I spotted this Phainopepla — or as I call it, the black bird with red eyes and the name I can never remember — while hiking around Mississippi Bar this morning. While I was pleased to get a few good shots, it was a little frustrating that the tree branches blocked my view; and then of course my phone rang […]
I’ve never really practiced meditation, but in a spot like this one, near Salt Point State Park, I could easily sit in solitude and ponder the universe and my place in it. Every place I look, I see details of nature that speak directly to the deepest parts of my being.
It’s easy to see the beauty of larger avians like the Bald Eagle, the Great Blue Heron, or the Snowy Owl. A lot of times I miss the small birds because they are more shy, they move very quickly, and at a distance the intricacy of their plumage may not be visible.
North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. It’s one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same warm reddish on her wings, back, and tail. Hunting for insects and other small prey in […]
The day after the rainstorm, the ocean off the Mendocino County coast looked calm and the sky was a serene blue, but the waves still pounded the shoreline, throwing foam high up onto the cliffs. We stood back and admired the sea from a safe distance!
With the Folsom Lake water levels so low at this time of year, it’s not uncommon to see more old structures appearing along the shore. At Sweetwater Creek the difference between now and my previous visit last spring is pretty dramatic. I was pleased to find evidence of historic water diversion during my hike, but it was also fun comparing […]
Doran Regional Park on the south end of Bodega Bay has long been a regular stop on our trips to the coast; when the tide is out we can usually gather plenty of ghost shrimp to use as bait for perch, rockfish, and cabezon. Of course, we humans aren’t the only ones attracted to this quiet shoreline. We joined a […]