This Saturday, October 19th at 8:00 a.m. we will be checking out the wetlands of Huichica Creek since we should have some water, waterfowl are returning and we SHOULD be right before the opener of the waterfowl season, slated to start Oct 26. We will be looking for the waterfowl and shorebirds in the flooded ponds.NSAS sponsors weekly birding walks led by ornithologist Andrew Ford. Andrew has a wealth of information regarding birds, plants and just about anything else you might happen to come across on the weekly birding trip. Sign up for our Field Trip eBlasts on the green button entitled “Activity Sign Up” located at the top of this Homepage and select “Send me Field Trip Email Announcements.” Andrew will send out details of the weekly destination for each Bird Walk. All Bird walks take place in our near Napa and Solano Counties to help birders become familiar with our local birding hotspots!
OVERVIEW: The wetlands are a small part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Complex. This area is a hotspot for wintering waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors. Many interesting birds have been reported in the area in the past. We are likely to find Northern Shoveler, Double-Crested Cormorant, White-Tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Green-Winged Teal, American White Pelican, Eared and Horned Grebe, American Kestrel, Black-Necked Stilt, and American Avocet. Uncommon birds in the area include Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Short-Eared Owl, Bonaparte’s Gull, Dunlin and Osprey. Semipalmated Sandpiper and Eurasian Wigeon have been seen in the past. Just a note for walkers, all birds in the above list were seen at one point and time. Birds will vary at location and though I mention the birds on this list, we may see many and we may see none. This all varies on the day! See Andrew’s eBlast or our Calendar for more details.
