This year, 2018, I have set up a little challenge for myself. The challenge is to see 100 or more species in Yolo County each month. Now, that does not mean that the 100 species of February have to all be different species from the 100 species in January. Rather it means that the total number of species seen in each month should get to a total of 100 or more. So, if I see a Red-tailed Hawk some time in January it gets added to the January list. If I see a Red-tailed Hawk some time in February it get added to the February list.
I am hoping this will help me to notice more details as I search to find that next species for a given month, encourage me to visit more habitat types each month, and highlight the seasonal differences as species come and go from my monthly list. This first few months, I have really been enjoying it, and will share what I see with you as the months go by.
Below is my species list from April. It has a total of 103 species, so I made my target! This month was a bit of a stretch for me to reach the 100 species mark. My family spent more time away from home which meant less time here birding. On the 27th, I was only at 89 species. But, I drove around the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area auto tour route on the 28th and picked up quite a few species including a lot of shorebirds. Some of the highlights from the month were my first Western Kingbird and Caspian Tern of the year, an Eared Grebe that I found at the Port of West Sacramento, a Horned Lark that I happened upon driving through the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and a handful of Semipalmated Plovers at the same location. A notable and surprising miss for the month was American Kestrel. I really kept my eyes open for this species, but never was able to cross paths with one!
I am now 1/3rd of the way through my challenge, and I am definitely continuing to enjoy it. I am looking forward to seeing what I can find in May!
Here is my April species list.
| Species – Yolo County – April | |
| 1 | Snow Goose |
| 2 | Canada Goose |
| 3 | Wood Duck |
| 4 | Cinnamon Teal |
| 5 | Northern Shoveler |
| 6 | Gadwall |
| 7 | American Wigeon |
| 8 | Mallard |
| 9 | Green-winged Teal |
| 10 | Common Merganser |
| 11 | California Quail |
| 12 | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| 13 | Wild Turkey |
| 14 | Pied-billed Grebe |
| 15 | Eared Grebe |
| 16 | Double-crested Cormorant |
| 17 | American White Pelican |
| 18 | American Bittern |
| 19 | Great Blue Heron |
| 20 | Great Egret |
| 21 | Snowy Egret |
| 22 | Green Heron |
| 23 | Black-crowned Night-Heron |
| 24 | White-faced Ibis |
| 25 | Turkey Vulture |
| 26 | Osprey |
| 27 | White-tailed Kite |
| 28 | Northern Harrier |
| 29 | Cooper’s Hawk |
| 30 | Red-shouldered Hawk |
| 31 | Swainson’s Hawk |
| 32 | Red-tailed Hawk |
| 33 | Virginia Rail |
| 34 | Sora |
| 35 | Common Gallinule |
| 36 | American Coot |
| 37 | Black-necked Stilt |
| 38 | American Avocet |
| 39 | Black-bellied Plover |
| 40 | Semipalmated Plover |
| 41 | Killdeer |
| 42 | Long-billed Curlew |
| 43 | Dunlin |
| 44 | Least Sandpiper |
| 45 | Western Sandpiper |
| 46 | Long-billed Dowitcher |
| 47 | Spotted Sandpiper |
| 48 | Greater Yellowlegs |
| 49 | Ring-billed Gull |
| 50 | California Gull |
| 51 | Caspian Tern |
| 52 | Rock Pigeon |
| 53 | Eurasian Collared-Dove |
| 54 | Mourning Dove |
| 55 | Barn Owl |
| 56 | Great Horned Owl |
| 57 | White-throated Swift |
| 58 | Anna’s Hummingbird |
| 59 | Belted Kingfisher |
| 60 | Nuttall’s Woodpecker |
| 61 | Northern Flicker |
| 62 | Black Phoebe |
| 63 | Western Kingbird |
| 64 | California Scrub-Jay |
| 65 | Yellow-billed Magpie |
| 66 | American Crow |
| 67 | Common Raven |
| 68 | Horned Lark |
| 69 | Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
| 70 | Tree Swallow |
| 71 | Barn Swallow |
| 72 | Cliff Swallow |
| 73 | Oak Titmouse |
| 74 | Bushtit |
| 75 | Marsh Wren |
| 76 | Bewick’s Wren |
| 77 | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| 78 | Hermit Thrush |
| 79 | American Robin |
| 80 | Northern Mockingbird |
| 81 | European Starling |
| 82 | Cedar Waxwing |
| 83 | Common Yellowthroat |
| 84 | Yellow Warbler |
| 85 | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| 86 | Wilson’s Warbler |
| 87 | Dark-eyed Junco |
| 88 | White-crowned Sparrow |
| 89 | Golden-crowned Sparrow |
| 90 | Savannah Sparrow |
| 91 | Song Sparrow |
| 92 | Lincoln’s Sparrow |
| 93 | California Towhee |
| 94 | Spotted Towhee |
| 95 | Western Meadowlark |
| 96 | Red-winged Blackbird |
| 97 | Brown-headed Cowbird |
| 98 | Brewer’s Blackbird |
| 99 | Great-tailed Grackle |
| 100 | House Finch |
| 101 | Lesser Goldfinch |
| 102 | American Goldfinch |
| 103 | House Sparrow |
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