will serve us breakfast at 5AM, allowing for early departure. This will also allow carpooling for Saturday. When booking a room, mention that you are part of the Fresno Audubon birdwatching group. If we book 7 rooms we can get a discount.
Target birds: Chukar, Costa’s Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Cassin’s Kingbird, Pinyon Jay, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Black Throated Sparrow, Scott’s Oreole, Summer Tannager, Spring Migrants, and possible eastern vagrants.
Bob Barns is a well known leader in the birding community. His list of conservation projects along with community building is so extensive that I cannot list all here. He has resided on the Kern River Preserve where he was the president of the Kern River Valley revitalization project, and co founded the Southern Sierra Research Station, amongst many other positions. He currently resides in Ridgecrest, and is an expert in the Kern County area.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Saturday 18 May 2024 ⏤ Lost Lake Park with Rick Grijalva
Lost Lake Audubon Field Trip Wednesday May 18th
Registration is required for this event.
Registration link
Location: Lost Lake , Fresno County Park
Lost Lake Rd, Friant, CA 93626
Date and Meeting time: 8:30 am , May 18th
Meeting location in park: Audubon Trailhead at the west end (down stream end) of the park. There is a small parking area at the trailhead, and a larger one a few hundred yards further into the park.
Duration of walk: 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Special instructions: the park entrance fee is usually enforced. Fee is $5. Please follow instructions at the entry kiosk if there is no attendant at the kiosk.
What to bring: Binoculars, check weather report for comfortable clothing, (this is the month of March, almost any weather is possible), walking shoes, sunscreen / hat, water, snacks ( or lunch if staying beyond noon), free downloads of Audubon and/or Merlin Apps are very useful, western bird identification field guides are also useful. Be advised , there may be insects such as mosquitos, gnats etc.
Walk Description: walking on mostly flat park grass, or on paved park road, from west ( at the trailhead) to east ( toward Friant Dam and the park campground). We will bird river, river lined grass/ shrub and oak tree habitat, and on the upper road the grassland leading into the park, using binoculars but also using the Merlin Sound ID app as an enhanced identification tool. In the park, there are picnic benches for rest stops, and the restrooms are usually open.
Possible birds: Egrets (several species), Cedar Waxwing, Hawks (several species) Varied Thrush, Bald Eagle, Common Merganser , Acorn Woodpecker, Canada Goose, Ring- necked Duck, Anna’s Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Phainopepla, Black Phoebe, and many others.
Other possible sightings…Coyotes, Bobcats…on the other side of the river.
Registration is required for this walk.
Hard Rain or flooding cancels this walk.
Trip Leader: Rick Grijalva
Contact information:
Email: rickgrijalva2@gmail.com
Registration link
Wednesday 22 May 2024 ⏤ Balsam Meadows Snow-Park and Forebay with George Folsom
Wednesday Walk – Balsam Meadows Snow-Park and Forebay
Registration is required.
George Folsom will lead this trip to Balsam Meadows Snow-Park and Forebay on Southern California Edison Company property, just off Highway168, nine miles above Shaver Lake. The elevation is 6,500 feet. We will be walking a loop trail of about 2 miles with very little elevation change. Parts of this area were burned in the Creek Fire leaving a mixture of burned and unburned habitats.
There are restrooms at the parking lot and at the Forebay, about halfway through our walk. Parking is available at the Snow-Park just off Highway168 on the left as you pass the sign.
We can expect woodpeckers, raptors, finches, warblers, swifts, sparrows among may others.
Participants should bring snacks, lunch (if desired), water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. We will meet at Walmart, Ashlan and Blackstone, at 7:45 for an 8:00 AM departure. For those driving directly to Balsam Meadows we should be there by 9:30.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat.
Trip Leader: George Folsom georgefolsom@icloud.com (559)351-7192
Map to Fresno meeting location, 7:45 AM
Map to Balsam Meadows Sno-Park, 9:30 AM
Registration is required.
Saturday 1 June 2024 ⏤ Camp Edison, Shaver Lake with Larry Parmeter
Camp Edison, Shaver Lake Walk
Registration is required for this event.
