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Sandhill Cranes by Vinayak Hebbagil
Sandhill Cranes and Wintering Waterfowl at Cosumnes River Preserve (Sacramento County)
The area around Lodi and Galt is the perfect place to view wintering birds of the Central Valley. We will visit Cosumnes River Preserve to look for Sandhill Cranes, Cackling Geese, and Greater White-fronted Geese along with a variety of waterfowl like Northern Pintails, Buffleheads, Ringed-neck Duck and possibly all three species of teals. We will also look for shorebirds like Black-necked Stilts, Wilson’s Snipe and raptors like Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel and Merlin among others. We will break for lunch after our trip at the picnic tables and participants will have an opportunity to peruse the visitor center.
Following lunch, we will make our way to the farmlands on Staten Island. We will likely encounter a greater number of Sandhill Cranes here and look for possible Snow Goose, Tundra Swan and White-faced Ibis in the flooded fields. Say’s Phoebe, American Pipit, Western Meadowlarks will be our other birds of interest.
After the trip ends, there is an option to stay back in the surrounding area. We will wait for the memorable sight of thousands of waterfowl coming in to roost and filling the sunset skies!
Trip Difficulty: 2 - 2.5 miles. Paved trails and boardwalk at Cosumnes River Preserve. Gravel road at Staten Island.
Other Trip Notes: Bring snacks and food as we will break for lunch. Prepare with layers for cold, cloudy and rainy weather, and sun protection in case the day is sunny and warm.
At Staten Island, our approach will be to pull over and get out of our cars, to bird. To enable us to do this safely, we will carpool with 4 people in each car at the start of Staten Island. Backup date for this trip is Dec 21.
Leaders: Vinayak Hebbagil (585) 705-6643, Shweta Shidhore (585) 748-5117, Eve Meier (408) 569-9391
Beginner Friendly
Meet: Cosumnes River Preserve visitor center
Directions: From I-5 exit at Twin Cities Rd. and go East (heading towards Galt). Follow Twin Cities Rd. for 3 miles (go over the railroad tracks). Turn right at Bruceville Rd. and follow it for 1 mile to Desmond Rd. Turn right on to Desmond Rd. and follow it for 1 mile (back over the railroad tracks). Turn left on Franklin Blvd. The parking lot and visitor center will be on the left in roughly 1 mile. Latitude/Longitude: 38.265738, -121.439296
Facilities: pit toilet, drinking water
Parking Type and Fees: Cosumnes River Preserve: Paved parking lot with no fees
Refunds? If trip is canceled due to bad weather, you will be refunded. If you need to cancel, do so before Dec 2 for a refund.
Waitlist: If this trip is full and you would like to be on a waiting list, please email fieldtrips@scvas.org
Questions? Email general questions to fieldtrips@scvas.org or contact the trip leader for questions regarding the event.