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Photos from Sea Lion eating fish at Discovery Park by Robert

1/18/2021

December 30th, the end of the year and I couldn’t remembering seeing one of the largest animals that I most always see in the lowers stretch of the American River, especially during the Salmon run, the Big Sea Lions!

So I thought I’d ride down to Discovery Park where you can often see S L at the confluence of the American & Sacramento Rivers, where spawning fish like Salmon often check things out to determine which way should I go to get back to my spawning grounds, or hatchery.

Then I heard a familiar loud splashing sound, along with Gulls circling close above, that let me know not only was a S L close by, but it had made a catch and was in the process of ripping apart the tough skin and scales of its catch to get to the meat of it all!

I felt so fortunate! Yahu!
Robert

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Team Otter Contributed again to 36th Annual ARNHA Wildlife Count by Dale

12/20/2020

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Beautiful fall scene along the American River at SLP. Photo by JoEllen Arnold

FORB has been a part of this important survey effort for over 5 years now as "Team Otter". This year it was necessary to take extra precautions but several members of the team (JoEllen and Dale) were able to spend a few hours individually counting birds and other wildlife again.

The combined count has been entered into eBird where it is added to other count areas and data for the American River Parkway. This citizen science effort is helpful with trends and species abundance. This year it felt like recent habitat impacts at SLP might have contributed to lower numbers of songbirds and the overall species count. Here's the summary from Team Otter:

2020 ARNHA Wildlife Count Checklist Team Otter
12/6/20 Time: 8-10 AM 3 miles walked 29 species, 369 individuals
12/5/20 Approximately 1.2 miles walked over 2 hrs
18 Species observed +1 other taxa 448 individuals
(💥 indicates species only seen by one observer)
(12/6 count first, 12/5 count second)

40/51 Canada Goose
💥11 Tundra Swan
12/12 Mallard
4/14 Bufflehead
10/30 Common Goldeneye
8/2 Common Merganser
💥50 Rock Pigeon
💥6 Morning Dove
💥1 Anna's Hummingbird
💥2 Pied-billed Grebe
25/1 Killdeer
7 California Gull
15 gull sp.
4/2 Double-crested Cormorant
💥1 Snowy Egret
💥1 Green Heron
💥1 Turkey Vulture
💥1 White-tailed Kite
💥1 Belted Kingfisher
💥1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
5/1 Black Phoebe
💥1 Say's Phoebe
6/1 Scrub Jay
💥5 Yellow-billed Magpie
36/210 American Crow
💥1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
💥25 Bushtit
30/3 Starling
4/6 White-crowned Sparrow
💥5 Golden-crowned Sparrow
💥1 Lincoln's Sparrow
💥20 Western Meadowlark
50/90 Brewer's Blackbird
💥2 Yellow-rumped Warbler

(35 species seen over 2 days of survey)

2 Coyotes on mound. 75+ youth for group run event staged at SLP. Less ground cover habitat present due to illegal activities which appeared to reduce the number of observations. (12/6)

An organized but not permitted youth group run took place during the count too

Yellow-billed magpies made an appearance this year

Not part of the wildlife or counted

One of two coyotes seen hunting on the landfill mound

Belted kingfisher about to resume hunting for breakfast

Tundra swans flew over at the right time. How many do you count?

Not part of the count but this Goldeneye (?) was recently found dead under transmission lines near I-80 across the river from SLP

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Volunteer Cleanups Making A Difference by Dale

12/1/2020

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I was out on a levee walk yesterday afternoon and made a short video of what it looked like. For those of us that haven’t been able to get down to the Parkway for a while the trail side of the area looks much better. Much hard work by Tom, Betsy and others continues to make progress on the river side too where campers, illegal activities and vegetation destruction continue. So do regular meetings with rangers and filing 311 reports. As you can see, it was very quiet and tame along the bike trail today.

I made this video just as a quick effort to share with others. We may have better videos later to post on the FOSL/FORB websites to show just how much SLP has changed.

SLP Clean-ups 2020

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FORB/FOSL: Trash cleanup this holiday weekend

7/2/2020

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Keep Sutter's Landing Park clean for everyone now and in the future

previous river cleanup at Sutter's Landing Park

Friends of Sutter's Landing Park will be at Sutter's Landing Park on July 3rd and July 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We will have a canopy and table with trashbags, gloves, etc., asking people to please Pack Out what you Pack In!

