My Birding Day: South Lake Tahoe
I haven’t written a post in a few weeks, partly because the Bay Area is warming up and I don’t do very well in the heat. The birds don’t particularly like the heat either. Birders mourn the summer blues where birding gets a little dull between migration and breeding seasons. It’s also straight up uncomfortable if you’re outdoors in the hottest part of the day.
This weekend I escaped to Tahoe on a whim to help cope with the heat and enjoy the 30-degree temperature difference. I love Tahoe and the mountains. The trees are different, the air is fresh, and new birds pop out here and there. I’m still trying to find the birding hotspots around the Tahoe area, but my go-to place is always Fallen Leaf Lake.
Lodgepole Chipmunk, Fallen Leaf Lake, 2019
This lake is much smaller than Lake Tahoe, but it’s less crowded and more peaceful. Lodgepole Chipmunks are frantically running around and Mountain Chickadees are delightfully singing their bluesy tunes. I always find White-headed Woodpeckers, all three nuthatches (Red-breasted, Pygmy, and White-breasted), and Brown Creepers. This summer trip yielded plenty of Western Wood-Pewees and Warbling Vireos. Although not bursting with concentrated birding activity, Fallen Leaf Lake offers a beautiful hike. If you go early enough, you can walk quite a ways without running into people.
Western Tanager, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, 2019
We checked out another park for the first time that crosses state lines: Van Sickle Bi-State Park. Colorful Western Tanagers popped out against the trees, a House Wren sang its heart out despite our close presence, and Steller’s Jays were busy eating enormous ants off the ground. My favorite moment was hearing a Fox Sparrow sing. These sparrows are present in the East Bay, but only in the winter and thus they are pretty quiet. The song was so captivating that I had to capture a recording on my phone for later submission on my birding checklist. I will definitely check out this Nevada site again and venture out further than a quarter mile from the parking lot!
House Wren, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, 2019
Overall a great quick trip that gave us respite from the recording-breaking Bay Area heat.
