Osprey fishing at Sutters Landing Park, Feb. 2nd morning. This was my first sighting of osprey fishing this lower part of the American River. NOTE: Robert has some great mushroom photos too & they are posted separately...

I first saw two Ospreys fly down river this morning

Later this one returned

Several low passes back and forth above the river

My first sighting with a catch

Not until I enlarged the photos did I realize it had two fish!

Where to perch now?

saw it finally head up to the protected area of the mound, there one fish was dropped to the ground, out of my sight. Obviously it could not land to feed until one talon was freed. Lucky for it no gulls where around.

Please Note this meeting has now been rescheduled for 3/7/13 at city hall. 


Th., Feb. 7, 2013, 7 pm
Monthly meeting of City of Sacramento Parks & Recreation Commission
First annual Community Forum on Sutter’s Landing Park

Proposed agenda items for the Forum currently include:

1.       City Staff Presentations/Project Updates:  Proposed Solar, Prop. 84 Grant, Tree Removal Mitigation, Two Rivers Trail planning, adjacent properties, other proposals, Landfill status

2.       Public Comment

3.       Commission Discussion

Feel free to pass this information on to others who may be interested. If there are any specifics you would like to make sure are covered by staff, please share before the meeting.

Just east of the former landfill at Sutter's Landing Park there is a triangular parcel wedged between the freeway, river, and RR tracks. This location is intended to be where the city will do a mitigation replanting project to compensate for the recent nearby removal of a stand of trees. The city owns a portion of the parcel now and the RR owns the rest.

This week, I noticed some newly cut trees at the site as well as some bright pink staking. I inquired to find out if the mitigation project was starting up and to find out more about the vegetation removal done.  It turns out that the city has put staking in place recently to identify the limits for the upcoming planting. That work did not include any vegetation removal. After more inquiries, it was learned that a company that leases some the land from the RR for a large billboard was recently onsite & removed some "volunteer" growth. 

I hiked out to this corner of the property today and found that the vegetation removed included some mature elderberry shrubs and other cover that provides some of the best habitat on the parcel currently. The city indicated they have no control of the area in question and have no plans to plant any new vegetation there. It does seem that the owner and leasee would need a permit from the city for the billboard and there is certainly a need to protect elderberry habitat which may host the federally endangered valley elderberry longhorn beetle as well as provide good habitat in an area where there is the primary goal. Clearly, more thought and follow-up is needed...

Recently cut elderberry have been present for years at this location

Looking across cut elderberry towards the area to be planted by the city

Meanwhile, on the other side of the former landfill, a lone elderberry remains after a project recently removed all the stockpiled soil and graded the area bare. Previously, vegetation there provided cover for foraging and movement along this side of the river. Future habitat restoration is needed here too.

by Dale