Following are sections on Universal Access, Current Reliable Locations, Recommended Spring Birding Areas/Birding Strategies,  Early Spring Arrival Dates History, Observers, & Links.

Note:  If you are going to cut your birding day short, it is highly recommended that you do so at the end of your birding day rather than at the beginning. The most successful birding in the Kern River Valley and vicinity requires an early start (30-45 minutes before sunrise). Spend the mornings in the low country and the afternoons in the high country. If you are able to spend several days birding this area, visits to the high country some mornings will likely prove more productive than afternoon visits.

UNIVERSAL ACCESS:

Universal access varies depending on time of year. All feeders at the Kern River Preserve may be viewed from authorized vehicles. Birding is excellent in the KRP Headquarters area where vehicles may be situated to take advantage of bird activity. There are many pullouts and vehicle access points all the way around Isabella Reservoir and most of the campgrounds around it have paved interior roads. Tillie Creek Campground is particularly good. The Trail of 100 Giants is wheelchair accessible. This trail is usually free of snow starting sometime between May 1st and Memorial Day Weekend each year. E-mail or phone to discuss any Universal Access needs and accompanying birding strategies.

CURRENT RELIABLE LOCATIONS FOR SPECIES OF HIGH INTEREST:

Greenhorn Summit area: White-headed Woodpecker, Townsend's Solitaire.

Kern River below Isabella main dam off Hwy. 155 from Main Dam Campground to Bureau of Land Management river rafting access areas on north and south side of the river on the west side of Hwy. 155: American Dipper (up to six individuals).

Kern River Preserve Headquarters: California Quail, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, Spotted Towhee, Tricolored Blackbird, Lawrence's Goldfinch.

Mountain Mesa private residence: California Quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Oak Titmouse, Spotted Towhee.

BIRDING STRATEGIES - MORNINGS/HALF-DAY, FULL DAY, and MULTI-DAY TRIPS:

Kern Plateau Full Day - 1. Lower Chimney Peak Road (year round) 2. Chimney Creek Campground (after mid-May)  3. 5000'-6000' Kennedy Meadows Road (after mid-May) 4. 7000' Troy Meadow Campground (after Memorial Day and not on weekends) 5. 8000' Black Rock Ranger Station (after Memorial Day) 6. 9400' Bald Mountain Lookout (when the snow clears)...Target Birds: 1. Cactus Wren, Black-throated Sparrow, Scott's Oriole 2. Plumbeous Vireo 3. Pinyon Jay  4. Williamson's Sapsucker, Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Red Crossbill 5. Calliope Hummingbird, Green-tailed Towhee 6. Blue Grouse, Clark's Nutcracker...

Kern River Preserve Headquarters, Half-Day (All Spring) - 1. Arrive before sunrise at Headquarters. 2. Check out the birds in and around the yard for several minutes. Bird for 30-90 minutes west along the ranch road leading from the southwest corner of the parking lot. 3. Return to Headquarters for a birding break of 15-30 minutes in the yard. 4. Bird the Nature Trail for one to two hours. 5. Return to Headquarters for a birding break of 15-30 minutes in the yard. 6. Bird the entrance driveway out to the open pastures. 7. Bird the trail leading west along the agricultural ditch found halfway out forested portion of the entrance driveway for 30 minutes to two hours. 8. Return to Headquarters for lunch...Target Birds: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (after mid-June), Nuttall's Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher (after mid-May), Western Bluebird, Yellow-breasted Chat (after late April), Summer Tanager (after late April), Blue Grosbeak (after late April), Lazuli Bunting (after late April), Indigo Bunting (after mid-May), Kern Red-winged Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, Bullock's Oriole (after late March), Lesser Goldfinch, Lawrence's Goldfinch (after late March)...

Migrant Corner Trail (Kern River Preserve), Half-Day (April-May w. peak 20 April-20 May) - The Migrant Corner Trail starts 100' north of the northeast corner of the Sierra Way Bridge over the South Fork Kern River. The bridge is located 1.2 miles north of Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Park well off the road on the north side. Be very careful of traffic.

Arrive before sunrise. Spend a short time checking both sides of the bridge and check the tree tops, hillside, and overhead for signs of migrants heading northwest.

