UPDATE 4/22/2026: 

Our small but intrepid Birdathon team, Priya Pharate and Caitlin Dempsey, set out to bird at Ulistac Natural Area on a wet spring morning that alternated between steady rain and brief breaks of sunlight.

Neither we nor the birds were deterred by the weather. An exuberant northern mockingbird provided a running soundtrack, cycling through an impressive range of calls that at times suggested red-shouldered hawks, killdeer, lazuli buntings, and hooded orioles were all sharing the same tree.

While we officially recorded 47 species (see checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S325603273), we resisted the mockingbird’s attempts to convince us to push that total past 50.

The rain had one clear benefit: it kept mosquito activity low, particularly near the eucalyptus grove.

We were pleased to be true to our team’s banner image with a sighting of a western tanager perched high on a snag, standing out even against the gray sky.

Warblers were far more audible than visible. Wilson’s warblers, orange-crowned warblers, and a single MacGillivray’s warbler were all heard singing, while yellow-rumped warblers gave characteristic “chek” calls from within the oak canopy. Bewick’s wrens were singing throughout Ulistac.

Other active species included Nutall's and hairy woodpeckers, black-headed grosbeaks, bushtits, dark-eyed juncos, lesser and American goldfinches, flocks of house finches, blue-gray gnatcatchers, California scrub jays, American crows, and a ruby-crowned kinglet moving through the canopy. Lingering winter residents, including white-throated sparrow and golden-crowned sparrows, were also present, a reminder of the seasonal overlap typical of spring migration.

Near the wetland edge, a great egret hunted while a hairy woodpecker worked into oak bark in search of insects. In the reeds, song sparrows and red-winged blackbirds provided a steady chorus.

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Join SCVBA board members Caitlin and Priya as they explore the hidden gem that is the Ulistac Natural Area! Keep your eyes high as they search out breeding birds and summer migrants along the Guadalupe River. 

All funds raised by this team go to support Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. Top fundraisers (based on funds raised across all teams fundraisers participate in) are eligible for prizes at the end of the Spring Birdathon competition (March 31 to May 3).

Western Tanager by Chris Johnson