With many of the youngsters about to start their Christmas vacation, now is a great time to take them on a wildlife sightseeing trip. Northern California offers dozens of opportunities to view wildlife up close and most of these destinations are within a short drive of Lake County. Not only will it be educational, but enjoyable as well.
Without question one of the most spectacular sights in the country are the thousands of ducks and geese in the Sacramento Valley.
The Sacramento Valley is the primary wintering ground for more than 50 percent of all the waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. More than 3 million ducks and geese spend the winter in the valley. The ducks and geese start their migration in Alaska and Northern Canada and by mid-December they have settled into the federal and state wildlife refuges in the Sacramento Valley. There are four federal refuges and two state refuges. The largest is the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, located just south of Willows on I-5.
The Sacramento Refuges offers a five-mile, self-guided auto tour that takes you within a few yards of thousands of the ducks and geese that winter on the refuge. There are also bald and golden eagles as well as pheasants and hawks.
One of the most spectacular sights takes place when the huge flocks of snow geese leave the refuge in the mornings to feed in the nearby rice fields. The sky turns literally white with geese and their calls are deafening. Be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars and a good camera. The tour takes about two hours. To get there, take Highway 20 from Lake County to I-5. Take the Norman Road Exit just south of Willows and turn north on the frontage road to the refuge. As you enter the refuge there are signs directing you to the tour road.
The Colusa National Wildlife Refuge also offers an abundance of waterfowl. The refuge is located on Highway 20 between the towns of Williams and Colusa.
In addition to the refuges, waterfowl can be viewed throughout the Sacramento Valley as they fly to and from their feeding areas. For example, the rice fields along highways 20 and 162 are loaded with geese and ducks.
On the way to the Sacramento Valley be on the lookout for the herds of tule elk along Highway 20 near the Cache Creek Wildlife Area. The elk can often been seen within a few yards of the highway.
Wildlife viewing can be one of the most exciting and rewarding outings of the year and Lake County is the perfect place to do it. Presently there are at least 100 white pelicans on the lake along with grebes, ducks, geese and other water birds.
Nearby Lake Pillsbury is a beautiful drive and a great place to take a lunch and enjoy the scenery. To reach the lake take Highway 20 west to the Potter Valley turnoff. Take the county road into the lake. The gravel road is in good shape and can be traveled by auto. There is a herd of approximately 60 tule elk at Lake Pillsbury, including several large bulls. They can normally be seen on the airport at the north end of the lake.
Clear Lake State Park has miles of hiking trails where all types of wildlife can be seen. The Saturday morning hikes offered by the Lake County Land Trust are another excellent choice. The hikes start at 9 a.m. and the meeting place is the Rodman Preserve Nature Education Center located at 6350 Westlake Road on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff.
Better yet, join the members of the Redbud Audubon Society during their annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday. This is the 37th year the count has taken place in Lake County. The meeting places are the Ranch House at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and the visitor parking lot at the Clear Lake State Park. The groups meet at 8 a.m. and count until early afternoon. You will be amazed by the different species of birds you will see. Best of all, the Audubon members are very knowledgeable and helpful. Call 928-5591 for more information.
