Sky Ballet

 

"The baby bat screamed out in fright, turn on the dark, I'm afraid of the light."

~Shel Silverstein

Yep, they're home! The Mexican Free-tailed bats have returned to the Franklin boulevard Bridge! It's early in their arrival, so there weren't many, yet there were enough for me to believe it's going to be an amazing bat season, fingers crossed! I was very pleased with the results of the camera on my new phone. It is every bit as good as the reviews said it was! I need a lot more practice, but these photos are the clearest I believe to date! I practiced a bit with the video feature, but haven't had a chance to edit what I got. I hope to go out again tonight, but frankly I am still rubbing Hydrocortisone on my many bites, and man is it painful, but I have been waiting a long time for the return of my friends, so bugs or no bugs, I am going to be on the Franklin Bridge a lot this summer! Jeepers, can you believe it, I was on the bridge last Thursday, and here it is, Monday, and I am still finding new bites. My doctor said bites like this can take up to 2 weeks to fully show up!

UGH!

Mexican Free-tailed bat and Red-tailed Hawk

Name That Bird! And Autumn Leaf #18

 "I look. There it is. I feel it. The insistent pull to the heart that the hawk brings, that very old longing of mine to possess the hawk's eye. To live the safe and solitary life; to look down on the world from a height and keep it there. To be the watcher; invulnerable, detached, complete. My eyes fill with water. Here I am, I think And I do not think I am safe."

~Helen McDonald

 

Isn't that bird magnificent? That is a red-tailed hawk. They live throughout the Central Valley, so finding them is not difficult. At all. The problem is, lots of hawks in the valley look very similar to each other, especially as they mature. So, it helps to have the right guides for learning about the birds. Currently I own the, Audubon Field Guide To Birding (Western Edition) and the Sibley Birds West. I purchased the Sibley guide just this past week, and I have already fallen in love with it's gorgeous illustrations. Audubon has a unique layout that I enjoy, and it's color photographs are great for IDing.With the two guides, I am hoping to do a lot better when it comes to cataloging.

~Me

 

 

Opportunity Storms

"Birds were created to record everything. 

They were not designed just to be beautiful jewels of the sky,

 but to serve as the eyes of heaven."

~Suzy Kassem

Rise Up And Salute The Sun: The Writings Of Suzy Kassem 

Last weekend, as I was chasing the storm around the Central Valley, I had lots of opportunities to photograph different subjects. Clouds. Cows. Light and dark shadows, and, of course, birds. I found two different species that stood out, the Savannah Sparrow, and a Red Tailed Hawk. Of the two, I think I enjoyed this bird the most. There were about 40 of them, all eating in, and around, some small bushes on the road to the Rancho Seca Recreational area, near the town of Herald, California. This little bird was in some bushes, facing the now closed, twin towers, of the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant. That particular site is one of my favorite destinations in the Central Valley, to do sunset photos, as well as, doing a little bird watching. Over time, for some reason, I have found the towers themselves, to be quite photogenic, and I have developed a fondness for them. Weird. I know! I am snot sure why I enjoy them so much, but they make me feel comfortable, and safe. Shrug. I have no idea why, but I thank God for it! I will take the inspiration and be grateful!

Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant

Rancho Seco Recreational Area

Herald, California

January 20th 2019

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)