How I Spent My Last Day Of Autumn 2023 (Part One)

 

"I pray this winter will be gentle and kind,

 a season of rest from the wheel of the mind."

 

 ~John Geddes

 

Autumn is gone, I accept that, I am not bargaining anything, but how can I not notice the last remaining beauty of a season so full of character? Watching starlings fly in and out of a tree, with only a handful of leaves left, can be an absolutely transcendent way to spend a break from the nonsense of the world, and I did just that on Thursday. I knew it wouldn't take long to find the last moments of Autumn. Winter was not in everything yet. Autumn was all around me, starting with those awesome starlings. Lodi can be a charming place sometimes. Okay, so Lodi isn't completely fucking worthless. Shrug.

 

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Energy

 

“It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.” 

~Sarah Kay 

 

That is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I kinda have to laugh, because I about drove myself crazy trying to find one, along Desmond road, just a couple years ago! Now I know about 4 or five places where they can be found pretty easily, including along the canal next to my condo! It's such a cutie. If you have read some of my previous postings about this bird there isn't much more to say, except I admire it's energy. It's a silly little ball that never stops moving! I don't think I have ever heard it's voice, maybe I will one day, until then I will just admire them, and keep trying to get a good photo. They are a challenge!

Beauty On A Dreay December Day

 

“I love the freedom of my wings. I love the empty space above the ground. I rejoice in my freedom. Freedom is my religion.

 Peace is my God. Love is my worship.”

 
~Banani Ray,

  World Peace: The Voice of a Mountain Bird

 

It was misty yesterday, but we went to the forebay anyway because there is a lot of rain predicted for this week, and that was our best chance to go. The Atmospheric River is opening. But the birds did not let me down. Present mostly were gulls, Ring-necked ducks and the gorgeous Snowy Egret, my favorite bird! It was the best way to spend an otherwise dreary December day.

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #86

 

FALL

I've never liked orange
not even a hint of yellow
though that doesn't mean I'm derange,
you know.
but it's still a riddle as to why,
you can make me see it like it's aurora borealis in the sky.

 
~Kynna Claire 

 

 

Autumn Light, Winter Light...

 

“Come, little leaves," said the Wind one day, "Come to the meadows with me and play. Put on your dresses of red and gold; For Summer is past, and the days grow cold.” 

~George Cooper 

 

 

Light is really strange this time of year. A little bit of the waning gold of the Autumn sun, meets the clear white light of Winter in a fantastic hand off. Not only did the light at Yolo Bypass bring me happiness to see it play with the gold still left in the trees, but to my delight there was still some spider silk to be found just about everywhere I looked and the sun played with that too! The spiders from October and November, that flew in big strands across the sky, found a place to land, and has survived the cold and rain. The silk covered Yolo Bypass like spun sugar! And the best part is that under all those strands of silk, live some tiny spiders that will big spiders eventually, and my camera can't wait! Maybe I will meet another Boris one day!

Autumn On A Late Autumn Day

 

 “One brisk morning I stood in a field chilled frosty by autumn’s touch. Suddenly, the hordes of geese that surrounded me lifted off into the sky in a thunderous roar of nature on a grand mission. Standing stunned and awed in a field now fallen silent, it dawned on me that something is most powerful when it believes in its mission and rises without hesitation to achieve it.” 

― Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

The Winter light is really pushing Autumn around, everything has that particular and peculiar glow to it, but Autumn isn't giving up without a fight. She whispered to the trees and they are displaying their magical colors. The Greater White-fronted geese have finally arrived, and their numbers are impressive! I love those geese with all my heart.Truly, they are all my friends. And all of them are named Harvey. Harvey, he's the best!

An Osprey A Kestrel And A Cormorant

 

“His eyes reflected the open grey of the autumnal sky.” 

