We finally managed to fit in a visit to Santa Rosa between doctor appointments. We stopped overnight in Willows so we could visit the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge the next morning. I was worried that it might be closed because of recent cuts, and the offic was closed but the auto tour was still open. More importantly, the sun was shining the whole time we were there, despite a gloomy forecast. Our experience would have been quite different if we had waited a day because it poured buckets on Wednesday.
It must be the beginning of the Meadowlark mating season because their beautiful song filled the air at the beginning of the auto tour. Leslie was lucky enough to capture this shot of a Meadowlark pointing out the need to stay inside your car during the tour.
Meanwhile, I was struggling to see anything on my side of the car. I had to settle for a distant shot of what turned out to be a Meadowlark hunting for food in the scrub grass.
Although I enjoyed being serenaded, I was a little peeved that Leslie got shot after shot of Meadowlarks on her side of the car.
Sometimes, at least, they turned their back on her attempts to capture their beauty,
but this guy was about as cooperative as a bird could be, posing unconcernedly while Leslie snapped away.
It was a great start to a full day of birding, and eventually I started seeing more birds on my side of the car than Leslie saw on her side.