Walk at Stone Lakes Wildlife Refuge

On a chilly, foggy Saturday morning after Thanksgiving, 65 people of all ages met docent Ray Mendonza at the end of Elk Grove Blvd. for a hike through the wetlands of the SLNWR. This is where the water from Laguna Creek and all of its tributaries ends up!  What we do in the watersheds affects this refuge and all its inhabitants, listed as one of the 10 most threatened refuges in the nation.

Ray was expecting a small group for the hike and was surprised by the large turnout. People are interested in the wildlife living right under our noses.  I counted over a dozen species of birds, including some stars of the season like the Sandhill Cranes and White-fronted Geese as well as more common residents such as White-tailed Kites, American Coots, and Red-tailed Hawks.  The history of the site was apparent.  We parked our cars around the cattle pens/shoots and walked down Elliott Ranch Rd., an old gravel road that now serves as a hiking and service path.  With the large group with lots of youngsters, most of the birds took off as we approached so it was difficult to get a good look at any of them.

 

We turned down a path that ran alongside the slough to climb a 20 ft. high viewing platform.  Although you could see Highway 5 in the distance, you couldn’t hear any traffic.  We saw the slough, many wetlands, and birds foraging in them.  A group of Black-necked Stilts were searching for food.  We didn’t see any coyotes, river otter, or turtles unfortunately.

It was a great way to spend Saturday morning.  If you haven’t been there it is definitely worth a trip.  A new trail, the Blue Heron Trail, has just been opened to the public.  Hours: 6 am – 6 pm.  It’s off of Hood-Franklin Road.  Information can be found on their website:  http://www.fws.gov/refuge/stone_lakes/

Taking that hike made it clear how what we do and don’t do upland – in the watershed – can affect a lot of wildlife.