April Trips Reports

April delivered two field trips back to back.

The first outing was Hendy Woods State Park. Birdsong filled the air, even if the birds themselves were harder to spot. The canopy buzzed with Black-throated Gray Warblers, Warbling and Cassin’s Vireos, and Western Tanagers. Merlin Bird ID picked up more than we could see through the thick spring growth, but we still managed some great looks, including a standout male Western Tanager to wrap up the visit.

Then last weekend brought us to Oz Farm, thanks to Dave Jensen. We started under gray skies with two male Hermit Warblers putting on a show. From there, we made our way down through redwoods into the river valley, where the farm sat in a perfect balance between wild and cultivated. Freshly plowed rows stretched alongside apple trees just beginning to bloom, everything poised on the edge of spring.

Along the Garcia River, the landscape felt fully alive. A Black-headed Grosbeak stole the spotlight, joined by Warbling Vireos, Wilson’s Warblers, Bullock’s Oriole, and even a White-throated Sparrow. At the water’s edge, classic spring scenes unfolded with frog egg masses and constant motion overhead. We practiced tracking three swallow species in flight: Violet-green, Tree, and Northern Rough-winged.

It was one of those days where everything clicked, from ridge to redwood to river to farm. The pace was slow, the eyes were sharp, and the surprises kept coming.