Sat. Oct. 19, 10am-4pm

A trip to the Sacramento delta during the fall and winter months is like returning to old California before the Gold Rush, in the 1840’s, when it teemed with wildlife of all kinds. In these pioneer days the valley was full of birds of every description and grizzlies, elk, beaver, otters and Mule deer roamed the land. The grizzlies are gone, but the Cosumnes River Preserve is still pretty close to paradise for bird-lovers! Located a few miles north of Lodi, just off I5, the preserve is home to tens of thousands of migratory birds from October to March. Ducks, Tundra swans, geese, raptors (Red-tails, harriers, Kestrels), shorebirds and many songbirds are there in great numbers. These birds include the majestic Sandhill Cranes, which spend the winter in the nearby fields and sloughs. They fly overhead in V- shaped patterns constantly bugling to one another. Songbirds, including warblers, swallows, kinglets, thrushes and finches, flit in and out among the large trees along the river’s edge. Scaup, Gadwall, teal, Shovelers, Wigeon, Pintail dabble among the wetlands pools and marshes. Even Great Horned Owls, Bitterns and Peregrine falcons can sometimes be spotted! In the afternoon after lunch we’ll visit nearby Woodbridge Road to see even more cranes, waterfowl and hawks. The trip is easy walking, less than a mile. Bring lunch, drinks and cameras for great photography. Allow for a two hour drive from the East Bay, slightly more from San Francisco or the peninsula. Two main routes: from 580 to I5 north, exit at Franklin Blvd. Slightly shorter route is directly through the delta: from 80 in the East Bay take 4 east to 160 north, near Antioch; then take 12 north-east to I5, and then north about 10 miles to Franklin Blvd. Exit, make right and go several miles to the Visitor’s Center, meet in the parking lot.