Bird Migration! A Peaceful Interlude at Cosumnes River Preserve Sacramento California September 2022

"The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind." - Carly Simon

My mind is always going.  And not just going...but going and going and going!  

Thoughts. Worries. Pictures. Memories. Lights. Questions. Worries. More Thoughts. More Worries.

For me, I find it really hard to turn my mind off.  It's hard to just meditate (although I need to really learn and work at it because it is valuable).  I have to replace it with something.  And the best things for me are driving, music and nature.  

Hey!  Birds are both music and nature!  I guess that's one reason they are so healing for me.  It's definitely a form of meditation to drive to where birds are (even if it's just a nearby park), listening to healing music, and then spend some time either sitting, walking, or driving around looking and listening to birds. 

On this slightly cloudy and foggy afternoon (after lots of 100 degree plus weather!), I decided to head over to Cosumnes on the spur of the moment for a bit of solitude and healing. And of course to see what birds might be visiting in the early fall migration.  

I started off, as I always do at Cosumnes, by driving down Bruceville Road and the fields and ponds over on that side.  I was greeted by hawks and adorable baby cows!  These two stopped their playing to stare at me as I pulled up.  The four baby calves were so cute as a mama cow stood guard! 

While on a nearby telephone pole this Red-shouldered Hawk was searching for his next meal. 

I was a bit surprised because most of the ponds were still dry.  I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised since we had been having such a hot and dry summer.  But I'm always saddened and surprised at the lack of water when I travel around the Western U.S. now.    

But there was some water and ducks in one of the ponds on Bruceville as well as one pond across from the Visitor Center parking lot that had a bit of water in it.  I could see ducks and some wading shorebirds there so I decided to park and walk over.  

An older woman was sitting on the bench on the viewing platform so I hung back a bit so as to not disturb her.  I guess I needn't have bothered because she got up and walked over to greet me.  She was very friendly and we stopped and talked about birds and nature for about 10 minutes which was quite nice.  Then we wished each other well and changed places with her walking to her car by the Visitor's Center and I taking her place on the viewing platform.  

I didn't sit on the bench as the water was not up to the viewing platform.  Instead, I planted myself on the edge of the platform with my feet in the wild grass surrounding it.  

There were quite a few birds who looked similar to each other but also slightly different?  I believe these are Long-billed Dowitchers.  

And I think this is a Least Sandpiper.  So tiny!

Least Sandpiper

Black-necked Stilt

Long-billed Dowitcher

Northern Shoveler (female? or juvenile? - not sure)

Least Sandpiper with a much larger small female Northern Shoveler duck behind her.

Ducks dabbling.

Greater Yellowlegs

Dowitchers

Greater Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Black-necked Stilt

Killdeer

Flying Geese

It was starting to get dark, so I headed back to Bruceville Rd for one last check before heading back home.  This time instead of the Red-shouldered Hawk sitting on the pole, there was a beautiful and much larger Red-tailed Hawk on a pole at the opposite end of the road. 

I got there just time to catch the Pintail Ducks rise up in a swirl of joyful noise to fly around in circles and land 20 yards away.  

Pintails look so fancy with their elegant tails and blue and black striped bills.  Ducks are truly amazing. 

I just love ducks, geese, and cranes flying!  When it gets close to sundown, these guys fly to water to settle in for the night safe(er?) from predators who don't really want to run through a marsh looking for their next meal.  It's always a great show and there is nothing more peaceful than listening to the gentle honks of geese, quacks of ducks, and cooing of cranes as the sun sets.

I highly recommend when you have too much going on in your head, replace it with the joyful noise of birds and the visions of sunset.  It'll do wonders for your mental health.  Plus remind you that there is beauty and amazement to be found all around you and that the world is still a beautiful place. 

xoxo

Panasonic Lumix Fz80

Throwback Thursday: "History of Models" - My 2nd Photoshoot with Beautiful Ladies in Flowery Clothes July 2017

In my last post, I was reminiscing about how I switched from nature photography to human photography, I decided to post (or in some cases, repost) my photoshoots involving models in chronological order.  Shoots like these are such fun!  And challenging. 

