Friends of Stone Lakes NWR

Join us for a fun and informational event with David Yee and the Friends of The Stone Lakes NWR! 🦅🦆

Open to del Webb residents and the public. See our Eventbrite link to sign up and for more info:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winter-birds-of-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-tickets-1982556876988?aff=oddtdtcreator

What's going on at the Refuge? Stay up to date with our Winter Newsletter.

On Monday, 12/29/2025, the Refuge and local birding volunteers took part in the annual Christmas Bird Count. 3 teams went to different parts of the Refuge to count the number of birds and what species were at each site. It was a very cold and foggy day, but thanks to expert birders with good eyes and ears, many different species were sited and cataloged. Josh Greenfield, one of the bird banders at the Refuge, got these great pictures of some of the birds we spotted. I contributed the fog picture to show what the conditions were.

Here is our Fall 2025 Newsletter to keep you up to date on what's happening at the Refuge. The government shutdown had a real impact.

This weekend we had a tour guided by , followed by a talk at . Thanks to those who participated and check out Aaron’s book, Birds of The California Delta! 🦆

Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival 2025!

Repost: Join on November 15, 2025 for a guided walk at Stone Lakes NWR and a book talk focusing on the amazing birds of the California Delta at . Please RSVP using the Eventbrite link. Thanks to A Seat at The Table Books and Aaron for holding this event! Both venues are in Elk Grove, CA.🦆

As the Sandhill Cranes come back to the Sacramento Valley, it is worth remembering how special they were to Dr. Jane Goodall. We hope you have the chance to experience the wonder that she did.

It's Refuge Week! Due to the government shutdown we can't have any events at Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, but Blue Heron Trails is still open for you from 6am to 5pm. Come and enjoy the mile of accessible trails and information kiosks that tell you about the creatures and environment you are seeing. And the migratory birds are coming back, including the Sandhill Cranes! Enjoy the Refuge, this week and every week!

Happy Biodiversity week! 🌱