February 2026 North Central Valley birding trip.
It’s quiet here, outside of my window I see a sliver lining peeking above the hilltops while the sky is dark and covered with a thick layer of dark clouds.
Witnessing the colorful changes from dark to light in a short span of time allows me to contemplate the ephemeral nature of life.
I like to think of this fleeting beauty as a harbinger of hope and a promise that light will finally overcome this darkness that has gripped our nation and the world.
I’m eager to see more birds arriving to our skies and I feel called to get my hands into the warming earth and plant edibles that will grow into a nourishing garden.
We spent several days in NorthCentral Valley and saw thousands of geese and cranes. Listening to the cranes primeval orchestra was a magical and soothing experience. The cranes painted undulating ribbons against the colorful sunset sky.
We stayed until dark, watching the cranes descend into the safety of the flooded fields, as the sky transformed from saffron to crimson, and finally melted into the deep sapphire canopy—awaiting another dawn
We could only hear the soft rattling calls in the distance and barely see the silhouette before we left the fields. journal entry February 5, 2026
