Welcome to the initial installment of High Country Exposures Adventure Blog. Let me introduce myself, my name is Richard Radanovich and I've dedicated a great deal of my life to exploring the natural world in search of adventure, wildlife and that priceless photograph. Along the way I have logged many miles and acquired a catalog of great places to visit, and tips on where and when to travel, to maximize your experience. To that end, each week I will share my latest endeavor or revisit a classic weekend trip. I welcome all comments, suggestions and your additional input, as these exercises in exploration are best when all contributions are shared. I will do my best to distribute accurate information, but don't be shy about resetting my compass and I will address any updates in future posts.
This week I want to celebrate something near and dear to my heart, the National and State Wildlife Refuges of California. The Central Valley of California is visited each year by millions of migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway. As only a mere fraction of the historical wetlands remain, it falls to a network of refuges up and down the great valley of California to provide sanctuary and undisturbed habitat to hundreds of species of migratory birds and waterfowl. Like small islands in a sea of human development, these refuges provide a lifeline for millions of birds and other resident wildlife. They provide seasonal and permanent wetlands, grasslands and riparian habitats. While many of the large herds of elk, pronghorns, and the grizzly bear are gone, these refuges help to maintain many species that remain and have some of the most spectacular concentrations of waterfowl on the North American continent. Many of the ducks and geese wintering in the valley come from the northern reaches of Canada and the Alaskan Arctic. These remarkable creatures travel incredible distances to spend the winter in our comparatively mild valleys, resting and feeding before starting their return trip north to their breeding grounds in late February and early March.
Two of these regions are the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the San Luis Complex. Both of these areas are a collection of individual refuges that provide unique habitat and are intensively managed to provide productive habitat to help preserve the remaining populations. The Sacramento Complex includes five refuges of which the Sacramento Refuge is the largest. It has a quality visitors center full of information for all the various sites and contains a wealth of examples depicting all the species using the refuge. All these refuges are located within 50 to 90 miles north of Sacramento. The San Luis Complex consists of various sites located between Merced and Los Banos including the Merced Wildlife Refuge and the San Luis Wildlife Refuge, which boasts a beautiful visitors center and museum. In addition to all the birds, the San Luis refuge has a large herd of endangered Tule Elk. All the refuges are easily accessible and near major highways. For maps, info and directions, log on to www.fws.gov/refuge or call 1-800-344-wild.
As to when, the time is now! The refuges are filled with thousands of birds. A recent visit to the Sacramento Refuge was a nonstop experience of all manner of waterfowl, including many thousands of snow geese. The unexpected treat was the viewing of a dozen bald eagles. The concentration of ducks and geese are like ringing the dinner bell for these magnificent birds of prey. They were easily viewed with the naked eye but a real treat to follow through even simple binoculars. One sat in a tree above the visitors center and even showed a little to much interest in the creatures walking below. They have quite a stare. There are also a number of State Wildlife Areas in the region. Traveling north to the Llano Seco Unit provided an incredible display by nearly 100,000 snow geese as they filled the sky during their evening fly out. The birds regularly rotate from area to area in search of food and safe refuge for the night. Part of the fun is to find the birds location on that particular day. Our local refuge, the Merced Wildlife Refuge, is home to large flocks of ducks, snow geese and many other birds. But the refuge is mainly known for having the largest population of lesser Sandhill Cranes in the state. These magnificent birds overwinter here each year. During the day the geese put on quite a show, but you may not see or hear many of the cranes. The trick is to stay put until almost dusk. After sunset, the cranes begin to return to the refuge for the night by the thousands. In large flights they return, voicing their distinctive chortle. It is a remarkable sight one will not soon forget. The Merced Refuge has a 5 mile auto tour loop that allows you to view a diverse population of waterfowl and get up close and personal with the large flocks of geese and cranes. it is located on Sandy Mush Road southwest of Merced. Take Hwy 59 south and turn west on Sandy Mush Road. It is approx. 15 to 20 minutes from Merced. Don't miss this show!
Please post any questions and I will attempt to answer them in future posts.