To be honest, for an introvert like me with social anxiety, it's not easy to learn how to work with models.  I lucked out at my first shoot at Preston Castle, because there were many other experienced photographers on site that were happy to help me and coach me.  Even though I didn't have any lighting equipment and could only use ambient light, I was so excited by how the photos turned out!  Especially with the historical and architectural aspects along with the models. 

I am dying to go back with some ideas in mind and take my own model and props/clothes with me so I don't have to share like I did the first time.  Maybe 2023 will be the year I can make some of my ideas come to fruition.  I tried once and it is wayyyyy harder than it seems to put on a successful shoot with themes, models, styling, etc.

But I was so thrilled with my first experience with models that I couldn't wait to try another one!  Luckily I had found Meet Up through the organizer of the Preston Castle shoot and joined a few groups.  And my next happy, flowery shoot was well-coordinated and staffed by a Meet-up group (not very active in the last few years unfortunately) that is run by a professional photographers.  She had about 6 models there for this "lifestyle" shoot with floral clothing (the theme) at a prime location at William Land Park gardens.  She even brought a changing tent and was also standing by to help the amateur photographers in the group learn. 

I had SUCH a great experience at this shoot.  In large part due to another professional who was there and who was so helpful at casually teaching us amateurs some clever ways to work with models and ambient light. Isi S-M!  You are awesome and I am forever your fan!

It was such a bright and beautiful Summer day when we did this shoot.  I love these gardens at William Land and I was so happy with the experience and results.  Here are some of my favorite shots.  

This is Sabrina and I just loved the way the light fell on one eye in this shot.  And she has such pretty cat eyes.  I know I do like some weird edits and shots that others may not like, but I have to go with what I like.  :)  I guess it might be different if I was a professional.

This is Melissa.  And here we are demonstrating a technique taught to us by the wonderful Isi.   She called it the "HaHaHa".  

Don't tell your model to smile or laugh.  Just laugh yourself.  In this case, Isi recommended just going "hahaha" when you want your model to smile or laugh.  We practiced it for the rest of the shoot and almost invariably, the models would respond with a very nature laugh or smile.  :)

These young ladies were so talented at posing!

Michelle is the next model I had the pleasure of working with.  She was so great posing around the stone columns.

Hahaha!

This is probably one of my favorite photos ever. 

Isi also took great efforts to teach us willing amateurs how to find the light.  Especially the "hair light".  How to position your model in the shade but with the sun slightly behind and shoot slightly upwards. 

Looking at these old photos again has made me realize that I kind of forgot a lot that I had learned from these early experiences.  I'm really grateful for having these opportunities to stretch myself and learn new things.  I always love learning even though I wasn't so great at school! 

For the next installment of "History of Models", I am re-editing the photos I chose to feature.  I like m edits but boy have I learned a lot since then.  I really overdid it with some things and also have some better software now.  :)  I hope you look forward to the results of my "Creek Creatures" photoshoot!

 xoxo

Throwback Thursday - History of Models: My First Time Shooting Humans! Preston Castle June 4th 2017

Relax!  I was shooting with a camera, silly!  

I'm doing a photoshoot this weekend and it's been awhile since I did a studio shoot so I'm very excited and was reminiscing about my various times shooting models.  I thought I would do some posts with my "History of Models" because I'm weird that way. 

The first time I actually tried people photography (other than sports photography) was kind of by chance.  I had went to Preston Castle in Ione - which is a really cool place with a somewhat dark history.  I went because I like "abandoned" stuff, historic stuff, architecture, buildings, and art and this fits the bills!

But when I got there, the organizer (of a "Photographer's Day" event) had arranged for a couple of models to be there for the photographers to shoot if they wanted to.  So I got in line and decided to have some fun!

I'm just going to put a few of my favorites here, but for the whole story and all the pictures of these lovely ladies and this beautiful place, CLICK and also HERE!  

