LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Redbud Audubon will be presenting a fascinating program on Thursday, March 16, starting at 7 p.m. on Zoom with Kate Marianchild.

How many North American songbirds dive fearlessly into raging rapids? How many build large dome shaped nests of moss and flash bright-white eyelids from their dark interiors? How many forage for food on the bottoms of freezing cold streams?

Answer: Only one — the American dipper, Cinclus mexicanus (aka “water ouzel”).

Acting on a tip from a friend, Kate Marianchild spent several afternoons during the summer of 2020 searching the upper reaches of the Russian River for a dipper nest.

After she finally found a large mossy dome on a boulder ledge over thundering whitewater, she began observing, photographing and videoing the nesting behaviors of American dippers, returning several times over the season.

The following two summers she documented another nest on a boulder several hundred yards downstream from the first.

During her talk about this extraordinary species, Marianchild will show videos and photographs of dippers feeding their babies; flashing their semaphore-like eyes; singing exuberantly; dipping (bobbing up and down), foraging and building a nest.

She will also share sightings of other species she and her friends saw along the river, including an American mink, as well as borrowed underwater images of dippers doing what they are most famous for: foraging for food on river bottoms.

Join Redbud Audubon for a deep dip into the lives of the unique, fascinating and endearing American dipper.

This talk, which is based on Marianchild’s photos and videos of these birds and their nests over the past three breeding seasons, will also include an overview of the world’s four other dipper species.

Please register for the meeting by going to www.redbudaudubon.org and click on the registration link on the home page.

After you register, the Zoom link for the program will be sent on the day of the presentation.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. — The Western Region Town Hall will meet on Wednesday, March 15.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Habematolel community center, 9460 Main St. in Upper Lake.

Community members also can attend via Zoom. The link is here.

The meeting ID is 961 4614 3787, pass code is 528334. Dial by location: +1 669 900 6833.

Agenda items include reports from Lake County Water Resources and Chief Climate Resiliency Officer Terre Logsdon, and the Northshore Fire Protection District.

There also will be discussions regarding drought, road signs, media relations and the bylaws subcommittee.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif. — Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters, as well as work in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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The‌‌ ‌‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌Traffic‌‌ ‌‌Operations‌‌ ‌‌Office‌‌ ‌‌has‌‌ ‌‌reviewed‌‌ ‌‌each‌‌ ‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌determined‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌individual‌‌ ‌‌‌project‌‌ ‌‌delays‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌expected‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌less‌‌ ‌‌than‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌statewide‌‌ ‌‌policy‌‌ ‌‌maximum‌‌ ‌‌of‌‌ ‌‌30‌‌ ‌‌minutes‌‌ ‌‌unless‌‌ ‌‌‌noted‌‌ ‌‌otherwise. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

— Utility work west of Upper Lake near Scotts Valley Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 15-minute delays.

— Utility work in Lucerne from Third Street to Country Club Drive continues. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Motorists should expect up to five-minute delays.

Highway 29

— Road work north of Spruce Grove Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect up to five-minute delays. LC#C29AA

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

— Paving work in Fort Bragg from Airport Road to Happy Lane is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 14. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect up to five-minute delays.

— Emergency work from Leggett at U.S. 101 to Hales Grove will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 20-minute delays.

— Slide removal at Pieta Creek Bridge continues. Northbound lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate up to five-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Bridge work at the Crawford Creek Bridge continues. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weeknights. Motorists should expect up to five-minute delays.

— Bridge work near Henry Station Road continues. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should expect up to 10-minute delays.

— Irvine Lodge Safety Rest Area will be closed through May 2023.

— Emergency work from Leggett at Route 1 to Confusion Hill continues. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 20-minute delays.

Highway 128

— Emergency work in Yorkville from Fish Rock Road to Sonoma County Line will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 20-minute delays.

Highway 162

— Road work south of Dos Rios near the Rodeo Creek Bridge continues. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. weeknights. Motorists should expect up to 10-minute delays.

Highway 271

— Tree work south of Leggett from the Big Dann Creek Bridge to U.S. 101 at Cummings will occur on Monday, March 13. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect up to five-minute delays.

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Highway 101

— Bridge work between Peine Road and Old Hunter Creek Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate up to 10-minute delays.

— Construction in the Last Chance Grade area will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate up to 25-minute delays.

Highway 199

— Electrical work near the Collier Tunnel Rest Area will continue. The rest area is currently closed. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate up to 10-minute delays.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Highway 36

— Slide removal near Devil’s Elbow will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate up to 30-minute delays.

— Slipout repair near Burr Valley Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 96

— Highway construction between Hostler Fire Department Housing Road and Tish Tang Road will begin on Monday, March 13. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 10-minute delays.

— Emergency storm damage repair between Weitchpec Road and New Village Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 15-minute delays.

