Few experiences in birding match the thrill of finding a “first” record, which involves not just seeing a bird for its first occurrence in a given place, but documenting (recording) its presence. His impressive skill at photography has enabled Jim Gain to document many of our rarest visitors, including the ultra-rare gull he found a few days ago. More of Jim’s birding adventures and superb photos are at his website, […]
Nature
The Raven
Jim Gain is one of the San Joaquin Valley’s most accomplished naturalists and photographers. We’re pleased to publish one of his most recent posts. Find more of Jim’s fine work here. “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, …” This post was supposed to be about Short-eared Owls, not about the embodiment of a symbolic metaphor for never-ending remembrance. THE PLAN WAS… Early yesterday morning as […]
Jim Gain: A Gift for Nature
Decades ago, after a Biology class taught by legendary Modesto Junior College Professor Joe Medeiros, Jim Gain knew what his college major would be, and he followed up with a degree from California State University Stanislaus in Turlock. His early fascination with “herps”—reptiles and amphibians—led to an interest in nature in general, and especially birds. After he started showing up at few Valley birding “hot spots” and took part in […]
Birder on a Run with 321
These days, Harold Reeve says he’s only running, “12 to 15 miles a week.” He runs more when he’s training for a marathon or shorter race, but no matter how often or how far he runs, he always carries a pair of binoculars. The binoculars are Reeve’s way of combining passions; he loves running, but he also loves birding. Combining the two sports sounds implausible, but in addition to keen […]
Reeve Notches another New Bird
Whenever Harold Reeve has a few minutes away from family, work, and church, he generally squeezes in a little birding. He’s been compiling lists of Stanislaus County birds for over thirty years, including lists of nesting birds, wintering raptors, and, most especially, all species ever present in the county. Late last Saturday afternoon, Reeve had a few minutes before a concert in Denair. He decided to drive east and look […]
State Double-Feature is for the Birds
Though it’s one of the most altered landscapes in the west, the northern San Joaquin Valley still retains remnants of its marvelous natural history. The most obvious are the winter flights of waterfowl, still numbering in the hundreds of thousands. But many of the Valley’s natural treasures, even some of the most spectacular, are hidden from all but a select few Valley residents and visitors. These hidden gems include common […]
Tiny Bird Returns for Audubon Christmas Count
Last Monday morning, an ambitious birder said she had high hopes for seeing a bright red bird. Local birders of the hard core variety knew Sharon Reeve was hoping to see a Vermilion Flycatcher, a winter rarity that resides many miles south of the Valley. The species had been recorded only twice previously in Stanislaus County. Over a dozen birders, most of them members of the Stanislaus Audubon Society Board […]
Rare Visitor from Siberia is 319 for Stanislaus County
When Harold Reeve moved to Stanislaus County in the early 1980s, he thought it would be fun to develop an official Stanislaus County bird list. Back then, local birding was in its infancy and county birding, which requires birders to keep a list of birds they see in each county they visit, was practiced by only a handful of birders. Today, the official Stanislaus County bird list comprises 319 species, […]
Local Birders Agog Over Another Rare Gull
It could be said that Stockton’s David Yee is the pre-eminent pioneer of modern-day birding in the San Joaquin Valley. For well over thirty years, Yee has added record after record of unexpected bird sightings to our knowledge of bird distribution. A few years ago, Yee found a gull in northwestern Stanislaus County that many birders thought was the first county record of a very rare Iceland Gull. A committee […]
Shorebirds in the Valley
Shorebirds occupy remnant wetlands and the mud flats around our lakes and reservoirs. The largest numbers occur during migration, when they pass through the Valley on their way to southern wintering grounds. Some also winter here. The larger species are the best known. Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, and Greater Yellowlegs are often seen and sometimes even known by name. The “peeps” are another story. Small, brown or gray, and wary […]