2018 02-03 Yolo County & Bypass
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The meteorologists have been calling it the “ridiculously resilient ridge of high pressure,” and it’s kept our “normal” winter rain and cool winter weather away. Meanwhile, the net on-the-ground effects made for great wildlife photography:
-No fog.
-No clouds.
-No wind.
-Sunny.
-Warm.
Suellen and I had some business in Yolo County. Afterwards, we took advantage of our location to visit one of the owl spots and then drove the loop at the Vic Fazio Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. At the burrowing owl spot we chose to visit today we found a two individuals showing themselves, the rest of the 7 known to inhabit burrows here recently were not seen. I was able to get great close ups of one owl using 600mm and shooting out of the window of my truck from across the street. On our way to the Bypass we watched some yellow-billed magpies.
The Bypass had a few more vehicles as it was a weekend and we typically visit on weekdays. The highlights of the bypass included a couple of impossible-to-shoot harriers, one red-shouldered hawk perched in a tree, a white-tailed kite and a large, distant flock of American white pelicans.
The kite was in a tree on the southeastern corner of the loop where we have seen kites many times before. Was it the same individual? …or just a good spot for kites to rest? I parked and walked to get a shot, but the raptor took off way before I got near it. It flew about 50 yards and perched atop another tree, but quickly got airborne again. This time it circled around a thermal with some red-tailed hawks, at time passing nearly overhead. Again, the 600mm helped. After reaching a high altitude, the kite soared off to the southeast towards the Sacramento River Deepwater Ship Channel.
On the way back out the road through the ponds featured a lot of coots, ducks and some nice black-necked stilts. With the sun and glassy water the stilt photography was nice. After focusing on stilts we noticed a very large flock of 40 or 50 American white pelicans circling another thermal above the grain processing plant and the Yolo fruit and veggie stand. It was a nice photo op.
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Read MoreThe meteorologists have been calling it the “ridiculously resilient ridge of high pressure,” and it’s kept our “normal” winter rain and cool winter weather away. Meanwhile, the net on-the-ground effects made for great wildlife photography:
-No fog.
-No clouds.
-No wind.
-Sunny.
-Warm.
Suellen and I had some business in Yolo County. Afterwards, we took advantage of our location to visit one of the owl spots and then drove the loop at the Vic Fazio Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. At the burrowing owl spot we chose to visit today we found a two individuals showing themselves, the rest of the 7 known to inhabit burrows here recently were not seen. I was able to get great close ups of one owl using 600mm and shooting out of the window of my truck from across the street. On our way to the Bypass we watched some yellow-billed magpies.
The Bypass had a few more vehicles as it was a weekend and we typically visit on weekdays. The highlights of the bypass included a couple of impossible-to-shoot harriers, one red-shouldered hawk perched in a tree, a white-tailed kite and a large, distant flock of American white pelicans.
The kite was in a tree on the southeastern corner of the loop where we have seen kites many times before. Was it the same individual? …or just a good spot for kites to rest? I parked and walked to get a shot, but the raptor took off way before I got near it. It flew about 50 yards and perched atop another tree, but quickly got airborne again. This time it circled around a thermal with some red-tailed hawks, at time passing nearly overhead. Again, the 600mm helped. After reaching a high altitude, the kite soared off to the southeast towards the Sacramento River Deepwater Ship Channel.
On the way back out the road through the ponds featured a lot of coots, ducks and some nice black-necked stilts. With the sun and glassy water the stilt photography was nice. After focusing on stilts we noticed a very large flock of 40 or 50 American white pelicans circling another thermal above the grain processing plant and the Yolo fruit and veggie stand. It was a nice photo op.
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Athene canicularia 2018 02-03 Yolo--027
Athene canicularia 2018 02-03 Yolo--042
