Sonoma County Birding: Santa Rosa Creek Trail

We stopped by Santa Rosa Creek Trail this week to enjoy a walk in the mild afternoon. Spring is in full swing, and the trail has exploded with life.

Further evidence of spring was the sheer volume of singing birds – Hutton’s Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Oak Titmice, Brown Creepers, House Finch, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow Warblers, Wilson’s Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and more. Even non-breeding birds that leave the area soon – like White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers – couldn’t help but sing in the spring sun.
 
Here’s just one of the many songsters – a Spotted Towhee and his tune below.

Come springtime, it’s rejuvenating to finally hear the birds who have returned to breed in Sonoma County. This singing Warbling Vireo and Yellow Warbler just recently made their way from Mexico or Central America. It’s good having you back, guys!

Black-headed Grosbeaks – back from Central Mexico – sang and called throughout our walk. In this soundscape recording, you can also hear a Yellow Warbler, Song Sparrows, and a White-throated Sparrow.

The bright sun enticed this Western Fence Lizard to crawl out and do a push-up routine on a warm rock. Check out its blue belly and yellow thighs.

This pair of Common Mergansers swam slowly by in the creek.

We paused when we glimpsed this female Mallard with a dark gray bill. Normally, female Mallards have an orange-ish bill with a variable dark splotch on the upper mandible.

Wild Radish flowers lined the trail, giving an airy and colorful setting to the day.

As we reached Delta Pond, three species of swallows zipped by acrobatically – Tree, Violet-green, and Barn. This Tree Swallow took a moment to rest three feet from us on the fence.

At Delta Pond junction, we heard this Bullock’s Oriole whistling.

On the walk back, an ultra-high-pitched “PIK!” grabbed our attention, and we watched as a Hairy Woodpecker flew in to a tree and joined its mate.

They made this incredible interaction call as they linked up, and we observed the pair for a while. A Nuttall’s Woodpecker eventually flew in and harassed them before they flew off.

The presence of a couple lingering White-throated Sparrows was a real treat. These sparrows only winter in Sonoma County, but some remain through the first couple months of spring. On a nice spring day, it’s not unusual to hear them singing.

We ran into Brian, the sage of the trail, who pointed out a nesting Hutton’s Vireo. She was sitting on her nest, camouflaged well in a Buckeye. We snapped a quick photo of her eye through the leaves before leaving her in peace and wishing her brood well.