We recently got a chance to check in with Gretchen Framel of Mount Shasta Area Audubon about birding in Siskiyou and what makes this area such a special place for bird watching.
What makes Siskiyou a unique destination for birdwatching?
I enjoy Siskiyou County birding for its fun variety of surprising species. The mountain, lakes, forests and rivers create the best habitat for birders to enjoy. The deep water of Lake Siskiyou contains a food supply sought out by hungry Osprey, Bald Eagles, Loons & Cormorants. I’ve stood on the shore many times and watched eagles and osprey hover and dive into the water bringing up huge fish! If you scan the shore, you’ll find Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets sneaking very slowly to catch minnows and amphibians near the grassy-willow shores. Wild manzanita with pink blooms in the spring bring the colorful Anna’s hummingbird, Bushtits, Warblers and Chipping Sparrows. In the fall, wild chokecherry and flowering Mountain Dogwood produce berries for the Waxwings and Robins to gobble up before winter. In the drier part of our county, I love scouting out through the sagebrush, grasslands and rabbitbrush for Sage Thrashers, Kestrels, hawk species, falcons and Golden Eagles. If you love Bird varieties, Siskiyou provides a wonderful area to discover and surround yourself with nature’s birds.
Can you describe some of the best birding spots in the area? Maybe some hidden gems?
Lake Siskiyou is a personal favorite for many locals. Lake Siskiyou is close to town and has easy access for seeing Warbling Vireos, Cassin’s Vireo, Golden Crowned Warblers, Western Tanagers, White headed Woodpeckers, Belted Kingfishers, Red Breasted Sapsuckers, Black Headed Grosbeaks. Walking the Siskiyou Lake Trail that encircles the lake will bring you past willow rushes, pines past the shores to the mouth of the Sacramento River Delta that feeds the lake.
At the delta bridge area, the Spotted Sandpipers, Common Mergansers Bald Eagles and Osprey use the beach for bathing and preening so please try to keep your puppies on their leashes.
Spring Hill Trail in North Mount Shasta. The trail climbs up through dense foliage and trees where several bird species feed and take shelter. Wrentits, Fox Sparrows, Towhees, Quail and Warblers can be found as you meander higher and higher. Reaching the top provides a splendid view of the surrounding area to watch for hawks and eagles.
Sisson Meadow, located East Mt Shasta provides easy walking with a board walk and cement trails providing wheelchair access. You will find Oaks and willows and a seasonal stream. Sit on a bench and enjoy the high mountain birds and view of Mt. Shasta.
Shastice Park provides a large Oak Forest and manzanita for Acorn Woodpeckers, Bushtits, Towhees, Sparrows and Hummingbirds. Trail parallels the unused train track and makes a very nice long loop around the oak forest. (Disc golf course shares the area)
Gateway Trail is located up Everitt Memorial Hwy. Signage on the right side of road, approximately one mile from town. Large area for hiking and bird watching. Oaks, pines and manzanita are gems for the birdwatchers.
McBride Trailhead is a nice walk up into the manzanita, oaks, pines. Located only a few miles up Everitt Memorial Hwy, watch for road signage on the right. There is ample parking. Stay on the trail that is posted, “Hikers Only” otherwise you share trail with mountain bikes.
Lake Shastina is north of Mt. Shasta about 20 minutes’ drive through town of Weed. This lake is much larger than Lake Siskiyou and has ample room for walking and waterfowl viewing at the overlook. From the shore or viewing from above, Tundra Swan, American Pelican, Green-Winged and Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Scaup, Canvas Back, Northern Shovelers, American and Eurasian Wigeons, Loon, Common and Hooded Mergansers and more. Spring and Summer bring kingbirds, warblers, sparrows, raptors, falcons, Mountain bluebirds, osprey and shore birds. There is a free day use area with tables and restrooms. Note that it is closed to overnight camping.
How does the changing seasons affect birdwatching opportunities in Siskiyou County?
The types of species will vary during Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Winter birdwatching is subtle but if you listen carefully, you can hear the chipping of birds as they scratch the leaves or under snow to find food, such as the Dark-Eyed Juncos & Cassin’s Finches. Several species are found eating the Juniper Berries during winter like the Cedar Waxwings. Woodpeckers, like the Red-Breasted Sapsuckers, Lewis’s, White headed and Red-Shafted Flickers are busy finding insects & grubs under the tree bark. Says Phoebe, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, California, Spotted Towhee’s Loggerhead Shrikes and American Dippers.
Before migrating South, local lakes have diving ducks such as the Common and Hooded Mergansers, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Loons, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead. Dabblers like Canada and Greater White Fronted Geese, Teals, Wigeons, Scaups and Ringneck.
March and April bring Sandhill Cranes, migrating White-Fronted Geese, and Canada and Cackling Geese if you are lucky enough to know the difference!
May is migration time for flycatchers and warblers to arrive. Hammonds, Gray, Western, Olive-sided flycatchers are especially fun to locate. Other migrants will be beautiful Grosbeaks, Orioles, Vireos and Lazuli Buntings.
Summer birding is steady yet different from migration season.
Fall is when the shorebirds show up in greater numbers. Greater and Lesser Yellow legs, Dunlin, Plovers,
What equipment, resources or guides would you recommend for someone looking to go birding in Siskiyou County?
If you are coming in the summer, start with sunscreen, a good shade hat & sturdy shoes or light hikers. Carry water as it gets very warm. A pair of binoculars that are rated 8 x 42 or 10 x 42 are best for birding. A field guide to help identify what you might find and a notepad. Write down the date, time and weather at the time of sighting. Ask your birding buddy to help with Identifying what you are seeing. Start simple and keep it fun just one to three new birds can be a wealth of excitement! You can find most of your birding needs at Raven Tree Shop. A local nature and birding shop filled with goodies and equipped for adults and children!
(all images courtesy of Gretchen Framel)
