(March-May)

Goal: To provide a motivating mix of bird species observations with reports of interest to all birders: beginning to expert, Kern County  &/or Tulare County specialists, northern California & southern California, out-of-California (U.S. & International), listers and non-listers,...

Major Tip: Birding early (starting at dawn) and carefully (spending time) = birds seen...

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 25 May, third report this spring at Kern River Preserve (Morro Coast Audubon Society) & 23 May, second report this spring at Kern River Preserve (KP) & 22 May, first of spring at Kern River Preserve (DSm); Pileated Woodpecker, 22 May, Redwood Meadow,Western Divide Hwy. n. of Kernville (BB, Sea & Sage Audubon Society); Willow Flycatcher (extimus subspecies), 12 May, first of Spring, Kern River Preserve (CO); Brown-crested Flycatcher, 20-26 May, Audubon's Kelso Creek Sanctuary located along Kelso Valley Road (BB) & 11 May, first of Spring at Kern River Preserve (MW); White-eyed Vireo, 29 May, California City ( MH); Yellow-throated Vireo, 26 May, private residence near Cantil (MH); Sage Thrasher, 2 April, eight individuals, Kelso Valley Road at Kelso Creek crossing (BB); Tennessee Warbler, 24-26 May, female at Butterbredt Spring (BB, Sea & Sage Audubon Society, mob) & 15 May, Kern River Preserve (MC); Northern Parula, 28 May, Kelso Valley Road, 0.9 mi. south of intersection with Piute Mtn. Rd (Anonymous) & 26 May, Galileo Hill (MH), & 25-27 May, Butterbredt Spring (MH, mob); Magnolia Warbler, 28 May, two at a private residence near Cantil (TW, mob); Black-and-white Warbler, 30 May, California City (mob) & 26 May, two at Galileo Hill (MH) & 25 May, Butterbredt Spring (MH) & 14 May, Kelso Creek (LC, MC) & 12-16 May, Butterbredt Spring (LCu, DVB), mob) & 11 May, Kern River Preserve (MW); American Redstart, 28 May,  Galileo Hill (mob) & 25-27 May, Butterbredt Spring (MH, mob); Ovenbird, 31 May, Galileo Hill (JN, MN, mob) & 26 May, Galileo Hill (MH) & 22 May, Kern River Preserve  (SAL) & 18 May (First Kern Valley record and 331st species for the Kern River Valley), Kern River Preserve (SAL); Northern Waterthrush, 28-29 May, Butterbredt Spring (BB, mob) & 18 May, California City (MH, BB) & 14 May, Galileo Hill (LC, MC); Mourning Warbler, 26 May, Hoffman Canyon (RW); MacGillivray's Warbler, 23 May, nest building on Kern River Preserve (SAL); Painted Redstart, 15-16 May, a male at Cerro Coso College in Ridgecrest; Harris' Sparrow, 16 April, wintering individual still present in Cane Brake BG, DL); Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 17 May, a male at a private residence on Kelso Valley Rd. south Kern River Preserve (ER); Indigo Bunting, 17-31+ May, male at Kern River Preserve (KP) Note: A male has been found at the same location as this individual for the last several years; Dickcissel, 30 May, California City (mob); Baltimore Oriole, 29 May, California City (MH).

Saturday-Monday, May 22-24 - Sea & Sage Audubon Society Field Trip to Kern River Valley/Eastern Kern County: 130 species. Highlights: White-faced Ibis, Wood Duck, Greater Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, Costa's Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker (copulating), Pileated Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Pinyon Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Phainopepla, Tennessee Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Summer Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, Brewer's Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Tricolored Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Scott's Oriole, Cassin's Finch, Lawrence's Goldfinch.

Sunday, May 23 - Lander's Meadow, Piute Mountains, highlights: White-headed Woodpecker (copulating pair), Pinyon Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Green-tailed Towhee, Cassin's Finch. BB and Sea & Sage Audubon Soc.

