For a New York girl who had never traveled much, spending six months in California seemed like a dream opportunity to see some of the country…and the birds therein. A year later, California is still proving to me its immense size and diversity. I’ve added well over 100 life birds without trying hard in the state alone. The amazing part is that these lifers have all been seen in northern California within a few hours drive of Sacramento. Contemplating a drive down to the border along with the birding possibilities makes my head spin. There are just so many species!

Despite all of the wonders to be seen in California, one of my top spots to bird out here is Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (left). It’s a small, urban refuge about 10 miles south of Sacramento with freshwater lakes, managed wetlands, riparian forest, and grasslands. If one were to bird on this refuge, they would probably have trouble finding something extremely rare. That person would, however, get a great sampling of the typical birds found in the Central Valley. This may not sound exciting, but as an intern doing a lot of field work on this refuge, I’ve come to know the residents very well. The slightly unusual birds, like eared grebes and hooded mergansers, now send a thrill upon sight. Old friends like the pied-billed grebe and California quail never cease to bring a smile (and usually a laugh), no matter how many times they’ve been seen. If nothing else, living on this refuge for the last year has taught me appreciate every bird a little more. Seeing a new bird for the first time is a decidedly good high, but for me, learning the habits of my old friends is much more satisfying.

This appreciation is perhaps best exemplified in the black phoebe who calls the refuge headquarters home. This little guy, or one just like him, was one of my very first life birds in California. I had just arrived in my apartment and was putting things away when I glanced out my window and there, for a brief moment, was a black phoebe on my balcony rail. I was absolutely shocked and so, apparently, was the phoebe for he took off and never again lighted on my rail. Despite his quick departure, seeing and hearing the quirky black phoebe is now a daily occurrence. He flies around the office landing on various favored perches, but the railing outside my office window is one of his favorites. It always seems that no matter what, the phoebe will be out hunting bugs and this often provides an amusing distraction. Even on improbably ugly days, he’s outside fighting the weather and continually calling. When a recent line of thunderstorms rolled through, the phoebe was still flying about and calling, even though he was being pelted by a heavy downpour mixed with pea-sized hail. Life would certainly be a lot duller without the black phoebe around and I am heartily happy to have gotten to know him.