On Saturday, June 1, Fresno Audubon will head to Camp Edison at Shaver Lake for a look at mountain birds. Camp Edison is always a good place to see mountain species, including White-headed Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, Western Tanager, Yellow and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, and many others. With luck, we may also see Pileated Woodpeckers, and hear if not see, Mountain Quail. Shaver Lake has its resident Ospreys and Bald Eagles, among several other raptors.
We will meet in the parking lot in front of the Target at Riverpark at 7:30AM and go from there. Camp Edison does require a fee to enter, so carpooling is recommended. Participants are responsible for making carpool arrangements beforehand.
Bring warm clothing(even in June, the mountains can still be cold), optics, lunch, and snacks.
For more information or questions, contact trip leader Larry Parmeter at lanpar362@gmail.com or at 559-288-3456.
Map to meeting place.
Registration is required for this event.
Saturday 15 June 2024 ⏤ Morro Bay with Rick Grijalva
Registration is required for this event for each participant.
Please join Fresno Audubon on Saturday, June 15 as we escape the Valley heat and journey to Morro Bay.
We will meet at 5:30 AM at the Walmart parking lot on the southeast corner of Blackstone and Ashlan to arrange carpooling. The plan is to depart by 5:45 AM.
The first destination will be Montaña de Oro State Park. Goal birds at this location will be Brown Pelican, Western Gull, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, Pigeon Guillemot, Wrentit, California Thrasher, California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Bewick’s Wren, California Quail, and many more!
Next, we will visit Morro Bay State Park, where we will visit the Marina/Boardwalk Trail and the heron rookery. Our goal birds at these locations will be Heermann’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Black-crowned Night Heron, and many more.
Sometime while in Morro Bay State Park, we will sit down for lunch. Our next birding destination will be Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, where our goal birds will be Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Common Yellowthroat, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Egret, and many more. If there is time, we will stop by Morro Rock to look for Peregrine Falcons and various shorebirds.
The plan is to leave Morro Bay around 3:30 or 4:00 PM and be back in Fresno by 6:30 PM. Participants should bring snacks, lunch, water, hat, sunscreen, and binoculars, and should dress in layers. Please be aware that there is poison oak along the trails at Montaña de Oro State Park and other locations along the coast; long pants and poison oak/ivy wipes are recommended.
Registration is required for this event for each participant.
Checklist: binoculars, scope, field guide, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, radios
Trip leader: Rick Grijalva at 559-578-6168 or rickgrijalva2@gmail.com.
April Field Trip Reports
Wednesday 27 March 2024 ⏤ Yosemite Lakes with Lynda Schafhauser
Wednesday 3 April 2024 ⏤ Sycamore Island with George Folsom
A dozen bird enthusiasts gathered on a beautiful morning under clear skies. As we convened, we were treated to the sight of a pair of Wood Ducks perched atop a nest box. Throughout the day we were delighted by various sightings, including a Bald Eagle soaring over the Eucalyptus trees, a possible nesting site. Multiple Ospreys were spotted near two separate nesting sites, while a pair of Swainson’s Hawks engaged in a courtship flight near their known nesting grounds. However, the highlight of our adventure came when we found a Great-horned Owl’s nest, with an adult and three chicks. By the end of the day, our group had collectively identified forty species.
Saturday 6 April 2024 ⏤ Raptor Trail on the Kings River with Susan Heidebrecht
On Saturday, April 6h, 14 birders met on the south side of the Kings River below Pine Flat dam for an outing along the Kings River Conservancy’s Raptor Trail. The skies stayed clear throughout the morning and the chilly air soon became warm with cool breezes. To begin our walk, we went out on the bridge to view the river and were delighted to see a flight of Cliff and Tree Swallows, and well as several Violet-green Swallows. A small flock of 8 Common Mergansers was seen down river. An Osprey perched in a distant tree flew out over the river before disappearing into the trees. As we rambled along the asphalt road that leads to the Raptor Trail head we saw Western Blue birds using some nesting boxes. Soon we came to a cluster of big oaks and tall pines where we enjoyed the sight of two Red-Shouldered hawks flying above and through the trees. One of the hawks flew into a pine tree where we eventually spied a well-concealed nest. Keeping a respectful distance, we journeyed on until we came to the trail head along which we enjoyed the sight of a House Wren singing atop a Willow tree, California Quail heard, but not seen, a trio of Red-tailed Hawks circling above us, and a Red-Tailed Hawk in a nearby nest. Another highlight was a Bald Eagle soaring for several minutes above a distant mountain ridge. Just before completing our walk we saw a Great Blue Heron riding a thermal, rising higher and higher above us until it was gone.
