We had to make a trip to Sacramento on Sunday. But I talked my sweetheart into adding in a birding session since we were in the valley. We went to the
Woodbridge Ecological Preserve, about 25 miles south of Sac.
We chatted with other observers while waiting for the fly in at sunset. A nice couple from Grass Valley told us the reserve was much wetter than other years and they wondered where the sandhill cranes would settle for the night. There were numerous ducks in the shallow waters: coots, shovelers, mallards, plus avocets and a few egrets.
Occasionally a raptor would fly over the water and all the waterfowl would get excited.
Here's a northern harrier, harrying the locals
The light got dim and I pulled off my TC (teleconverter costs 1 stop of light) from my slow 400 5.6 lens.
At last a pair of sandhills came gliding by with their unmistakable flight
http://www.lighthawkphoto.com/Nature/Birds/Birding/i-MpbmGtJ/A
The highlight of the evening was watching a pair of SHC do their famous dance.
This was our first time visiting. I would like to return under better lighting conditions.
