Monday, February 11, 2008

Kern County Birding destinations

Bakersfield-area birding sites:
Hart Park:
The park is located northeast of Bakersfield, on Alfred Harrell Highway. It features two ponds - one called Mirror Lake and one called "the Paddle Boat Pond." The pond is the larger of the two, and is east of Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is just inside the west boundary of the park. There are two canals running through the park and the northern border of the park is the Kern River.

Lake Ming:
Lake Ming is located off Alfred Harrell Highway on Lake Ming Rd. Horned Grebes and Common Loons have occurred here. There is a nesting colony of Cassin's Kingbirds on the west shore of the lake in the Eucalyptus Trees.

Group Picnic Area, Lake Ming:
This is one of two picnic areas near the lake. The Group Picnic area is east of Lake Ming, on an extension of Lake Ming Rd. which runs between Lake Ming and the Kern River Golf Course. This area is famous for a Clay-colored Sparrow for all of the winter of 2007 into 2008, from December until March. It has had Harris' Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows, as well.

"Elevated" picnic area, Lake Ming:
This picnic area is west of the lake on Campground Rd., elevated above the lake.
Desert sites
The best sites for birding in the eastern, high-desert reaches of Kern County are Butterbredt Spring, Galileo Hill/Silver Saddle Resort, and California City.
Butterbredt Spring is a small oasis, preserved by the Santa Monica Audubon Society as an Important Bird Site. It is a relatively limited area but has a history of remarkable migratory activity. There have been reports of flight days of 1500 warblers per hour from the "overlook" at the spring. All 11 western warblers are seen routinely in one day. My personal high is 14 warbler species in a day. The best time to bird the spring is from the middle of April until the first week in June. Fall is not particularly good, because the spring at the overlook is dry.
Butterbredt Canyon seems to act as a funnel for migrating birds. At the narrow point of the funnel is a spring with large cottonwoods and willows. It must be a relief for tired migrants to see this stopover. Rarities often stop for a few seconds and others may stay for weeks.
Galileo Hill is actually the Silver Saddle Resort. There is a small lake with several small ponds and "streams" running among them. All the water features are man-made and even have fake color. BUT the water is an incredible migrant magnet. Some of the most note-worthy rarities in California have occurred here: Eyebrowed Thrush, Arctic Warbler, and Upland Sandpiper are among those that come quickly to mind. For several days at the end of April and into the first weeks of May in 2007, the lawns of the resort were FULL of warblers, grosbeaks, sparrows, buntings, and even flycatchers. An Indigo Bunting and a White-troated Sparrow were feeding within a few feet of each other, with a Hermit Warbler a bit farther away. The Kern River Preserve's BioFest is held during prime birding time in the desert - usually at the very end of April or the first week in May. Birding is always spectaculay with over 200 species seen and nearly always at least 13 warbler species annually.
The spring of 2008 has been decidedly underwhelming. I made my first trek to Galileo, this morning (5/10). Tom Edell (Cayucos, great birder) and his wife, Chris, were out there. Drew and Pam Pallette (San Diego friends) were there, as well. The birders were much more interesting than the birds. Vermilion Flycatchers are there - this is at least the sixth year. A Townsend's Solitaire was probably the high point - not very impressive.
On 12 April, 2008, I discovered another population of PLUMBEOUS VIREOS at Sageland Ranch - Keith Axelson's place - in the Kelso Valley, east of Lake Isabella and the Kern River Preserve and north of Butterbredt. I saw three, one of which had more extensive gray on the breast than I've seen before. After all these years, it's the first time I've seen Plumbeous' away from Chimney Peak Campground, probably 20 air miles north of this sighting.

No comments: