NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA (MPG) – The annual Snow Goose Festival returns next week for birders and other outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Pacific Flyway.
The annual festival, held mostly at the Patrick Ranch in Durham and surrounding wildlife refuges, offers a variety of exhibits, workshops, presentations, activities, and field trips.
The action-packed 4-day event celebrates the remarkable journey of millions of waterfowl and raptors that call the Northern Sacramento Valley their home during the winter months.
The Snow Goose Festival will run Jan. 25-28 and will also attract hundreds of visitors to view waterfowl in rice fields in this area.
“The Pacific Flyway ranks as one of the greatest migratory pathways in the entire world, stretching from the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska to the steeps of Patagonia in South America,” according to event organizers. “Millions of birds representing hundreds of species use this great avian highway each year, and nowhere is this abundance of wildlife more accessible than right here in the Northern Sacramento Valley.”
Most of the festival’s field trips sold out early, but there were several still open early in the week, including a trip to the Book Family Farm on Friday, Jan. 26 for the early morning Bald Eagle fly-out from their foothill roosting site, followed by a stop at the Llano Seco Viewing Platform.
Walk-in registration for open field trips and the banquet will be available at Patrick Ranch Museum, 7 AM until 4 PM, all four days. There will also be free exhibits and family activities at the Patrick Ranch, Jan. 27-28 from 9 AM until 3 PM, including games and crafts.
An “Avian Art” reception will be held from 5-8 pm at the Museum of Northern California Art, 900 Esplanade, in Chico, which allows the public to view an inspiring collection of artworks and meet field trip leaders. There is no cost to attend.
The annual “Gathering of Wings” banquet and silent auction will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, 5:30-10 pm, at the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium, CSU, Chico. The cost is $50 adult, $30 youth (17 years and younger).
There are no field trips scheduled this year at the Colusa Wildlife Refuge, although the 3-mile auto tour, 1-mile walking path, and viewing platform are open to visitors at no cost.
The Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, located on State Route 20 at O’Hair, is one of the five National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Although the festival fly-offs at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuges in Willows and Delevan have sold out, the public is welcome to visit the Willows refuge on their own during the Snow Goose Festival. The visitor center is currently closed for remodel, but the 6-mile auto tour, 2-mile walking path through wetlands, native plant garden, and viewing platforms are open from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset.
An entrance pass is required at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and can be obtained at the kiosk.
For more information about the Show Goose Festival, visit snowgoosefestival.org. To learn more about the local wildlife refuges, visit fws.gov/refuge/sacramento.