Video taken at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge:
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
The Ever Elusive Wood Duck
We are sure never disappointed after a trip to the refuges. We saw about six new species today. We heard a Common Loon, but didn't see one yet. Those and the Wood Ducks we have yet to see. Someday.
We saw a flock of pelicans, coots, egrets, shovelers, Great Blue Herons, and thousands of Snow and Ross's Geese. There were so many geese that the sky and water were filled with them. They're very noisy, too! We saw mallards, Connamon Teals and Wigeons. We saw five turkey vultures eating a carcass. They were ugly and frightening, especially when they started circling the truck!
We saw two Common Moorhens for the first time. They look totally different walking than they do swimming, like chickens with roadrunner legs.
There were a few Buffleheads. They are very distinct, black and white and have huge white heads. We saw lots of Black-crowned Night Herons hiding in the bushes along the riverbank. They looked like juveniles because they were brown with stripes. There were at least twenty that we could see, poking out of the brush.
We saw lots of hawks flying overhead and perched in trees. They were probably Coopers, Swainsons, and definitely Red-tailed. I also saw a praying mantis. But it wasn't green, it was brown and looked like a stick.
Every time we go it's an adventure!!
We saw a flock of pelicans, coots, egrets, shovelers, Great Blue Herons, and thousands of Snow and Ross's Geese. There were so many geese that the sky and water were filled with them. They're very noisy, too! We saw mallards, Connamon Teals and Wigeons. We saw five turkey vultures eating a carcass. They were ugly and frightening, especially when they started circling the truck!
We saw two Common Moorhens for the first time. They look totally different walking than they do swimming, like chickens with roadrunner legs.
There were a few Buffleheads. They are very distinct, black and white and have huge white heads. We saw lots of Black-crowned Night Herons hiding in the bushes along the riverbank. They looked like juveniles because they were brown with stripes. There were at least twenty that we could see, poking out of the brush.
We saw lots of hawks flying overhead and perched in trees. They were probably Coopers, Swainsons, and definitely Red-tailed. I also saw a praying mantis. But it wasn't green, it was brown and looked like a stick.
Every time we go it's an adventure!!
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Wait, where did you come from???
I was just going through some pictures we got back from when we went to the bird place last. I noticed a new species that I didn't even know we had seen. We saw of ton of Northern Pintails and didn't even know it. When you're there, you see so much at once that it's hard to identify everything.
I'm sure glad I was studying those pictures!
I'm sure glad I was studying those pictures!
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Back Again
We finally went to the bird place for the first time in months! It was awesome and we saw much more than I'd expected. All of the marsh hasn't yet filled up with water, but should be in a matter of weeks.
There were thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese in the water and flying overhead. They were very noisy but scared away easily. A snake slithered across my shoe without me even seeing it and we saw tons of frogs jumping into the water. We saw Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets paired together. The usuals were there, too: American Coots, Mallards, pheasants and hawks, pelicans, Shovelers, squirrels, rabbits, Wigeons...
We saw some new stuff, too, which was exciting. The Black-necked Stilt was really easy to identify. They have really long legs and straight black beaks.
At the Colusa NWR we saw three Great Blue Herons. A Double-crested Cormorant was perched in a tree and then dove into the water. On the bank of the river we saw a truly amazing sight. There were two Egrets, two American Bitterns, a Cormorant, AND a Black-crowned Night Heron, all in the same spot. It was amazing to see the Bitterns out away from the marsh grass.
I can't wait to go back!!!
There were thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese in the water and flying overhead. They were very noisy but scared away easily. A snake slithered across my shoe without me even seeing it and we saw tons of frogs jumping into the water. We saw Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets paired together. The usuals were there, too: American Coots, Mallards, pheasants and hawks, pelicans, Shovelers, squirrels, rabbits, Wigeons...
We saw some new stuff, too, which was exciting. The Black-necked Stilt was really easy to identify. They have really long legs and straight black beaks.
At the Colusa NWR we saw three Great Blue Herons. A Double-crested Cormorant was perched in a tree and then dove into the water. On the bank of the river we saw a truly amazing sight. There were two Egrets, two American Bitterns, a Cormorant, AND a Black-crowned Night Heron, all in the same spot. It was amazing to see the Bitterns out away from the marsh grass.
I can't wait to go back!!!
Friday, August 22, 2003
Auklets, Guillemots and Puffins, oh my!
We just got back last night from a three day trip to the coast. We had a wonderful time and got to see some new birds yesterday. We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium where there was an awesome aviary.
