Pixley Nation Wildlife Refuge Fieldtrip
December 15 - December 16
Description: The Pixley National Wildlife Refuge is one of very few areas in the Southern San Joaquin Valley where the public can enjoy viewing sandhill cranes, which roost here from September through March with numbers peaking to 6,000. During the day, the cranes forage for food in nearby open fields. They return to the refuge at sundown arriving in large groups of as many as hundreds at a time, emitting their mournful honking cries —- a remarkable event both visually and aurally. The best place to see the cranes is at the observation deck which is a 0.75 mile hike from the parking lot. Think carefully about what you want to take to the deck. In my experience, the best images are those taken of the cranes in flight as they return, for which a hand-held telephoto lens is best.
On the other hand, if you want to photograph them at rest in the shallow water of the ponds, you may want to bring along a tripod. There is a single photo blind that is available if reserved in advance (see the website for details). Note that except for a pit toilet at the parking area, there are no services at the Refuge.
Location and Distance from Downtown Santa Barbara: Pixley NWR is located at the intersection of Rt. 88 and Deer Creek Avenue in Earlimart, CA. It is approximately 215 miles from SB via Hwys 101/46/43 (3 hours, 40 minutes).
Driving Directions: From Highway 43, turn east onto Sierra Avenue (Avenue 56) and continue to Road 88, where you will find a brown directional sign guiding you to the refuge. Turn north on Road 88 and proceed one mile until you cross a small ditch (Deer Creek). After the ditch, you will find the parking lot on the west side of the road and the trailhead leading to the observation deck.
Hours: The Refuge is open 7 days a week from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Date & Time of Visit: December 15 & 16. I suggest we arrive in the late afternoon on December 15 at the refuge in time to prepare for the return of the cranes to the refuge at sundown (4:45 pm).
Admission: Free entry, free parking.
Local Accommodations: Delano is the closest town (~20 minutes) to the Refuge, where there are a half dozen hotels/motels, of which the best is probably the Hyatt. There is also a campground nearby at the Allensworth Historic State Park, an early African American settlement that thrived for a few decades early in the 20th century until overt and covert racism caused its
demise in the 1940’s.