This is the lovely Sarah, who was the more experienced of the two models and was much in demand by the pretty large group of photographers.  So I was to only shoot her at the beginning in the basement and then a bit later when I ran into both girls being shot elsewhere. There are more pictures of the castle and grounds on the original posts too.

You really should click through to see this amazing castle and the rest of the photos of these two lovely ladies!  CLICK and HERE! 

I'm going to continue through my "History of Models" for a bit although don't you worry!  I have plenty of birding and nature adventures to share too!  Not to mention returning to Yellowstone to finish my amazing trip.  :)

xoxo

It's Fall Migration!! Time for Birdwatching Adventures! - September 11, 2022 @ Yolo Bypass/Vic Fazio Wildlife Area

Normally, I spend 9/11 every year with some form of memorial or remembrance of the tragic events in 2001.  However, this year since I have been struggling mentally, I really couldn't bring myself to do any of the things I would normally do other than send a prayer for the families and survivors of the tragedy.  

Personally for me, it is still something that I will always mourn and always remember.  But I will absolutely not let it change the love I have for my brothers and sisters of all nations.  But the religious fanaticism (from all forms of religion) that inspire so much hatred is a big no for me and the largest lesson of 9/11 for me as well.  

But on this September 11 in 2022, I felt I needed some time to focus on nature and healing.  Although nature often brings some dark moments, it's still much preferred to the hatred that mankind brings into the world. 

So off I went through Sacramento and into the "wilds" of the Yolo bypass to Vic Fazio Wildlife Area for some early migration birdwatching!

Flying over the causeway (I-80 freeway) high above the bypass, I almost felt like a bird myself!  And I was happy to see what looked like a ton of birds out in the rice paddies.  

But first, just coming around the first curve in the auto tour, I saw a unkindness!  Actually I think it was very kind because it was a gorgeous Raven couple chilling together at the top of a pole.  A group of Ravens is called and unkindness - probably due to some superstitious nonsense from medieval times. Nevermore!  Not to me anyway. 

The rice paddies that make up most of the wildlife area were so very lush with many shades of green amongst the different foliage.  It was absolutely gorgeous on this early morning. 

One area in particular seemed to be attracting all the birds! Maybe not all, but many of the Egrets and White-faced Ibis were hanging out together in a very plush paddy that still had water in it. 

The Ibis with there brilliant plumage and bright red eyes are always one of my favorites to find.  I wish I could reach out and touch those gorgeous feathers!

The rich, green and bronze feathers of the Ibis contrast so beautifully with the snow white Egrets.  Such an amazing sight to see probably 25+ Egrets and 40+ Ibis in this one rice paddy. 

Ibis in flight preparing to land in the rice paddy near some of the egrets. 

Dinosaurs were also prevalent in Yolo on this beautiful fall day.  I saw probably 10 Great Blue Herons in the various fields.  The next pictures are from 3 of them.  Sorry if some appear redundant, but these lovely, prehistoric-looking birds seemed like they were posing for me!

The thistles and flowers were putting on a show as well.  I just love the different thistles we have in California and how photogenic they are!

This Egret was feeling fluffy against the brisk air.  So cute!

There were of course raptors all around the area as well.  By this time, it was just before sunset.  Believe it or not, these pictures that follow were all on the auto setting of my little bridge camera and it does pretty well (except for extreme noise!).  

So these look like they were taken in daylight but it was in reality closer to sunset; the picture below was taken at 6:28 facing West.  The picture of the sunset about three pics down was taken with manual settings (to make both the sunset and the thistles visible) at 6:40 pm.  Amazing different!  This camera has a great focus capability!  I wish I could get my Nikons to focus this well and any light.  lol

It also has a pretty good capability of focusing behind things such as the Great-Horned Owl behind all these tree branches.  It's not perfect and the leaves are clearly the primary focus but it's pretty good for such a difficult photo. 

This is the Thistle Sunset I was talking about.  Now granted, I am shooting extreme West - obviously right at the sun in this pic and the very last one in the post.  The egret photos below are South West. 

And now off into the sunset I go.  Until next time.  :)

xoxo

Panasonic Lumix Fz80