Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Llano Seco Unit (North Central Valley Wildlife Management Area)

We went to Llano Seco at sunrise again and it was simply magical! The last time we did this (read that post on my birding blog here) was in January and it's just as enjoyable in the fall.

When we arrived at 6:30 a.m., thousands of white-fronted geese and snow geese were flying in...



This is the view of the walking trail...



The clouds and their reflection really add to the beauty of the landscape...


There were a few groups of Sandhill Cranes, too...






It was great to stand there and watch the light change as the sun came up and the variety of colors reflecting on the clouds. There's the full moon in the photo below, glowing white against the blue sky...





I can't believe our little point-and-shoot cameras picked up on the craters in the moon! It goes to show that you don't have to spend thousands on fancy equipment to get great photos.

Not only did the moon put on a show as the clouds drifted in front of it, the sun did its share of adding color to the morning sky...




The incredible sound of thousands of geese and ducks flying in is something every birder should experience at least once in their life.







I love it when reflections on the water add dimension to our photos...





Despite having to get up before the crack of dawn and braving the cold chill in the air, I think we'll definitely make sunrise birding a priority. You just can't beat those vibrant pink and orange colors in the sky!

Northern Mockingbird

For more bird pics from Llano Seco, please visit my birding blog Wings and Daydreams!


You might also like:

vaughn the road again northern california birdwatching adventures guide


Let's go on an adventure!



Monday, October 30, 2017

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area



We sure saw a wide variety of birds during our visit to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area!


Lots of White-fronted Geese have already flown in and there are plenty of wigeons and pintails, too...




We walked to the viewing platform and saw a Great Egret high up in a tree...


...and a Great Blue Heron looking out over the territory...



And here's a cute little Black Phoebe perched on one of the trail signs...



Here are the photos we took from the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area viewing platform...


The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and even if there weren't any birds here, I'd probably still come here to visit!



It doesn't take much to rile up the geese...


I don't know much about dragonflies, but there were thousands of them flying around as we walked down the trail.


(These ones are probably doing something x-rated 😳)...


For more photos of the birds we've spotted at Gray Lodge, please visit my birding blog Wings and Daydreams!


You might also like:

vaughn the road again northern california birding adventures guide


Let's go on an adventure!