What’s your favourite chook species?
My favourite chook species is the Western Tanager, as a result of that is the chook that impressed my love for birding once I was simply 9 years outdated.
Wrentit
What’s your identify, and the place do you reside?
My identify is Rachel Clark and I reside in Fresno, California, which may be very close to the middle of the state.
Hermit Warbler
What are the primary areas or areas you cowl as a chook information?
I cowl a lot of the Central California space. Most of my guiding is within the central Sierra Nevada from the Sierra Nationwide Forest to the north and the Sequoia Nationwide Forest to the south. Kings Canyon and Sequoia Nationwide Parks are sandwiched in there! Within the San Joaquin Valley, I information from San Joaquin County to the north and Kern County to the south. Alongside the coast, I information from Pacific Grove to the north and Morro Bay to the south.
How lengthy have you ever been a chook information?
I’ve had my firm, Central California Birding Excursions for simply over a yr, however I’ve been guiding for over 5 years.
White-headed Woodpecker
How did you get into chook guiding?
I fell into chook guiding kind of by likelihood. I used to be doing it on a volunteer foundation for a neighborhood Audubon chapter that I used to be affiliated with when dwelling within the Midwest. It started with main native journeys and regularly developed into co-leading birding journeys to locations like south Texas, Florida, and Alaska. I noticed that I had a ardour for guiding and that it was one thing that I wished to do professionally.
Williamson’s Sapsucker
What are the facets of being a chook information that you simply like greatest? Which facets do you dislike most?
The factor that I like probably the most about guiding is seeing the enjoyment in my purchasers’ faces once they see a brand new chook for the primary time. To me, that’s pure magic, and there’s no different feeling prefer it! The factor that I like least about guiding is the stress I typically really feel when looking for particular targets. Some birds are simply so extremely elusive (Mountain Quail is a major instance of this), and it may be extraordinarily tough to get eyes on them, and I all the time really feel a way of guilt if I can’t make that occur.
Mountain Quail
What are the highest 5-10 birds in your area that you simply suppose are probably the most fascinating for visiting birders?
There are numerous widespread targets within the Central California space! Whereas California will not be precisely a hotspot for endemics, now we have many range-restricted species that reside right here. The Yellow-billed Magpie, which is endemic, is a extremely popular goal. Mountain Quail, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, White-headed Woodpecker, Wrentit, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Northern Pygmy Owl, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Hermit Warbler, and California Thrasher are all very extremely requested targets as properly. A few of these are definitely tougher to seek out than others, however every is definitely worth the effort!
Yellow-billed Magpie
Are you able to define no less than one typical birdwatching journey in your space? Please briefly describe the areas, the important thing birds and the approximate length of such a visit
A typical journey in my space can differ fairly broadly, however I do have a little bit of a most popular route that I take within the Sierra Nationwide Forest, because it covers a range of habitat varieties and is mostly fairly dependable for yielding a excessive variety of species. This route covers open oak woodlands, chaparral, mid-elevation Sierra blended conifer forests, closely burn-scarred forests (although these can look considerably abysmal, the chook life they host is surprisingly wealthy), streams, meadows, and excessive elevation pine forests. Alongside the best way, purchasers are prone to see Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Oak Titmice, Rock Wren, American Dipper, White-headed Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Clark’s Nutcracker, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Hermit Warbler (relying on the season), Mountain Chickadee, Purple Finch, Cassin’s Finch, and lots of extra. Northern Pygmy Owl, Mountain Quail, and Wrentit are all attainable alongside this route, however could be a little tougher. This route is best in late spring, however is nice by the autumn. Hitting all the habitat varieties alongside this route could make for an extended day (~12 hours), however the itinerary will all the time be tailor-made to a consumer’s wants and the day could be a lot shorter if want be.
American Dipper
What different strategies are you able to give to birders all for your space?
For birders coming to my space, I’d suggest avoiding the San Joaquin Valley in the summertime, as it’s BLAZING scorching down right here that point of yr! Fortunately, it’s a lot cooler within the Sierra and alongside the coast, even in summer season. It doesn’t matter what time of yr you’re birding in my space, or the place you intend to go, I’d suggest having loads of sunscreen and bug repellant readily available simply in case. When you’re going to be birding alongside the coast or within the Sierras, undoubtedly be careful for poison oak. I all the time carry particular wipes with me in case anybody unintentionally touches or brushes in opposition to the plant. So far as the perfect time general to go to is, that basically is dependent upon what an individual is in search of. If an individual is specializing in shorebirds and waterfowl, fall and winter are undoubtedly greatest (there are some wonderful wildlife refuges within the Valley, and the coast is tremendous productive throughout these instances of yr). If an individual is focusing extra on songbirds and/or excessive elevation specialties within the Sierra, late spring by mid-summer is the perfect time-frame.
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is all for birding with you, how can they greatest contact you?
I can simply be reached by a number of completely different avenues. My electronic mail is cencalbirdingtours@gmail.com and my enterprise telephone quantity is 559-492-6240. Folks can attain out by my web site, which is https://centralcaliforniabirdingtours.com. I may also be discovered on Instagram. My enterprise profile is central_ca_birding_tours and my private profile (which is extraordinarily bird-centric) is tanager_girl.
Northern Pygmy Owl
Is there the rest you wish to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?
I’d like for potential purchasers to know that every journey is tailor-made in response to a consumer’s specific wants. If a consumer has restricted mobility, or for any purpose prefers to not spend a lot time birding on foot, I’ll design an itinerary that entails principally automobile birding. Conversely, if a consumer prefers to hike all day, we will certainly do this! I ask every consumer a number of questions equivalent to how a lot time they’d choose to hike VS chook by automobile, how lengthy of a day they’re in search of, what species they’d wish to see, and if they’ve any particular requests/wants. Every itinerary is individually tailor-made primarily based on the solutions to those questions!
Autor Editor
