Sonoma County Birding: Milt Brandt Visitor Center (Lake Sonoma)

Last week, we visited Lake Sonoma to bird around the Milt Brandt Visitor Center and Warm Springs Fish Hatchery.
 
The weather was downright spring-like, and we enjoyed a bevy of morning birds in the parking lot. Among them, a shy Varied Thrush adorned a pine tree, attempting to stay motionless and undetected.

The ponds teemed with ducks – an assemblage of Anatidae!

We spied a lone male Northern Pintail among the group, looking regal as always.

Now, wait a second. One of these Ring-necked Ducks isn’t actually a Ring-necked Duck! Can you tell which one??

A Lesser Scaup was hanging out with the group!

Two Belted Kingfishers zipped by back and forth above the channel between the Visitor Center and the hatchery, calling all the while.

Then, from our vantage point on the bridge above the channel, we heard a grand commotion below.

At least four Ruby-crowned Kinglets alarmed intensely, with red crowns exposed. We observed them a while, but didn’t spot any predators around and never determined the source of their agitation. Perhaps they were simply arguing amongst themselves.

As we walked toward the spillway, a handful of Double-crested Cormorants flew in wide circles before returning to perch in a tree.

This American Wigeon gave us a great look at its striking white belly and underwing.

As we settled in for a picnic, a very interested party landed directly above our heads on a low-hanging branch.

Our picnic-crasher remained close by the whole time, occasionally imitating a Red-shouldered Hawk call – as if that would scare us away!

A California Scrub-Jay lurked nearby as well, though not so conspicuously.

Not a second after we finally packed up, our Steller’s friend hopped down to inspect our table.

During our picnic, we also spotted an intergrade Northern Flicker. Below, you can see the brown face and red nape mark of a Yellow-shafted variety; however, when it flew we saw red-shafted feathers.

Speaking of woodpeckers, this pretty female Nuttall’s gave us a nice look at eye level.

Since 1980, the Warm Springs Hatchery has raised Steelhead Trout to release back into a tributary of the Russian River. In the early 2000’s, the Hatchery implemented the Coho Broodstock Recovery Program to help conserve the endangered Coho as well.
 
Not only do the grounds of the Milt Brandt Visitor Center and surrounding hatchery provide a wonderfully birdy habitat, but it’s fun to learn about and see these fish as well.

The seven-stepped fish ladder is a fun spot to observe the unfolding drama of fish leaping through rushing water, desperately trying to reach the next level. It looked quite exhausting, to say the least.

We set out to leave after a fantastic day of birds and fish, but not before peeking once more at the Ring-necked Ducks because they’re just so neat. We managed to capture this one running across the water just before take-off!