8 Photos You May Have Missed This Week From The Pacific Southwest Region Week Of July 20

There are over 40 National Wildlife Refuges in the Pacific Southwest Region, comprising more than 2.8 million acres in California, Nevada and the Klamath Basin of Oregon. The region also manages 3 National Fish Hatcheries, 1 Fish Health Center and 11 Fish and Wildlife Offices. Every U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program helps protect a healthy environment for people, fish and wildlife. Here is a look at some of the region’s photos from this week.

A Bobcat Posed For A Quick Photo At Kern National Wildlife Refuge

USFWS / Via Facebook: KernNWR

This elusive bobcat (Lynx rufus) gave a trail camera a nice pose during it's early morning hunt.

This White-faced Ibis Took A Lunch Break At Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge

USFWS / Via Facebook: SaltonSeaNationalWildlifeRefuges

Service staff spotted this White-faced Ibis feeding in the shallow water ponds at Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR. These birds often feed in the agricultural fields on and around the refuge, snatching up insects driven to the surface by the water flowing across the field.

California condor girls getaway!

Condor Cave Staff / Via Facebook: TheCondorCave

Leaving the males behind to tend to the nests, biologists recently recorded five breeding female California condors making a flight together just past Porterville! Joined by a few juveniles, these lovely ladies decided to make a day trip. Their incredible ability of soaring quickly over long distances still allows breeding birds to makes these flights and return in time to tend to their growing chicks. Each of the colored lines represents a different condor with a GSM units, allowing Service staff and partners to track their movements.

Teachers Went On A Field Trip

USFWS / Via Facebook: SchoolyardHabitat

The Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office partnered with Soil Born Farms to conduct a week long Schoolyard Habitat training for educators. The Service's Schoolyard Habitat program helps teachers get their students outside and learning.

Some Native Deer Mice Were Caught At A Newly Restored Marsh On Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

USFWS / Via Facebook: SanFranciscoBayNWRComplex

Volunteers and staff from Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge conducted the first ever salt marsh harvest mouse surveys at the A21 unit this week and caught several of the endangered mice. They also caught native deer mice, a species that has been absence in the last 15 years of small mammal trapping at Don Edwards Refuge.

The Sierra Club Wenting Dragonflying At Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge

USFWS / Via Facebook: PahrNWR

The Sierra Club visited Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge for a fun morning of catching dragonflies, viewing small mammals, and birding.

Shorebirds Stretched Their Wings At Modoc National Wildlife Refuge

Alex Barton/ USFWS Summer Intern / Via Facebook: ModocNWR

Depending upon the season, bird populations vary greatly in abundance and diversity at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. A total of 246 bird species have been observed on the refuge including many waterfowl and shorebirds. At least 76 species have been documented nesting at the refuge.

A Coyote Family Debuts For Local A Wildlife Photographer At The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge

Rick Kimble / Via Facebook: usfwspacificsouthwest

Rick Kimble, a wildlife and nature photographer spends a significant amount of time at the San Joaquin River NWR in Stanislaus County near Modesto, California. Kimble says he had been hearing coyote parents calling in the area since February or March and he guessed the female was “denning up” preparing to give birth to her litter. Since then he has been visiting often keeping a keen eye out for the pups he guessed would soon make an appearance. Indeed they did – five to be exact, but only three posed for their debut. Perhaps the others are a bit shy. For more about the pups debut visit http://1.usa.gov/1g8gqD3.