Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area

April 20, 2014

Pongo and I spent a low-key day today at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area near Davis.  I didn't want to spend too long away from home, it being Easter and all, but a weekend seems wasted if I don't make at least a short trip somewhere.  It's also getting harder to leave Pongo behind considering how much he enjoys these trips.  So, I kept the drive under two hours and made sure the adventure contained enough wildlife to keep Pongo entertained.

Western Meadowlark -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

When I take Pongo to Yolo, the first thing we do is walk under the interstate to the big field where he can walk around.  I still don't trust Pongo off leash, but he showed today that he may be ready for it in a year or two.  We'll see.  Yosh got him a twenty-five foot leash, which we used today for the first time.  He did really well on it.  Not much tugging at all, and he keeps an eye on me and waits if I stop just as well on that leash as he does on the regular six footer.  There's hope for this rescue dog.

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

I'll grant you, the picture above isn't the most exciting picture ever taken.  It's green, though.  Really green.  That's the way the wildlife area looks right now, at least the parts that aren't currently underwater or were recently underwater.  There were a lot of yellows, too.  I love this time of year.  The wild flowers are everywhere.  They won't last long, but while they do they're magnificent.

White-faced Ibis -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

I hate to break up the color scheme, but these Ibises were the coolest birds Pongo and I saw today.  Well, aside the the lone harrier, but he was at least a hundred yards away before flying off.  What's the plural of Ibis?  Ibises?  Ibii?  Ibis?  Dunno.

Marsh Wren -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

At one point I stopped to take pictures and we found ourselves in the middle of a heated sing-off.  On one side of the road was the marsh wren pictured above.  On the other side of the road was a song sparrow (below).  It reminded me of Sundays in Harajuku.  There's a street that they block off and bands line both sides of the street all playing to their hearts' content at the same time.  It sounds like a jumbo jet from a distance.  These two birds weren't nearly that loud, but it seemed like they were trying to prove something to one another.

Song Sparrow -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

Most of the migrating birds have left for the summer, but there are still a few ducks hanging around.

Gadwall -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA

Mourning Dove -- Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, CA