Start east along the trail for c. 75 yards and take either the left fork up the hill to treetop level and to by-pass some boulders or the essentially flat right fork to go through a single, 5'-6' chute over a rock. You will be at treetop level. Keep checking for evidence of migration. 100-110 meters/yards farther along, the upper trail will pass by some large boulders. A large Fremont cottonwood will be seen at the edge of the forest just ahead. This is a prime spot and a prime tree for watching spring migration on a favorable morning. 180-190 meters/yards father down the trail a cross fence with a pass through will be found. On the other side you will have entered private property and should exercise the utmost repsect for private proerty rights. In over twenty years, there has not been a single complaint from the landowner about inappropriate behavior by visiting birders resulting in unbroken access to date. In another 125-175 meters/yards a large combination wet meadow, dry meadow, and desert scrub area will be reached. If a migration phenomenon has been encountered along the way, go back and find a place on the hillside to witness it.

Once you are finished with migration, head back to the large open area and thoroughly bird it. Go east to at large red willow and Fremont cottonwood along the fence line where a desert wash comes in from the left (north). Proceed to the large cottonwood another 275 meters/yards beyond along the fence line. Return to the desert wash at the two large trees and go up the wash all the way to the hillside. Check the rocks from here back to the bridge for Rock Wren and Canyon Wren. At this point turn left (west) and walk along the interface of the desert alluvial fan and the hillside curving around to the end of Migrant Corner Trail where the large meadow & desert shrub area was first entered. Proceed back (west) along Migrant Corner Trail to the Sierra Way Bridge.

A morning of careful birding will yield 50-100 species depending upon weather, amount of water present, and level of birding skills.

Bird species encountered fairly often to very often in 2-6 hours spent birding along this Migrant Corner route 25 April-15 May include: Wood Duck*, Prairie Falcon*, California Quail*, Virginia Rail*, Sora*, Solitary Sandpiper (late April in wet years), Common Snipe*, Greater Roadrunner*, Barn Owl*, Great Horned Owl*, Long-eared Owl* (at night), Black Swift (keep looking!), Vaux's Swift (into the thousands), White-throated Swift*, Black-chinned Hummingbird*, Anna's Hummingbird*, four woodpecker species* including Nuttall's*, eleven flycatcher species including Olive-sided, 5 Empidonax, Ash-throated*, & Brown-crested*, Cassin's Vireo, six swallow species including Violet-green, Oak Titmouse*, Bushtit*, Rock Wren*, Canyon Wren*, Western Bluebird*,  Swainson's Thrush, eleven warbler species including Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Hermit, MacGillivray's, & Yellow-breasted Chat*, Summer Tanager*, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Towhee*, California Towhee*, twelve sparrow species including Rufous-crowned* (hillside), Brewer's* (desert scrub), Lark*, Black-throated* (desert scrub), and Savannah* (nevadensis subspecies), Black-headed Grosbeak*, Blue Grosbeak*, Lazuli Bunting*. Red-winged Blackbird* (Kern subspecies), Tricolored Blackbird*, Western Meadowlark*, Bullock's Oriole*, Lesser Goldfinch*, and Lawrence's Goldfinch* (very reliable). * - nesting species.

If a migration phenomenon is encountered it can be truly awesome. As many as 5000 Vaux's Swifts, 1200 Western Tanagers, 900 Black-headed Grosbeaks, 500 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 200 Swainson's Thrushes, and 100+ Western Kingbirds, and 100+ Lazuli Buntings have been tallied over a single point in a single late April through mid-May morning! In any case, species diversity is all but guaranteed to be good to excellent.

Migrant Corner Trail is usually not birded after spring migration slows as it gets to be quite hot and less interesting as May ends and June begins. However, since birds make their way to the north edge of the forest here before launching for flights further north, this area is often checked by careful birders in mid or even late June for late migrants and eastern vagrant species. Formal field trips might best avoid birding this area after late May unless a rarity has been reported. Among the "rare" to "casual" "eastern" species encountered in the past along the Migrant Corner Trail and north forest edge from late May through June are: Least Flycatcher (multiple day stays), White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo* (nesting some years), Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Baltimore Oriole.