We, May 19 - Over 6,000 (actual count-hand tally counter) spring migrants passed through Butterbredt Spring in the first half of the morning including 3000 the first hour: Olive-sided Flycatcher - 18, Western Wood-Pewee - 200, Willow Flycatcher - 60, Ash-throated Flycatcher - 24, Western Kingbird - 40, Swainson's Thrush - 400, Hermit Thrush - 4, Cedar Waxwing - 60, Warbling Vireo - 1400, Cassin's Vireo - 14, Orange-crowned Warbler - 80, Nashville Warbler - 12, Yellow Warbler - 700, Audubon's Warbler - 12, Black-throated Gray Warbler - 14, Townsend's Warbler - 400, Hermit Warbler - 16, Common Yellowthroat - 22, MacGillivray's Warbler - 80, Wilson's Warbler - 1700, Yellow-breasted Chat - 16, Black-headed Grosbeak - 800, Western Tanager - 800, Lazuli Bunting - 200, Blue Grosbeak - 8, Brown-headed Cowbird - 30, Bullock's Oriole - 18, Hooded Oriole - 2. MTH.

Sa & Su, May 15 & 16 - Sacramento Audubon Society Field Trip to Kern River Valley/Eastern Kern County: 139 species. Highlight: 93 species, including Black Swift, Purple Martin, and Green-tailed Towhee, Saturday morning at Sierra Way Bridge area (within c. 100 acres) of the Kern River Preserve.

Fr-Mo, May 7-10 - San Joaquin Audubon Society Field Trip to Kern River Valley/Eastern Kern County: 155 species. Highlight: Great numbers (100s) and movement of migrants at Kern River Preserve, Kelso Creek Sanctuary, and Butterbredt Spring.

Fr-Mo, Apr 30 - May 3 - Pasadena Audubon Society Field Trip to Kern Valley/E. Kern County: 144 species.

Tu-Mo, Apr 20-26 - Kern Valley Bioregions Festival. 214 species.

Fr-Su, Apr 16-19 - Fresno Audubon Society Field Trip to Kern River Valley/E. Kern County: 175 species.

Mo, Apr 19 - Fresno Audubon Society Field Trip Highlights. KEY: KVR-Kelso Valley Road. Common Goldeneye (one male at Isabella Reservoir), Ferruginous Hawk (KVR), Golden Eagle (Kern River Canyon), Prairie Falcon (KVR), Burrowing Owl (KVR), Vaux's Swift (KVR)...BB & Fresno Audubon Society.

Sunday, April 18 - Fresno Audubon Society Field Trip Highlights. KEY: BS-Butterbredt Spring, CC-California City Central Park. Ross' Goose (2 at CC...one individual presumably same one that has taken up residence for several years joined this year by another), Chukar (BS), Mountain Quail (BS), Sora (CC-visual), Solitary Sandpiper (BS), Vaux's Swift (Kelso Valley), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (BS), Hammond's, Gray, and Pacific-slope Flycatchers (BS), Vermilion Flycatcher (CC), Cassin's Vireo (BS), Plumbeous Vireo (CC), Warbling Vireo (BS), Sage Thrasher (Jawbone Canyon), Orange-crowned, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Hermit, MacGillivray's, Common Yellowthroat, and Wilson's warblers (BS), Hermit Warbler (CC), Western Tanager (BS), Green-tailed Towhee (BS), Brewer's, Black-throated, and Sage Sparrows (BS), Black-headed Grosbeak (CC), Yellow-headed Blackbird (Kern River Preserve, Kelso Valley Road, CC), Great-tailed Grackle (CC), Lawrence's Goldfinch (BS, CC, Kern River Preserve)...BB & Fresno Audubon Society.

Saturday, April 17 - Fresno Audubon Society Field Trip Highlights. Osprey (pair at Lake Isabella), Virginia Rail & Sora (visuals of both and several more heard in marsh at end of trail to Migrant Corner), Western Screech Owl (several calling at Pioneer Campground), White-headed Woodpecker (several heard and seen in Greenhorn Mtns.), Ash-throated Flycatcher (Fay Ranch Rd.), Townsend's Solitaire (Fay Ranch Rd. and Greenhorn Mtns.), California Thrasher (Fay Ranch Rd.), Orange-crowned, Nashville, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Gray, and Common Yellowthroat warblers (Migrant Corner), Yellow Warbler (KRP Headquarters and Fay Ranch Rd.), Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Migrant Corner), Tricolored Blackbird (colony at far end, beyond Red-winged Blackbird area, of marsh at end of trail to Migrant Corner), Lawrence's Goldfinch (Headquarters, Migrant Corner, Fay Ranch Rd.)...BB & Fresno Audubon Society.

