Macro Newts

A Morning At Gray Lodge

The Gray Lodge Wildlife Area near Gridley, CA in the Sacramento Valley region.

Never been, wanted to go, so we went. We arrived before sunrise and took the 3 mile auto tour route so we could catch sun-up. Another amazing California wildlife refuge! We also did the 2 mile walking tour (Flyway Trail) later in the morning. Both routes are exceptional and worth the trip there. These photos are a combination of the two routes and some could be out of order.

See the Gray Lodge website link below for more specifics on the refuge and for visitor information.

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

Halloween 2021

Halloween 2021 celebration with L and the grandchildren.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness Volunteering

Milo was back in Nevada over the weekend working in the Gabbs Valley removing old claim markers with Friends of Nevada Wilderness.

These 4 inch and 1 inch PVC pipes used back in the 70's and 80's to mark claim bounderies were outlawed in 2008. The 4 inch pipes are traps for wild birds and wild bees, as well as reptiles and other desert dwellers. Many, many, many of these pipes were never removed by the claim owners and they continue to kill wildlife today. Just in the section we worked in, our 14 person group pulled up over 250 pipes in one days work. The 6 person team I worked on found approximately 150 wild bird carcasses in about 100 pipes (Warning: pictures below).

There is more work to do out there, but it's nice to know these pipes are down and at least some of the wild birds in that area are more safe.

Jim Boone's Mining-Claim Marker Knock-down Project

Free campsites in the Nevada desert.

Our desert camp. Nothing fancy, just people out there saving the wilderness.

Sunrise Saturday morning.

These are the 4 inch and 1 inch PVC pipes. These were pulled.

One of the contained a bird and snake carcass.

Milo with a not-so-deadly 1 inch pipe. However, these are wild bee killers.

This was sad. A ball of wild bird carcasses that were at the bottom of a 4 inch pipe. I didn't want to try to count how many.

Sharon, Jeff, Jude.

Pipe pulling' machine Jeff L.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness Photos at Flickr

Rainy Day Fall Hike

At Lake Sonoma the morning after the first storm in Sonoma County of the October "Cyclone bomb".

Let's hope this storm puts a big dent in the drought and the lakes and reservoirs in NorCal get a boost...without causing another catastrophe somewhere.

The oak trees and wild vine foliage were turning, and with the wet, cold, and fog, made for a nice morning out.

 

Sheldon National Antelope Refuge Volunteer

Two days working at Sheldon removing barbed wire fencing and helping restore the historic Sheldon House. There was also plenty of time for sight seeing, hiking, and great food.