A two-day, 2-for-1 offering, with Michael Ellis and footloose forays.

BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS

The The return of the waterfowl to California's Great Central Valley has been described as one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth, and it happens every winter. We'll visit the famous Gray Lodge Refuge to see thousands of Snow Geese joining Canada and White-fronted Geese. Around the defunct volcanic Sutter Buttes we'll see aerial displays of the sandhill cranes and tundra swans. We'll hike around the Colusa Wildlife Refuge and then to the Sacramento Refuge for more avian delights - ruddy ducks, pintails, shovelers, bitterns, night herons, mallards, harriers, rough-legged hawks, gallinules et al. Not only will we learn how to identify these birds, but also we'll learn about their evolution, behavior and physiology. Discover why so many people make this an annual trip. It's fun! You'll need to arrange your own lodging for Saturday night after you receive a list of the area's accommodations.