ove r 3 1 0 s p e c i e s o f b i r d s BIRDING
Plumas County offers rewarding bird-watching opportunities for both the novice and experienced birder. The best birding in the county is during the spring and fall, but numerous species can be found any month of the year. Over 310 different bird species occur in Plumas County because of its diversity of habitats including lakes, meadows, marshes, streams and forest. There are many spots with easy access for those who wish to bird by vehicle as well as developed hiking trails for more adventurous birders. Sierra Valley, east of Portola, is designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. This 130,000-acre valley, the largest in the Sierra Nevada, is home to over 260 bird species alone. Although most of the land in the valley is privately owned, county roads such as Marble Hot Springs Road, between County Roads A23 and A24, will take you through the heart of the valley past wet meadows and wetlands. In the fall and winter, Sierra Valley is well known for its large population of raptors. A drive through the valley can provide close-up views of bald eagles, golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, rough-legged hawks, prairie falcons, American kestrels and long-eared owls. Migrating flocks of waterfowl and songbirds are also a common sight during the fall. Spring birders can spot white faced ibis, sandhill cranes, American bitterns, black-crowned night herons, Canada geese and a variety of ducks and songbirds. Plumas-Eureka State Park near Graeagle is worth checking for a variety of montane bird species including willow flycatchers. Nesting osprey and bald eagle can be found at nearly all the county’s major reservoirs, including the largest, Lake
Almanor. The causeway, east of Chester on Hwy. 36, is the best place to see large numbers of waterfowl including tundra swan, double-crested cormorants, great blue heron, and American white pelicans. Another good viewing spot is along the west shore, near the campgrounds and along the recreation trail, where birders can enjoy forest-dwellers such as pileated and white-headed woodpeckers, flycatchers, brown creepers and white-breasted nuthatches. Other lakes to visit are Antelope Lake, Bucks Lake, Little Grass Valley Reservoir, Frenchman Lake and Lake Davis, all of which support a diversity of bird species and habitats. Snake Lake, a short drive from Quincy off of Bucks Lake Road, is a popular picnic spot and a good place to view wood ducks, American white pelicans, osprey, grebes and great blue heron. A walk along the forested edge of the lake can turn up a number of forest bird species: hairy woodpeckers, brown creepers, red-breasted nuthatches, warbling vireos and many others. Osprey and bald eagle, hunting for fish, may be seen on a drive through the Feather River Canyon along the North Fork Feather River. The reservoirs in the canyon are also home to migrating bufflehead, goldeneye, ruddy ducks, and nesting common mergansers. Plumas County's many rivers and streams also host populations of other riparian bird species: wood ducks, yellow warblers, lazuli buntings, American dippers, downy, woodpeckers, red-breasted sapsuckers and others can be found during a pleasant stroll along the waterways. To contribute to local bird sightings, you may report them at http://www.plumasaudubon.org/bird-sightings.html. Photos clockwise from top left: Osprey pair and Northern Flicker. Photos by Louise West and Lori Hahn.
Birding Events - 2014 April 27 Spanish Creek Bird Walk . . . . . . .Gansner Park, Quincy May 10 Meadow Bird Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chester High School May 17 Spanish Ranch Bird Walk . . . . . . . . . . . .Meadow Valley May 24 Sierra Valley Bird Watching . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sierra Valley May 31 Mt Hough Bird Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chandler Road July 12 Bucks Lake Bird and Plant Walk . . . . . . . . . . .Bucks Lake For more information see www.plumasaudubon.org/calendar
Free Bird List For a free Plumas County bird list produced by the Plumas Audubon Society, go to www.plumascounty.org, Outdoor Recreation, and click on Birding. If you are interested in joining the area’s Annual Christmas Bird Counts or for more local birding information, contact: Plumas Audubon Society, (530) 283-0455, or visit their website http://plumasaudubon.org or email david@plumasaudubon.org. 2014 - 2015 PLUMAS COUNTY VISITORS GUIDE
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