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is the Western Tanager, as a result of that is the chook that impressed my love for birding after I was simply 9 years outdated.
Wrentit
What’s your title, and the place do you reside?
My title is Rachel Clark and I stay in Fresno, California, which could be very close to the middle of the state.
Hermit Warbler
What are the principle areas or places 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 roughly 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 elements of being a chook information that you just like finest? Which elements do you dislike most?
The factor that I like essentially the most about guiding is seeing the enjoyment in my shoppers’ faces after 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 generally really feel when looking for particular targets. Some birds are simply so extremely elusive (Mountain Quail is a chief instance of this), and it may be extraordinarily troublesome to get eyes on them, and I at all times 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 just suppose are essentially the most attention-grabbing for visiting birders?
There are various standard targets within the Central California space! Whereas California isn’t 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 very talked-about 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 actually more difficult to seek out than others, however every is definitely worth the effort!
Yellow-billed Magpie
Are you able to define a minimum of one typical birdwatching journey in your space? Please briefly describe the places, the important thing birds and the approximate period of such a visit
A typical journey in my space can range 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 variety 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 combined 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 way in which, shoppers are more likely 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 doable alongside this route, however generally is a little more difficult. This route is most efficient in late spring, however is nice by means of the autumn. Hitting the entire habitat varieties alongside this route could make for a protracted day (~12 hours), however the itinerary will at all times be tailor-made to a shopper’s wants and the day may be a lot shorter if want be.
American Dipper
What different solutions are you able to give to birders serious about 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 available simply in case. Should you’re going to be birding alongside the coast or within the Sierras, undoubtedly be careful for poison oak. I at all times carry particular wipes with me in case anybody by chance touches or brushes towards the plant. So far as the perfect time total to go to is, that basically depends upon what an individual is on the lookout for. If an individual is specializing in shorebirds and waterfowl, fall and winter are undoubtedly finest (there are some wonderful wildlife refuges within the Valley, and the coast is tremendous productive throughout these occasions of yr). If an individual is focusing extra on songbirds and/or excessive elevation specialties within the Sierra, late spring by means of mid-summer is the perfect timeframe.
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is serious about birding with you, how can they finest contact you?
I can simply be reached by means of a number of totally different avenues. My e-mail is cencalbirdingtours@gmail.com and my enterprise cellphone quantity is 559-492-6240. Individuals can attain out by means of 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 anything you wish to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?
I’d like for potential shoppers to know that every journey is tailor-made in response to a shopper’s explicit wants. If a shopper has restricted mobility, or for any cause prefers to not spend a lot time birding on foot, I’ll design an itinerary that includes largely automobile birding. Conversely, if a shopper prefers to hike all day, we will certainly do this! I ask every shopper a number of questions comparable to how a lot time they’d favor to hike VS chook by automobile, how lengthy of a day they’re on the lookout for, 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!
