Los Banos: A Destination?

About ten years ago, when I thought of Los Banos, California, I thought of a sleepy little farming town with outstanding Mexican food, but otherwise a town that one passes through very quickly on the way from Point A to Point B. In fact I didn't think much existed that was worth a thought, let alone a visit, in the central valley between Highways 5 and 99. But then I became a birder. I discovered how wonderfully fun it was to drive the back highways between agricultural fields and peer through binoculars at the variety of shorebirds/water birds (stilts, avocets, kildeer), but I still hadn't discovered the real attraction of the area. It wasn't until this year, having signed up to do citizen science tricolored blackbird surveys for the Audubon Society, that I booked a room in Los Banos to attend the training, and discovered miles of contiguous national wildlife refuges and state wildlife areas. I booked two nights at the Days Inn (a wonderful place to stay with a host that has a wonderful soul) for a weekend of refuge-hopping; though one weekend can barely touch the surface. It was birding heaven.

April 9, 2011. The training was held at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and while mom and Chris went off birding on their own, I was guided by Audubon and Fish and Wildlife Service staff to learn how to identify and count huge colonies of nesting tricolored blackbirds. This was a first for me, since the tricoloreds are declining in California, and as such are designated as a State species of special concern. More about that on another blog; for this one, I'll say I was quite overwhelmed. Trying to count a colony of birds in the thousands that are quite active over a large area, flying in and out in large synchronized groups, was a challenge. But as focused as I was, I could not help but notice the richness of the other bird (and mammal) diversity this refuge had to offer. I wasn't even looking for the other birds, and filled a page in my little notebook with sparrows, wrens, water birds and shorebirds, other songbirds including the seasonal kingbird, many species of waterfowl, land fowl, and raptors.

After the training, it was time to partake in some of that aforementioned Mexican food, and then play time. Los Banos Wildlife Area -- managed by the Department of Fish and Game. It was late afternoon by the time we drove out there, and it was overcast, windy, and raining, but don't think for a minute that stopped us from getting out of the truck with our binoculars, cameras, and video camera, and hiking a road-trail along upper Ruth Lake. Someone told me grebes would be there, and my fascination with this graceful half-seabird, half-waterbird drove me forward. I captured on my video camera (to be shared via this blog on You-tube once edited)a graceful and synchronized courtship dance that was as exquisite as a choreographed and well-rehearsed ballet. This was topped off with singing meadowlarks, harriers and white-tailed kites on the hunt, great white egrets dancing with the wind, and a group of egrets roosting together with their young.

So is Los Banos a destination? If you are a birder or appreciate nature, I say it certainly is.