If you’re looking for a fun-filled weekend, the annual Redbud Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) takes place Saturday. This year’s event is sponsored by the Redbud Audubon Society and is a chance for people to not only see a lot of different species of birds in Lake County, but to also gain some knowledge of the wildlife the county offers.
Participants should meet at 8 a.m. Saturday either at Anderson Marsh State Park or Clear Lake State Park. The count continues through mid-afternoon. On Saturday evening, the county participants are invited to a pizza dinner at Kelseyville Pizza.
According to the Redbud Audubon Society, birders will gather on the day of the county to record every individual bird and species encountered. Each group is assigned a circle 15 miles in diameter and tries to cover as much ground as possible. The data collected by each count group is sent to the National Audubon Headquarters in New York and is available online.
The Christmas Bird Count began more than a century ago when 27 conservationists in 25 localities, led by scientist and writer Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history.
On Christmas Day in 1900, the small group posed an alternative to the “side hunt,” a Christmas day activity during which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead, Chapman proposed to identify, count and record all the birds he saw, founding what is now considered to be the world’s most significant citizen-based conservation effort and a century-old institution.
Redbud Audubon invites all birders and nature enthusiasts to join in the upcoming Christmas Bird Count. Birders of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. This is Audubon’s longest-running wintertime tradition and this year marks the 40th year the count has taken place in Lake County.
On the fishing scene, the wet and rainy weather has kept all but the most hardy off the lake. The good news is the weather is forecast to improve this weekend. Overall the bass fishing is still rated good on the lake. Whereas the fishermen aren’t catching the 40 to 50 fish as was the case a couple of weeks ago, most of the anglers are having little trouble boating between eight and 10 bass per day. The fish being caught have increased in size, including a lot of 3- and 4-pounders.
Crankbaits such as the LV500 are still rated the top lure. Drop-shotting a plastic worm and slowly working a jig is a close second. The trick to success is a slow retrieve, which is typical during the winter months. One of the better areas continues to be Henderson Point where there are massive balls of bait fish. The bass are holding right beneath the bait fish.
Gary Hill and Fred Williams of Kelseyville fished the Shag Rock area on Tuesday and scored on bass using the Ned Rig plastic worm. Hill said he barely moved the lure and the bass would grab it and slowly swim off. Hill and Williams also caught a lot of bluegill and crappie in the same area using nightcrawlers.
As of Thursday, the lake level was just above 2 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. The lake level should be approaching 3 feet within a week.
The annual Lake County Chamber of Commerce team tournament takes place on March 18-19. This is the 30th annual tournament. Early sign-ups open Jan. 20 starting at 9 a.m. at the chamber office in Lakeport. It is one of the largest and most popular bass tournaments held on Clear Lake.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) was scheduled to stock Upper Blue Lake with trout this week. The lake is back on the DFW’s regular stocking program, so the fishing should improve.
