Field Trip: Sacramento Valley National & State Wildlife Refuges
Field Trip: Sacramento Valley National & State Wildlife Refuges
Date: Saturday December 04, 2021
Time: 8:30 AM
Our next field trip will be to several of our incredible National and State Wildlife Refuges that dot the Sacramento Valley. We will search for Ducks, Geese, Swans, Shorebirds, Hawks & Owls and other Passerines. (NSAS Event)
Details:
Leader: Mark & Lucas Stephenson
Description: We will begin at Colusa NWR and then head onto the Delevan and Sacramento NWRs. (Our route may vary based on recent eBird checklists and a pre-trip exploration.) All of the Sanctuaries host a wide variety of Ducks and Geese. We should have excellent views of Cinnamon, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, American and Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintails, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks as well as White-fronted, Snow, and Ross’s Geese. Along the way we should be able to locate flocks of Long-billed Curlews, migrating shorebirds, White-faced Ibis, Sandhill Cranes and Tundra Swans. Raptors will also be on our agenda with Red-tailed, Merlins, Coopers, Sharp-shinned and Bald Eagles expected along with possible Rough-legged Hawks and Short-eared Owls. Other passerines and rarities will also be on our radar.
For those wishing to make this a 2-day event we will stay over in the vicinity of Willows/Williams and head onto the CA Fish & Wildlife Gray Lodge Sanctuary near Gridley on Sunday. There will be many flooded fields along the way where we hope to view Tundra Swans, Ducks and Geese at close range. More details to follow.
Directions: Starting Place: Colusa NWR - Visitor’s Kiosk Parking Area, O’Hair Road, Off Highway 20, Colusa (Driving Time: allow 1 hour & 40 minutes from Napa). Take Hwy 80 East to Hwy 505 N to Hwy 5 N to Hahn Road (exit 569) turn left on Lone Star Road (North) to Hwy 20. Turn right on Hwy 20 (East), turn right on O’Hair Rd (approx. 2 miles), the Kiosk is approx 1/2 mile down O’Hair Rd before the beginning of the auto tour.
Carpool Times & Locations
TBA
Coordinator: Wendy Cole
A reminder from the Field Trip Coordinator: Car-poolers will share driving expenses (recommended $.30/mi to be split by the number of riders).
This event is hosted by the Napa Solano Audubon Society.