The Birders Report

Wild Turkey Hen with Poults photos by Larry Jordan

With autumn we get to witness the great migration of birds that breed to the north and pass through on their way to their wintering grounds.  We also begin to see our own wintering residents returning.  We have just begun to see Spotted Towhees and Northern Flickers returning to our yard, while the California Quail are forming coveys.  And a big plus this autumn are the local Wild Turkeys visiting!

Hen Turkey Bringing Poult to the Pond

The Wild Turkey is an endemic bird of North America.  They are non-migratory and have a very complex social structure.  They roost in trees at night and forage during the day for seeds and acorns, also feeding on insects and beetles.  Grit is also very important in the turkey’s diet to aid in the digestion process.  This flock is foraging under my feeders below the oak trees, in the open fields and on the lawn.

My guests appear to be a female brood flock of two hens and four poults.  They visit in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun comes up, to forage and drink from the pond, then return at dusk for more of the same before retiring to the trees.

Wild Turkey Poults at the Pond

After the hen and her brood leave the nesting area, they may unite with other broods to form larger groups.  Then, in late fall or early winter, when the juvenile males grow larger than the hens, they leave the hens and female poults to form their own independent flocks.  The juvenile male brood flocks may contain over twenty birds in the winter.  The female brood flocks, on the other hand, may band together forming flocks of over 200 birds during the winter.

The Wild Turkey hens teach their poults early and long lessons about predators.  They are a very wary breed.  They have excellent eye sight and hearing and with constant communication, alert the entire flock if something doesn’t seem quite right.  They will run or take flight rapidly when alerted, similar to quail.  Hearing an alert call from the hen, these two poults begin to run and can take flight in an instant.

The Wild Turkey hen is on constant alert, usually standing with her neck extended above the flock, looking for trouble on the horizon.

No worries here mama.  This is a danger free zone.  Relax and enjoy your stay!

Go see more great bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

Sunrise at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge photo by Larry Jordan

This is a photograph I took from the auto tour at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge last weekend.  To see more great sky photos, check out Skywatch Friday!

Peregrine Falcon photos by Larry Jordan

I just returned from a visit with my Mom for her 93rd birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!).  Whenever I visit her, I stop at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to see what kind of bird activity is going on there.  This trip I was pleasantly surprised to find the Peregrine Falcon that seems to be at the refuge most of the year, as well as the resident Great Horned Owl, both there to greet me.

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) is designated as a Globally Important Bird Area (IBA).  It is one of California’s premier waterfowl refuges, comprising 10,819 acres of seasonal marsh, permanent ponds, and uplands in the heart of the Sacramento Valley.

The refuges’ seasonal marshes are drained during late spring and summer to encourage plant growth on the moist exposed soil and then re-flooded in the fall to make seeds and plants available for wildlife.  This is the season for re-flooding when the birds begin showing up in larger and larger numbers, like these Greater White-fronted Geese.

November through January hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks make their way to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge which is the headquarters of the 35,000 acre complex of five national wildlife refuges.  Waterfowl numbers on the refuges may exceed two million by December, after the wetland areas of the Klamath Basin become frozen.  This checklist of 269 species of birds that can be found on the refuge include the Killdeer which is one of the many species that breeds at the refuge.

Of course the refuges also provide food and habitat for other animals as well.  Even the casual observer is likely to see Jackrabbit, Cottontail, Black-tailed Deer, Raccoon, California Ground Squirrel and California Gray Squirrel just to name a few.  The River Otter is always a playful and entertaining group to observe.  I was able to watch this family of six as they frolicked in the water adjacent to the road on the six mile auto tour.

As you enter the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge there is a kiosk where you can pay a paltry $3 day use fee or get an Annual Refuge Pass for the grand sum of $12 (I will tell you, you will never get this much entertainment anywhere else for this price).  Continuing toward the refuge auto tour entrance you come to the visitor center which has a wildlife exhibit and bookstore.  They also offer several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pamphlets that contain a wealth of information.

The two mile Wetlands Walking Trail begins here, where many songbirds and riparian species can be observed.   This Common Yellowthroat is one of several songbirds easily identified in the area surrounding the visitor center.

If you arrive at the refuge at sunrise, you can enjoy the walking trail and all its variety of habitat and wildlife before taking the six mile auto tour.  On one visit last year we watched a Snowy Egret choke down a huge crayfish right across from the visitor center entrance!

Make sure you plan on spending some time at this great birding hot spot.  If you have a scope, bring it.  It will come in handy when trying to differentiate bird species among the thousands of geese, swans, ducks, waders and shorebirds that you will encounter.  There is also an observation platform at the south east corner of the auto tour road where a good scope will be invaluable.  Other than the walking trail and visitor center, this is one of the only places you may get out of your car and walk around.

White-faced Ibis in Flight Near Observation Platform

I was so excited to finally capture a decent shot of a Green Heron on this visit.  It has been on my bird photography list for some time (right there next to the Belted Kingfisher).

Juvenile Green Heron

If you don’t know about the group of Birders Who Blog Tweet And Chirp (BwBTC), come and check it out.  We are planning an outing to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday November 21st.  We welcome anyone interested in having a great day birding with a great group of people.  Contact Dawn Fine of Dawn’s Bloggy Blog or me if you are interested. We would love to have you join us.

In the meantime, make sure you visit all the great birding blogs at Bird Photography Weekly and IATB #110 (coming October 1st)!