2018 11-26 Llano Seco – Sac NWR
-
“REFLECTIONS”
We got off the 99 and took the 162 west for about 10 miles. It seemed like there was a big fat red-tailed hawk on every post, sign marker, telephone pole and tree. It was pretty cool. We continued on the 162 and eventually turn north on Avenue Z.
Avenue Z runs into 7 Mile Drive, and just past the intersection of the two roads this time of year there can be tens of thousands of geese sitting in the ponds. Since the sky was overcast today and there was absolutely no wind, the ponds were quite glassy. Consequently when the geese flushed there was a spectacular mirror effect. NOTE: Later in the day on our way out towards Sacramento NWR, zero geese were present at this location.
Llano Seco itself was a little barren, it being too early in the season. But again the mirror glass conditions made for some spectacular images of the trees and the beautiful scenery surrounding this natural wonderland.
After leaving Llano Seco we moved southwest to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. We started along the driving loop tour at 12:08 and ended at 1:15. Most of the ponds are now filled and the wildlife is beginning to really move in. The ponds were full of the usual pintails, shovelers, mallards, coots and geese. Among the geese were great white-fronted geese, Ross’s geese and snow geese. They really were widely distributed across all the ponds today and occasionally they, too, would get flushed out creating some spectacular massive views framed by the beautiful trees around the refuge.
There were several northern harriers and quite a few red-tails. They harriers were busy flying away from my lens, and the red-tails were mostly perched in trees deep in foliage, thus impossible to capture. Nonetheless the beautiful vistas, the clear air, and all the geese made the trip quite magical.
This gallery includes one photo of our favorite local burrowing owl taken on 11-17 in El Dorado Hills near its border with Folsom.
-
Read More“REFLECTIONS”
We got off the 99 and took the 162 west for about 10 miles. It seemed like there was a big fat red-tailed hawk on every post, sign marker, telephone pole and tree. It was pretty cool. We continued on the 162 and eventually turn north on Avenue Z.
Avenue Z runs into 7 Mile Drive, and just past the intersection of the two roads this time of year there can be tens of thousands of geese sitting in the ponds. Since the sky was overcast today and there was absolutely no wind, the ponds were quite glassy. Consequently when the geese flushed there was a spectacular mirror effect. NOTE: Later in the day on our way out towards Sacramento NWR, zero geese were present at this location.
Llano Seco itself was a little barren, it being too early in the season. But again the mirror glass conditions made for some spectacular images of the trees and the beautiful scenery surrounding this natural wonderland.
After leaving Llano Seco we moved southwest to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. We started along the driving loop tour at 12:08 and ended at 1:15. Most of the ponds are now filled and the wildlife is beginning to really move in. The ponds were full of the usual pintails, shovelers, mallards, coots and geese. Among the geese were great white-fronted geese, Ross’s geese and snow geese. They really were widely distributed across all the ponds today and occasionally they, too, would get flushed out creating some spectacular massive views framed by the beautiful trees around the refuge.
There were several northern harriers and quite a few red-tails. They harriers were busy flying away from my lens, and the red-tails were mostly perched in trees deep in foliage, thus impossible to capture. Nonetheless the beautiful vistas, the clear air, and all the geese made the trip quite magical.
This gallery includes one photo of our favorite local burrowing owl taken on 11-17 in El Dorado Hills near its border with Folsom.
-
Snow geese - reflections
Chen caerulescens Snow geese reflections 2018 11-26 LLano Seco--228
Snow geese - reflections
Chen caerulescens Snow geese reflections WOW 2018 11-26 LLano Seco--283
