Winter is the Best Time for Birding

by Ruth Ann Angus

I know the seasons have changed from summer to winter upon hearing the chatter of the Black Phoebe in my yard. Racing to the window I catch a glimpse of him as he flits from telephone wire to the back fence. My birding guides tell me he is a year-round resident, but for the past 20 years or more a lone Black Phoebe has shown up in my yard midway through fall hanging around throughout the winter and disappearing altogether in spring.

Of course, I doubt this is the same bird visiting for all these years, but it is always a solitary Black Phoebe and it is always in winter. Along with him comes another Phoebe, the Say's Phoebe and again it is just one bird that perches on the edge of the gutter along my garage. Both birds forage in the yard and may visit the neighbor's feeder.  I wonder about these visitors every year, because neither bird is necessarily a typical yard bird. What they do for me is remind me that the best season for bird watching is upon us.

Winter is when the Central Coast fills up with migratory birds of all kinds. It is especially noticeable in the estuary, where shorebirds, geese, ducks, grebes, terns, avocets, and more spend time on the mudflats eating their fill. Morro Coast Audubon and the Natural History Museum offer walks in the area showcasing our winter visitors.

While for birders it is wonderful to live in an area that is filled with an abundance of birds, I often find myself looking to see some different species. Winter is again the best time to pursue this and one doesn't have to go very far to accomplish their goal.

Just a couple hours' drive north and east will take you to an area in the San Joaquin Valley that also has winter visitors. The Kern National Wildlife Refuge is located not far from Delano. It is worth the drive to visit this small refuge where a variety of waterfowl take advantage of the managed ponds and wetlands. A six and a half mile auto route goes around the refuge ponds and affords excellent views of the birds. It is also the best way to photograph them since the car acts as a blind and the birds are not disturbed by it.

What will you see? Feeding along the edges of the ponds are White-faced Ibis, probing with their down-curved bills for aquatic prey. Paddling nearby are Northern Shovelers dabbling with their outsize bills, and elegant Northern Pintails, rusty-colored Cinnamon Teal, and the ubiquitous American Coots. At the far end of the ponds huge flocks of Snow and Ross' geese are resting.  Paddling across the middle of the pond is a group of Greater-white Fronted Geese. Also foraging along the water's edge are the attractive Black-necked Stilts.

Refuges attract all of these birds by managing the flow and amount of water in the wetlands. The different heights of water attract certain kinds of waterfowl.  Often you will see dabbling ducks upended with their heads under water and their tails pointing up. Diving ducks, such as Greater and Lesser Scaup, require deeper ponds.

Kern is the closest national wildlife refuge to the Central Coast, but just another hour of driving brings you to the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Merced National Wildlife Refuge. These wildlife settings attract many of the same birds that frequent Kern, including large flocks of sandhill cranes. Cranes and Snow Geese are easily seen and photographed at the Merced refuge. An additional wildlife experience is available at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in that there is a herd of Tule deer kept there.

One of the best ways to enjoy birding is to attend a bird festival. These fun and educational events are held throughout a variety of prime birding areas in California and  one of the best is coming up right here in our home territory. The 16th annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival will be held over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 13th through the 16th. A variety of field trips, led by birding experts, takes attendees to great birding locations throughout the county. In addition numerous workshops are held. The festival attracts about 500 people every winter. You can join the fun by registering at Morro Bay Bird Festival.org .

Whatever you do, be sure to get out and enjoy some of our great winter birding.