Tule Fog, Vultures and Tea.

Craig asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I said "A New Year trip to Grey Lodge". So this morning, we tried to get up early... got out of the house around 7:45, and drove the Garden Highway North. We stopped a few times as the Sacramento River changed to the Feather. There were patches of Tule fog, like the good old days before Global Warming. Saw lots of raptors, the first one up close was this White Tail Kite. Looking for mice? Or still sleepy....

White Tail Kite

River Boat Hulk

This Paddle Boat was sitting on some riverside property as part of a Marina... Not a posh marina.
This was a lovely project boat, or perhaps just a heartbreaking old heap. It looked promising in the morning light.

East Canal

Heading down Sacramento Avenue, one of my fave roads, and over the little bridge crossing the East Canal... lovely and smooth.

Look at all those mixed Foul!!! All fake news I'm afraid. I should have taken a pic of all the hunters lined up on the berm, hoping for a real bird to land. Luckily the real birds wern't fooled by that shit.

Dummies and decoys

Past rice ponds full of White Faced Ibis, Snow Geese, ducks, Coots and a few swans. On the roads leading north around the Sutter Buttes, Deer, Vultures, clouds of Red Winged Blackbirds, Kestrels and two Kingfishers... but only a few photos worth seeing. And more of course.

Voltage Vulture

Morning warm up

North, West, East and North again, past the Hunters trailers and pickups. Past the "No Hunting beyond this point" sign, past the tiny little museum and on to Parking Lot 14, where all beauties surround us.

River Otter

River Otters

The first pond on the road to the right of  the Accessible parking places is always a beauty. Every season. Today there were Otters rolling around and playing in the floating layer of something or other... moss? Water plants? Beautiful birds posed by the reed patches bunched up in the water.

Pied Billed Grebe

Gadwell, Mrs and Mr

Across the way in the irrigation ditch, this beauty Green Heron. Lucky to see him, and two Bitterns posing like reeds.

Green Heron

Bittern Reeds

Bittern in the pond

We walked as far as we could, Craig to the split in the road, me to the platform. Not so many ducks there, but a beautiful view anyway. Here is a painting I made a couple of years ago based on the lookout view in Late Summer. Just add a giant jeweled Raven and some magic moths.

"New Breed" KS2015

As I was walking back to Craig, I could hear and see hundreds of snow geese flying towards the overlook... I just let them have their moment without me. I'm sure they were escaping the shotguns going off to the east.

A not so common Common Gallinule

wetland ditch

Winter Scrub Jay

I met up with Craig sitting next to the Pond.

 We walked back to Lot14, and set up a tea break with donuts with a view.

Tea for Two

 We drove around the Auto Route, seeing lots of large ponds, views of the Buttes, animal, mineral and vegetable.

View of the Buttes looking south

Headed home, and saw lots more, stopped at "The Star of India" in Yuba City. Fab food and so reasonable. You would never guess it was there in the little business park mall. Great Christmas Gift! I really feel like I did something today. Communed.