Written by Linda Sorensen

Science 300:  Geography: Mapping the World

Submitted to Professor Huntly Cutten

June 24, 2000

 

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

California

        “California is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world.”  It has “more unique plants and animals than any other state.  The diversity of climates and landscapes, and all the barriers to migrations such as rivers, mountains, and deserts, have led over thousands of years to the evolution of a large number of isolated species and varieties of animals, many of which are found only here.” (Steinhart, 1990)  Human overpopulation and a compromised environment has driven as much as 20 percent of the animal population in California to the endangered level of classification.  To help reverse this percentage, wildlife refuges have been set up throughout the state.  Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is one of those sanctuaries. In this paper, the background and purpose of Gray Lodge will be discussed.  This author will also share a personal tour experience through Gray Lodge Wildlife Area.  Finally, observations and research of two plant and two animal species living within the Wildlife Area will be covered.

 

Gray Lodge

            Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is located near Gridley, California, which is about 15 miles from my home. (See picture of map) for Gray Lodge layout and my tour route)  It is 8,400 acres of public wetlands used to serve as a refuge for more than 300 different kinds of animals.  It serves as a wintering ground for over a million ducks, 100,000 geese, and thousands of other types of birds. These birds come from Alaska and the Canadian Arctic region.  Ducks begin arriving in August, followed by the geese in September and October.  The population reaches its maximum in December, and begins to thin out again in February, as the birds begin to migrate back north again. Gray lodge is one of many areas in the Central Valley of California, which are protected for these purposes along the Pacific Flyway, or “highway in the sky”, as we affectionately call it around here.  It is filled with a variety of different types of habitat.  Driving through it, you will see ponds, marshes, wooded areas, wet grasslands, dry grasslands, and different types of sheltered areas in which these 300 species can dwell.  It was once part of the Butte Creek flood plain, and inhabited by the Maidu and Wintun Indians.  It was drained and turned into farmland after the Gold Rush, but in the early 1900s, some of the farmers in the area brought back some of the wetlands, built a gray clubhouse and started a hunting club in the area.  In 1931, the state of California bought 2,500 acres to make a game reserve to attract the birds over to that property in order to decrease crop damage that had been occurring with local farmers.  It came to be known as Gray Lodge and has grown to cover 13 square miles of land.

 

Though the area is a wildlife habitat, it has to be managed in order to be an area that can continuously flourish.  Bulldozers contour the land and remove extra cattails and tulles to provide areas to plant crops like sorghum and barley, which serve as food for the many birds.  During the winter, hunters are allowed to come in and hunt the area.  The funds they spend for hunting licenses are used to help restore, maintain, and manage the habitat.  This also helps keep the wildlife populations healthy, while preventing overcrowding and destruction of the habitat.  There are areas to drive through in the refuge area.  There are also footpaths to follow.  There are areas where only animals are allowed, which allows them the privacy necessary to breed, nest and raise their young in the wild.

 

My Experience at Gray Lodge

            I drove to the area on a June afternoon.  I had just entered the area and saw to my left, a large field covered with wild sunflowers (photo # 1).  I drove a bit further and observed another large field of sunflowers to my right.  They were so striking against the backdrop of the green trees that lined the marsh beds.  I no sooner had left the sunflower fields, when looking to my left on a dead end road, I saw a young rooster ring-necked pheasant crouched down trying to hide right in the middle of the road (photo # 2).  I tried to get close enough for a detailed picture, but he soon sneakily crept off into the bushes, never to be seen by my eyes again.  I spotted another older cock pheasant, but he moved too quickly to snap a picture.  I stopped at the information booth next to the exhibit room, snapped a picture of a pair of mallard ducks (photo #3) and another picture of the information booth (photo #4).  I continued along the auto route and saw to my right a Great Blue Heron, but was too slow to get a picture before he flew away.  As I drove on around the loop, I saw a beautiful specimen of a cattail (photo # 5), so I snapped a picture of it.  Back into the car, I drove a little further.  A canal crossed under the road, and as I looked to my right, I saw a family of mallard ducks.  There was the mother, the father and five little babies swimming in the water, but by the time I got out and got my camera ready, they swam too far away to get any decent picture of them.  I even followed the banks of the canal down, but the berry bushes were too thick to see where the ducks went.  As I was walking back to my car, a muskrat scampered in front of me.  I got a pretty close picture of him, but it was of his back and tail.  I finished driving the loop and got to see one more Blue Heron and a great egret, but they were too far to get a picture that I could show off.  At one point a quail family scurried across the road in front of me, and I snapped a quick picture of them. Again, the picture didn’t show enough detail of them.  I had a very enjoyable time touring the refuge.  I was also able to walk the footpath, but there weren’t many specimens to see, as this is the slow time of the year for observing wildlife.

 

Observations and Research

            The two plants and two animals I chose to highlight from my observations at Gray Lodge are the ones that are most common in our area, and ones that I feel are “native” to our area.  I chose the sunflower, the cattail, the mallard duck, and the ring-necked pheasant.  In the following four paragraphs, I will detail my observations somewhat, and give as much information as possible regarding the biology of these species.

