Yosemite and More

I recently took part in a Tundra Swan tour sponsored by the  California Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Marysville area north of Sacramento. The swans over-winter on the rice fields that are flooded after the harvest to break down the rice stubble and provide habitat and food for numerous water fowl. More tours are schedules for Dec. and Jan. Since this was an organized tour my options were somewhat limited. When you have 11 cars in a caravan you can't just stop anywhere. In addition, some of the  participants didn't seem to understand that noisily closing car doors and quickly approaching the waters edge spooks the birds and they either take flight or swim away. On the way and making sure I found our starting location at the Mathews Rice Dryers I came upon this scene.  Notice the Swans are only in the middle rice paddie. Different depths attract different  birds and they flood the fields accordingly. In the background you see the Sutter Buttes. The smallest m...