At Oregon Bar
Springtime at the river
Sailor Bar County Park on the American River, May 2023
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
First Day out
I had every intention of taking part in the local First Day Hike scheduled for 8 A.M. last Sunday morning. The weather was cooperative; stormy New Year’s Eve gave way to a sunny, if chilly, New Year’s Day. I had managed to beat back a minor head cold, and the Big Guy was up early, heading out to Folsom Lake […]
One foggy morning
This is the time of year when I tend to start thinking fondly of wintertime’s cold and dreary days. I promise myself that when the seasons change and the temperature begins to drop I’ll more fully appreciate the chance to get out and do something in the outdoors. I enjoy looking back at some of my photos from previous winter […]
Memory Monday: Hicks Album, Week 1
After last Monday’s teaser, I thought I should jump right in (no pun intended) with photos from early spring 2010 shot along the American River near the Foresthill Bridge. Just browsing through these images is making me impatient for spring to arrive this year — with its (hopefully) high water levels, mosquitos, and poison oak, to say nothing of the […]