Summer Sun, Somethings Begun

 

"Bees do have a scent you know, and if they don't they should,

 for their feet are dusted with the spice from a million flowers."

~Ray Bradbury

Dandelion Wine

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, but reality says we have about three weeks until the season really begins. Either way, there are signs everywhere that cheer me up in a summer way, and one of them is roadside sunflowers, and little bees enjoying them. It's a pretty happy turn of events, and quite welcome. Especially when it's May 27th, and it's cold.

 Mother nature certainly has a strange sense of humor.

😂

The Painted Lady Butterfly

 

"Be like a butterfly and a flower... beautiful and sought after, yet unassuming and gentle."

~Jarod Kintz

Despite all the depressing stuff going on, it's not like there isn't beauty in the world. While on Woodbridge road the other day, I spotted the first of two unique types of butterflies for 2026, floating along the wildflowers along the road! This particular one is the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which is one of my favorites, and seeing it reminds me that there is a lot to focus on, beyond politics. Why do I and should I, let the stupid stuff steal my joy? I wish I could answer that question! Today, for example, my body hurts head to toe, all because I tensed up yesterday, in anticipation of nuclear annihilation of Iran, and the very real possibility of World War III. I should have known Trump would Taco at the last minute, but I wasn't sure he would! Oh well, that was Tuesday, and today is today, and we all got here one moment at a time, so going forward I am trying that! One moment at a time.

Wish me luck!

I will have more new photos this week, so come back for that!

Thursday Afternoons

 

And now a little moment away from all the drama fires happening.

A little respite.

"Geese; Because you also wanted a pet that can also hold you hostage."

~Unknown

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!

Woodbridge Road In The Fog

 "Lots of people go mad in January. Not as many as in May, of Course. Or June. But January is your third most common month for madness."

~Karen Joy Fowler

Sarah Canary

Yesterday, in a fit of I can't take Trump's stupidity anymore, I asked hubby if he wanted to take a ride in the fog, to look for birds. We thought it over a bit, and decided to head to Staten Island, but as we went farther and farther down the freeway, the thicker the fog got, so we changed our minds, and settled for Woodbridge road. It was a good plan.

The fog was beautiful.

Gourdgeous!

 

"When life gives you pumpkins, make pumpkin pies!"

~Unknown

Recently, while on Woodbridge road, in Lodi, I spotted these gourds, partially submerged under water. The colors caught my eye. Things are mostly gray right now, as one would expect in January, in the San Joaquin Valley, so colors catch my eye. This is a pretty easy time of year to spot a birds color, and shape from far away. but I knew instantly, from far down the road, that this wasn't a group of birds, it was the last of the farmland's harvest, giving back to the earth, and all the little creatures passing through. I never knew how damn beautiful autumn could be in winter. See how little it takes to make me truly happy? Squeeeeee!

The Belted Kingsher On This Side Of The Road

"Knowing birds is like being fluent in a foreign language, or adept with a musical instrument."

~Katheen Jamie Findings

Another slightly blurry photo of a bird, but for some reason, I really like it. It's a little vague in mood, and it's cold, but it appeals to the attempted artist in me. It was just beginning to get dark, so working with the lighting was a little difficult. The light on this side of the road was waning, the opposite side was blinding white, due to the small fields that were flooded for winter visitors like geese and certain migrating ducks. Belted Kingfishers are not known for their patience, so I had to decide fairly quickly, if the shot was worth the moment. In the end, my love for these birds decided for me! I got better shots, and I was happy with the other ones, so it all made for a good day!

The Red-shouldered Hawk

 

The hawk was everything I wanted to be in life:

 solitary, self possessed, free from grief and numb to the hurts of human life."

~Helen MacDonald

H is For Hawk

I spotted this absolutely gorgeous, Red-shouldered Hawk, the other day, while we were on Woodbridge road. There aren't as many birds, in our usual places, as there should be, another sign that 2026 will be another difficult year for birding. It's okay. I know there are some hawks like this one, and a particularly chatting Belted Kingfisher along Woodbridge, and some Greater White-fronted Geese on Desmond, so we will start out okay, then it just might mean trips along the coastline for the seabirds and shore birds. Spring will bring the perching birds, and certain hawks in the summer. Pretty soon, I will sitting here again, just before the calendar turns to 2027 and I will be thinking about another year to come. For birds, health and life. But that's a long way off... and five minutes away.