First Spring 2004 (vs. '03, '02, '01, '00, '99 & '98) Arrival Dates to the Kern River Valley for Selected Species

Great Egret - (28 Feb 00...BOBA, 24 Mar 99...BOBA, 30 Mar 98)

Swainson's Hawk - (1 Apr 01...RETO, BOBA)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - (9 Jun 00...DOMI, 22 May 99...DOSM, 1 Jun 98...MAWH)

Vaux's Swift - 14 Apr 04...BOBA

Black-chinned Hummingbird - 2 Apr 04...GRPO (4 Apr 03...BOBA, 3 Apr 02...NOTO, BOBA, 19 Mar 01...DL, 9 Apr 00...BOBA, 16 Apr 99...BOBA, 10 Apr 98)

Anna's Hummingbird - (1 Feb 00...JHo)

Costa's Hummingbird - 11 Mar 03...DELA (1 Mar 99...DELA, BRGA)

Rufous Hummingbird - 19 Feb 03...DELA (23 Mar 02...MUHA).

Willow Flycatcher - (12 May 99...CHOT, 16 May 98...RETO)

Dusky Flycatcher - 20 Apr 04...BOBA (10 Apr 00...JALY)

Gray Flycatcher - 8 Apr 04...BOBA (11 Apr 03...BOBA, 9 Apr 00...BOBA, 19 Apr 98)

Vermilion Flycatcher - 3 Apr 04...JOHA, LOHA

Ash-throated Flycatcher - 11 Apr 04...BOBA (12 Apr 00...BOBA, 17 Apr 99, 10 Apr 98)

Brown-crested Flycatcher - (11 May 99...MAWH)

Cassin's Kingbird - (30 Mar 00...MS, 16 Apr 99...BOBA, 3 Apr 98)

Western Kingbird - 16 Mar 04...JOHA, LOHA (22 Mar 03...BOBA, MAWH, 22 Mar 02...MUHA, 20 Mar 01...TEGA, 26 Mar 00...JL, 22 Mar 99...SUST, 18 Mar 98)

Cassin's Vireo - 10 Apr 03...BOBA (8 Apr 02...BOBA)

Warbling Vireo - 18 Apr 04...BOBA (10 Apr 03...BOBA, 6 Apr 02...BOBA)

Tree Swallow - (19 Feb 01...BOBA, MM, 24 Jan 00...TW , 8 Feb 99...BOBA, 1 Mar 98)

House Wren - (27 Mar 02...BOBA, 18 Mar 01...JOSC, 27 Mar 00...BOBA, 27 Mar 99...GOBL, BAMA, 20 Mar 98)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - (9 Apr 98)

Townsend's Solitaire - (31 Mar 02...BOBA).

Orange-crowned Warbler - 4 Apr 03...BOBA (23 Mar 01...JH, LH, 12 Apr 00...BOBA, 17 Apr 99, 29 Mar 98)

Nashville Warbler - 13 Apr 04...BOBA (10 Apr 03...BOBA, 13 Apr 01...BOBA, 12 Apr 00...BOBA, 17 Apr 99)

Yellow Warbler - 31 Mar 04...BOBA, MAWH (30 Mar 03...RETO, 2 Apr 02...BOBA, 31 Mar 01...BOBA, MAWH,  8 Apr 00...RETO, MAWH, 15 Apr 99...RETO, MAWH, 2 Apr 98...BOBA)

Black-throated Gray Warbler - 2 Apr 04...BOBA (11 Apr 03...BOBA, 6 Apr 02...BOBA, 14 Apr 01...BOBA, 12 Apr 00...BOBA, 17 Apr 99, 3 Apr 98)

Hermit Warbler - (20 Apr 01...BOBA, 12 Apr 00...BOBA)

Common Yellowthroat - 27 Mar 04...MAWH, 3 Apr 03...BOBA, 27 Mar 02...TEGA, 23 Mar 01...BOBA, 27 Mar 00...BOBA, 28 Mar 99...TEGA, 24 Mar 98...BOBA)

Wilson's Warbler - 2 Apr 04...BOBA (7 Apr 02 BOBA, 17 Apr 01...BOBA, 31 Mar 00...BOBA).

Summer Tanager - (26 Apr 01...BOBA, 4 May 99...MAWH, 26 Apr 98...RETO)

Western Tanager - 18 Apr 04...BOBA

Green-tailed Towhee - (17 Apr 01...BOBA).

