The skies finally cleared on Thursday and no rain is forecasted for the next week. I hadn’t had a chance to get out since Jan 1 due to a series of atmospheric storms that brought continuous rain more than for two weeks.
The closest preserves are still closed. Cosumnes River Preserve was hit by floodwaters before New Year’s and is still flooded by the river that took out levees and inundated the portions of the south county area. Yolo Wildlife Nature Area is also under a couple of feet of water. It sits in a flood control channel and the floodgates were opened during the recent storms sending surplus water into the channel. The American River is running really high and the Parkway is underwater as Folsom Dam released excess water into the river.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
So I headed north to the Sacramento NWR. The sky was clear with a few high clouds, but a brisk cold wind kept the temperature around 50 degrees.
I didn’t see any new birds on this trip but I saw quite a few of my favorites:
First, the little brown birds:
Saw a few wading birds:
The ducks and geese stayed well away from us looky-loos. I did manage a couple of closeups by fully extending my Sigma 150-600 mm lens:
Viewed a few other assorted residents and migrants:
Finally, here are the raptors. Unfortunately the bald eagles did not make an appearance that day.
This guy came out to say good-bye as we left the NWR.
How many duck species? I counted 6 — Northern Pintail, Northern Shovelor, American Widgeon, Green Wing Teal, Gadwall and Bufflehead.
What’s up in your backyard?