Friday, November 2, 2018

Autumn at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge



We got caught in the rain at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge! (And no, this isn't a Jimmy Buffett song. This is my latest attempt to capture the beauty of one of my favorite locations on camera!)


It was a gorgeous day and the first one we've had in a while that wasn't over 90 degrees! There were a few sprinkles during the drive to the refuge and we crossed our fingers that the weather would hold out so we could do some filming. Even though this is our local refuge and we've been there dozens of times, we haven't made a video of it yet.



There isn't much water at the refuge yet, but I'm sure it will be filling up soon for all of the migrating birds coming our way. We probably jumped the gun and went too early in the season, but we couldn't wait any longer! Our last visit was in April and I was having some serious wildlife refuge withdrawals.


We begin a lot of our adventures early in the morning to beat the crowds, but I also love how sunrises look in photographs. Being out in nature and feeling like you have the place to yourself is awesome!


We made it to the observation platform (about halfway through the auto tour) when the rain clouds couldn't hold out anymore.





About thirty seconds after we took these photos, the heavens opened up and the rain came down with a vengeance! We made a mad dash to the car and managed to keep the cameras dry. Then we sat for a few minutes and just listened to the rain tapping on the roof and streaking down the windshield. I love the rain and we don't get much of it here in the valley.




Talk about an adventure! I can't remember the last time I got caught in a downpour. Even if the weather wasn't completely camera friendly, we had a blast.


We'll head back to the refuge again in a few weeks on a day when there isn't a chance of rain. Hopefully, the geese and ducks will have arrived. And I'll definitely make a separate video in the spring when the landscape totally changes and everything is green, green, green!

Here is the refuge's website in case you're in the area and want to plan your own visit. You can also find photos of the birds we spotted at the refuge over on my birding blog Wings and Daydreams.


So, I guess the moral of the story is: Go with the flow! You never know what's going to happen when you head out for your adventure. And if you did, they wouldn't call it an adventure. It'd be another day sitting on the couch binge-watching Netflix. 😊




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Let's go on an adventure!




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