October is a transitional month for the wildlife refuges. The ponds that went dry in the summer are slowly filled to accommodate the incoming ducks, geese and other shorebirds.
As I drove along the the Yolo Bypass refuge’s auto route, I found the early birds are hanging around the few available water sources.
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.
There were a surprising number of birds despite the lack of water.
A number of pools were still dry.
One pond is just starting to fill and a number of shorebirds found it to their liking.
Lots of sparrows flew around but were difficult to photograph.
The Red-winged Blackbirds are year-round residents of the bypass and can be seen in large numbers.
We had a couple of other birds blend into the landscape.
I also saw a couple of Harriers and a Red-Tail Hawk. Unfortunately, the Harriers were too far away and I saw the hawk at sunset and could only get a dark silhouette.
We have great Autumn weather here with the high temps staying in the low-70s for the next week and the lows around 40 degrees. There may be a chance of showers at the end of the week.
What’s up in your neck of the woods?