Acorn Creek explorations

I’ve driven past the Acorn Creek Trailhead on Salmon Falls Road many times over the years but never stopped to check it out — mostly because it didn’t seem especially inviting during the heat of a summer day. But a reasonably wet January is a different matter, so a week ago I took my dog and headed out, not really […]

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Wild waters

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 […]

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A dramatic entrance

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.

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At the Turtle Pond

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 […]

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Birding at Sailor Bar

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 […]

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