Osprey pair at Lake Berryessa

Note: This post contains NO snake pictures, although there are fence lizards and a couple of insects!

The animals around us may be quietly going about the regular business of living, but sometimes it’s tough not to imagine a bit of an attitude in their posture or in the way they pause to check us out. I shot these images over the past couple of months in a few different locations, including Lake Berryessa, Clear Lake, Folsom Lake, and the Mendocino coast.

This Gray Bird Grasshopper came from behind and buzzed my head as I trudged along the Darrington Trail on Folsom’s South Fork. He then landed and turned his head to size me up! These somewhat intimidating insects are the largest grasshoppers in California, and this one measured about 4 inches long. They are allegedly very good at hiding from predators, but this one was bold as brass.

Anna’s Hummingbird at Spanish Flat, Lake Berryessa

A meditative ground squirrel at Steele Canyon, Lake Berryessa

Robin in the rain, Mendocino

Buckingham Peak, Lake County

I never got a clear shot of them together, but these two male fence lizards interrupted their conversation on the rocks to give me raised eyebrows and a clear invitation to move along.

I wasn’t surprised when this cicada, perched directly over the trail at the Petrified Forest in Calistoga, stopped his loud buzzing at the sight of me and my camera. He waited until I was away down the trail before picking up where he left off.

It’s difficult to tell in this photo, but the Great Blue Heron was sitting on a nest high up in a pine tree near the shore of Lake Berryessa. It seemed to be glaring at an osprey, perched casually on a nearby branch to snack on fresh-caught fish.

Mt. Konocti, Lake County