FEBRUARY AT SACRAMENTO WILDLIFE REFUGE

     Through a live camera and our home computer screen, I have "visited" the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in Central California during this February to see what water birds were wintering there.  I was thrilled to see many each of northern shovelers, northern pintails, green-winged teal, all of which are kinds of ducks, white-fronted geese, snow geese and American coots dominating the refuge's shallow retention basins between feeding forays in fresh-water, emergent, tall-grass marshes and neighboring fields.  I never saw so many shovelers in one spot in my whole life.

     It was exciting to notice varying-sized flocks of each kind of water bird swimming on the basins, sometimes almost "wall to wall", or winging off, or sweeping down onto the basins and nearby marshes with a splash per bird.  Many of those water birds were hidden in the marshes, until they flew up and away, with a roar of wings.

     Drake shovelers are handsome fellows, with green heads, white underparts and rufous flanks.  Their mates, however, like all female ducks are plain brown or gray, with darker markings, which camouflages them while they are incubating eggs and raising ducklings.     

     Both genders of shovelers have a few unique qualities about them.  They have large beaks with comb-like projections on their edges that filter tiny bits of organic food from shallow, still water in ponds and marshes.  Shovelers gather in small groups to spin in shallow water and kick their feet into mud under water to stir up edibles.

     Many pintails spent the winter at Sacramento Refuge.  It's always interesting to see the courtship flights of this duck species.  Typically, about four drakes gather around a hen pintail on the water.  And when that female takes flight, her escort of males sweeps into the air with her.  Each little group speeds and swoops erratically over land and water for a few minutes, providing entertainment for people watching.  Suddenly, they all splash on the water again, and it's said that the male that stayed with her best gets to be her mate for the coming season.     

     The diminutive green-winged teal drakes are attractive with chestnut heads, and a metallic-green stripe on each cheek.  They also have a green patch on each wing that flashes iridescently in sunlight.  These little ducks are quick in every way, including fast flight.  All these duck species "tip-up" in the water to consume aquatic vegetation. 

     White-fronted geese and snow geese are both at this refuge through winter.  As always, snow geese form great, noisy masses of themselves, on water, in marshes and fields, and in the air.  Their hordes are always spectacular to see.  And they consume plants in water and on land, including grass.

     The dark-gray American coots look and act like half-breeds between chickens and ducks.  These intriguing birds walk like chickens, fly, and swim, and dive under water, like ducks.  And they have webbed toes and white, chicken-like beaks.  Obviously, they are physically and behaviorly adapted to ingesting plants on land, including grass, and in water.  They are unique.

     Bald eagles at the sanctuary feed on ducks and coots, if they can catch them.  Ducks and coots are alert most of the time and are quick to take flight when threatened by eagles, or any other possible danger.  

     It was thrilling and a joy to daily experience all those water birds at Sacramento Wildlife Refuge.  They are all attractive and interesting in their natural habitats, whether seen "in the flesh" or on computer screens.