The trash at Sutter's Landing Park gets pretty bad along the river, especially at the holidays.

The event is okayed by the City Parks Department, and we will follow Covid 19 restrictions. Masks, gloves, and social distancing to the extent possible will be required. Be aware that covid cases are on the rise in Sacramento—please use your best judgement and do not come out if you are immune compromised, especially at risk for the disease, or share a space with someone who is vulnerable. We want to keep everyone healthy, even as we care for the river.

Please volunteer for a shift (2 to 3 persons per shift)

July 3
9:00 a.m. until noon
1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
July 4
9:00 a.m. until noon
1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

RSVP to Betsy Weiland at flweiland@yahoo.com to volunteer.

Too common scene after holidays at Sutter's Landing Park

Double-crested cormorant drying off after hunting fish in the river

Coyote on landfill mound at sunset

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Midtown Sacramento Coyotes with Guy Galante

6/20/2020

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FORB held our very first virtual event by hosting local coyote expert, naturalist and professional instructor/photographer Guy Galante on June 18th. This live Zoom event was rescheduled from the original plan to have Guy come out for our Second Saturday program back in March. Not even a pandemic could keep Guy from dazzling a large online group with his latest experiences monitoring a family of coyotes presently making their home in Midtown Sacramento. Guy has years of experience observing and photographing coyotes along the American River Parkway and is presently focused on educating communities about how they can coexist with the "Song Dog" or coyote now seen increasingly in local neighborhoods. Want to learn more about this amazing animal and how we can be good neighbors? Well even if you missed this evening event it was recorded so it can be shared and help educate everyone.

FORB Urban Coyote Online Event with Guy Galante (55 min YouTube video)

Want to read more about Guy's work with coyotes? (recent Sacramento Magazine article)

Guy's Roots of Change website with more about his coyote work and other educational programs.

Coyotes are amazing adaptive animals with colorful connections to the nature all around us

Coyote crossing the Two Rivers Bike Trail and Sutter's Landing Regional Park

Coyote walking along the river at Sutter's Landing Regional Park

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Bald Eagles Nesting Over Lake Natoma by Kathy

5/24/2020

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Male Bald eagle soaring near its active nest site.

A pair of Bald eagles have successfully nested in a Gray, or Foothill, pine above Lake Natoma since 2017. They have successfully raised two chicks each year with 2020 being an exception as they currently have three chicks! Their nest is very close to a trail actively used by walkers and horse riders in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area directly upstream from the American River Parkway. There are homes and a neighborhood located nearby as well. Their nest site has become a popular area to view these majestic raptors. I volunteer during nesting season to help educate visitors about eagles and make sure that the nest or its occupants aren't disturbed.

Young eagles are called eaglets after they hatch while they are growing in the nest. When they take their first flight, they become fledglings. After they master take off and landings, they are juveniles eagles. After their first year, they are considered 2nd year, 3rd year, and 4th year eagles. Bald eagles become fully mature and both sexes have full white heads and tails in their 5th year. At that point they search for a mate and start their breeding cycle in a territory far away from their natal nest. Breeding Bald eagles have an approximate territory radius of 5 miles. While adult eagles are raising their eaglets, no previous year offspring or other eagles are allowed near the nest and will be screamed at and eventually chased away by the male.

Adult Bald eagles leave the area in late July after their juveniles leave the area to begin life on their own. They return in late September or early October and begin repairing their nest in earnest in November by gathering branches from across the lake and grasses from nearby open fields. They work on their nest at sunrise and usually stop around 8:30am - 9am. Sometimes they will also work on the nest in the afternoon. They then fly westward to no doubt hunt for salmon downstream. They have been seen flying with their previous offspring and perching together as well during this time. A breeding pair of eagles may remain together until the death of one member, and the surviving bird may soon find a new mate.