 

Sunflower

            The common sunflower (photo #1) comes from the Kingdom Plantae, Phyllum Anthophyta (Angiospermae – Flowering Plants), Class Dicotyledones, Family Asteraceae (formerly known as the Compositae family), and Genus Helianthus.  The family Asteraceae description is of flowers that are comprised of many smaller flowers, which make up the larger flower head.  The large sunflower head, which is a purplish brown in color, and usually measures 6 inches across, has large bright yellow flower petals that surround it.  (Forey, 1994)  The scientific classification of the sunflower shown in my photo is Helianthus annus.  It is a “great winter food for man and beast because it is one of the few plant sources of vitamin D!” (Emery, 1994)  The American Indians were the ones who initially domesticated the wild sunflower into a single headed plant, which produced large numbers of edible seeds. (Schneiter, 1997)  The Maidu and Wintun Indians, who lived in the area of Gray Lodge at one time, used sunflower seeds as one of the staple foods in their diet.  At Gray Lodge, these fields are cultivated naturally, to provide food for the visiting birds in the fall and winter.

 

Cattail

            The cattail comes from the Kingdom Plantae, Phylum Anthophyta (Angiospermae – Flowering Plants), Class Monocotyledones, Family Typhaceae, and genus Typha.  It is one of the most common of all wetland and aquatic plants in existence.  The cattail (photo #5) I observed during my exploration of Gray Lodge is Typha latifolia, or the common cattail.  “It grows in marshes, and next to ponds and slow-moving rivers.” (Forey, 1994) It is easily recognized, with its “long cylinder of brown flowers or seeds growing on” a thick stem. (Forey, 1994)  These flowers mature and explode when touched by its leaves or other elements, sending the brown flower seeds flying all through the air, like wispy fluff.  It has long, flat leaves and its root system is a spreading rhizome type.  Its soft “flower fur” is used for nesting material by the birds, and its covering provides protection for all creatures in Gray Lodge.  At one time, the Maidu and Wintun Indians in the area, used the rhizome-type roots for food and the long leaves to make baskets and chairs.  “It is also a favorite food of muskrats”, which are plentiful at Gray Lodge. (Forey, 1994)  The cattail is native to all wetland areas in the area and can be invasive if not properly managed.

 

Mallard Duck

            The mallard duck (photo #3) is one of the most common species of ducks in Gray Lodge, as well as most other parts of California.  It belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Aves, Order Anseriformes, the surface duck Family Anatidae, the Genus Anas, and Species Anas platyrhynchos.  The male mallard has an emerald green head with a shiny brown throat and chest.  There is a white ring around the neck, a white underneath, and a beige back.  There is a teal colored stripe on the wings that can be easily seen when the duck is in flight.  The female mallard is mottled brown, beige, and white.  Both ducks have an orange bill. The mallard is a dabbling duck, which means that he gathers food from dabbling on the surface of the water.  He will often “up-end” himself as he dips below the surface of the water for food. (Shaw, 1994)  The male and female mallard pair mate for life and raise their young together year after year.  When they migrate they fly in “V” formation, as do other ducks and geese.  When they nest, they hollow out a protected spot in the ground close to water and line the nest with stick, leaves, branches, and finally down.  The female duck will lay anywhere from 3-15 eggs.  After 26-30 days the eggs hatch (usually anywhere from 3-7 will end up hatching).  Soon after hatching the young start swimming and learning to search for food.  The duck family I observed was a precious sight to behold.  The female duck was in front and the male was in back of they young ones as they swam.

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

            The ring-necked pheasant (photo #1) is a very colorful game bird that originated in China, but was introduced to North America, and California in specific during the 18^th century.  It has been common in our area of California since then.  They belong to the same family as the peacock, partridge, and quail, which is Phasianidae, the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Aves, Order Galliformes and Genus Phasianus.  The scientific classification for the ring-necked or common variety is Phasianus colchicus.  “The word pheasant comes from Phasis, the name of a river in the ancient country of Colchis.  Pheasants have always lived in large numbers in this region.” (World Book Vol. 15, 1983)   In California, and specifically in our area in and around Gray Lodge, the pheasant population is plentiful because of organized management.  The cock pheasant has a bald red face with wattles. It has horn-shaped feathers on the top of the head, and a white ring around its neck.  It has and iridescent burgundy to green throat, and a bright iridescent rust-colored chest.  It has a brownish colored body, as does the hen pheasant.  The cock has very long tail feathers, making the bird about 36 inches long including the tail.  When afraid, they crouch down and slowly inch away from their prey.  They nest in dugout holes in the ground, situated under reeds or other tall plants.  I also have pheasants that frequent the area just beyond my back fence quite often.  If managed properly, pheasants will be a part of our ecosystem here for a long time.

 

Conclusion

            I had a great time exploring Gray Lodge, and becoming better acquainted with the animals and plants in my area.  I haven’t before seen large fields of sunflowers around here, like the ones I saw at Gray Lodge. I learned so much studying about the mallard, the pheasant and cattails as well.  I am anxious to return to Gray Lodge in the autumn when the migrations back to this area begin.  This has truly been an experience I will never forget.

 

 

Works Cited

 

Emery, Carla 1994.  The Encyclopedia of Country Living, An Old Fashioned Recipe Book.  Sasquatch Books, Seattle, Washington pg. 295

 

Forey, Pam 1994.  Wild Flowers of North America.  Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, Calif. pg. 22, 44.

 

"Pheasant," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000

http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

Schneiter, Albert A.  1997.  Sunflower Technology and Production, (The American Society of Agronomy No. 35, 1997) pp. 1-19

 

Shaw, Frank 1994.  Birds of North America.  Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, Calif. pg. 75

 

Steinhart, Peter 1990. California's Wild Heritage, Threatened and Endangered Animals in the Golden State. Pub. California Department of Fish and Game. pgs. 53-54

 

World Book Encyclopedia 1983.  World Books, Inc., Chicago, Ill.  (Vol. 5, 13, 15, and 18)