We enjoyed hearing and seeing 31 species of birds. Thank you to all who joined me and to George Folsom for keeping the Bird Count.
| Species | Count |
| Canada Goose | 2 |
| Mallard | 1 |
| Common Merganser | 16 |
| California Quail | 1 |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 2 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 2 |
| Great Blue Heron | 3 |
| Turkey Vulture | 4 |
| Osprey | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 2 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 4 |
| Acorn Woodpecker | 4 |
| Nuttall’s Woodpecker | 3 |
| Black Phoebe | 1 |
| California Scrub-Jay | 5 |
| Common Raven | 9 |
| Oak Titmouse | 3 |
| Tree Swallow | 20 |
| Violet-green Swallow | 3 |
| Cliff Swallow | 60 |
| Bushtit | 4 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 1 |
| House Wren | 3 |
| European Starling | 8 |
| Western Bluebird | 4 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 4 |
| White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s) | 4 |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | 2 |
| Bullock’s Oriole | 1 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) | 15 |
Saturday 20 April 2024 ⏤ Evening Owl Walk at Jensen River Ranch with Susan Heidebrecht
On Saturday April 20th, 16 people met at the North parking lot of Woodward Park at 6:30 PM for an evening walk on the Jensen River Ranch. As our walk began a Red-tailed Hawk rose above the trees growing along the bluffs and kited on the warm thermals rising up from the flood plan below. Walking down the trail that starts adjacent to the Lewis Eaton trail, we enjoyed a small group of Bushtits gleaning insects in the Valley Oaks that shade the path.
By the time we reached the flood plain the sun was low and the temperatures slowly began to cool. We had some good views of Western Kingbirds, and a few Tree Swallows remained active, as well as a variety of Blackbirds. Along the river there were a number of Mallards as well as a pair of Wood Ducks and the Belted Kingfisher was heard, but not seen, several times up river.
Along the concrete spillway the vegetation has become something of a miniature wetland, with cattails and reeds growing in abundance. This relatively narrow water way provides shelter for an assortment of water birds. As we stood there 2 juvenile Black-crowned Night-Herons suddenly flew up in front of us. Then, soon after, an adult flew over head towards the river.
The Great-horned Owls that are often seen along the river were neither seen nor heard this evening. The moon was in Waxing Gibbous phase, providing ample light for our return walk.
We observed a total of 25 species.
Thank You to all who participated, and to Greg Estep for keeping the bird list!
Species Count
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 5
Mourning Dove 2
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Killdeer 1
Black-crowned Night Heron 4
Great Egret 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
American Kestrel 1
Western Kingbird 4
California Scrub-Jay 2
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 2
Bushtit 4
European Starling 5
Northern Mockingbird 4
House Finch 6
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Brewer’s Blackbird 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Wednesday 24 April 2024 ⏤ Ruth McKenzie Preserve with John McDaniel
Eighteen birders explored the Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s Ruth McKenzie Preserve on an unexpectedly chilly and cloudy morning. Thirty-seven species were observed by the group through the combined efforts of Gary Woods, Susan and Greg Estep, George Folsom, and others.
Highlights included extended visual displays by a Canyon Wren, Golden Eagles, Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Western Bluebirds. Parents and children were busy: recently fledged Oak Titmice flew about, a White-breasted Nuthatch delivered food, and a Lark Sparrow shuttled nesting materials. A special treat was watching a handful of male Western Tanagers vie for the affection of a solitary female.
A total of 37 species (+2 other taxa) were dutifully recorded on eBird by George Folsom. Thank you, George! The list is appended below.
