On our day trip to the mountains, we decided to visit and photograph a burn scar; a section of burned forest from a fire a few years ago. The burned trees were intriguing with their swirls of white wood and black charred wood. The grasses had repopulated the area and the Rabbit Brush was blooming. It was a fun time.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.
Last week we took a day trip into the mountains. We travelled along RT 88 from Jackson, CA to Rt 89 and followed it over Monitor Pass and down to Topaz then returned. It is a beautiful trip through the Sierra Nevada. While we enjoyed clear skies, at places we could see smoke hanging over distant mountain valleys.
Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.
I’ve produced my first set of images in false color infrared. Most infrared pictures I see are in black and white. But my camera can also capture some visible light; not all, just some. So, I can get some interesting effects. I still haven’t fully grasped what it means to shoot heat as well as light. A goldfinch facing the sun will give me some yellow in its breast but facing away from the sun, I lose the yellow. A red car became bright orange. A blue car became darker. So, still much to learn.
In a blog I follow and enjoy, Peace of Life Today, the author shared the post “Just A Duck” which contained some beautiful photos of a female Mallard. Until a few years ago, that is what they were to me. I could identify a white domestic duck and a male Mallard. I have heard people talk about a variety of ducks, but they were just some abstract concept. Then I met some new friends who were wildlife photographers. They taught me that we live in the Pacific Flyway, a migration route and wintering ground for many species of waterfowl. They, along with other birding friends, taught me about Mergansers, Golden Eye’s, Teals, and many more. The diversity and beauty of these creatures is astounding. For me, there is no such thing as just a duck anymore and I am better for it.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.
I am sharing some images of Great Blue Herons (Ardea Herodias) that I’ve taken over this summer.
The heron in a tree looks out of place. I normally see them foraging along the water’s edge. But they are comfortable in trees. In fact, they nest high up in trees.
I was fortunate enough to observe a Thick-billed Fox Sparrow (Passeralli iliac megarhynchaon) on a recent visit to Loon Lake in the Eldorado National Forest. This large sparrow is a fall to spring visitor in our area but not one that I have recognized before. So, it was a treat. Now that I Observed and identified it, maybe I’ll see some in this area.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!
I am sharing a few early morning scenes from the banks of the American River. I walk the trails along the river several times each week for several hours at a time. I am grateful that the people of the Sacramento area cared enough to build a buffer area against flooding and to turn that almost 40 miles of buffer into urban green space available to all.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.
I was fortunate enough to observe a California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) in the process of eating a dragonfly. It used its beak and talons to position the insect, then picked it up with its beak and swallowed it.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.
Today I am sharing 2 images I took last week. A group of 5 River Otters were foraging in the American River at Sailor Bar. I watched their bodies slither as they dove into the water then came up with their head held high, swallowing their prey. It was great fun.
Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.
Earthwatcher 