It’s getting to be that time of year again — the time when the weather starts warming up (at least on certain days) and I start getting outside more often and hearing more birds in the trees. Spotting them can be a different story, though, and capturing them with my camera is yet another challenge. The final difficulty can be […]
I only have to walk a few blocks away from my house to find vernal pools; in the early springtime when they fill with rainwater, I can hear the Pacific chorus frogs singing their breeding calls, even with all the doors and windows of my house shut. This tiny pool is another matter. We happened upon it as we hiked […]
I always have a tough time staying in one spot long enough for wildlife to come to me; I feel better when I keep moving and appreciate it all the more when I’m lucky enough to stumble upon some wonderful surprise. But recently I’m learning that if I can manage to sit still in my backyard for more than a […]
I was out in my back yard earlier this evening when I happened to glance up and noticed that our next door neighbors were enjoying the colorful sunset. Although I didn’t have my big zoom lens, I was still lucky enough to get a few halfway decent shots of this pair of house finches. Hopefully I’ll be seeing more of […]
Looking back to September 2019 and some beautiful little Lesser Goldfinches along the shore at Lake Natoma. I shot these pictures with a Nikon D3500 borrowed from the Library of Things at my local library.
We took a short trip back out to Folsom Lake this morning — a last chance to get outdoors ahead of a big storm that should be hitting our area before long. Though the skies were blue and cloudless as the day began, it wasn’t long before grey took over; and while the south wind wasn’t gusting too strongly yet, […]
I’m quite used to spotting Rufous-crowned Sparrows along the bike trail at Lake Natoma; and apparently they are also used to seeing people using the trail, given their fairly bold behavior and willingness to pose for pictures. Out at Folsom Lake, along the north fork of the American River, the birds are much more shy — so I was pleased […]
I’ve visited this same area of Folsom Lake twice in the last two weeks, and both times the skies were mostly dull and overcast. Today, the sun came out, and I couldn’t resist going back to do some more trail exploration. There’s so much to discover along a number of different trails and plenty of cool details that I missed […]
Fortunately, you don’t need to buy an expensive mansion overlooking Folsom Lake to take in the natural beauty found within the state park. Even on a dreary day in the middle of winter there are scenic views and colorful surprises just waiting to be discovered.