Hiking and Birding After the First Snowfall of the Season

On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the forests around 4,000 feet in elevation are excellent places to enjoy a wide variety of birds and other wildlife.  The mid-montane coniferous forests of this "lower conifer zone," as it is known, occur at elevations just above the oak woodlands and chaparral of the foothills, and just below the upper conifer zone.  Here, at this meeting place of plant communities, pockets of black oak and bigleaf maple mixed in among stands of ponderosa pines and other conifers add to the abundant species diversity.  Cooler, north-facing slopes hold stands of white fir, while live oak thrives in warmer, drier microclimates on south-facing slopes.  Sugar pine are common at this elevation as well, along with incense cedar and Douglas fir.  

And, most importantly for birders, this zone of abundance offers an enticing mix of bird species from both lower and higher elevations.

Trail from Twain Harte to Lyon's Reservoir

In the Central Sierra, a fifteen mile stretch of the historic Sugar Pine Railway has been converted into a multiuse trail, suitable for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.  While mountain bikers might tackle the whole trail in one day, hikers and birders can hop onto sections of the trail at trailheads in Twain Harte, at Lyon's Reservoir, near Fraser Flat campground, and in Strawberry. 

From around 4,000 feet in elevation in the town of Twain Harte, the trail meanders eastward through coniferous forests and stands of black oak, rising gently upwards along the South Fork of the Stanislaus River, to its end near Strawberry at 5,400 feet.  As the trail follows the south bank of the river, the trail along north-facing slopes enjoys a microclimate that is more cool and moist than the hills across the river, and hikers can enjoy mossy boulders, fern-rimmed pools and pleasant shade along most of the trail.  

It was to this trail that we headed last weekend, arriving early in the morning after the first low snowfall of the season.

The first snowfall of the season, in mid-November


This transect of the mid-montane forests provides birders with easy, mostly level walking through beautiful, birdy habitat.    

At the lower end of the trail, and in dry openings with stands of oak, birds more commonly associated with the Central Valley and chaparral habitats can be found.  Here is habitat favored by Acorn Woodpeckers, Spotted Towhees, Western Bluebirds, and Lesser Goldfinches.  

Spotted Towhee


But as the trail wends its way upwards, through stands of mixed conifers, these species intermingle with mountain species, like Mountain Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Townsend's Solitaires and Pileated Woodpecker.   In the summer, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Tanagers and Western Wood-pewees breed in these mid-montane forests as well.  

Mountain Chickadee

Other truly mountain species, like Mountain Quail and Band-tailed Pigeon, are drawn to the area by its abundance of acorns.  A flock of Band-tailed Pigeons greeted us not far from the trailhead, and at a quiet spot in the woods, several Mountain Quail scurried across the trail in front of us.

Mountain Quail.  (Photo taken a few years ago at Pinecrest Lake.)


The river below the trail and Lyon's Reservoir are also good habitat for the American Dipper, a songbird of western mountains that swims and dives in cold, fast-flowing rivers and streams.  (Fun fact: Dippers are the only songbird in North America that truly swims!)

American Dipper


We found this dipper bobbing along at the edge of the reservoir near the dam.  It is always such a delight to watch these little charcoal, stub-tailed gnomes of mountain streams!  Learn more about what makes the American Dipper so special in this older article.

American Dipper, a songbird that dives and paddles about more like a duck than a songbird!

Common raptors in this part of the woods include the widespread Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, along with Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks.  But keep an eye on the sky for the elusive American Goshawk as well; the forests around Lyon's Reservoir, Strawberry and Pinecrest Lake are good places to catch a glimpse of this powerful accipiter. 

A small Sharp-shinned Hawk - the miniature cousin of the American Goshawk - in the fading light of an early fall evening.

In addition to the Sugar Pine Railway trail, a few more of my favorite locations to bird (and hike!) in the Central Sierra include:
* Pinecrest Lake (off Highway 108)
* Clark Fork Road and campground (off Highway 108)
* Kennedy Meadows (off Highway 108)
* Sonora Pass trailhead area (Highway 108)
* The Arnold Rim Trail (off Highway 4)
* Calaveras Big Trees State Park (off Highway 4)
* Lake Alpine (off Highway 4)

Share your favorite birding and hiking locations in the Sierra Nevada (or other mountains!) in the comments below!


The beauty of autumn in the Central Sierra



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