A revisit and a first time visit, Lake Solerno County Park and Napa Valley

Last fall we stopped at this county park on Lake Salerno in California to dry out, prep and pack for our two months at home over the holidays. It turned out to be a birder's paradise, but I of course, had no camera, because I had fallen into the Pacific Ocean a month before up in Washington. 😭 I begged Martin to see if there was some way to fit the Oregon coast AND especially this spot into our plan for next year so I could take pictures. Of course he did. He's such a sweetheart 😘.

So this stop was especially for the birds (teehee) and it didn't disappoint. Not only birds … but a whole family of river otters, too!

We also took a day to go over some more mountains (I guess it had been awhile since we'd driven on little crooked roads over some mountains 🙄) and spent a day in Napa Valley. While there we "may" have sampled some of the beverage for which the area is known. I mean, we didn't want to be rude or anything. You know, I'm always thinking of how I'm an ambassador for the entire state of Vermont. 😂

See pics below:

We had this great campsite right on the "lake". It looked more like a river to me, but what do I know?

Last fall was my first introduction to the acorn woodpecker. They were very busy in the fall. Not so much in August. They are so vividly marked and they like to hang about in family groups so there can be multiple birds to watch at the same time. That's always fun.

Then there was a family of California Quails. They are so funny the way they scurry around. We'd see them most mornings going up the path and they'd usually hang out in the underbrush along the lake during the day.

But as the campground filled up mama would get nervous and fly up into a tree so she could keep track of her babies.

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

Canada geese.

One's coming in for a water landing while the others have decided to keep flying a bit longer.

And this one is nestled in by our campsite.

These next pics are of a green heron.

He really liked hanging out right at our campsite, but occasionally got annoyed if I moved to get a better angle for a shot. Then he would fly off to the other side for a few hours.🙄 I tried to learn not to move!

I often wondered how the green and the great blue herons could be related. They didn't seem to resemble each other in shape. One had this enormous neck and one appeared to have no neck at all.

But, as I watched, the shape of the green heron changed

And (my apologies for the weathered wood right behind the heron's neck which makes it harder to see) a gigantic neck appeared out of nowhere! Now that looks like a heron.

Grooming time

Or maybe he's just laughing at me for doubting his heron status.

We didn't just sit at the campsite. We walked along the lake and I saw this guy on the side of a tree. It's a slightly different variety from what we usually see.

I like lizards. I think they are cool. 😎

But then we headed back, because clearly, our campsite was where it was at.

Good thing we did. Look who came to visit!!! A river otter. Isn't that face the cutest?

He even went up on the bank on the other side.

Shortly after he left, the rest of the family came, mom and three or four younger ones. (It was hard to count exactly. They tumble all over the place and stay underwater for long periods of time.)

There they are on shore.

And swimming

One more resident of this campground happens to be a peacock. He meanders about and really goes wherever he wants.

It gave me an opportunity to do a study of the peacock. You know, like Monet and Haystacks or Water Lilies. (Ha Ha)

Peacock, facing 20° to the right

Peacock, facing 45° to the left

Peacock, facing 90° to the right

Peacock, walking away looking over left shoulder disdainful at the lack of a snack

Peacock, focus on back feathers

I did find the closeups really fascinating. The different textures and types of feathers they have are amazing, from the bumpy royal blue around the face (looks like lambs wool) to the long feather fans on the top of their heads to their multicolored back feathers. Such interesting colorful birds.

Napa Valley

We had three wine tastings. On our first stop, the Reynolds Family Winery, the tasting was outside with the sun, roses and grapevines growing around the patio. It was lovely.

Our second stop was more formal. The Charles Krug Winery was of Austro-German origins, it was one of the oldest vineyards in the valley and the buildings were very reminiscent of ones we saw in Germany.