October is an exciting month for birding in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area as fall migration brings a wonderful variety of species to the area and recently harvested rice fields offer rich feeding grounds. Yolo Basin Foundation invites members of the public to attend a free, docent-led tour of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area on Saturday, October 12 from 9 a.m. to noon to discover a local gem right outside the state capitol. Waterfowl such as Northern Pintails, Canada and Greater White-Fronted Geese, and Northern Shovelers are arriving to the Wildlife Area. Some will stay for the winter while others will stop by to rest and feed before continuing farther on their southbound migration. The harvesting of wild rice crops provides abundant feeding opportunities for many species. Rice grains left behind attract blackbirds and waterfowl while herons and egrets stalk prey such as crawdads, fish, and small mammals in the shallowly flooded fields. Both Snowy and Great Egrets can be seen from afar as their tall white bodies with long slender necks stand out against the landscape. Great Egrets (Ardea alba), the taller of the two species at around three feet, have yellow bills, and long black legs. Standing about two feet tall, Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) have black bills, black legs, and yellow feet. From a distance, height can be hard to judge, however their color patterns can be used for identification. More information about the tours as well as directions to the YBWA are available on Yolo Basin Foundation’s website at www.yolobasin.org. Snowy Egret by Maryellen Bauer
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
9 a.m. to noon
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area - Meet in Parking Lot A
Free
Yolo Basin Foundation
Send Email
Printed courtesy of www.westsacramentochamber.com/ – Contact the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce for more information.
1401 Halyard Drive, Suite 120, West Sacramento, CA 95691 – (916) 371-7042 – info@westsacramentochamber.com