From late December until early February, they can be seen commonly mating frequently. According to US Fish and Wildlife, Bald eagle nesting season in this region begins the middle of January and that is when we begin monitoring and volunteer duties at the nest site. We strive to educate visitors that come out to see the eagles and take them to a designated viewing area (approximately 350’ west of the nest) to safely observe the eagles. Standing near an active nest during nesting season is considered disturbance to eagles per US Fish & Wildlife. Bald eagles are no longer a federally endangered species, but they are protected under the Federal Bald and Golden Eagle and Migratory Bird Treaty acts as well as being a California Endangered and a Fully Protected species under state law.

A female Bald eagle lays her eggs by the 2nd week or 3rd week of February and diligently incubates on them for about 35-38 days. The male eagle does relieve her but she is the primary brooder. The chicks hatch in the middle of March and are fed on demand for about three weeks. The male eagle is an ever diligent hunter and protector and will bring in fish after fish and an occasional mammal to the nest. This creates quite an odor attracting soaring Turkey vultures that circle the nest, not hunting the eaglets, but trying to scavenge the carcasses the male eagle brings in. When there are too many Turkey vultures circling the tree, the female eagle often screams. Sometimes the male will fly in to disperse the vultures as well. I am sure it causes the female eagle great angst when he does not come in right away.

Young eaglets are not able to thermoregulate to stay warm when they hatch so the female stays in the nest with them for about two weeks. Once they are covered in downy feathers, she no longer has to keep them warm.

The eaglets grow quickly as they must take their first flight in early June. After about a month or so, both adult eagles actively hunt to keep their growing eaglets satisfied. At about two months, food is not brought in as often as the eaglets would like. If they were fed on demand during this time, they would not be ready to fly in June! Thus begins what I call "Tough Love". The eaglets will squeal and squeal for food but the parents ignore them. They will be fed when the parents feel it is time and not when the eaglets want. I tell visitors that the only source of liquid they get is from the fresh kills their parents bring into the nest. Eagles have no way to bring in water so you can imagine how thirsty and hungry these eaglets might get.

In May, "Wingersizing" (exercising the wings or flapping) is done in earnest by the eaglets. By the end of May and early June, they will branch by jumping and flapping up to a nearby branch and going back down to the nest. This helps build up strength they need for that all important first flight. It should be noted that at this time, the eaglets look a bit bigger than their parents. The reason for this is that the parents begin to molt some of their feathers. The young eagles will not molt until the following year so they are always growing new feathers which gives them the appearance of being bigger.

The first flight of an eaglet is difficult to time but it is an exciting and nerve wracking moment. The nest has been the only home they have known for three months. When they first test their wings to fly it can be scary. I have seen them take their first flights and can tell you landing is very tricky. After about a week, they begin to get the hang of taking off and landing. The parents bring food into the nest for the juveniles for a couple of weeks. This forces them to fly back to the nest and practice the all important landing.

In July, the parents will bring food to different tree branches to get the juveniles familiar with their surroundings. Usually, by the end of July, they leave the area to live independently The parents then leave the area and head north to cooler climates. They are not tagged or otherwise tracked so we do not know exactly where they go. Sometimes, we see juveniles flying with Turkey vultures who are better at locating carcasses. The juveniles muscle their way in and eat their fill while the vultures wait. This is one way young eagles can survive while they practice their fishing and hunting skills. We must remember that eagles are scavengers as well as skilled hunters. They will happily eat carrion and freshly caught fish, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Nesting season is over by the end of July and our volunteer work is done until the following year.

I began volunteering for California State Parks and then for the Bureau of Reclamation in 2018 at the Lake Natoma nest and continue to do so. The Bureau of Reclamation owns the land where the eagles nest. In 2019, Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma (FOLFAN) organized a volunteer group that works in conjunction with State Parks to help at the nest site as there are increasing numbers of visitors that come out to see these beautiful eagles. A new brochure has been created to help address common questions about eagles: "New Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma Bald Eagle Brochure"

Due to the Governor’s order to Shelter in Place because of the pandemic, our volunteer efforts have been on hold since March. We hope to be back out as soon as the Shelter in Place order has terminated and it is safe to do so. Meanwhile, the eagles are doing what they have been doing successfully for a long time.

The status of Bald eagles in California and elsewhere continues to be very positive. Population numbers are increasing and pairs are returning to nest in areas they were missing from for many decades due to DDT and lead poisoning, loss of habitat, power line electrocutions, and shooting. The recovery of this species is a remarkable success story aided by the Endangered Species Act. With good stewardship and public behavior that should continue into the future.

