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Daily Bucket - Cosumnes River Preserve after the January Floods [1]

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Date: 2023-01-30

Snow Geese and White Fronted Geese relax next to the ponds. Note the dark morph Snow Goose with a white head and dark body - front center

From New Year’s Eve until after the atmospheric river of rainstorms ended on Wednesday, January 18, the Cosumnes River Preserve was under several feet of water. The area is an overflow flood plain and set up for occasional minor flooding. But this flood was historic with the Cosumnes River breaking through levees and reaching record high levels of approximately 6 feet at the preserve.

I waited a week for the floodwaters to recede and then headed down to the preserve. It was amazing. The Preserve looked like it had never been flooded. I stopped at the boardwalk and headed toward the ponds. Then I noticed that the some of the bullrush plants that are usually 5 to 6 feet high were flattened down to a couple of feet. A fine silt could be seen on the walkways.

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On the way to the preserve, I passed a number of fields on the west side of Interstate 5 dotted with snow geese, white fronted geese, assorted ducks and Sandhills cranes. As I turned off the freeway, I saw this field.

Hundreds of snow geese gather in a field just off of Interstate 5. The preserve is on the other side of the line of trees in the back. The field still has standing water a week after the floodwaters receded.

Snow Geese and White-Fronted Geese intermix in the field. Note the white head and dark body of the Dark Morph Snow Goose in front center. Juvenile Snow Geese (far left) have grey heads and backs and white bodies.

One of the few signs of the recent flooding were trees filled with debris about six feet above the ground.

Small oak covered in debris left by the receding floodwaters.

With the water back to normal levels, the ponds and surrounding landscape held a nice assortment of birds including two lifers for me.

Wilson’s Snipe seeking prey

American Avocet high stepping in the shallow water

Another birder and I watched a Harrier soar but he was too distant for a photo. The turkey vultures also stayed high in the sky. A little while later, I saw some coots and ducks suddenly take off as a raptor flew overhead. It was some type of falcon but it was too fast and quickly soared out of sight. I did find a redtail resting in an oak.

Red Tail Hawk

Here are a few more waterfowl gracing the ponds around the boardwalk:

Blacknecked Stilt finds a morsel

A flock of Western Plovers joins stilts and other shorebirds.

White Fronted Geese at rest.

White Fronted Geese coming in for a landing almost on top of a couple of Shovelors.

Northern Shovelors. The males were displaying and the hen was ignoring them.

American Coot at rest.

Widgeons

Green Winged Teals

Greater Yellowlegs

Great Egret just swallowed some prey.

There were plenty of songbirds in the reeds and trees. The sparrows allowed me to get very close so I was able to take some nice portraits.

Juvenile Gold Crowned Sparrow

Adult Gold Crowned Sparrow

White Crowned Sparrow

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Ruby Crowned Kinglet Hen

Black Phoebe

Black Phoebe making a getaway

Finally, some photos are simply right place, right time. Once I spotted the avocet, I noticed a stilt headed his way. I just had to wait for their paths to nearly cross.

The stilt is on the grassy berm while the avocet wades in the shallow water behind him

We had light sprinkles Sunday as a small storm passed through leaving 4-6 inches of snow in the Sierras. Preliminary forecasts are predicting another light storm by the end of the week. In the meantime we will have sunshine and temps in the high 50s with near freezing night temps in the low 30s.

What’s up in your backyard?

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/30/2149553/-Daily-Bucket-Cosumnes-River-Preserve-after-the-January-Floods

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