Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
A beautiful sunset at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
My journey in photography did not begin as “portrait photographer.” When I got my first point and shoot camera, photos of people were actually pretty low on my priority list! I loved photographing landscapes, nature, etc…I tried to photograph animals and birds when possible, but as you might guess, without a pro camera and great zoom lens, most of my “wildlife photos” were sub-par.
For a long time, I have wanted to purchase such a lens, but I just couldn’t justify the expense for what would amount to a hobby within my job. I hadn’t even considered that I could rent a lens!
Action Camera, in Roseville, offers rentals of lenses, cameras, and even studio space, for great prices. If you want to rent and lens and you’re in the Sacramento area, I highly recommend checking them out!
After perusing their list, I decided to go with the Canon 100-400mmL lens. The price point is high, but this is a seriously wonderful lens, and rents for a great rate.
I really tried to make the most of my weekend. I visited several locations, including the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge, Lake Natoma, Cameron Park Lake, and Rasmussen park. I want to share with you some of my journey to the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge!
For my first visit there, I stuck mainly to the auto tour, a six-mile loop that meanders through the different areas of the refuge. You must stay in your car, but you can pull over and shoot out the windows at any point, and there are 3 different areas where you can park and get out to photograph or view wildlife.
I kid you not, not even 30 SECONDS into my drive, I saw a bald eagle perched in a tree. This was the first wild Bald Eagle I had ever seen in this area, so I was beyond excited! Unfortunately, the 400 zoom wasn’t quite enough to get a close-up, but I photographed it nonetheless. I would share them, but I already deleted them because I was able to capture much better photos of Bald Eagles at a different location (perhaps another blog is in order…)!
There was so much incredible wildlife to see at the refuge! I happened to visit during the winter Snow Geese migration, and there was certainly no shortage of those.
Snow Geese, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Snow Geese at sunset, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Huge flock of Snow Geese, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Snow Geese weren’t nearly the only species to see, though they were abundant! The wetlands portions of the refuge meant lots of waterfowl, shore birds, and even turtles.
Western Pond turtles, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Northern Pintails, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Northern Shoveler, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Great Egret, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
American Coot, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Black-Necked Stilt, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Raptors were also prevalent here. I first mistook this bird for a Golden Eagle because of its size, but upon closer inspection, it proved to be a Red-Tailed hawk. Such a gorgeous bird!
Red-tailed Hawk, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Can you see the Raptors in the trees in the photo below? I see at least two!
Last but certainly not least are the songbirds, which hold a special place in my heart. Photographing them, however, is not so easy. They are generally small, quick, and don’t stay in the same place for long. When it comes to the smaller, flighty birds, the Canon 100-400L is probably not enough in terms of zoom. Luckily, some of the birds at the Sacramento Wildlife refuge seemed to be used to the intrusion, and some let me get some great shots.
Song Sparrow, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Western Meadowlark, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Savannah Sparrow, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
White-crowned Sparrow, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Sunset was incredible at the refuge and I’m so happy I was there for it. The Red-winged blackbirds all came out to sing, frogs were croaking and the colors were beautiful.
Red-winged Blackbird calling, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
For more information, visit the Sacramento Wildlife refuge’s website at: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sacramento/
