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Pursuing truth toward justice

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Nature

Audubon Bird Count: An Umbrella for All

January 3, 2023 By Eric Caine 3 Comments

Tundra Swans Faith Ranch 2 January 2023

When the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1987, its primary purpose was to protect winter habitat of the then-endangered Aleutian cackling goose. Since that time, the refuge has provided an “umbrella effect” for over 200 species of birds, ranging in size from the tiny Bushtit, which weighs in at less than an ounce, to Tundra Swans, which average around twenty pounds and fly over 4,000 miles […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Caswell/Westley Christmas Count, San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, Stanislaus Audubon Christmas Count

Black Phoebe: Post #15 in Jim Gain’s “Learn 100 Valley Birds”

December 17, 2022 By Jim Gain 1 Comment

Black Phoebe by Jim Gain

Jim Gain’s “Reflections of the Natural World” is one of the finest sources for nature’s beauty and bounty anywhere. His images of birds are especially inspiring. We’re proud to publish his ongoing series, “Learn 100 Common Valley Birds.” Here is post #15 in that series. Introduction The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the Central Valley with a sooty black body and crisp white belly. They sit in the […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Learn 100 Common Valley Birds by Jim Gain

Learn 100 Common Valley Birds #14: Wild Turkey

November 24, 2022 By Jim Gain Leave a Comment

Wild Turkey by Jim Gain

Perfectly appropriate for Thanksgiving Day, Post #14 in Jim Gain’s “Learn 100 Common Valley Birds” series is the Wild Turkey. We’re proud to post Jim’s fine work, and urge you to visit his Reflections of the Natural World for more of his fine work and spectacular images. Introduction The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the heaviest upland ground bird native to North America. It is the ancestor to the domestic […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Learn 100 Common Valley Birds by Jim Gain, Learn 100 Valley Birds

Western Meadowlark: #13 in Learn 100 Valley Birds

November 23, 2022 By Jim Gain Leave a Comment

Western Meadowlark by Jim Gain

We’re proud to post #13 in Jim Gain’s Learn 100 Common Valley Birds series. The Western Meadowlark is actually species #18 in the series; some posts feature more than one species. Introduction The buoyant, flutelike melody of the Western Meadowlark ringing out across a field can brighten anyone’s day. The Western Meadowlark is a Common Year-round Resident throughout the open country of the San Joaquin Valley. The Western Meadowlark is […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Learn 100 Valley Birds by Jim Gain

Learn 100 Valley Birds #12: Wintering “White” Geese – Part II

November 18, 2022 By Jim Gain 1 Comment

Snow Goose and Ross's Goose by Jim Gain

In Part I of the Our Wintering “White” Geese post, we learned about the larger “white Goose with the Grinning Patch”, the Snow Goose. In this post, the star of the show is the smaller Ross’s Goose. Introduction The Ross’s Goose is a Fairly Common Winter Visitor found almost exclusively in winter in the Central Valley. Similar to the Snow Goose, its preferred habitats are fresh emergent wetlands, adjacent  waters […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Birder Jim Gain, Jim Gain nature photography, Learn 100 Valley Birds, Learn 100 Valley Birds by Jim Gain

Learn 100 Valley Birds #11: White Geese Part I, Snow Goose

October 29, 2022 By Jim Gain Leave a Comment

Snow Goose by Jim Gain

“Your first indication of their presence is the distant sound of baying hounds. As you look up, you see the sky flecked with tiny white moving shapes, which appear like snowflakes drifting lazily across the azure sky.” naturalist J. B. Grinnell There are two species of “white” geese in the Valley. The Snow Goose — Anser caerulescens —  is the larger and more widespread species compared to its cousin, the […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Birder Jim Gain, Jim Gain nature photography, Learn 100 Valley Birds by Jim Gain

Learn 100 Valley Birds #10: Wood Duck

October 22, 2022 By Jim Gain 1 Comment

Wood Duck by Jim Gain

The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is arguably the most spectacularly beautiful duck in the Central Valley. It is a Fairly Common Year-round Resident throughout the wetlands and waterways of the valley. Similar to other dabbling ducks, the Wood Duck is an omnivore with a broad diet of seeds, fruits, and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Appearance Wood Ducks have a unique shape among ducks — a boxy, crested head, a thin […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Jim Gain nature photography, Learn 100 Valley Birds by Jim Gain

Adam Gray Joins River Partners’ Honorees

October 15, 2022 By Eric Caine 2 Comments

Adam Gray with Julie Rentner

California State Assemblymember Adam Gray moved closer to entry into the Valley’s Natural History Hall of Fame last Friday, when River Partners honored him for “leadership and dedication to restoring rivers in the San Joaquin Valley, giving new life to ecosystems, enriching communities, and ensuring a bright future for the entire region.” He joined several other honorees — including the Bill and Mary Lyons family and legendary U.S. Fish and […]

Filed Under: Nature

Learn 100 Valley Birds #9: Killdeer

October 9, 2022 By Jim Gain 1 Comment

Killdeer by Jim Gain

The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) is a Common Resident in the San Joaquin Valley. Killdeer belong to the plover family Charadriidae, with 68 species worldwide. As their Latin specific name indicates, they are quite noisy (vociferous). Description Killdeers’ upperparts are mostly brown with white underparts. Their upper chest is interrupted by 2 black bands. The sexes are monomorphic (alike) and plumages are essentially identical throughout year. Distribution Killdeer can be found from Canada, […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Birds of the San Joaquin Valley, Learn 100 Valley Birds, Learn 100 Valley Birds by Jim Gain

How to Really Learn the Birds (Updated)

October 3, 2022 By Eric Caine 2 Comments

Killdeer display Gain

When Jim Gain started his “Learn 100 Valley Birds” series, we immediately thought of one our earliest posts, “How to Really Learn the Birds.” We thought a few changes might make it more relevant to Jim’s exciting project. “How to Really Learn the Birds (Updated)” doesn’t contain anything new; rather, we’ve shifted the focus just a bit toward Jim’s excellent series, making it even more local. ed. The therapeutic benefits […]

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Birds of Stanislaus County, San Joaquin Valley birding, San Joaquin Valley birds

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