A walk in the park
The riches of spring
After having spent the majority of the morning going through my recent images of spring wildflowers, trying to firmly identify each of them, I can tell you without a doubt that I would have never amounted to anything as a botanist. I’ve been using three books and two computer apps, and I’m still not completely sure I’ve got all of […]
Vernal pool prairie
The vernal pools appear dry, but the wildflowers are popping up everywhere. On my visit the other day, I saw mostly purple Vetch, yellow Hawkbit, and White Hyacinth. But as I continued to look, I also spotted Vernal Pool Goldfields, Little Quaking Grass, Checkerbloom, Valley Tassels, and even Downingia. The signs of life are definitely there to see, if you […]
At the wooden bridge
Schweitzer Grove
As I sit at my computer this morning, watching and listening to the rain coming down in bucketfuls, punctuated by occasional thunder and lightning, I’m extremely relieved that I chose yesterday for my outing to Schweitzer Grove Nature Area instead of today! I had been scheduled for a visit with my Facebook photography group last Saturday, but since that was […]
Rivals
I’ve noticed more Red-winged blackbirds this spring than in any other year; I’m not sure if that means there are more of them around or if I’ve just been lucky. I do find it funny that I drove three hours to Lake County hoping to see a few around Clear Lake — only to come home and spot a larger […]
Throwback Thursday: Brown’s Ravine 2019
I realize 2019 isn’t that long ago, but I’m sometimes surprised as I go back through my image files at the photos I’ve never used. Of course there are plenty of images that aren’t good enough to use (I have loads of those, and I’m sure I’m not the only one). But my pictures this week are ones that seem […]
California quail
I normally have a very difficult time getting close enough to photograph the local quail; they’re extremely shy and are usually fleeing long before I even notice their presence. Many times when I do manage to shoot them, they’re hiding in the bushes so I don’t exactly have a clear view. It’s all rather frustrating to me — mostly because […]
Throwback Thursday: Local wildlife, June 2017
It was a great thrill for me to come across this juvenile (Red-shouldered?) hawk back in mid June 2017 at Negro Bar State Park. I was using my shiny new Canon Powershot SX530 HS with 16 pixels, 50x optical zoom, and no viewfinder, only an LCD screen. Back then, I believed looking through an LCD was the best option for […]