Groveland is For the Birds and the Birders Alike!

Bird watching is a very popular activity in Groveland and the surrounding area and the Hotel Charlotte is the perfect home-base for your birding adventures. There are a number of activities going on locally that are of great interest to birders, as well as to all nature lovers.  Bring your birder books,  binoculars and trekking poles with you when you visit us!

The Central Sierra Audubon Society serves both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, which of course encompasses Southern Tuolumne County and the Groveland  area, and is a chapter of the National Audubon Society and affiliated with Audubon of California. As you may know, the mission of the National Audubon Society is:  To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biodiversity. Check out the website for the Central Sierra Audubon Society for more information!

The Christmas Bird Count  is held each year typically near the end of December. Each count is conducted within a 15 mile diameter circle. The circle is divided into smaller sectors covered by teams of observers, usually made up of 2 to 10 birders. Both experienced and novice birders are included in each team. This provides excellent mentoring while gathering meaningful scientific data on a national and even international scale. At the end of each count day a potluck supper is held somewhere near the count circle area, providing a great time for socializing and recapping the day's efforts. 

It was only just in recently that the Groveland area formed its own Christmas Bird Count Circle, covering an area that had never been surveyed before! Our local circle includes all of Groveland, Big Oak Flat and Moccasin, a significant part of Lake Don Pedro and more.  If you are interested in participating in the Groveland Area Christmas Bird Count on December17, 2009, contact our local birder Bill Zachman. Bill has his own website with information for local bird enthusiasts  if you'd like to see an inventory and photograph of all the birds he has sighted in our area.

Now, on to the Mammals and Insects part! There is a new movement afoot here in Groveland to use the 250-acres of land near the Leon Rose Ball Field to conduct continuing studies of not just birds, but also plants, mammals, insect, reptiles and amphibians too! The land belongs to our local utility district company, the Groveland Community Services District, who has generously approved this "green" project. The vision is to have two photography viewing blinds, benches and picnic tables, and hopefully motion sensitive cameras with recorders in addition to the walking trails.

The project is just getting underway and volunteers will be needed to help build trails, identify native and non-native plants and much more. Visit Bill's website for more details, where you will see that Bill Zachman fellow is involved again (Thanks Bill!). As Bill said when interviewed by our local newspaper (Union Democrat, Sonora), he envisions a "citizen's science project" that won't cost district taxpayers a cent, using grants from possible sources such as California Audubon Society and others. He will coordinate the activities of local schools, the US Forest Service, the local Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners plus teams of volunteers from the community and beyond. The land is typical of the area, oaks, cedars, ponds and grasslands, with 92 bird species identified on the land already. One of the first was a sighting of a Barrow's Goldeneye, a rare black and white diving duck!