Anyone up for a day trip? Let's take a quick spin through the Panoche Valley. If you live in the Bay Area, Monterey, or Central Valley, you may already know about it. If you haven't heard of it, or if you're from elsewhere in the country and want to think about places to visit in California this is really a great spot for winter birding.
The area is mostly ranchland, with a few small canyons mixed in. It has a very "old California" feel. In the mountains that border the valley, there was some mining - mostly mercury, if I'm not mistaken.
View from BLM Road near Mercey Hot Springs, Little Panoche Road
You may notice that this week's diary is a bit earlier than usual. That's because our annual trip to Panoche got moved up a week at the last moment; in a few minutes, I'll be carpooling south...
I make a trip to Panoche at least once every winter, and often manage a second trip. The wintering raptors first attracted me to the area, but the wonderful diversity of birds is what keeps me coming back year after year. Over the years, my cumulative trips lists for the area includes 122 species. (Raptors are over-represented in these photos because we're raptorphiles, but also because they're big and sit still so they're much easier to photograph.)
My Friends often adorn their car for the occasion.
After gassing up in Hollister (last chance), the trip starts about 15 miles south of town along Hwy 25 at the Paicines Reservoir. There's a turnout at the south end of the reservoir where it's convenient for a group to meet. It's not a huge reservoir, but it often has some nice species - usually 10-12 species of ducks (including common mergansers), a handful of shorebirds, herons, egrets and night-herons, and sometimes white pelicans and tundra swans. It's also the most reliable spot for Bald Eagles. I think we've only missed them there once in all the years I've gone. We usually allow 1/2 hour or so (longer if anyone is late to meet the group).
From the turnout, we head back north a quarter mile or so and turn onto Panoche Road. (There's a store on the corner - if you need any food or drinks, stop here because the next stop is the Panoche Inn well down the road.) For the first few miles, we make semi-regular stops to pick up some of the local specialties for the first time - phainopepla in mistletoe clusters in the oak trees, western bluebirds (not common for us city dwellers), Say's Phoebes and California Thrashers in the floodplain. We often see our first Golden Eagle of the day in this stretch.
Pair of Great Horned Owls, immediately after mating.
About four miles in, you come to a rock face on the left side of the road with several cavities on the face. Some call this Owl Rock and some call it Falcon Rock, but either name lets you know it's worth a stop. Scan the holes for Great Horned Owls (or sometimes Barn Owls). We've seen prairie falcons perched on ledges here, too.
A few miles further and you're climbing a bit, with the hillside sloping down to your right and the creek meandering at the bottom of the hills. Stop here and scan along the gravelly banks and in the fields - it's an excellent spot for roadrunners.
You'll pass through a lot of interesting terrain, and really, almost any stop you choose to make will yield some interesting birds. There are a few stops that deserve special mention, though:
The "Woodpecker House" about 12 or 14 miles in (maybe more?), you'll be driving along with a steep rock hillside on your right and the creek on your left. The rocky hillside drops away for a moment, revealing a house with an enormous oak in the front yard, and the road crosses a small creek. Park there and take a moment to wander around. The oak is a favorite spot for woodpeckers, sapsuckers, nuthatches, phainopepla and any number of other species. Last year, we had extremely close looks at a very cooperative roadrunner along the creek on the opposite side of the street. It's a remarkably birdy area and a lot of fun. If I ever win the lottery, I'm buying that house.
Pair of Golden Eagles
A little further down the road, you'll come to a CDF fire station. This area is also good for woodpeckers, and is one of the better spots for seeing Lewis' Woodpecker. We've also seen prairie falcons here pretty regularly.
Summit Ranch, just before you begin to descend into the valley (mile 22 or so?) is always worth a stop, and definitely take a look at the ranch ponds here, too. Almost every trip report you see posted on local lists includes some interesting bird seen at Summit Ranch.
Then you head down into the valley floor. As you start to level out, you'll see a creek running to the left, with low hills in back - we have seen badgers along here in some years. Scan all of the power poles for raptors - you'll see plenty, and a fair number of them should be nice birds like Ferruginous Hawks, like the one at left (look for them in the fields, too - big white lumps on the ground), and Prairie Falcons. Usually a few Merlins along the fence posts, along with good numbers of redtails, kestrels and harriers, and some eagles (mostly golden). Lark Sparrows are common, and Savannahs are abundant. If you need a break, stop at the Panoche Inn, a biker/rancher/birder bar (as all of the best bars in rural California tend to be). They keep a book on the bar so birders can write in their sightings - worth checking to see if you need to make a special stop. For some reason, we often see Cassin's Kingbird here, typically the only one we'll see all day. (Also, if you want an indoor bathroom, this is the only one out here.)
You could continue along Panoche Road for a bit and scan the fields for mountain plovers and mountain bluebirds, although they haven't been there in as good numbers the past few years. (You can also make a side trip up New Idria Road, but I'm going to steer you back to the main drag now...)
Mountain Bluebird, worth the trip all by itself.
Most people take Little Panoche Road (just beyond the bar) which ultimately goes to Hwy 5. Scan the fields on both sides, especially as you approach Shotgun Pass, because this has been the best spot for Mountain Plover the past few years. As you go through the pass, keep your eyes open for Chukar and Rock Wrens among others. Coming down from the pass, look for Prairie Falcons and eagles again.
Long-eared Owl, Mercey Hot Springs
A few miles past the pass, on your left, you'll come to Mercey Hot Springs. It was a resort in the 20s, abandoned for many years, and is now being rehabilitated. Its claim to fame is the Long-eared Owls who flock there every winter. The owners charge $5/person to visit, but it's worth it if you like owls. Last year, the Christmas count tallied 35 longears. In the photo below, I know there are at least 9 owls sitting there. They aren't much bothered by people and will let you approach their trees without a fuss. In some of the other groves, you can usually find a few Barn Owls, but they're much flightier and we try to keep our distance.
Click here to see the full size photo on the right - see if you can find all the Long-eared Owls... there are at least ten of them.
If you still have a bit of time left, there is a well-marked BLM road just a little bit further on the right. It's gravel, but well maintained. This road is great for mountain bluebirds and some of the sage species - sage sparrow and sage thrasher among them.
If you continue down Little Panoche Road to Hwy 5, you'll wind up just south of Los Banos, where there is supposed to be a great Basque restaurant. (I never quite make it that far.)
Next week, Blue Jersey Mom will be guest hosting Dawn Chorus with a diary about birds and archaeology. I know I'm looking forward to it!