Midway between Interstate 5 and US-99, 15 miles from Los Banos and 11 miles from Merced California, is the approximate geographic center of California’s Central Valley. It is also the site of the 10,000+ acre Merced National Wildlife Refuge. Prior to the “civilization” of the west, the entire Central Valley of California was a destination … Read more
Wildlife preserves in modern times can serve as reminders of how the natural order of life on this planet was intended. The ravenous demands of an ever expanding society have ground through much of the wondrous original landscapes, leaving behind a trail of homogenized, featureless and damaged versions of its former self. This trend is … Read more
My first visit to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge was December 2002. Winter is an interesting time of the year to visit any of the reserves in the Sacramento or San Joaquin River valleys. For this is the season when waterfowl by the millions come to stay until spring calls them back north. Since that … Read more
Driving to see my family in Oregon, I took a little timeout to visit the reserves between Williams and Willows California (USA). The long interstate drive wore me down, especially the southern portion. I tried avoiding LA by skirting via the I-15 and Cajon Pass and crossing the high desert through Palmdale, but the plan backfired … Read more
Sacramento NWR, Colusa NWR, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area The Sacramento NWR mostly had puddle ducks, with a few Raptors and herons. They have not flooded the fields, yet it looks like the preparations (grading and the weeding) have been done. Birds seen there were Great Blue Heron, Common Yellowthroat, Western Meadowlark, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, … Read more