Friday, April 16 - Fresno Audubon Society Field Trip Highlights. Wood Duck (Multiple sightings at Kern River Preserve), Chukar (Coming to a feeder in Mountain Mesa), Black-chinned, Anna's, Costa's, and Rufous Hummingbirds (Coming to feeders at Kern River Preserve), White-headed Woodpecker (Lander's Meadow, Piute Mountains), Cassin's Kingbird (A pair in Onyx on Easy St., turn at Texaco station,  just beyond the end of the pavement. Western Kingbirds present for comparison), Pinyon Jay (Lander's Meadow, Piute Mountains), Clark's Nutcracker (Piute Mountains), Pygmy Nuthatch (Lander's Meadow, Piute Mountains), Sage Thrasher (Up to a dozen along Kelso Valley Road from Hwy. 178 south to Piute Mountain Road), Phainopepla (Scodie Park, Onyx), Green-tailed Towhee (Kern River Preserve Headquarters), Kern Red-winged, Tricolored, Yellow-headed, and Brewer's Blackbird (Ground feeders at Kern River Preserve), Hooded Oriole (Scodie Park in Onyx and Kern River Preserve), Lawrence's Goldfinch (Scodie Park in Onyx and Kern River Preserve)...BB & Fresno Audubon Society.

Observers: BB-Bob Barnes, DB-Diana Beck, TB-Ted Beedy, LB-Len Bitetti, DVB-David Blue, GB-Gordon Black, MB-Mike Bumgardner, KC-Kurt Campbell, TC-Therese Clawson, EC-Emily Cohen, LC-Lori Conrad, MC-Mark Conrad, DC-Dan Cooper, LCu-Laura Cunningham, AD-Alice DeBolt, DD-Dave DeSante, JD-Jon Dunn, TE-Todd Easterla, KE-Kristin Enos, DE-Dick Erickson, AF-April Fisher, BF-Brian Fitch, SF-Sam Fitton, TG-Terrri Gallion, BG-Bruce Garlinger, KaG-Karen Gilbert, KG-Keith Gish, PG-Paul Green, MuH-Murrelet Halterman, GH-Gjon Hazard, JHe-Jo Heindel, MaH-Matt Heindel, TH-Tom Heindel, JHo-Jill Hoffman, SH-Steve Holden, VH-Vernon Howe,  JH-Joan Humphrey, EK-Esther Kalinay, NK-Nancy Kenyon, JK-Jeff King, TK-Tom Koronkiewicz, DLa-Denise LaBerteaux, SAL-Stephen A. Laymon, LAAS-Los Angeles Audubon Society, JLo-John Lovio, DLu-David Lukas, JL-Janet Lynn, PM-Paul Mason, BM-Barbara Maxwell, BMc-Breck McAlexander, GMc-Guy McCaskie, DM-Dori Meyers, DMi - Donald Mitchell, CM-Clark Moore, JM-Jean Moore, NSAS-Napa-Solano Audubon Society, JN-Joann Nadler, MN-Mel Nadler, CO-Chris Otahal, LP-Len Pardue, MP-Michael Patten, KP-Karen Phillips, TP-Tal Pierson, JR- Jill Raffleson, TR-Teresa Ritter, ER-Eric Robinson, MSM-Mike San Miguel, JS-John Schmitt, AS-Alison Sheehey, DSh-Dave Shuford, TS-Todd Sloat, DSm-Don Smoltz, BS-Bob Steele, SS-Susan Steele, JSt-John Sterling, DSt-Dan Stoebel, MS-Mike Stone, DT-Deb Tenzer, RT-Reed Tollefson, RW-Richard Webster,  MW-Mary Whitfield, AW-Alan Wight, RWi-Rio Wight, PLW-Pamela L. Williams, JW-John Wilson, JoW-Jon Winter, TW-Tom Wurster, DY-David Yee,  mob-many observers.