Posted By: glamson
Sacramento NWR - Sunup to Sundown - 11/30/09 09:27 AM
I made my pilgrimage to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge complex in the central valley of California last week. The refuge includes five sites in the valley and located directly on the Pacific Flyway. There are almost 5 million birds there at peak winter season, of which about 1+ million are Snow Geese and 2+ million are ducks of various species. It is truly a spectacular experience to see the geese when they fill the sky with their wings and the sound of thousands of geese honking is incredible. I try to take in the whole day from predawn to nightfall when I am there. The main site of the refuge is located here
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Willows,+CA&sll=39.303219,-120.390015&sspn=0.015243,0.022917&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Willows,+Glenn,+California&ll=39.429597,-122.172389&spn=0.03043,0.062099&t=h&z=15
Here are some of the results of a typical day of shooting at the refuge
Starting at sunrise
Whiite Pelicans are frequent visitors
As are Peregring falcons
Hawks of all flavors
Northern Harrier
White-faced Ibis
But the main attraction is really the water fowl like the clouds of Snow Geese
That do spend alot of their time on the ground
Lots of Shoveler ducks
And though not a plentiful as in the midwest, there are alot of Sand Hill Cranes that pass through
As well as Tundra Swan
And not all the residents are avian
And as the sun sets, the sky is filled with formations of birds likt the Whie-faced Ibis
And the multiple V formations of geese
And the day finally goes out in a blaze of glory
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Willows,+CA&sll=39.303219,-120.390015&sspn=0.015243,0.022917&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Willows,+Glenn,+California&ll=39.429597,-122.172389&spn=0.03043,0.062099&t=h&z=15
Here are some of the results of a typical day of shooting at the refuge
Starting at sunrise
Whiite Pelicans are frequent visitors
As are Peregring falcons
Hawks of all flavors
Northern Harrier
White-faced Ibis
But the main attraction is really the water fowl like the clouds of Snow Geese
That do spend alot of their time on the ground
Lots of Shoveler ducks
And though not a plentiful as in the midwest, there are alot of Sand Hill Cranes that pass through
As well as Tundra Swan
And not all the residents are avian
And as the sun sets, the sky is filled with formations of birds likt the Whie-faced Ibis
And the multiple V formations of geese
And the day finally goes out in a blaze of glory
How long are the majority of birds typically around? I have someone up in the San Fran area wanting a home shoot, maybe I could combine it with a bird shoot too.