February 24 - Colusa and Sacramento NWRs

I was up early and ate the motel breakfast, gave the key to Manny, and left town to take the Auto Tour route at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, but when I got there I found that the route was closed due to high water.  I did scan through the geese in the fields along the O’Hair Road entrance, but they were mostly Greater White-fronted Geese.

Since I couldn't drive, I walked out the short ‘birding’ trail to get views of the wetlands from the observation decks, and found a very active Great Horned Owl hunting along Powell Slough,

Whoo you lookin' at?

as well as the usual “Valley Birds”.

Spotted Towhee

I'm from western Washington - I still get a kick out of seeing Mockingbirds!

Washed out of Colusa, I drove on north to the Visitors’ Center at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  I hadn’t been here for quite a number of years, and was impressed with the large educational building and grounds.  I walked the Wetlands Trail, getting close looks at a Red-shouldered Hawk.  Hawk Watch International notes that the plumage of our western Buteo lineatus elegans is more “vibrant” than the Eastern subspecies, and I’d have to agree.

There was a bit of breeze blowing, keeping a lot of birds close to their cover, but there were still a lot to be seen.

Female Downy Woodpecker

White-faced Ibis

Returning to the parking lot, I drove around the Auto Tour Route.

The Refuge was established as a wintering area for waterfowl,

Greater White-fronted Geese - the dark one is blind in its left eye

Lots of American Coots

but the habitat provides good views of an array of birds and other wildlife.

Ring-necked Pheasants are an "introduced" species to the United States

A handsome adult White-crowned Sparrow

Beechey's Ground Squirrel

Western Pond Turtles - common here, but they're endangered in Washington State

Red-shouldered Hawk

Savannah Sparrow

Red-tailed Haw

Leaving the Refuge, I drove north into Willows, to see if I could find an easy Yellow-billed Magpie.  These handsome birds just seem more ‘dapper’ than the Black-billed Magpies that we see across the remainder of North America.  I stopped at the Cemetery in town, but the site wasn’t all that birdy, so I drove through the neighborhood on the north side of the community around the block of Road No. 48 and 1st Ave.

Mourning Dove is a common wintering species around here

There in a back yard was a pair of these unmistakable birds.

See why they call it a "Yellow-billed" Magpie?

I continued north on I-5 (I never heard it called “the Five” until Californians moved north and started using that phrase on the TV and radio stations in the Pacific Northwest…), gassed up at the Valero Station in Redding, and drove over the Siskiyous to Medford, Oregon at 7:30, checking into the Rodeway Inn downtown.  Nice place for $65, and very professional owners and staff!  I walked down Riverside to eat at the Golden Wok, which was good value for a good meal.

Colusa O’Hair Road eBird Checklist is Here

Colusa NWR walking trail eBird Checklist is Here

Sacramento NWR Visitors Center trail eBird Checklist is Here

Sacramento NWR Auto Tour Route eBird Checklist is Here

Willows, Calif. eBird Checklist is Here