Bald eagles in California

Three healthy young Bald eagles testing their wings

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FORB 2020 Event Update

5/16/2020

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FORB has cancelled several recent Second Saturday events due to COVID-19 and is following state and local health and safety guidance. At this point, we don't know when it will be possible to safely hold group events outdoors again. The 2020 calendar has been updated to note this existing uncertainty. Meanwhile, FORB is considering other ways to perhaps hold "virtual" events or otherwise help us all cope with these pandemic times. Any scheduled changes to activate FORB programs will go out to our mailing list and be published in our web calendar. Stay tuned and be sure to share any local observations or other information you may find if you spend time independently at Sutter's Landing Park or the lower American River Parkway.

FORB would have hosted another great bat program this month but of course that wasn't possible. Meanwhile the pandemic has added new problems to this sensitive and very important group of mammals. For more on that issue, please check out "Making Tracks With Bats..." including a recent interview with a local wildlife/bat rehab worker.

Stay and well and enjoy nature wherever you can!

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Avoid Covid-19 Blues with Wildlife & Nature live Webcams by Dale

3/24/2020

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Take the time to appreciate wildlife like this Flicker and have a "Northern Flicker Moment" by clicking on the photo.

We need to follow instructions and maintain physical distances from each other as this new coronavirus spreads. Meanwhile, nature and wildlife continue to be important to our well-being. It is possible to appreciate nature and observe wildlife from home especially if you have created some native habitat. That is a project that you can work on if you haven't. Our local California Native Plant Society has started a "Homegrown Habitat" initiative and provides lots of useful information to get started. You can also participate in many citizen science projects from home. Check out "Citizen Science-ing where you are" for suggestions.

Kestrel, or Sparrow hawk, surveying Sutter's Landing Park on a windy day.

There are many webcams available to check in on your favorite park or refuge or even watch young California condors or other species in their nests. Make a project out of finding and sharing new webcams and enjoys popular ones such as these:

I've picked some great webcams around the globe to help keep you sane in these trying times. Depending on the time of day or night you’re reading this, they should offer you some solace and wonder for the long weeks ahead. Share your observations and discoveries with others as we help each other stay healthy and sane in these trying times.

Tembe Elephant Park
One of several great livecams from Explore.org. This one brings you to a very popular watering hole on the Mozambique border.

Decorah Eagles
A rare opportunity to see bald eagles up close and relaxed in Decorah, Iowa.

Gorilla Forest Corridor
You may or may not see any critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas, but this is a heck of a peaceful site in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Coral City
An urban reef in Miami, Florida that’s part habitat, part science experiment and part art project. You never know who might swim by.

Cornell Lab’s Panama Fruit Feeder-cam at Canopy Lodge
Pay attention. All kinds of colorful birds fly by to sample the wares that scientists have left out for them at this conservation site in Panama.

Big Sur Condors
Two webcams from the Ventana Wildlife Society showcasing the amazing California condors in their care. The birds aren’t always on camera, but it’s worth sticking around to see them.

Otters and More at Monterey Bay
A neverending parade of sea otters, birds, harbor seals and other marine mammals will entertain you at this feed, courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Bison Watering Hole at Grasslands National Park
Again, you never know what wildlife you’ll witness onscreen, but the beauty of this site in Saskatchewan can take your breath away.

New York University’s Hawk Cam
Oh wow, an urban nest whose residents are mini-celebrities. This includes an active chat feature, so it’s one more way to connect with fellow enthusiasts.

Jellyfish at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Who knew jellyfish were so Zen? This livecam is about as relaxing as it can possibly get. Get lost in the gentle motion.

There’s much more! Here's one more essential livestream that I can’t embed but it’s worth opening a new browser tab to see:
Red Wolf enclosure cam — Check out one of the rarest predators on the planet, courtesy of the conservation breeding program at the Wolf Conservation Center, which also maintains several other great webcams. (Kudos to John Platt of "The Revelator" for much of the webcam info and much more wildlife conservation work.)

Stay Well and Safe For The Uncertain Times To Come...

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FORB Hosted 15th Annual New Years Day Celebration at Sutter's Landing Park!

