You might think that the best time to visit Sacramento Valley rice country is during the growing season. There’s no doubt that’s a beautiful time to see harvesters and bankout wagons working those golden fields.
Truth be told, there are really cool sights year round. Right now we’re nearing the peak for wildlife viewing.
Buoyed by that information, wife Leslie, the kids and I ventured north to see what we could find on the back roads a short drive north of Sacramento.
Our first stop was the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge, a short drive west from Highway 99 in Yuba City. Here we weren’t disappointed, as we saw a large concentration of Snow Geese enjoying their winter respite, framed by the Sutter Buttes mountain range.
But the real action came a short drive away, when we came across an amazing gathering of geese. Numbering well into the thousands, these migratory birds were enjoying their stop in a rice field. It was exhilarating to hear all of that honking that broke the silence found in the countryside and to see their landings and takeoffs on this sun-filled Saturday.
In fact, the best sight of the day was observing clouds of geese flying in the sky, with the sunshine glimmering off of their wings.
Leslie was able to capture some footage of this enormous flock, which provided great delight to our family.
Bird watching is not a hobby for those seeking immediate gratification. It’s just about impossible to know where the flocks will be, or which species you may luck into. But this family’s opinion is that it’s worth the drive, because just around the corner you may find a truly breathtaking snapshot of our natural world.
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