2017 09-27-Yolo & By-Pass
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It was a clear, sunny and hot fall day and we wanted to check the status of the By-Pass after a survey of the burrowing owls. Things were looking up.
The owl area is still full of tumbleweeds, young and old, within the owl hole areas. Other holes had been plowed over by the farmers several months ago. The last time Suellen and I surveyed the area (nine days ago) we only saw one owl. Today we saw three and had a feeling there may have been more down deep. Two owls shared the first hole, who knows if more lurked down further. A single owl exposed the top of its head down to, and including its eyes, from a hole that housed 6 or 7 birds in May.
Moving on to Yolo By-Pass, the place was practically empty. We only saw about 4 cars on the roadways, not counting (a) a guy sleeping in his car in the shade of a big bush, and (b) the workers with their Caterpillar tractors. Some general changes since our last trip on July 11. One of the central, north-south fields has been flooded with a shallow layer of water. There were thousands of coots, shoveller ducks, and some stilts in this area. Here and there a few ibis were also present. Thousands of red-winged blackbirds perched in the reeds, and arched up then back down as we drove by. A few great white egrets, one great blue heron, and a single juvenile black-crowned night heron were seen.
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Read MoreIt was a clear, sunny and hot fall day and we wanted to check the status of the By-Pass after a survey of the burrowing owls. Things were looking up.
The owl area is still full of tumbleweeds, young and old, within the owl hole areas. Other holes had been plowed over by the farmers several months ago. The last time Suellen and I surveyed the area (nine days ago) we only saw one owl. Today we saw three and had a feeling there may have been more down deep. Two owls shared the first hole, who knows if more lurked down further. A single owl exposed the top of its head down to, and including its eyes, from a hole that housed 6 or 7 birds in May.
Moving on to Yolo By-Pass, the place was practically empty. We only saw about 4 cars on the roadways, not counting (a) a guy sleeping in his car in the shade of a big bush, and (b) the workers with their Caterpillar tractors. Some general changes since our last trip on July 11. One of the central, north-south fields has been flooded with a shallow layer of water. There were thousands of coots, shoveller ducks, and some stilts in this area. Here and there a few ibis were also present. Thousands of red-winged blackbirds perched in the reeds, and arched up then back down as we drove by. A few great white egrets, one great blue heron, and a single juvenile black-crowned night heron were seen.
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