Past prime, but still quite entertaining. The front pool is drained, but that means the ibises are loving it.

Lotsa shovelers, but also some very pretty red ducks, I think chestnut teals.

Very happy.

Great day to be here!

COVID messed up the last two years, but here I am back in prime viewing time!

I got to see the spectacle of all the snow geese lifting off at once. Then they mill around for a while and settle back down. No, I did not instigate it!

Lots of Pintails and Shovelers as always, one gorgeous Cinnamon Teal, quite a few Buffleheads (personal favorite). A lot of Ross's Geese (boring), and Snow Geese in the distance.

But the colony of Night Herons is still missing, which is a bummer.

Summer doldrums. Perhaps the most nothing visit ever ... but very pleasant nonetheless!

All of the ponds were drained. They were grassy or pond-weeds. No ducks.

I saw one killdeer. I surprised one muskrat, who was fun to watch for the two seconds he was visible.

The shocker was that there were NO night herons. There have always been night herons no matter what else is going on. Eerie.

Boring off season conditions. Coots and shovellers are most of the water birds.

There were white-faced ibises, which are cool to look at.

And the usual crew of night herons at their usual spot.

Only thing of new interest is that the pond at the observation deck is drained ... for "routine maintenance" I imagine. They say it will be refilled for the winter.

Pretty much off-season here. The pond at the viewing platform was drained. No flocks of migratory birds. Even the little neighborhood of Night Herons along the creek right before the end of the loop was gone. Never (not) seen that before!

Only interesting thing was a few Ring-necked Pheasants, which are quite attractive. Large and pretty colors and look like they would be tasty!

No notable sightings, just the usual shovellers and pintails. The Night Herons were in their corner. There were a lot of snow geese and Ross's geese. I save walking on the trail to last, and was rewarded with a couple of eruptions of hundreds of geese heading to whatever field that will be their dinner table for the night.

At least four different kinds of geese - snow, canada, Ross's and white-fronted.

Rest of the swimmers were pintails and shovellers and of course coots.

Spoonbills are so cool!

The black reed birds, little grass cuties, a bright green song bird.

Lotsa raptors.

time was pressing, so did not do the full drive, just up to the loop and turn around.

Did spend a lot of time on the viewing platform and took the little hike,

Most exciting sighting was on the hike, an American Bittern. That is a big, serious-looking bird, looks like she could do some damage with that beak.

There like 8-10 cars here today, all clustered in a goofy traffic jam at the first open water on the right after the parking area.

The famous falcated duck is here! I looked at pictures later at the Sacto Refuge, and thought I saw it, but on later review, I probably didn’t(*) … sigh … but let’s just say I did!

I saw plenty of the usual suspects – spooners, pintails, redheads, a few hawks and that excellent colony of night herons across the creek on the way out.

Migratory birds. nice auto tour, viewing platform, a short hike, no camping, close to CA 20 and I-5.