Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Three years ago, this stretch of Highway 45 in Colusa County was a treeless, plantless, birdless, insectless Caltrans right-of-way. Thanks to the vision of the Sycamore Family Trust, Audubon California, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, Colusa County Resource Conservation District, Colusa High School, and others, this is what it looked like yesterday.
Posted by Audubon California Working Lands Program on Thursday, November 5, 2015
Three years ago, this stretch of Highway 45 in Colusa County was a treeless, plantless, birdless, insectless Caltrans right-of-way. Thanks to the vision of the Sycamore Family Trust, Audubon California, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, Colusa County Resource Conservation District, Colusa High School, and others, this is what it looked like yesterday.
Golden Gate Audubon Society was at the forefront of the recent victory at Altamont. Their Executive Director, Cindy Margulis, reflects on the hard-won fight in a blog post on their website. Read it here.
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.
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