Although the spring 2024 birding trips on Sierra Foothill Conservancy preserves may well be concluded before this report appears in The Yellowbill, Audubon patrons are encouraged to check out the birding opportunities with SFC in Fresno, Madera and Mariposa Counties. https://sierrafoothill.org/events-listing/
A big thank you to Allyson Brooks and the Sierra Foothill Conservancy for making all of this possible!
eBird Checklist 4/24/24
McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve (restricted access), Fresno, California, US
Apr 24, 2024 7:11 AM – 12:26 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.29 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 51° to 61°, calm, mostly cloudy. Fresno Audubon Society bird walk.
37 species (+2 other taxa)
Mallard 3
California Quail 12
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2
Mourning Dove 14
Anna’s Hummingbird 4
Turkey Vulture 4
Golden Eagle 4
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 3
Acorn Woodpecker 20
Nuttall’s Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 1
Dusky Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. 1
Black Phoebe 1
Ash-throated Flycatcher 12
Warbling Vireo 2
California Scrub-Jay 10
Common Raven 12
Oak Titmouse 12
Violet-green Swallow 8
Bushtit 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 10
Canyon Wren 1
House Wren 3
Bewick’s Wren 2
European Starling 10
Western Bluebird 12
House Finch 2
Lesser Goldfinch 1
Lark Sparrow 8
California Towhee 5
Bullock’s Oriole 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Wilson’s Warbler 6
Western Tanager 8
Lazuli Bunting 1
Saturday 28 April 2024 ⏤ Roeding Park with Maureen Walsh
Early Saturday morning, our group of 15 birders enjoyed the lovely weather and the wonderful sights of the rookery at Lake Washington in Roeding Park. As is typical this time of year, the rookery was full of activity as the Cattle Egrets, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and Double-crested Cormorants were busy building nests, mating, and feeding chicks. It is always an amazing sight for new and experienced birders alike. There were also beautiful Wood Ducks swimming in the lake. Eventually we made our way into the park where we spotted the nest of a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks after sighting one of the hawks nearby. Also in the area were Western Tanagers and Acorn Woodpeckers. We eventually made our way to the ponds on the other side of the park, sighting more waterfowl. Unfortunately, the Belted Kingfisher we were hoping for eluded us. But, it was a very pleasant walk, and we counted 30 species. Please see the bird list below.Roeding Park, Fresno, California, USApr 27, 2024 8:11 AM – 10:55 AMProtocol: Traveling1.87 mile(s)30 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose 30Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) 1Wood Duck 2Mallard 8Mallard (Domestic type) 31Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 6Eurasian Collared-Dove 1Mourning Dove 8Anna’s Hummingbird 2Killdeer 1California Gull 1Double-crested Cormorant 10Black-crowned Night Heron 30Snowy Egret 2Western Cattle Egret 70Great Egret 30Accipiter sp. 1Red-shouldered Hawk 1Swainson’s Hawk 1Red-tailed Hawk 1Acorn Woodpecker 5California Scrub-Jay 4American Crow 4Tree Swallow 3Bushtit 4European Starling 12Northern Mockingbird 3Cedar Waxwing 18House Sparrow 2House Finch 2Lesser Goldfinch 8
Western Tanager 2
Fresno Rainbow Pride Celebration
Saturday 1 June 2024
Fresno Audubon will have a booth at the Fresno Rainbow Pride celebration on the Fresno City College campus from 11 AM to 3 PM on Saturday 1 June 2024.
Be sure to stop by and say “Hello”!
For more information please see https://fresnorainbowpride.com.
Member Photographs
Barbara Carlson
Pat Cassen
Patti Cline
Larry Cusick
Valerie Fisher
George Folsom
Robert Groos
Bill Koole
Robert Long
Jervy Smith
Birds in the News
Links to Recent Articles on Birds
Meet the Raptors | Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers
From giant eagles to miniature falconets, meet the many species of raptors. Explore how they survive winters, learn to hunt and undergo migrations. Their superpowers of flight, sight, hearing and smell give them dominance over the skies.
