Gary Skipper II introduced California Fall Color readers to the privately managed Wind Wolves Preserve, last November. He returns today on Orange Friday to share the amazing breadth of wildlife he found this week at this remarkable location.
As we reported last year, “Located 32 miles southwest of Bakersfield, Wind Wolves is an ecologically distinctive place where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley converge.
“Ranging from 640 to 6,005′, it has a wide array of landforms and habitats. And, at 93,000 acres it’s the west coast’s largest non-profit preserve.”
On his most recent outing, Skipper captured a bobcat. He’s two for two in that category in successive yearly reports. Gary also photographed an American Kestrel (Falco sparvarius), an American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) and California Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus californicus).
Wind Wolves is not known for broad displays of fall foliage. Western sycamore, Frémont cottonwood, valley oak, poison oak and California grape are the only significant deciduous foliage to inhabit the preserve. So, it may not be high on a list for fall color photography. Yet, it has a dependable display during Thanksgiving week and is worth adding to a late November trip through the Central Valley.
- Wind Wolves Preserve (640′) – PEAK (75-10%) GO NOW!
incredible! this has been on my list of places to visit, and now i moved it up to the top of the list!