Duck Stamp

Thursday, when we went to the refuge, we stopped by the office to purchase our duck stamp and annual pass. (Both aren't required for admission, but we like supporting the cause any way we can.)

Time after time, the refuge brings me incredible joy and I'm thankful to have such a beautiful, peaceful and inspiring place to visit year-round.

On Our Way

 

Today is the first day of October. Clouds have rolled in and it's been sprinkling on and off all morning. The cloud cover will probably burn off by the afternoon as there are already clear spots in the sky where the sun is trying to peek through.

We are on our way to the refuge and I couldn't be happier. Even on a Thursday, the freeway is busy and full of semi-trucks hauling their loads up and down the interstate. As we draw closer to the refuge, I feel the excitement bubble up in my chest. Sure, I can see birds in my own backyard, but there's something exhilarating about being out in the wild wide open where you aren't sure what species you're going to see next. (And there aren't any egrets in my back yard either!)

After nearly six months of summer and triple digit temperatures, the rain (however little) is a welcome sight. The closer we get to the refuge, the fewer the clouds. We pass by farms, orchards, hay fields, and acres of undeveloped land. By the time we reach the entrance, the clouds are breaking apart and the foothills are clearly visible on the horizon. The rainy morning is just a memory now.

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge waits for us with its gorgeous views, myriad birds, and endless inspiration.

Welcome, it says.
I can hear the word clearly on the gentle wind that rustles through the tall grasses and reeds. And I can hear it on the wings of the mighty hawk as it soars above us, searching for its prey...

Welcome.

First Day of Autumn

This has been the neverending summer. The sweltering heat doesn't seem to deter the birds at my feeders, but I've been unable to see them because my blinds are shut tight to keep out the glaring sun. (We're talking triple digits into the middle of September here!) We keep filling up the feeders and they keep turning up empty a few days later, so I know someone is getting some enjoyment out of them!

Boy, am I looking forward to some cloudy (and hopefully rainy!) days this fall so that I can open up and see what's been making all that noise out there this summer.

Rain, rain, please come this way!

The Biggest Year

I'm so inspired by #NoahsBigYear! It makes me want to write a sequel to Wild Ice! My readers are primarily hockey fans, but when I feel the need to write another bird-themed book, I just might have to find a way to tie the two together again.

If you haven't already heard, Noah Strycker from Oregon (*looks North and waves hello*) already broke the record and he still has three months left to go in his big year!

How amazing it must be to travel around the world in search of new and different bird species. I've never been out of the country (yes, Canada, I'm comin' for you one day), so I can only imagine what Noah's adventure must be like. The furthest I've ever traveled to see birds was a little over 160 miles to Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

What's the furthest you've ever traveled for birds?

Love is in the air...

These two Doves have been hanging around my backyard for weeks.

When they first showed up, he stood guard while she pecked around and had her fill of the fallen seed from the feeders. It's the cutest thing to watch how protective he is of her :)

And then the other day I caught them smooching!

Carry on, you two love birds, carry on.

A Birding Memoir

Welcome to Wings and Daydreams!

I know the subject of birds/birdwatching/birding doesn't appeal to all of my romance readers--to each his/her own--but these amazing winged creatures sure bring me a whole heck of a lot of joy. Because of that, I wanted to have a place where I can post as many bird photos as I want without the fear of alienating anyone on my author blog. So, I had an "Aha!" moment and decided to create a specific blog where I could write and rave about birds as often as I like.

During the process of setting up the new blog, I came across something I've had sitting on my bookshelf for over a decade. When I first became interested in birding, I started a journal to chronicle my discoveries. I was diligent in writing down each new (and familiar) bird that came across my path and it's been  wonderful to go back and read those entries. I didn't always know what was on the other end of my new binoculars, and the common theme seems to be how difficult I found it to identify different species. But it didn't matter that I had no idea what I was doing (and sometimes no idea what I was seeing!). What mattered was that I was having a blast spotting new creatures in my world and eager to learn more about the wildlife around me.

I'd like to say I've come a long way in my birdwatching since 2002, but I still have to look things up in my field guide (although I have upgraded to an app!) and I still get a kick out of seeing a plain old brown sparrow in my backyard. I never know what's going to fly in and grace my feeders with their presence next and that's what I love most about it.

In the Blog Archive on the right column of the blog, you'll notice over a dozen posts from 2002-2003. These posts are taken directly from that journal I used to keep. My only regret is that I didn't continue jotting down my observations throughout the years. When you live a life so focused on the present and living life in the moment (and occasionally worrying about where you're steering the future), it's nice to take a look back once in a while and remember where you started.

My next project will be to go back through my old photo albums and see if I can wrangle up the photos I mentioned in those old journal entries. I can't believe we used to have to wait days, sometimes even weeks to get our photos after having the film developed! Thanks to modern technology, I can now instantly upload all the beautiful photos I'm so proud to have shot. One of those photos (of a red-tailed hawk) was even posted on Facebook by the Sacramento Wildlife National Refuge! (I'll get more into that a little later :)

I hope you enjoy reading about my birding journey and I look forward to new discoveries in the future. Whether they are exotic birds I've never even heard of before and have to look up in my trusty field guide, or plain old brown sparrows, I'll be delighted just the same.

Happy Birding!
Rachelle Vaughn

Adventures in Birding

We went to the wildlife refuge a few weeks ago and I haven’t had time to upload this post to my blog until now—which is actually a good thing because it means I’ve been busy writing!

Well, here are the details along with some photos from our trip…

There is something about the refuge that makes my soul extra happy. Every time I step out onto the trail I can feel a weight being lifted from my shoulders. As you walk down the path, tall reeds brush your arms, marsh grass tickles your ankles, and colorful dragonflies dart around your feet.

Every time we go, we see something different. One time we were fortunate to spot a bunch of river otters sunning themselves on the access road and once we even saw an American Avocet using its curved bill to search for insects. It’s all about timing because a bird can take one step and be camouflaged by the reeds never to be seen again.

This time, we were delighted to see some elegant Northern Pintails, a beautiful White-faced Ibis hidden among a flock of Greater White-fronted Geese, and a Northern Harrier scanning for prey on the top branch of a tree.

Mere hours after we left to head back home, a prescribed burn escaped a control line and burned 400 acres of the refuge and even part of the entrance sign. I can’t tell you how glad I was that we missed it. Seeing my sanctuary up in flames would have been quite unnerving to say the least.

A week later we returned to see the damage and it was even worse than I had imagined. The smell of burnt grass was overpowering and blackness snaked its way into part of the auto tour.

But it didn’t break the spirits of the birds! Even the burned areas didn’t deter a flock of Killdeer as they rummaged around the area. We drove up to the Colusa refuge and saw a Great Blue Heron fishing in the marsh, several Great Egrets surrounded by a group of noisy blackbirds, and a colony of Black-Crowned Night-Herons nestled in the trees on the riverbank. Nature’s perseverance and quest for survival is most inspiring. Inspiring enough for me to write a book (Wild Ice) about it!

I look forward to returning in a few weeks after the rain has had a chance to heal the charred earth and wash away the ashes. In case you’re in the area and want to experience its magic for yourself, the site for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is HERE and they even have a Facebook page.

When you take your own venture out into the great outdoors let me know what you find…

Adventuringly yours,

RV