• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Stanislaus County Has a New Bird

November 6, 2013 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

Northern Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush

It was only fitting that Stanislaus Audubon President Sal Salerno and Board member Ralph Baker were along when Harold Reeve added another bird to the Stanislaus County list.

Reeve has been counting birds in Stanislaus County for over thirty years. He’s kept meticulous records of species, high and low counts, and rare occurrences. Periodically, the Stanislaus Audubon Society publishes an updated list of Reeve’s additions to the county bird list, including sightings documented by other birders.

Most Audubon Board members have themselves added to knowledge of local birds, so the addition of species, their numbers and status (common or uncommon, etc.) has always been a group effort, including records from birders just visiting the county.

When Reeve began compiling what would become the official county list, the total number of species observed and documented to occur in Stanislaus County was around two-hundred sixty. Today, the list includes well over three-hundred species.

Late last month, Reeve, Salerno, and Baker were censusing a restricted area near Patterson when they came upon a quiet pool near the San Joaquin River. “That’s where the Northern Waterthrush is going to be,” said Salerno. The remark elicited a chuckle from Baker and Reeve.

Most experienced birders are good at “reading habitat,” a skill which enables them to predict what kinds of birds will be found in given places. The little pool where the birders stood was indeed an ideal spot for a Northern Waterthrush, but all three birders knew that a Northern Waterthrush had never been seen in Stanislaus County and is very rare in the entire state. They normally breed in Canada and winter in Mexico and South America.

As Salerno and Baker walked on in search of wintering birds and late migrants, Reeve paused and listened intently at background chips, chirps, and whistles. An extremely patient birder with a good ear, Reeve will often remain in one spot long past the time other birders have lost interest, listening for odd chip notes or songs.

What held his interest now was a distant but loud “chip” unlike anything he’d ever heard in Stanislaus County. Reeve tried whispering the bird in closer, using a technique called “pishing,” which involves making sibilant “psh” sounds. As the chips got louder and louder, Reeve realized the bird was responding to his calls.

Suddenly, the bird shot out of the tangle across the pond and landed on an oak branch just above Reeve’s head. After signaling Baker, who was nearby, Reeve took mental notes and produced the following description:

Having seen the under parts very well I was fairly certain of the bird’s identification, but it was not until it (finally) cocked its head and looked down at me that I was completely certain that it was a Northern Waterthrush. The face was mostly medium brown, with the auricular set off by a whitish border around the bottom and rear. A narrow, blackish-brown eyeline extended through the eye and provided sharp contrast to the uniformly narrow white eye stripe just above the dark eye. At this time Ralph and I both agreed that the bird seemed to definitely be a Northern Waterthrush.

When the bird flew to a neighboring branch, Reeve was able to shout to Salerno to come running. Salerno arrived in time for a good look, and agreed it was indeed a Northern Waterthrush, the very species he had jokingly predicted would be found beside the quiet poolside in Stanislaus County.

The Northern Waterthrush now joins well over three-hundred birds on the official Stanislaus County bird list. It also joins Reeve’s own list of birds seen in Stanislaus County, and puts him within three or four species of the magic number of three-hundred for the County.

California birders consider three-hundred species seen in the entire Central Valley a benchmark of excellence. Harold Reeve is very close to achieving that number in Stanislaus County alone. Meanwhile, Ralph Baker and Sal Salerno are happy to join the chase.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Harold Reeve, Northern Waterthrush Stanislaus County, Stanislaus County bird list, Stanislaus County birds

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy Jewett says

    November 25, 2013 at 4:12 am

    I saw a Northern Waterthrush for the first time last May, 2013, in Delaware’s Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. They are common visitors there in the spring, on their way north from wintering grounds. It was a striking bird, with its prominant throat and eye stripes, wonderful to have one spotted here in Stanislaus County!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
Don Cameron went all in on a trickle-down survival tactic. It could help save America’s agricultural heartland—even if he doesn’t survive the new water war.
www.wired.com
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
This article first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative…
talkingpointsmemo.com
A South Texan?s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
A South Texan’s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone and finding her way.
www.texasmonthly.com
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
A top aide said the Wisconsin Republican senator wanted to give Pence the list of pro-Trump electors as he prepared to certify the 2020 election.
www.politico.com
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
“I think it would have helped our party heal, given [people] more facts.”
www.axios.com
'Not safe anymore': Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
‘Not safe anymore’: Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
Homeless encampments now spill well beyond Portland’s downtown core, dividing a city that has invested liberally in support services.
www.latimes.com
Republicans Will Do It Again
Republicans Will Do It Again
They have not been chastened by the revelations of the January 6 committee.
nymag.com
Birdman
Birdman
Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
www.earthisland.org
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Martins were bit players in politics, until they put Doug Mastriano one step away from becoming Pennsylvania’s next governor.
nymag.com
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Prominent Christian leaders accuse Trump allies of spreading misinformation about election and Covid, while distorting Christian teachings at ReAwaken America events
www.theguardian.com
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears 'moment of reckoning'
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’
As the Colorado River water shortage worsens, major cutbacks are needed to reduce most perilous risks, a federal official tells senators.
www.latimes.com
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Supporters who thought they were donating to “election integrity” instead saw some of their money funneled to Trump hotels
www.rollingstone.com
Police Arrested 31 White Supremacists Crammed Into a U-Haul With a Detailed Riot Plan
Police Arrested 31 White Supremacists Crammed Into a U-Haul With a Detailed Riot Plan
Members of the Patriot Front were allegedly planning to disrupt a pride parade in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
www.vice.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design