Month: December 2016

So, what do you do after getting back from a fabulous three-week vacation to some of the most scenic spots in the western United States?

If you’re me, you spend a lot of time inside working on the computer, hiding from the rain while editing the thousands of shots taken during that vacation.

Still, I learned long ago to take advantage of any sunshine we get. Given the choice between editing photos and working on web pages or going birding on a foggy/sunny day, I will go birding every time.

Though unlikely to see as many birds as I did on my trips, I still find joy in checking out a common Red-Tail Hawk swooping by,

circling overhead,

checking me out

while I’m checking it out.

The first time I ever toured the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge was just before Thanksgiving and I was amazed by the number of birds I saw there, particularly the large number of Snow Geese. So, I was hoping for the same sight on this trip, the climax to a glorious three-week tour of National Parks and wildlife refuges.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Perhaps it was the time of day, early evening the first day and early morning the next day, but we didn’t see anywhere the number of birds that I hoped, and expected, to see, which is not to say that I didn’t see any birds.

This Red-Tailed Hawk entertained me for several minutes as it hovered

over its intended prey,

[RedTailDive2.jp

but never struck.

I liked this close-up of this Snowy Egrets’ feet

which look like they’ve accidentally been attached to the wrong set of legs.

We never did see the large flocks of Snow Geese that I anticipated, but there was a small flock, and one that seemed willing to pose for a shot.

I even got a shot of an adult Snow Goose with a juvenile Snow Goose,

the first time I’ve been able to discern the difference between the two.

Though I was disappointed in not seeing the birds I hoped to see, I’m sure a duck hunter would have been delighted by the large number of ducks on the refuge.

After three plus weeks on the road, we were ready to be home, but I wasn’t ready to drive all the way from Fresno to Tacoma in a single day. Besides I haven’t been able to drive past the Sacramento and Colusa National Wildlife Refuges without stopping since I found them several years ago.

We arrived at Colusa mid-day and the birding was relatively slow, which might be why I managed to spot this Wilson’s Snipe

before it scurried into the reeds.

Although I’d gotten a better shot only two days before I am always excited when I spot one of these elusive birds.

There’s nothing elusive about Great Egrets

and they almost seem more common in California than crows in Tacoma, but I seldom get this close to them.

Nor do I go to California to see ducks, but I liked this shot of a pair of Northern Pintails and a pair of Widgeons.

I do go south to see Black-necked Stilts, so I was happy to see these two, though I missed seeing Avocets..

Truthfully, though, I generally stop at Colusa before going to the Sacramento National Wildlife to see the Night Heron rookery. Though there didn’t seem to be as many herons there as usual, it was still easy to get some nice shots.

Two of my favorite photos from our King’s Canyon trip were this one

of a Chipmunk backlit in the deep forest

and this one of a White-Faced Woodpecker,

a first-ever sighting, may have justified carrying a heavy telephoto lens throughout the day.

All the other shots from King’s Canyon were taken with our Canon SX60HS camera, as were the following shots. Not sure what this plant is, but I was fascinated that life seems to spring from dead branches.

Leslie told me to take pictures of the large rocks throughout the forest, and this one bending an ancient pine caught my attention,

as did this strangely fractured rock.

King’s Canyon is more than just giant Sequoia Redwood trees; it’s a place where nature still prevails and we are just temporary guests.