At the Pond: Here are a few ways to beat the COVID blues – Davis Enterprise

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Do you have the COVID-19 blues? Feeling a little blah, bored, restless, hopeless? Then be good to yourself and get a little eco therapy, only choose a new place. Change that routine. Get out and walk and explore right in town. Take along some binoculars and a camera.

I was feeling really in need of a change, so we headed out to the Arboretum, a place I hadnt visited for a while. We entered near the gazebo at the west end and headed for the creek. Within five minutes my spirits were lifted. The late afternoon sun was shining on three Chinese pistache trees in brilliant red fall color reflected in the pond.

I observed a western bluebird perched on a sign and suddenly a flock of birds, including many western bluebirds flew past me. And in the widened portion of the pond were two handsome wood ducks. The Arboretum has an online plant sale going on now. Want to attract more birds to your yard? Theyll have the plants.

Take your binoculars and head out to the North Ponds. Ed Whisler and Joshua Greenfield did a bird survey around the two ponds and spotted 45 species last Saturday. Their finds included two hooded mergansers, common gallinule, killdeer, greater yellow legs, 10 Northern flickers, 25 bushtits, and eight ruby-crowned kinglets. Listen for the flicker with its loud kleeeyer call easy to identify or a wik-wik-wik.

Fall migration is bringing new birds into our backyards and open spaces daily.

New birds returning to winter in Davis make my day. My bird feeders are right outside my kitchen sink so even kitchen cleaning is brightened by new species in my yard. This year, dark-eyed juncos are plentiful. White-crowned sparrows have returned and how I love their pleasant sounds. Some people think it sounds like sitli-sitli-te-te-te-te-te-te-zrrrr. Im delighted by the red-breasted nuthatch that crawl down the tree trunk, hurriedly grab a seed from the column feeder and they are off again. They were new to my yard last year and Im glad they are back. And we hear their nasal anh-anh-anh-anh.

Last week we did a getaway at Lake Solano and launched our kayaks. Theres a free place to launch them on Putah Creek Road, right across from a parking area before you get to the park. Someone even put a carpet down to help you slide your kayak down a little slope.

We ended up repeatedly scaring up a flock of at least 100 buffleheads. They are a small, compact duck with a large head. The adult males are black and white with white on the back of the head. The non-breeding ducks have a distinctive oval white patch on the head.

We saw great blue herons, egrets, mallards, Canada geese, cormorants, red-winged blackbirds and more. But just being on the water, with beautiful reflections, felt like another world. Saw a number of people on stand-up paddleboards.

The North Davis Ditch (North Davis Conveyance Channel) offers three places to walk along 1.25 miles between Sycamore Lane and F Street. Walk down in the ditch for one perspective, up along the west side of the ditch along the farmers fields with a peek at the birds on the Whitcomb Pond, or walk on the paved walk along the ditch. Volunteers regularly work in the ditch, removing weeds and improving habitat.

Then you can head out to the Yolo Basin though you might want to wait until after Thanksgiving and on into December. New bridges have replaced culverts that were too small. Because of the construction, there was about 100 acres less mudflat flooded in August so fewer shorebirds than usual. Winter ducks will begin arriving soon and there will be more flooding.

Since Veterans Day, U.S. veterans and Gold Star families have free lifetime access to all national parks, wildlife refuges and other federal public lands.

So, I hope that is an incentive for many of you to go out and enjoy nature.

Brant Jorgenson reports the sighting of a bald eagle in the redwood tree behind 615 Marina Circle, south side of Marina Circle. We seem to be getting more and more reports of bald eagles, usually in North Davis. Theyve made such a recovery once we stopped using the pesticide DDT. Forty years ago they were in danger of extinction. Well, theres something we got right. We can indeed change our ways.

Jean Jackman is a Davis resident. Her column is on the third Wednesday of each month. Got a story, question, correction? Contact her [emailprotected]

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At the Pond: Here are a few ways to beat the COVID blues - Davis Enterprise