— Rail upgrades near Aiken Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 101

— Slipout repair from the Mendocino County Line to just north of Hartsook Inn will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Bridge work south of Phillipsville will continue. Lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Bridge work near Myers Flat will continue. Lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Emergency work from ‘B’ Street to ‘D’ Street will continue. A northbound lane closure will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Shoulder work from Route 200 to Georgia Pacific Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.

Highway 169

— Roadway excavation between Division of Highways Road and Weitchpec Road will begin on Monday, March 13. One-way traffic control will be in effect between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 10-minute delays.

Highway 211

— Emergency work at Fernbridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should expect up to 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work at Fernbridge. A full overnight closure will be in effect from Friday, March 10, at 10 p.m. to Saturday, March 11 at 8 a.m. An additional full closure will occur from Friday, March 17, at 10 p.m. through Monday, March 20 at 5 a.m. Motorists should use an alternate route.

Highway 254

— Flooding has occurred between Sorenson Road and Holmes Flat Road. A full closure is in effect. Motorists should choose an alternate route.

Highway 299

— Roadway excavation between Willow Creek and Old Three Creek Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 10-minute delays.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Lakeshore Lioness of Clearlake is hosting a corn beef and cabbage dinner on Sunday, March 12, at Howard's Grotto in Clearlake.

The dinner will take place from 4 to 7 p.m.

This event was originally to be held the second weekend in March of 2020. That is the weekend the country went into total lockdown and the club had to cancel that night.

The club thanks Howard’s Grotto for the use of the restaurant for this event. The bar will be open, but the restaurant is only open for the corn beef and cabbage dinner at $25 a person.

The money raised during the event will be donated to high school scholarships and music programs as well as Meals on Wheels, spay and neutering, fireworks for Clearlake Oaks and Clearlake, and other organizations through a grant.

Howard’s Grotto is located at 14732 Lakeshore Drive.

If you seek further information, please call Joan Mingori at 707-994-2178.

This story has been updated with a new date.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. — Volunteers are invited to join in a trail clearing project on the Mendocino National Forest’s Upper Lake Ranger District in April.

The event was previously set to take place on March 11 but has been rescheduled to April 8 due to heavy snowfall.

Volunteer check-in will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at the Middle Creek Campground, 8 miles north of Upper Lake on County Road 301 (Forest Road M-1).

Camping is available on site with toilets and water. Trailers and RVs are OK.

Jobs will include hand tool work, cutting and moving cut tree limbs, and other trail repair and restoration work.

Bring your own lunch/food and hydration fluids, and protective gear. Some gear will be available on-site.

The work is scheduled to continue on the second Saturday of each month through June, with no work from July through September. It will then resume from October through December.

To volunteer, go to the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance, or PWORA, website and create an account.

PWORA is working with the Mendocino National Forest’s Upper Lake District to build new trails and restore fire-damaged trails.

The Mason Trail Connector is a conversion to OHV use of approximately 1.3 miles of the abandoned logging road.

It will provide a connection between two existing Mendocino National Forest OHV trails.

The trail was partially constructed by the Mendo National Forest and improved with three other culverts in locations along with the trailbed but lacked a sustainable all-season creek crossing in one location.

PWORA constructed a multi-plate culvert to provide an all-season, sustainable, fire-resistant creek crossing to complete the new trail. Final preparations and arrangements are being made by PWORA and Mendo NF to prepare for an official opening of the trail in 2023.

For a catalog of volunteer opportunities on the project, visit the PWORA website.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — What started as a way to have a little bit of fun during the snow that started late in February ballooned into an avalanche of response.

A snowman contest, where the entrants built their snowman, then posted it on Facebook, generated more than 800 snowman pictures by the time the contest ended.

“We were frankly shocked by the number of people who built a snowman and posted it to our Facebook page,” said Steve Short, owner at Lakeport Tire and Auto Service, sponsor of the contest.

“An incredible array of very creative snowmen were built throughout Lake and Mendocino counties and beyond. We even got two entries from outside California. We saw a ‘fire-breathing’ dragon, movie characters, animal ice sculptures and, of course, hundreds of traditional snowmen ranging from palm-sized to 10 feet or more tall. It was absolutely incredible fun to see each new picture as it was posted,” he said.

The snowman contest was the brainchild of Marie Shrader, familiar to many in Lakeport as the creative mind behind several of Lakeport’s community events over the past several years.

“When Marie texted asking if we would sponsor the snowman contest, I immediately said yes. Lakeport Tire and Auto Service always strives to be heavily involved in our communities, and what better way to show that than to host a snowman contest when many people are staying safely in their homes due to snow on the roads,” said Short. “Marie has a very creative mind.”

In fact, the snowman contest was becoming such an immediate success, that a “Pets in the Snow” contest was quickly added, also sponsored by Lakeport Tire and Auto Service. This contest generated nearly 200 entries in just a few hours.

Prizes are being awarded for first, second and third place in each contest.

In addition, Lakeport Tire and Auto Service is making a donation to the Lake County Animal Shelter, who posted a picture of shelter animals out in the snow.