A good day at the refuges
p.1 #1A good day at the refuges
On Sunday we went to the Merced and San Luis National Wildlife Refuges.
We stopped at Merced first. There are usually a lot of birds here but it really varies from month to month. The last time we visited there were sandhill cranes and Canadian geese everywhere. They must have flown south because there weren't any this time. There were plenty of egrets, northern harriers, stilts and white faced ibis though.
Then we drove over to San Luis. It had started to rain and there were crawdads crossing the roads. We saw a lot of deer, egrets, and hawks. Then a great horned owl flew right over the truck. I think it was perched in a tree along the roadside. It flew off and landed in a tree about 100 yards away. We sat and watched it for about 10 minutes. A while later a coyote crossed the road about 50 yards in front of us. It passed though a gate and trotted about 100 yards out into the field, then it turned around and came back. It wound up coming within 10 yards of the truck before it sauntered off into the field that it had originally come from.
I've posted the pictures in reverse order, because the coyote was the star of the show.
CJA-251116-12 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-8 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-10 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-7 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-4 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-3 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-2 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
CJA-251116-1 by Chris Attebery, on Flickr
We stopped at Merced first. There are usually a lot of birds here but it really varies from month to month. The last time we visited there were sandhill cranes and Canadian geese everywhere. They must have flown south because there weren't any this time. There were plenty of egrets, northern harriers, stilts and white faced ibis though.
Then we drove over to San Luis. It had started to rain and there were crawdads crossing the roads. We saw a lot of deer, egrets, and hawks. Then a great horned owl flew right over the truck. I think it was perched in a tree along the roadside. It flew off and landed in a tree about 100 yards away. We sat and watched it for about 10 minutes. A while later a coyote crossed the road about 50 yards in front of us. It passed though a gate and trotted about 100 yards out into the field, then it turned around and came back. It wound up coming within 10 yards of the truck before it sauntered off into the field that it had originally come from.
I've posted the pictures in reverse order, because the coyote was the star of the show.
CJA-251116-12 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-8 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-10 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-7 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-4 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-3 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-2 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrCJA-251116-1 by Chris Attebery, on FlickrNov 20, 2025 at 11:42 AM
p.1 #2A good day at the refuges
Productive outing. Nice job with these. TFS
John
John
Nov 20, 2025 at 12:56 PM
p.1 #3A good day at the refuges
Awesome! Nice capture on the egret and crawfish!
Alan
Alan
Nov 20, 2025 at 01:23 PM
p.1 #4A good day at the refuges
Excellent variety of well captured images, Chris.
I really like the 2nd image a lot, but they are all outstanding!
Greg.
I really like the 2nd image a lot, but they are all outstanding!
Greg.
Nov 20, 2025 at 01:50 PM
p.1 #5A good day at the refuges
DIdn't know that egrets are meat eaters, I had them as pescatarians.
Is that some variant of a curlew on #5? Looks like one, but I have not seen them that colorful
Is that some variant of a curlew on #5? Looks like one, but I have not seen them that colorful
Nov 20, 2025 at 04:28 PM
p.1 #6A good day at the refuges
I'd have to agree, Chris, a most successful day!
Douglas
Douglas
Nov 20, 2025 at 05:30 PM
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p.1 #7A good day at the refuges
GroovyGeek wrote:
DIdn't know that egrets are meat eaters, I had them as pescatarians.
Is that some variant of a curlew on #5? Looks like one, but I have not seen them that colorful
"Fish are the great egret's main meal. But they will eat frogs, snakes, amphibians, grasshoppers, aquatic insects and small rodents and mammals" Source: https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-02/great-egret-fish
#5 is a White Faced Ibis: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-faced_Ibis/overview
DIdn't know that egrets are meat eaters, I had them as pescatarians.
Is that some variant of a curlew on #5? Looks like one, but I have not seen them that colorful
"Fish are the great egret's main meal. But they will eat frogs, snakes, amphibians, grasshoppers, aquatic insects and small rodents and mammals" Source: https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-02/great-egret-fish
#5 is a White Faced Ibis: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-faced_Ibis/overview
Nov 20, 2025 at 05:55 PM
p.1 #8A good day at the refuges
Thank you all. I think I'm a decent photographer. It isn't easy shooting out the window of a car. I really enjoy the hunt for wildlife though. I look at each trip like an adventure. What will we see today?
Nov 20, 2025 at 05:58 PM
p.1 #9A good day at the refuges
The ibis and the great egret are my picks Chris and you did a nice job on the harrier as well. It was nice of the kyote to come back and pose for you.
Morris
Morris
Nov 20, 2025 at 06:42 PM
p.1 #10A good day at the refuges
Chris, great variety of wildlife. Well presented
Love the coyote and harrier. TFS.
Love the coyote and harrier. TFS.
Nov 20, 2025 at 07:45 PM
p.1 #11A good day at the refuges
Wow, it looks like you had a pretty productive day!
Nov 21, 2025 at 12:06 PM