Part 4. The Central Valley

The Central Valley is a huge rift, separating the coastal mountains from Sierra Nevada. Its flat bottom is practically the only part of California where highways are straight and level..

California thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum), Mount Diablo. Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata), Diablo Range.

In winter, the Central Valley is often filled with dense fog, called tule fog by locals. The Valley is now mostly converted to agricultural lands, but there are still some protected remains of natural vegetation - oak savannas, riparian forests, floodplain meadows, dry grasslands, chaparral thicklets and pine parklands in the foothills, and vernal (spring) pools - temporal ponds which are filled every winter by rains. Such pools are typical for areas of Mediterranean climate throughout the world.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) at nest, Tule Elk Reserve. "Nest" of killdeer, Tule Elk Reserve.

Plants of vernal pools: Layia platyglossa,Downingia concolor,Limnanthes vinculans,Lasthenia burkei,Grateola ebracteata. Jepson Prairie.

California newt (Taricha torosa), Carrizo Plain.

Dozens of plants are endemic to Californian vernal pools. As the water dries out in late spring and early summer, rings of flowers on the shores slowly move towards the center of the pool. Some species of amphibians, insects and crustaceans also breed only in these pools.

Pacific treefrog (Hyla regilla), Jepson Prairie.

Mima mounds, Central Valley.

Another interesting form of landscape are mima mounds, thought to be created by pocket gophers.

Mima mounds, Washington.

Spring on Carrizo Plain.

Oak savanna, Central Valley

The best examples of native vegetation can be seen on Carrizo Plain in the southern part of the Valley. It is also the best place to see some rare rodents, reptiles and other animals. Spring flowers, Carrizo Plain.

Vernal pool, Carrizo Plain

Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), Carrizo Plain.

San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), Carrizo Plain. Some inhabitants of Carrizo Plain are extinct in most other parts of Central Valley. Le Conte's thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei), Carrizo Plain.

Giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens), Carrizo Plain.

San Andreas Fault and recapture lakes, Carrizo Plain.

The famous San Andreas Fault, which separates North American and Pacific tectonic plates, is easy to see on Carrizo Plain. Creek bed twisted by fault movement, Carrizo Plain.

In many parts of California, San Andreas Fault is clearly visible on the map.

Snow geese (Anser caerulescens), Sacramento NWR.

Ross' geese (Anser rossii), Sacramento NWR.

Snow geese (Anser caerulescens), Sacramento NWR..

Wood duck (Aix sponsa), Sutter NWR.

The Central Valley is one of the main waterbird wintering areas of North America. So many birds concentrate in wildlife refuges here, that sometimes the entire sky seems to be moving, as giant flocks of geese and ducks leave them at dawn to feed on surrounding fields. The return of the bird flocks at sunset is also very spectacular.

Wood duck (Aix sponsa), Sutter NWR.

Snow geese, Merced NWR.

Mixed geese flock, Sacramento NWR. Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), Staten Island.

Ross' geese, Merced NWR.

Snow geese, Merced NWR.

Most of the world's snow and Ross' geese winter in the Central Valley. There are also thousands of sandhill cranes there.

Rare blue phase of Ross' goose, Merced NWR.

Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Merced NWR.

Hooded mergansers (Mergus cucullatus), Colusa NWR. Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannoides), Kesterson NWR.

Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), Petaluma River.

Sandhill cranes, Staten I.

Three subspecies of sandhill cranes winter in the Valley. They can be told apart by slight difference in size. Staten Island is one of the best places to see them.

Sandhill cranes, Staten I.

Winter evening in Sacramento NWR.

Part 5: The Bay Area
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