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Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Thought we'd make a GIF of a Tricolored Blackbird colony. Just because.
As you probably know, the drought has hurt birds in a variety of ways. Not only do we need rain, but we need snow in the mountains. So we were greatly pleased when our friend Jef Rahmeyer sent us this quick clip from Mammoth Lakes. "It's dumping," he said. And that's great news for California and its birds.
Audubon California's Courtney Gutman visited our Sonoma Creek restoration site last week, and found that a ton of wintering shorebirds were already enjoying one section of restored habitat. If you look closely, you can see the Northern Harrier that prompted all these birds to go on the wing.
While it is generally thought that birds can escape oncoming wildfires, researchers looking into cause of death having noted that at least seven California Condors in recent years have disappeared in areas affected by wildfires. And seven birds in a free-flying population of less than 300 is a lot -- enough to make wildfire the third leading cause of death for adult California Condors. Learn more about the research project here.
A Groove-billed Ani is present at Coso Junction along Highway 395 in Inyo County. Brad Singer, Johnny Bovee, and Gary File made the initial discovery. Anis are members of the cuckoo family and they do look a little, well, cuckoo. Their oversized beaks give the impression of a face held in a state of constant grimace. While they are found year-round in Texas, in winter, small numbers move north and east along Gulf Coast. It also isn't uncommon for the rare bird of two to stray north.
Our own Andrea Jones recently captured this quick video of shorebirds in San Pablo Bay, in the northernmost end of San Francisco Bay. Lots of different birds here: mostly Dunlin, Least and Western Sandpiper, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, and Nothern Pintail.
In a story broadcasted yesterday, the PBS NewsHour takes a look at efforts to make wind power safer for birds. The piece focuses on the notorious Altamont Pass wind power facility, which has been perhaps the most deadly site for birds in the country. Audubon California Policy Director Mike Lynes, who has been on the front lines of the battle to remedy the problems at Altamont, talks in the piece about the many lessons learned there.
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