1/3/2020

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Reflecting on why nature is important and what we must do to protect and preserve it. Dale

Clear blue skies greeted the many folks that came out to enjoy another FORB New Years Day Celebration. Well over 50 people came, including many return visitors and some first time attendees. Everyone had a very good time enjoying oatmeal cookies, hot cocoa or coffee, wildlife viewing and being out in nature. The group also left the area cleaner than they found it too collecting litter as they walked. We hope to see you there next year and hopefully at one of our upcoming second Saturday events sooner. Photos and captions by Robert unless otherwise noted.

Thanks to all who came and made it a special and memorable start of the year!

A Friend of the River Banks, FORB!
Robert

Thanks to all who made clean up a part of our New Year River Walk!

It was another great turnout from our community and of old and new neighbors reuniting! Some neighbors children were little toddlers crawling in the sand years ago and are now young adults!

What a start to the New Year! JoEllen

A male Common Goldeneye Duck. They can fly up to 40 miles an hour and their wings make a distinctive whistling sound!

Great Blue Heron

Male & female Bufflehead Ducks. The name “Bufflehead” is derived from "buffalo-head," for the male’s odd puffy head shape.

Female Goldeneye Duck

A small flock of Goldeneye ducks

The is a courting display made by the male, they flip their heads back against their backs and (to me) make a croaking sound! :-)

Ducks joined the walk! JoEllen

This old Cottonwood finally gave in to many years of river flow not to mention a lot of rope swinging activity. Dale

Two young adventurers who have enjoyed many FORB NY Day events already! Dale

Turkey Vultures, one is sunning it feathers

A White-tail Kite! In the U S they can only be found in the west, mostly along the coast, in central Ca. and the Gulf coast of Texas.

The end of a sunny New Years 2020 morning at SLP!

Happy group enjoying an early New Years Day at Sutter's Landing Park! Dale

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Team Otter Completed Another Annual Wildlife Count At Sutter's Landing Park!

12/19/2019

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The report for this hearty group was submitted along with all the other teams up and down the American River Parkway and will be compiled to give an overall look at the health and distribution of birds and other wildlife. This is a great example of citizen science and the data is shared in eBird where it is available to anyone who can study it or use it to plan a future outdoor experience. Thanks Team Otter!

American River Parkway--Sutter's Landing Park
Dec 8, 2019
09:00
Traveling
1.00 miles
90 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Team Otter
Sutter’s Landing Park
9/8/2019
number of team subunits=4
Participants:
Robert Sewell
Asli Mete
Kevin Baker
Jane Taylor
JoEllen Arnold

2 coyote
1 gray squirrel
One 2 ½ foot long salmon swimming slowly upstream.
Sign of beaver feeding precious night at shoreline: stripped branches in the water with tooth marks, drag marks from branches into the water, wood chips in the water
Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.9.6 Build 18

40 Canada Goose
30 Mallard
17 Northern Pintail
10 Bufflehead
40 Common Goldeneye
1 Common Merganser
2 Pied-billed Grebe
50 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
7 Mourning Dove
1 Anna's Hummingbird
2 California Gull
3 gull sp.
1 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Snowy Egret
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
4 Black Phoebe
7 California Scrub-Jay
30 American Crow
1 Oak Titmouse
5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 Bewick's Wren
26 European Starling
3 Northern Mockingbird
1 House Sparrow
5 House Finch
6 White-crowned Sparrow
7 Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 California Towhee
3 Spotted Towhee
25 Western Meadowlark
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Number of Taxa: 37

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Photos from Sea Lion eating fish at Discovery Park by Robert

Team Otter Contributed again to 36th Annual ARNHA Wildlife Count by Dale

Volunteer Cleanups Making A Difference by Dale

FORB/FOSL: Trash cleanup this holiday weekend

Midtown Sacramento Coyotes with Guy Galante

Bald Eagles Nesting Over Lake Natoma by Kathy

FORB 2020 Event Update

Avoid Covid-19 Blues with Wildlife & Nature live Webcams by Dale

FORB Hosted 15th Annual New Years Day Celebration at Sutter's Landing Park!

Team Otter Completed Another Annual Wildlife Count At Sutter's Landing Park!

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