Beautiful, Breathtaking, Woodbridge Road

"Feed the birds in winter; in return, they will feed your soul with the look of gratitude."

~Mehmet Murat ildan

Beautiful, breathtaking, Woodbridge road. There is so much beauty to be found there, no matter what season it happens to be. I think of all the places we do our birding, Woodbridge is my favorite, although, Desmond road is a close second! Moments like this, ethereal and calming, revives me!

More from Thursday's trip down Woodbridge road to come! 

Watch this space!

Autumn Birds, On Woodbridge Road

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

~Ralph H. Baum

I was having so much fun photographing this gorgeous Great Egret the other day! I was on Woodbridge road, to see if any new birds had migrated in. And yes, some had indeed come home for the season, and while I have some fairly nice new photos, it was the birds that are here all year, that I had the most fun with. The Egrets, the Kingfishers, and the Blue Herons were being very accommodating to my photography! They are all such gorgeous birds, it made my day to be able to see beauty everywhere! As great fun as they were, the arrival of the snow geese made me warm inside. I guess you could say, it was a very good day!

On An Rainy Day In Autumn

 

 “Night, which in Autumn seems to fall from the sky so suddenly, chilled us...” 

 
~Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly,

  The Crimson Curtain     

 

 

I took these photographs on a slightly rainy day in autumn.

 This Great Egret took my breath away. They are such elegant birds.

 

  

The Birds Of The Enchanted Forest

 

“Everything you can imagine is real.” 

~Pablo Picasso 

 

While birding in Louis Park/Pixie Woods, I spotted this wonderful sight! A gorgeous Great Egret perched amongst the art work at the volcano. Pixie Woods is a small amusement park, as called the Enchanted Woods, within Louis Park. It is a cute little place, but it is now mostly open in the summer months, however during the rest of the year it tends to fall into disarray. One thing that's nice about having a hobby like birding, is that I can use the park year round, but autumn is my favorite time to be there. It's a terrific resource, I have found some fascinating birds such as the magpies, mergansers, wood ducks and as you can see, the Great Egret. As of late, a pair of White-tailed kite are nesting there, its one of the most interesting finds, at least for Pixie Woods. I have been lucky to add the Red-breasted Sapsucker to my birding life list. The day I spotted it, was the first time I had ever seen a sapsucker of any kind. That was another really good day, and to think the park is just next door!

 

 Just a few birds from Louis Park/Pixie Woods

 

White-tailed Kite

 

Winter Art

 

“Sometimes one is stuck helplessly between autumn and winter:

 One does not want autumn to end,

 but one does not want to miss the beauties of winter either.” 

 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

This photo was taken earlier this year, in winter, I think some time in late January or early February. It kinda looks like a barn, or perhaps studio flats, long forgotten, yet still barely standing on a farm on Woodbridge road. All the water you see is the result of one of the Atmospheric rivers that hit the state of California early in 2023. The devastating rain made rivers out of farm roads, and made it possible to see hundreds of swan swimming about. I took the photo of the swans and the Great Egret on the same day as this shack, it was just stunning. I am not sure if the shack/barn still stands, I hope to check soon, and if it does I will post an update. Or maybe I will just post something new from Woodbridge road. You know how it is, you go in search of a specific thing, and usually see so much more than you plan for. Photography is never dull!

 

Happiness In Autumn

 

"Seamlessly, like an autumn leaf change color,

 my will switched powerfully."

 

~Aspen Matis

Your Blue Is Not My Blue:A Missing Person Memoir

 

 The picture above is not the first I took that day, but of the two that apply to this post, it is my favorite. This gorgeous Snowy Egret had a series of rocks along the Clifton Court Forebay that were his, and his alone, full stop! I watched as he chased away little birds, big birds, other Snowy Egrets, and once even a grebe! He found a home and he was happy on his perch, on the pretty rocks. Who could ask for more?

 

~Me :)

 

 

Three Egrets And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #43

 

"II was drinking in the surroundings: air so crisp you could snap it with your fingers and greens in every lush shade imaginable offset by autumnal flashes of red and yellow."

