Altacal Audubon Society

Karen Smith and I were the only ones to show up for the Gray Lodge field trip yesterday, but we had a great time anyway. We saw over 50 species and participated in the Global Big Day. One highlight was a Peregrine flying right over us while we were on the Discovery Trail! Too quick for a photo though. A lot of the ducks are still in eclipse plumage, but some are getting their breeding plumage.

Altacal and the Friends of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge have been working on getting a WEBCAM up at the SacNWR since last fall. This spring we teamed up with Explore.org and our webcam is now LIVE! Check it out! It should get more exciting when more of the geese come back, so check back often.

Richardson Bay is critically important to tens of thousands of diving ducks, grebes, and other waterbirds who rely on the bay for roosting and feeding each wint...er. Starting on October 1st until March 31st, Richardson Bay is closed to boats, kayaks, paddleboards, and swimmers to supporting teeming populations of Surf Scoters, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Western and Horned Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Ruddy Ducks, and other birds. Richardson Bay is also well-known for its annual winter herring runs that are a critical local fishery and provide important food for wintering birds. There is concern that the long-term decline in bird numbers and herring in Richardson Bay and other parts of San Francisco Bay is linked to the decline in native eelgrass beds. Eelgrass provides refuge, habitat, and food for many marine species. Some waterbirds, such as Surf Scoters and eat the blades directly. Herring are dependent on eelgrass for spawning. They lay eggs on eelgrass blades and their young are protected within the eelgrass beds as they mature. Habitat alteration, recreational, industrial, commercial, and residential development exert pressure on the shallow protected bays and estuaries required for eelgrass growth. Within San Francisco Estuary, Richardson Bay stands out as a particularly unique location for eelgrass restoration. It harbors the second-largest extant eelgrass bed in the estuary. Audubon California is working with partners from NOAA, San Francisco State University, and Richardson Bay Regional Agency to protect eelgrass habitat within Richardson Bay. These conservation efforts are vital for wintering waterbirds who depend on this vital habitat along the Pacific Flyway.

Birding Buddies. Wearing our Altacal Audubon Society Northern Saw-whet Owl shirts. At the Pt. Reyes Campout. We got a couple of great birds and lifers for most of us: Bay-breasted Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler.

Mark Your Calendars! We have a loaded schedule of field trips for October & November! Beginners welcome, and if you contact us beforehand, we have binoculars for people to borrow for the trips. More details will be coming out soon in our newsletter in early October.

Fall is a great time to plant native plants! Even just a few in your yard will help create habitat.

Audubon makes it easy to support the Migratory Bird Treaty Act! Take ACTION NOW! https://act.audubon.org/a/reinstate-mbta-1

Thank goodness the Migratory Bird Treaty Act rollbacks have been halted and it stands as it was meant to since 1918. Please send your comments supporting the MBTA to the US Fish & Wildlife Service before March 19, 2021. I think there is a link to submit comments in this article.

More on the salmonellosis outbreak in Pine Siskins from CDFW.

The Altacal Bookstore at the Sacramento National Wildlife is now online! Order your books, clothing, cards, bird-friendly coffee, etc. here: https://altacal-bookstore.square.site/... All proceeds go to improvements to the refuge, busing school kids to the refuge, and maintaining the educational displays and programs!