The Beauty Of The Snowy Egret In Autumn

 

"When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seem them all."

~E.O. Wilson

"I love Snowy egrets... they are smaller than most in their family they are dainty and unlike the Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets, they feed in flocks... in community."

~Unknown

The Snowy egret population have been particularly beautiful this autumn. Every single one of them take my breath away...

Woodbridge Road In Autumn

 

Isenberg Sandhill Crane Preserve

Lodi, California

No sun... no moon!

No morn... no noon

No dawn...

No sky... no  earthy view...

No distance looking blue...

No road... no street... no "t"other side the way...

No end to any row...

No indications of familiar people...

No courtesies of familiar people... for showing 'em...

No knowing 'em...

No traveling at all... no notion...

"No go"... by land or ocean...

No mail... no post...

No news from any foreign coast...

No park... no ring... no afternoon gentility...

No comfortable feel in any member...

No shade... no shine... no butterflies... no bees

No fruits, no flowers no leaves, no birds, 

November!

~Thomas Hood

You can't really say Woodbridge road is nothing special, especially this time of year, in fact it can be downright charming. We have Sandhill Crane, and Belted Kingfishers, assorted ducks, burrowing owls, and hawks of all kinds! On clear days there is a striking view of the Sierras, especially in autumn and summer. In fact, you can feel, and see, the snow on the mountains! It can be magical watching the crane come in to rest for the evening at the, Isenberg Sandhill Carne Reserve. It's usually quite peaceful there, if you don't count the sound of cows mooing and farm work being done, but it's all good, those are pleasant in their own way. It's life on Woodbridge road, and I really wouldn't want it any other way!

The beautiful I have seen on Woodbridge in the last few years!

I love that road, and I am going to miss it very much after we move.

Sunflowers And Thistles

 

 

 

“Outside the leaves on the trees constricted slightly; they were the deep done green of the beginning of autumn. It was a Sunday in September. There would only be four. The clouds were high and the swallows would be here for another month or so before they left for the south before they returned again next summer.”
 

― Ali Smith, 

 The Whole Story and Other Stories

 

 

Summer is coming to a close. Tomorrow is it's last partial day. It will breathe it's last breath at 2:18 PM, EDT. The roadside sunflowers are withering, and the thistle has gone from it's stunning purple shade, to its white haired end. Sigh. To my dismay, I am beginning to see the beauty and tragedy of summer. It's been a bittersweet season this year for me this year, as I lost my wonderful Hendrix on June 9th, yet gained silly Simon on the 4th of July! Then, in August, Tyler came along. They make every day happy. The tears, are replaced with smiles.

 

 The bats are gone now, at least at the Cosumnes River Preserve. It was a colder than average summer. Perhaps they will be at the Yolo Basin in great numbers, we'll see. That is an autumn task. On one of the few hot summer nights that we had, we spotted a barn owl for the first time! Now if I can find a Burrowing owl, I will have yet another beautiful bird for my life list! No other season transitions quite like summer into autumn. This year I will be sad to see it go, but I am enjoying the amazing morning autumn light. I am ready for autumn. See you tomorrow!

 

 

Promise And Enthusiasm

 

“Try things out, be happy to make mistakes, but above all have a go.”

 
~Charles Dowding,

       Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

 

That gorgeous bird is the Great Blue Heron, and he is standing at the edge of a great BIG corn field! I love photographing heron, not only are they very accommodating to the casual photographer, but they are so photogenic that it makes my heart skip a beat! They aren't my favorite birds, the Sandhill Crane are, but the heron can be found in the San Joaquin Valley in all seasons, so I get lots of practice with my birding photography. Speaking of the crane, I have been tracking them, and right now there is a pair just above Elk Grove! It won't be long, it looks like at least a couple of them will be arriving on Woodbridge road, in Lodi, right on time! Cross your fingers for Monday! Just in case, I am planning to be out and about on the Delta next week, until I find them! I hope that is a realistic goal. I was recently diagnosed with mild anemia, so my stamina isn't what it used to be, in fact I am exhausted just few hours after I get up. We'll see. Here's to promise and enthusiasm the world of birding brings me! Positive vibes, right!