We saw a Cassin's Auklet, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, and the incredible Tufted Puffin. We got to see all of them extremely close up and it was an amazing experience. They weren't skittish because they're so used to people going through all the time. Some were almost penguin-like and they all dive for their food. The Puffins are so exotic looking it was a great pleasure to see them at such close range. I know we got some awesome close-up pictures.
We also saw a Double-crested Cormorant in the bay at Bandon Harbor, along with a Western Gull flying overhead.
Oh, I forgot to add one other thing. We saw flocks of Barn Swallows. We had also seen them at the Humboldt NWR. I got a decent picture of them and they have the rust undercolor that the Tree Swallow doesn't.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
The "Bird Place" on the Coast
We went to the coast today! It was 110 degrees here yesterday and we couldn't stand it anymore. It was foggy when we first arrived in the morning and then it started to clear up in the afternoon. It was beautiful! We went to the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. At the beginning of the trail we saw a deer not too far from us, drinking from the stream. We saw quite a few new species of birds, but they're very difficult to identify. Besides all the different variations, the pictures in the book don't match up to what we saw.
There were a lot of little birds flying around that looked like swifts, but I think they were some type of Tree Swallow. I'm not sure though. They had bluish wings on top and rust and white on the stomach.
We saw a Marbled Godwit. It was pretty big, specklety brown with long legs and bill. There were little sandpiper-like birds that were either Semipalmated Plovers or Killdeer. They were brown on top and white on the bottom half.
In the office, before we went on the trail, they said a Green Heron had been spotted and later on we saw one fly off in front of us. We also saw a Long-billed Curlew. It was rust-colored, long black legs and a long bill that curved down. A mom duck had four or five babies swimming in the creek.
The last thing we saw at the refuge was a weird looking duck. It kept diving down into the water. It had a white stripe by its eye and had sort of spiky feathers on its head. The closest I can find to it is the Pied-billed Grebe.
Later, by the ocean, we saw several different flocks of seagulls. There were about four different species, but I only found one in the book. It was a Ring-billed Gull.
Hopefully when I get my pictures back they will help identify these birds better.
There were a lot of little birds flying around that looked like swifts, but I think they were some type of Tree Swallow. I'm not sure though. They had bluish wings on top and rust and white on the stomach.
We saw a Marbled Godwit. It was pretty big, specklety brown with long legs and bill. There were little sandpiper-like birds that were either Semipalmated Plovers or Killdeer. They were brown on top and white on the bottom half.
In the office, before we went on the trail, they said a Green Heron had been spotted and later on we saw one fly off in front of us. We also saw a Long-billed Curlew. It was rust-colored, long black legs and a long bill that curved down. A mom duck had four or five babies swimming in the creek.
The last thing we saw at the refuge was a weird looking duck. It kept diving down into the water. It had a white stripe by its eye and had sort of spiky feathers on its head. The closest I can find to it is the Pied-billed Grebe.
Later, by the ocean, we saw several different flocks of seagulls. There were about four different species, but I only found one in the book. It was a Ring-billed Gull.
Hopefully when I get my pictures back they will help identify these birds better.
Friday, June 27, 2003
Back to our old stomping grounds...
Today we set out for the bird place even though it's the heat of summer. It was still really warm, even at 7 a.m. Most of the water has been drained and is gone. We saw a neat green frog on the ground. It was so still that I'm lucky I didn't step on it.
We saw a lot of jackrabbits running around, too. We also saw several groups of pheasants where there were about 6-8 females with one male. Before, we have only ever seen a pair of a male and female together.
There was also a Great Blue Heron. He was so huge with its long skinny neck. Tons of gigantic dragonflies, Mourning Doves, Meadowlarks, blackbirds with red shoulders, a flock of pelicans and also a group of baby pheasants. We saw a deer by itself and then later two ran out in front of the car. We saw a Northern Harrier up close and a bunch of Greater White-fronted Geese.
We also saw an all-black duck with a red bill and yellow tip. We can't seem to identify it through any of our resources though. And I know we've seen it once before, which makes it even more frustrating trying to figure out what it is.
We saw a lot of jackrabbits running around, too. We also saw several groups of pheasants where there were about 6-8 females with one male. Before, we have only ever seen a pair of a male and female together.
There was also a Great Blue Heron. He was so huge with its long skinny neck. Tons of gigantic dragonflies, Mourning Doves, Meadowlarks, blackbirds with red shoulders, a flock of pelicans and also a group of baby pheasants. We saw a deer by itself and then later two ran out in front of the car. We saw a Northern Harrier up close and a bunch of Greater White-fronted Geese.
We also saw an all-black duck with a red bill and yellow tip. We can't seem to identify it through any of our resources though. And I know we've seen it once before, which makes it even more frustrating trying to figure out what it is.
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