Chipping Sparrow - (15 Apr 01...BOBA).

Brewer's Sparrow - 4 Apr 04...BOBA (30 Mar 02...BOBA, 15 Apr 01...BOBA).

Black-headed Grosbeak - 13 Apr 04...BOBA (3 Apr 03...BOBA, 6 Apr 02...BOBA, 12 Apr 01...BOBA, 12 Apr 00...LEPA, 8 Apr 98)

Blue Grosbeak - 16 Apr 04...AMLA, WHMO, (20 Apr 02...TMBC, 15 Apr 01...BOBA, 21 Apr 98...BOBA)

Lazuli Bunting - 10 Apr 04...BOBA (13 Apr 01...MIBR, 19 Apr 98...BOBA)

Indigo Bunting - (30 May 01...BOBA, 17 May 99...KAPH, 18 May 98...KAPH)

Brown-headed Cowbird - (25 Mar 02...BOBA)

Hooded Oriole - 2 Apr 04...BOBA (10 Mar 03...DELA, 23 Mar 01...BR, CR, CC, MC, DL, 24 Mar 00...BOBA, 25 Mar 99...TEGA, 3 Apr 98)

Bullock's Oriole - 22 Mar 04...MAWH (28 Mar 03...BOBA, 26 Mar 02...BOBA, 20 Mar 01...JOSC, 26 Mar 00...BOBA, 22 Mar 99...BOBA, 19 Mar 98)

Scott's Oriole - (17 Feb 01...DELA, 21 Feb 00...DELA, 17 Feb 99...DELA, BRGA, 24 Feb 98...DELA, BRGA)

Lawrence's Goldfinch - 10 Mar 04...BOBA, MAWH (22 Mar 03...BOBA, MAWH, 23 Feb 02...BOBA, 14 Mar 01...BOBA, 24 Mar 00...BOBA, 24 Feb 99...BOBA, MAWH, 2 Mar 98...BOBA)

Observers: BOBA-Bob Barnes, TEBE-Ted Beedy, GB-Gordon Black,  DACO-Dan Cooper, EUCO-Eunice Corn, CACU-Cathy Cunningham, MICU-Michael Cunningham, TOED-Tom Edell, ALEI-Al Eisner, GAFI-Gary File, JOFI-John Fitch, MAFR-Mary Carmona-Freeman, TEGA-Terri Gallion, BRGA-Bruce Garlinger, KAGI-Karen Gilbert, MUHA-Murrelet Halterman, JOHA-Joe Hart, LOHA-Lois Hart, DAHA-Dave Harvey, ANHO-Andrew Howe, JOHU-Joan Humphrey, BRKA-Bruce Kautz, ESKA-Esther Kalinay, GEKE-Geoff Keller, KIKU-Kim Kuska, DELA-Denise La Berteaux, AMLA-Amy Lauterbach, KELE-Kelli Levinson, JALY-Janet Lynn, BAMA-Barbara Maxwell, TRMC-Tracy McCarthey, MIMC-Michael McQuerry, MAMI-Mark Miller, DOMI-Donald Mitchell, CLMO-Clark Moore, JEMO-Jean Moore, WHMO-Whitney Mortimer, KRNE-Kristie  Nelson, CHOT-Chris Otahal, LEPA-Len Pardue, KAPE-Kaaren Perry, KAPH-Karen Phillips, GRPO-Greg Popek, BLRO-Blake Rodriguez, CORO-Courtney Rodriguez, JIRO-Jim Roe, RORO-Rose Anne Rowlett, SYSC-Sylvia Schmidt, JOSC-John Schmitt, JESE-Jeff Seay, ALSH-Alison Sheehey, DOSM-Don Smoltz, SUST-Susan Steele, MIST-Mike Stone, PAST-Pamela Stones, TMBC-Tehachapi Mountains Birding Club, SCTE-Scott Terrill, MITO-Miko Tollefson, RETO-Reed Tollefson, TCAS-Tulare County Audubon Society, RIWE-Richard Webster, CHWH-Chris Wheatley, KEWH-Keith Wheatley, MAWH-Mary Whitfield, BUWI-Bud Widdowson, DEWI-Deb Wilson, JOWI-John Wilson, TOWU-Tom Wurster...