This week, June 19th through 25th, is National Pollinator Week in the U.S., so I’m celebrating by sharing some of my most recent images of insects making themselves right at home in some wildflower blooms. While bees and butterflies are the most easily recognized pollinators, many beetles also play an important role in pollination. I shot most of these photos […]
At this fairly isolated spot just across the river from the fish hatchery, a small island blocks the view of the main stream of the American River. Still, I thought the current looked pretty boisterous when I visited Sailor Bar two weeks ago — but on today’s visit I found the rocky shore where I stood that day is now […]
This morning I was lucky enough to see the arrival of a Great Blue heron at the Turtle Pond on Sailor Bar. Although I enjoyed his graceful entrance, it seemed to cause some irritation to one of the local Red-winged blackbirds — who fussed for a moment, just to make a point, before sulkily departing.
When I was pretty young, I had two gray plastic animal figures that my sister and I called “Beat-up Eye” and “Beat-up Nose” because those parts had clearly been chewed on by, ahem, someone in the past. I never did figure out what type of animal they were supposed to be; and I can only guess what type of experience […]
I was all alone, standing in a shady spot along the empty trail beside Turtle Pond, watching the Red-winged blackbirds and shooting pictures with my big lens. I’m not sure why, but I happened turn my head and glance back up the path to my far right — and found this duck standing there, just… watching me. I wouldn’t say I’ve suddenly developed anatidaephobia; but let’s just say Gary Larson’s cartoon is starting to make a lot more sense!
I did see a couple of turtles, but the stars of the show on this morning were the many species of birds — especially the Red-winged blackbirds. They were continually swooping and perching, calling and battling in mid air while a few brownish females watched from the sidelines. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to explore this […]
Whenever I’m photographing spring wildflowers, it makes me extra happy to find myself shooting some tiny little visitor — and even better if I don’t notice them until I’m editing the images at home. I may not be able to name the species, but I love these little surprise bonuses! (Click on any image for a closer look.)
There’s an old saying that it’s hard to soar with the eagles (or red-shouldered hawks) when you’re surrounded by turkeys. But this turkey hen at Sailor Bar near the American River was busy doing very important work on the ground, carefully tending to her enthusiastic flock of five or six as they scampered in and out of the tall grass […]
Why — and how — do random cars always seem to end up in the bottom of an otherwise attractive ravine? The sight of this abandoned wreck of a pickup truck in Roseville a couple of weeks ago instantly brought back to mind a similar eyesore that rested in Orangevale’s Snipes Ravine for many years (although I suspect it may […]