I shot these pictures in the middle of October, which was the last time we saw overcast, cloudy skies in the area. The Big Guy has been disappointed at the lack of rain for its effect on the salmon run. And even though the nights are now getting decidedly chilly and most of the leaves have fallen off the sweetgum […]
Sometimes on my local hikes I don’t come across anything really exciting to shoot; so instead I look for small details or odd little things that catch my eye. It might be an unexpected message or something accidentally left behind — or even a colorful rock that I’ve probably trod on hundreds of times without ever noticing before.
Some serious repair work on the bluff has begun, in the rush to finish up before the bald eagles return to the area. Although they’ve previously removed the three large piles of rubble blocking the trail, today was the first time I saw a floating barrier — plus a ranger patrolling to keep kayaks from getting too close.
Fluttering female
Over my lifetime I’ve seen — and heard! — so many scrub jays and magpies as I grew up in this part of California that I usually pay little attention to them and have never bothered to photograph them. Still, these two birds, both corvids, are intelligent, inquisitive, and mischievous, not to mention noisy. The California scrub jay actually ranges […]
Yesterday morning I noticed a large group of swallows swirling above my head as I walked along the base of the bluffs by Lake Natoma. They were moving so fast I had trouble catching them with my camera — but this morning I cranked up my shutter speed and went back for another try. I was also surprised that they […]