Shasta Chapter CNPS and Shasta Environmental Alliance (SEA) teamed up with Wintu Audubon Society for this field trip to Kum Bay Xerel Open Space trail. George Horn, with Wintu Audubon Society, led the birding part of the field trip, while David Ledger (Shasta Chapter CNPS and SEA) focused on native and non-native plants. We had 14 people on this easy three-mile walk on fairly level ground.
This trail begins next to I-5 on a paved City of Redding trail that curves around to meet the Sacramento River, very soon escaping the sounds of freeway traffic. The City trail is paved and runs for 0.7 miles, then continues on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land as a faint, soft earthen trail, but the blackberries and other plants have been pruned back, making it easily passable. It was near the 0.7-mile mark where we saw the highlight of the field trip—three adult bald eagles circling together overhead!
Photo © Doug Mandel, October 12, 2023.
Both sides of the river on the BLM section are naturally vegetated, supporting not only eagles and other raptors, but great egrets, blue herons, kingfishers, ruby-crowned kinglets, and many other birds. Near the end of our walk in the ancient riverplain were two circling red-tailed hawks that eventually perched on two separate dead snags, highlighting the importance of trees both dead and live to an oak woodland. Other dead trees showed evidence of use by birds for nesting, for food from dwelling insects, and for storage of acorns.
Among the many plants there were a few northern black walnuts (Juglans hindsii); skunk brushes (Rhus aromatica); hoptrees (Ptelea crenulata); black, sandbar, and arroyo willows (Salix ssp.); and an uncommon plant identified for us by naturalist Barbara Peck: Wright’s buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii). The common naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum) was prolific on the trail.
Photo © Doug Mandel, taken October 12, 2023.
Walking on the earthen trail through the old floodplain, with many giant valley oaks shading us, was a relaxing experience. As close as we were to civilization, it was quiet, with many different native shrubs and trees and assorted birds and squirrels. Preserving riparian areas is critical not only for many species of birds and other animals, but also for the various salmon, steelhead trout, and other riverine species. This is why SEA, Wintu Audubon, CNPS, Sierra Club, and many other organizations are concerned about preserving all of our riparian areas, especially along the Sacramento River.
If you want to see this beautiful riparian area, I encourage you to go beyond the paved trail. See if you too appreciate this area left in its natural beauty, and see why we need to preserve more of our beautiful riparian areas. ~David Ledger