~Juliet Marillier,

  Daughter of the Forest

 

 I visited the Clifton Court Forebay yesterday, and unfortunately there is still very few birds to be found. During most years the forebay would be filled with all kinds of ducks, coots and gulls, in addition to many other birds, but yesterday there existed a few coot, a couple cormorants, and some raptors, but in single digits like the Osprey and the American Kestrel. I am going to check in on my friends at Cosumnes and Desmond road on Saturday, hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised and a beautiful noise a million birds will waiting for me. Cross your fingers. I need to see more beauty, and I only need 9 more birds to reach 170 birds for 2023!

 

Not Previously Posted

 

“On my canvas of life, you bring colors of love and joy,
Just like in winters,
The setting sun brings beams of red and purple to the sky.” 

~Hareem Ch,

   Muse Buzz

 

There were a lot of photos that didn't make it into my blog, but that I have decided to save to my Google album, as an accurate look at what I saw on my travels through 2023. This is one of the first photos of sparrows that I took this year. This picture was taken at the Clifton Court Forebay, last January. Ducks, Osprey, and all kinds of perching birds were flying around, but this bush belonged to these Golden Crowned Sparrows. A beautiful sight! I saw a lot of pretty things this year, and here is a small sampling. I will probably do another sampling before the end of the year.

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #76

 

“The next morning was grey and much more typical of early autumn. All I wanted to do was cocoon myself in layers of sweaters and stay in my room.” 

~Deborah Harkness,

   A Discovery of Witches

 

Rain is predicted for today. I love the rain in Autumn, it makes everything dark and brings out the earthy scents. I love that smell, especially when it mixes with the cinnamon I have sprinkled in the garden to discourage pests. I love Autumn. Have I mentioned that?

 

 

SandHill Crane Walk

 

“I am happy to know that not all species are forced

 to need passports and visas to experience new lands.”

 

~Rajesh

  Random Cosmos

 

 

I love those beautiful creatures, and I will never see enough of them. I am so pleased I live in an area that they visit every year. I would be lost without their beauty, and the sound of their call. The season is moving too fast for me. I need more of this.

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #72

 

 

There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air, and time is quiet and mellow.

 

~ Rudolfo Anaya

 

November's Moon

 

AUTUMN AIR

The autumn air is clear,
The autumn moon is bright.
Fallen leaves gather and scatter,
The jackdaw perches and starts anew.
We think of each other- when will we meet?
This hour, this night, my feelings are hard.” 

~Li Bai 

 

I love photographing the moon and autumn leaves in the same shot, although sometimes it seems almost impossible, and therefore completely frustrating. Either the moon is out of focus or the leaves are, but that dynamic came be quite pleasing to the eye. I got lucky with this shot, while the moon is a bit fuzzy, it is bright and clear, so the detail comes through. I don't know, I kinda like it. It's the moon, in an a clear twilight November sky. Autumn was smiling down on me, and it made me smile back! I used to try to photograph all the full moons in a year, but sometimes the sky refuses to cooperate. The clouds of January and February were brutal, so it's really hard to plan for it, and it looks like the roughest part of the Atmospheric River will take place in those two months again. 2024 will promises to be as wet or wetter than this year was. That will make for quite a challenge. Maybe I should simply plan to do a photo as close to the full moon as I can, and not worry so much about whether stage it's in. Like with this shot, it's not quite full, but it still made for a beautiful photo.

 

 

On The Last Day Of November

 

 

“I could feel the bite of the autumn air,

 warning us all of the harsh winter that was on its way.”

 
~Jennifer Starzec,

  Determination

 

It was ridiculously cold at the Clifton Court Forebay yesterday, but that didn't stop this very pretty Ring-billed gull from swimming and splashing about in the water! He was half playing, half trying to beat the other gulls to the tasty school of morsels passing just under them. I watched him capture, and eat, more than one tiny fish, and I was very impressed with its ability to fly to great heights in the sky, only to fall in a deep dive, to fetch his dinner. Birds fascinate me. I didn't see any new birds yesterday, and my hands were aching from the cold, so I didn't stay long, but they were all lovely, and entertaining, and made the pain well worth the visit. I can't wait to see what other birds fly in, as December progresses. 

 

Here is bird #161 for the year.

 

Red-winged Bicolored Blackbird