~Wendy Delsol

Stork

I wanted this shot to work. It was the perfect autumn day. But it was not just any perfect autumn day, it was late in the day, on a perfect autumn day in late October. October only comes once a year, and I wanted to capture it forever. As you can see, autumn colors have been kicking in slowly but it's not altogether dreary. The ducks, geese and cranes were out to play along Desmond road, and the Great Egret were dancing all around. I don't have very many photos of egrets, so I decided to get in a little practice with them. I almost got it, as they sailed in for a landing in the dry weeds, but it was just out of my grasp. This was the best I could do. I think I was getting lost in autumn. It's light, it's colors, the sound of the birds. Everything seemed to be telling me to put the camera down and enjoy the sight, and that's just what I did. Some moments in life are just about perfect. This one came late in the day, on an perfect autumn day, in late October 2022.

~Me

The Predicament Of The Anti-Autumn

 

"To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy."

~Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

The Minds Eye:Writings on Photography And Photographers

 

Desmond Road

Galt, California

May 6th 2022

Minolta

 

 It's spring... the anti-autumn. So, when I find myself in the predicament of spring, I naturally focus my entire attention on all things associated with autumn. I read, and watch, a lot of Stephen King movies and books, and crave pumpkin pie. I think about what's in the shade of the trees on a hillside, and try to consider what is really behind all the tiny noises one hears go bump in the night. I don't like spring, but it can be as delightfully unpredictable as autumn, especially with the weather. The Bay Area is about to experience a storm that is promising rain in the 9 counties, snow in the foothills, and temperatures in the 30's here in the San Joaquin valley. All things fairly similar to autumn. The next few days presents a wonderful chance to do some birding, practice some black and white photography and get to know the new camera better. We were cheated out of autumn last year, so this year I want to be ready with the camera to find as much beauty as possible, even on dark spooky October days. I didn't even finish my leaf gallery last year, which hurt me a lot, that won't be happening this year!

:)

Round Robin Challenge: Wild Thing

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

~John Muir My First Summer in the Sierra

Round Robin Challenge: Wild Thing.

For this challenge, I bring you two kinds of Wild...

Wild #1. Wildlife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Wild #2. Just Wild







From my perspective, Christmas is as commercialized as we decide to make it. We can go out and spend a ton of money, or we can make gifts. We can spend the next year paying off things we felt some need to buy, or set individual budgets. I find the whole "War on Christmas" and "Christmas is Commercialized" arguments silly. You can choose to be as negative as you want to want to be. But negativity is not for me, I will just enjoy awesome creativity and sparkly lights.

Okay, you've seen my pictures and read my rant, now go see what the other Round Robin participants are up to! Hey, better yet, you can play along. Just click the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog where you can find the list, and information on how to join in the challenge.

~Me :)

Sometimes You're The Egret And Sometimes...

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, ever hundredth of a second."

~Marc Riboud

I wish I could say that this was a carefully planned photograph. I wish I could say that I labored for hours, hand stocking the lake with tiny little fish, just to get the perfect shot of my favorite bird chomping away on his meal in a very photogenic manner... yeah... I wish. LOL. But actually I have to admit that while I was out with the camera one cold, dark December day, I spotted a cute little egret, sitting still and quietly in Lake Tilden. I had been out that day looking for shadows and moody corners of Tilden park, so when I came across this bird I couldn't have been happier! I snapped off about 25 photos or so, most of which came out either overexposed or grainy. But I did get a couple of shots that looked pretty decent. The one above was a completely surprise! The bird spotted the fish in the water, and dived in so quickly to catch it, that I didn't even see it happen. I didn't see what I had captured with the camera until I got home!

That's called a lucky break! LOL. It's okay... it has inspired me many times when I have been out with the camera specifically looking for birds. I think I stop now, and consider the bigger picture surrounding the birds... not just the subject itself. Luck... it's a good thing! Don't waste the lesson it gives you! Whatever the lesson is!

Just A Couple Moments Earlier...


Mood: Happy

~Me :)