Around 7:30, I headed out to the Cosumnes River Preserve for a walk. I was a little pissed off, as were others who came to the preserve, that on a holiday day when they knew people would be coming to the preserve, the folks who run the preserve didn’t open the gates… So, everyone had to park on the road instead of the parking lots, which is dangerous because the road is kind of narrow with deep culverts and sloughs on either side, and the locals like to speed down it. It was about 45° when I got there, and a little breezy.

Not a lot of birds, which was kind of surprising considering the time of year. But even with the small number of birds, I was able to see about 25 different species including: Northern Shovelers, a Blue-Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teals, Green-Winged Teals, Northern Pintails, American Pipits, Marsh Wrens, Song Sparrows, Canada Geese, Black Phoebes, Western Meadowlarks, House Finches, American Coots, an American Robin, Black-Necked Stilts, Long-Billed Dowitchers, a Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Audubon’s Warbler), a Greater Yellowlegs, Golden-Crowned Sparrows, White-Crowned Sparrows, a Spotted Towhee and a California Towhee, a Great Egret and Greater White Fronted Geese.

CLICK HERE for the full album of photos.

I also found a Bushtit nest in one of the trees. The most active were the little male Marsh Wrens who were flitting around and singing away setting out the boundaries of their territories before they start their nest-building activities. The Long-Billed Dowitchers were all sitting, snuggled down in the shallow water, dozing away – until a train came by and blew its horn. Then they all took off in a flurry.

I walked for about 1 ½ hours, but still covered about 2 miles.