Amy Tan, author of ‘The Joy Luck Club,’ logs her obsession with birds in a new avian book of days
“These pages are a record of my obsession with birds,” writes Amy Tan in the preface to “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” and “obsession” is no overstatement. Her new book, culled from “nine personal journals filled with . . . naive observations of birds in my backyard,” is the work of a dedicated hobbyist, the kind whose days are colored and suffused by every minute detail of their subject. Any reader not already smitten with birds might look at this book and back away.
Drones and Infrared Cameras Help Monitor Atlantic Flyway Duck Broods
Atlantic Flyway black duck and mallard populations have been declining for decades. In 2019, the mallard limit dropped from four to two birds per day in the flyway, leaving hunters frustrated and confused. Although the four-bird limit was restored last fall, populations haven’t fully rebounded, and East Coast hunters are still wondering what’s going on with mallard and black duck numbers.
To get more answers, biologists have turned to solar-powered GPS telemetry units that hen black ducks and mallards wear like tiny backpacks as the technology tracks their locations hourly using cell-tower signals. The transmitters can also help identify which females are incubating nests. This spring, a new study that builds on these telemetry projects will use drones affixed with infrared cameras to monitor Atlantic Flyway black duck and mallard broods.
Wildlife experts surprised to find small flock of rare geese endemic to Hawaii in a California woman’s yard
Birds sing in their sleep – and now we can decipher their dreams
Researchers have tracked muscle contractions in a bird’s vocal tract, and reconstructed the song it was silently singing in its sleep. The resulting audio is a very specific call, allowing the team to figure out what the bird’s dream was about.
When birds sleep, the part of their brains dedicated to daytime singing remains active, showing patterns that resemble those produced while awake. Researchers from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) previously demonstrated that these brain patterns activate a bird’s vocal muscles, enabling them to silently ‘replay’ a song during sleep.
A Genetic Discovery Has Dramatically Changed Our Understanding of Bird Evolution
After 10 years of work, landmark study reveals new ‘tree of life’ for all birds living today
The largest-ever study of bird genomes has produced a remarkably clear picture of the bird family tree. Published in the journal Nature today, our study shows that most of the modern groups of birds first appeared within 5 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Birds are a large part of our lives, a sign of nature even in cities. They are popular among the general public and well studied by scientists. But placing all of these birds into a family tree has been frustratingly difficult.
By analysing the genomes of more than 360 bird species, our study has identified the fundamental relationships among the major groups of living birds.
The new family tree overturns some previous ideas about bird relationships, while also revealing some new groupings.
2 Millionth Sound Recording Uploaded Into Macaulay Library
Last year on October 14, ornithologist Marcelo Barbosa uploaded an eBird checklist from a farm in northern Brazil with 20 species in all, including some manakins, an Amazonian Motmot, and photos and an audio recording of calls by a Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher.
With that, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of natural history media passed a milestone—2 million sound recordings in the archive, and counting. (Barbosa’s eBird checklist also included audio of a calling Black-throated Antbird and a singing Coraya Wren.)
Black-Capped Chickadees Are Masters of Memory—and Scientists Are Finding Out Why
Every fall, black-capped chickadees cache thousands of seeds, insects and other snacks to help them survive North America’s harsh winters. But how do these petite birds—named for their distinctive “dee-dee-dee” sounds—remember where they’ve stashed all this food?
Chickadees’ brains create barcode-like memories each time they deposit food, according to new research published last week in the journal Cell. The findings could offer new insights into how humans and other mammals create and store memories, the researchers report.
Membership
Please consider joining Fresno Audubon or renewing your membership at your earliest convenience. Your support makes it possible for FAS to feature outstanding speakers during Zoom meetings, conduct guided field trips, teach introductory birding classes, maintain the bird feeding station at the River Center, conduct bird surveys, and advocate for local and regional bird-related issues. The more support we receive, the more we can accomplish.
Fresno Audubon Society membership levels are:
$15 Student
$25 Individual
$35 Family
$1000 Golden Eagle (Life)
Fresno Audubon Society
PO Box 3315
Fresno, CA 93650
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