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

Oh My!! New Lens In My Bag - Let's Test It Out at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge!

 For my birthday my wonderful daughter chipped in to help me get the lens I've been wanting!  The Sigma 150-600 Contemporary.  I couldn't WAIT to test it out - especially handheld - because we all know I'm too impatient to use a tripod.  haha  But I am really going to try. Sometimes.  :-)

It was raining in Sacramento but the farther north I got, the more the clouds concentrated around the mountains, creating some stunning landscapes. 

What a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk!  She was huge (so I'm assuming she was a she). 

Awesome Common Gallinule!  Nothing common about these cuties.

They actually lift their wings up further on their backs when they are floating, which often cause them to have a curly look to their feathers. 

Pied-billed Grebe!

I drove right past this guy.  I felt someone staring at me! So I looked to my right and our eyes met.  

I braked gently and reversed...hefted my large camera and Sigma lens to my eye - praying that the bird staring at me would remain calm and still!

Spoiler alert - he did!

More gallinules!  The tips of their beaks were actually a bright yellow; I feel like these photos don't really capture it well.  

And their cousin, a cute American Coot!

Hawk in flight with the Buttes in the background.

There was at lest 75 Coots floating on the lake.  So cool to see them bobbing around.

And another Pied-billed Grebe!

Along with the Coots and tiny Pied-billed Grebes, there were quite a few Clark's Grebes floating around.  A lot of them were settling in for a nap...

But some were beginning to pair up for courting. 

And you could see their beautiful, bright red eyes!

Cormorants, ducks, and geese snoozing on the island. 

Wow!  About 6 American White Pelicans were out there floating around too!

Check out those baby blues!

And, much to my absolute delight, there was a lone Mute Swan serenely floating around the lake. 

And there were a LOT of Snow/Ross Geese still hanging around on the beach!

Along with a pretty gigantic Red-eared Slider turtle.

Turkey Vulture flying over the Geese 

Green-winged Teal duck pair with a Cinnamon Teal duck friend. 

Awwww, babies!!  This Canada Goose had little babies but there were some teenagers hanging around just beyond mama too.

Oh my, this cormorant was soooo fast!  I saw it coming to my right, got the camera/lens hefted and into position.  But before it could focus clearly, the bird was almost out of my range!  I thought it still looked pretty cool.  

White-faced Ibis!  I think this guy is almost in breeding plumage.  But the white around his face isn't quite as distinct as it should be.  

You can really tell the difference in coloring between the breeding adult on the right and the juvenile/non-breeding Ibis on the left. 

Came around the corner and saw this Squirrel just drinking in the sights and looking for birds like the rest of us.  lol  Little cutie. 

I know I say "wow" a lot, but WOW!!  A Double-Crested Cormorant in breeding plumage, which means you can really see those crests!  And his gorgeous blue-green eyes!

These cattle egrets were sitting on a fence beside the road and were spooked by my car.  But luckily they just flew across the water.  Look at his little yellow feet!  

So beautiful.

Red-Winged Blackbirds are so hard for me to get a pic of lately.  They're pretty skittish.  But these two (yes, they are two different birds) were happy to pose!

Oh, this Mourning Dove looked so lovely in the golden and pink sunshine!

I had seen quite a few Jack Rabbits as usual, but they were all very quick to escape my eye.  Not this guy though!  He sat there for quite awhile, clearly hoping that I hadn't seen him!  lol  

xoxo

Nikon D600 Sigma 150-600 Contemporary Lens