Not usual tweeters fare, but since I am only down here for the summer doing point counts for PRBO, I haven't removed myself from the list.

The Valley is great this time of year, not too hot yet. Lots of flooding all over, especially on the San Joaquin and Cosumnes Rivers up Lodi way. I've seen 115 species out here in the Valley in about a week, not bad. Of those, 10 are lifers, which is always nice to build on.

First Black-headed Grosbeak of the year was singing in a tree yesterday, first Horned Larks poking around a dried up pond (not everything is flooded). Bullock's Orioles have been singing for days, as have Wrentits, California Towhees and pretty much everything else. Loads and loads of peeps and waterfowl, White-faced Ibises and the like, if one knows where to look.

I am doing my point counts up around Modesto, and down around Tulare, mostly on private lands. However, if anyone is planning a trip to the Valley this Spring/Summer, I can tell you a few places to see some good stuff. I can certainly recommend San Luis and Kesterson NWR's, although the gates at Kesterson are closed, thus involving lots of walking. Still, I felt it was worth it, as I got 65 species out of there two days ago in about 2 hours of looking. Best day for numbers was yesterday when I got 85 species, including nice big flocks of American White Pelicans, Black-necked Stilts, Dunlin, Dowies and Least Sandpipers. Even got my first (as in lifer) Black-bellied Plovers yesterday.

That's it all. Glad to see and hear about all the neat stuff being seen up north, I'll be back in the Fall to go back to school. Good birding y'all!



Brett A. Wolfe

Seattle by way of San Joaquin Valley, CA

m_lincolnii at yahoo.com








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