New content! White-faced Ibis Return to Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Check out our latest story!   After Years of Severe Drought, White-Faced Ibis Colony Returns to Nest at Sacramento Refuge The white-faced ibis typically spend their summers breeding in western states, but about 25 years ago, they began showing up on Sacramento and Colusa National Wildlife Refuges. For the first time in recent years, refuge managers observed ibis breeding on the complex's wetlands. Credit: Alan Schmierer/Flickr Creative Commons   By Byrhonda Lyons September 27, 2016 It was a sunny, 90 degree day in early August as Craig Isola drove across the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Willows, Calif. "Last year at this time, there was no water in this wetland," he said, pointing towards the passenger side window, describing how things used to be on the refuge. As he led the tour group through an area that is normally closed to the public, his finger directed everyone's eyes to the right. The area was nothing like he had described. Instead of spotting a dry field or decomposing plant residue, there was a wetland filled with water, lush vegetation and thousands of white-faced ibis. Isola has worked at the refuge for more than 18 years and is currently the deputy project leader for the refuge complex, a collection of five National Wildlife Refuges and three Wildlife Management Areas in the upper Sacramento Valley.  He has observed the drought first hand.   Read the full story... Stay Connected with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region     SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe All  |  Help This email was sent to mantiskhiralla@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region · 2800 Cottage Way · Suite W-2606 · Sacramento, CA 95825