Just before Thanksgiving I and some friends decided to check out the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge to see the migratory flocks. The birds usually arrive in late October and leave in late February/early March.
It’s a great outing as there is an auto tour that takes you through an area of the refuge. You are only allowed to leave your vehicle at specific spots. In addition there is an observation deck and several walking trails that take you to several other ponds. You can see lots of birds without binoculars. However, to get a good closeup look and ID the birds, binoculars, a monocular or in my case a telephoto lens works great.
We picked a near perfect day — the temps were in the high 60s with a bit of a breeze. The bird sightings were amazing — thousands of geese, ducks and shorebirds swam, slept and fed on the ponds and shores at the refuge.
There were several birders at the observation deck. They had their scopes and had hunkered down in front of and below the deck. They were dressed in cameo and stayed quiet hoping to observe the birds’ natural behaviors.
Here is a sample of what we saw:
This refuge is a few miles off of Interstate 5 at the town of Williams. Take Highway 20 east about 3 or 4 miles and the refuge is on your right. If you reach the town of Colusa you have gone too far. For folks in NorCal, it makes for a nice day trip. You can explore the small towns of Williams and Colusa. There is also an Indian Casino nearby for those so inclined.