 

 

The Arrival Of The Sandhill Crane 2024

 

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock,

 then autumn would be the magic hour.”

~Victoria Erickson

 

They're back! And right on schedule! They came in, last week, but we were busy most of the week caring for Dylan, and therefore I wasn't able to be on Woodbridge road to see their arrival. Dylan needed me, in one way or another, and I wouldn't have had it any other way, it was all just bad timing. Anyway, they are here in great numbers, so I will have all season to play with them and do photos. I wish this one was more clear, but they were a fair distance away. Practice will make perfect, I hope. Now if my beloved, Greater White-fronted goose, would just come back. I saw a small group of them on Desmond road, maybe Wednesday of last week, but then they seemed to be gone. They will be back, no doubt, but I could use them now. I just love their beautiful faces.

American Goldfinch

 

 “In winter, you fed the birds; and in summer, do the same thing! In winter, you gave them bread; and in summer, give them water!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

(Female American Goldfinch)

I saw some happy little American Goldfinch playing in a puddle the other day, and to tell you the truth, it's all I wanted to do for the remainder of that particular day. They were lovely. The male never left the female's side. He never strayed more then a foot or so away from her. And she spent most of her time, bathing in the cool water, and fluffing herself up. She was gorgeous, and clearly she was about to go out on the town with her love... Mr. Goldfinch. Imagine that, love is all around.

 

Gotcha!

 

“What we find changes who we become.”
~Peter Morville 

 

 These, pheasant, are the hardest damn birds to find! I spent all of last year searching for one, to add to my bird album, and the only one I managed to see and photograph was on it's way, the HELL away from me. I got a blurry photo, with just enough detail to know it was a pheasant, but definitely nothing to brag about. But the other day, as we were speeding along Woodbridge road, there it was! A large male pheasant standing along the road, looking around, as if it was no big deal that I drive myself insane attempting to spot them! It's really difficult to not believe the birds openly mock me. Not really, I kid the birds, but one thing is for sure, it was a wonderful, exhilarating experience, and I am so pleased I got to see this beauty! Was it a late winter gift? Or was it an early spring gift? Either way, I smiled for a couple days just thinking about it!

Secens From Woodbridge Road

 

 

“Farming is a profession of hope”
~Brian Brett 

 

 

 

 

I love my birds, but there are other beautiful scenes along Woodbridge road. The farm country has some gorgeous views of farms being farms, even just the farm equipment has a charm to it and the summer and autumn harvest's are my favorite time of year to see it all! But during the autumn and winter you can see absolutely breathtaking views of light and shadows, which look great to my photographer's eye, whether in color or black & white. Birds swimming in bodies of water created by the rain, are especially picturesque with the setting sun and the view of Mt. Diablo in the background. After the water recedes, comes the planting and the harvest that grows the plants that encourages the birds to visit the following year. I love that cycle, and now that I live here, I get to watch it renew year after year! 

 

It probably seems silly that all this intrigues me so much, after all that's how nature works, but when you have grown up in the city, as opposed to living where it is farmland all around you, you just get a different feeling of what beauty is. I see the amazing architecture of San Francisco and Berkeley and I never want to leave the city's, sounds and energy that living there generates, but when I spend an entire day, doing nothing more than listening to the sound of geese and ducks flying around, I reach such a zen-like state that I find myself sleeping better. There is an elderly man, in a blue vehicle, that I have seen napping in his car on many afternoons. He has noticed us diving by too, because of how frequently we visit, and we wave when we see each other now, like neighbors who love our neighborhood. We both understand what it feels like to be adjacent to so much beauty.

 

Of course visiting back home does that to me too, but back home is 90 miles away, and that is a long trip. I still visit Berkeley and San Francisco, I get deeply homesick, but it's down to only a couple times a year, as opposed to yearning for a trip every month. Oh well, I don't know, I guess in my old age I need to be in nature more than San Francisco. I sure never thought I would say that! I think of my former life almost daily! I think about the art, and the comedy clubs and restaurants we frequented, and long for it to the point it hurts, but now that spring is almost here, just wait until you see the barn and wildflowers of Desmond road. You'll smile.