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American Pipit at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

10,000 Birds

They migrate down from alpine and arctic tundra to lower latitudes in the non-breeding season (click on photos for full sized images). This bird was visiting Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge when I photographed it from the photo blind there two years ago. Birding American Pipit pipits Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge'

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Blue-winged Teal at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

10,000 Birds

The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Kutras Lake and the California Gull

10,000 Birds

On top of that, they occur in breeding and non-breeding plumage! The top photo shows a first winter California Gull ( Larus californicus ) on the right and a non-breeding adult on the left. Below is the same first winter California Gull with the smaller non-breeding adult Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis ) on the left.

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Greater White-fronted Geese at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

10,000 Birds

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex in California’s Central Valley. There are also two photography blinds on Sacramento NWR, one blind on Colusa NWR, and one blind on Delevan NWR. At first light, about 7:30 AM, the winter bulrush gives a golden glow to the wetlands.

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Ross’s Goose, the Little Snow Goose

10,000 Birds

Every autumn, tens of thousands of Snow Geese arrive in California’s Sacramento Valley following their long journey from the Canadian Arctic (click on photos for full sized images). The Ross’s Goose is the smallest variety of the white geese that breed in North America.

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The Marsh Wren Singing and Gathering Nesting Material

10,000 Birds

The male shown in the video above, filmed at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, was in the process of gathering nesting material for what usually adds up to a dozen to two dozen nests! It is obvious to me that the male Marsh Wrens at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge are getting ready for the females to visit their breeding territories.

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Osprey Love in Northern California

10,000 Birds

Living near the Sacramento River and its many lakes and tributaries makes it even more likely to see the incredible fish hawk or sea eagle we call the Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ). Most of the Osprey breeding in North America are migratory, only Florida, the Caribbean and Baja California host non-migratory breeders 1.