Northern Mockingbirds sing all through the day, and often into the night. Most nocturnal singers are unmated males, which sing more than mated males during the day, too. Nighttime singing is more common during the full moon — All About Birds
A few more shots from the First Day Hike at Lake Natoma this year.
It’s been awhile since I hiked up to Slate Bar, but a warmish day in January (I actually wore shorts) seemed like the perfect time to go back. I was able to get off the paved bike trail and away from the seemingly endless stream of walkers and cyclists, at least for a little while. “This bar was located just […]
I started out the new year with a wonderful First Day Hike on Lake Natoma, led by FOLFAN. We met up at the Willow Creek Recreation Area at 8 AM; luckily the weather was perfect — cool but too cold, with the sun making an appearance by mid morning. Here are a few photos of the area around our starting […]
I was too far away to get a better shot with my 75-300 mm lens. This was my first time spotting Hooded Mergansers at Lake Natoma.
With repairs of the bluffs above the bike trail actively ongoing with big construction equipment, you might think people would understand the area isn’t open for recreation. I’ll admit that I was among those who walked past the big concrete barriers several times during the summer — but that was before the serious work began. With the addition of the […]
A few days ago in a post, I mentioned that I wondered if the Orangevale Palisades had ever been the site of hydraulic gold mining. I’m now a bit embarassed to admit I must have at one time known the answer to that question and completely forgot. The information was right under my nose, posted clearly on a sign beside […]
No matter how many times I gaze upon the Orangevale Palisades — or “the bluffs,” as I usually call them — I never fail to be impressed. In fact, it’s only just occurred to me to wonder whether their formation is entirely natural or if hydraulic mining may have played a part. Of course, I’m not the only one to […]