LLano Seco Unit
nearest town: Chico CA
part of: Sacramento NWR Complex
A Wildlife Refuge in the Central Valley region.
Number of visits: 7
GPS: 39.6044,-121.915
Bathroom: pit • Water: no
Infrastructure is all new they say. Pretty happening little spot on a warm November Sunday afternoon. Eight-ish vehicles there when I arrived. There's a bathroom and a viewing area at the parking lot.
There were lots of birds right there - mostly pintails, widgeons and shovellers. Also in the distance snow geese, the other goose, a flock of cranes overhead, and across the road, a flock of swans!
Then there's a short, 1/3 mile walk out to another viewing area. Pretty sweet little spot. On hte walk was a group of grazing curlews that were kind enough to not fly away as I walked pretty close.
I thought I was doing just a drive-by on my way to the main Sacto NWR auto loop, but this was so cool I spent the afternoon here.
Notes on each visit (posted cost • senior cost):
Quickie stop today, but I'm entering it to note that there were still thousands of *snow geese*still here almost into April! When I got there they were standing around on the little walking path, but I was blessed to see them all take flight and whirl around a bit then re-land off the path. What an impressive sight!
My fun spot for the day. I do the little nature walk out to the man-made mound with a picnic table on top, then I hang out on the viewing deck. So I did everything one can do at Llano Seco!
No interesting birds, just the standard Shoveller/Pintail mix. Still quite nice though.
my new must-see spot in the northern Valley. Migratory flocks have apparently migrated away from here, so duck-wise its just the omnipresent coots (yawn) and pintails and shovelers, which are both very pretty birds, not enough to get the blood going. There are maurauding raptors and turkey vultures, and swarnma of little chirpy birds (sparrows?)
dropped by for a quickie. Nothing but pintails that I could see. Still a beautiful, always worth it stop. Love my new binoculars!