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

Birds and Bunnies of Salton Sea in Coachella Valley California

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SUPERBLOOM 2019!

COACHELLA VALLEY!

In between seeing the sights of the Coachella Valley and heading to North of the Borrega badlands to see the blooms, I went birdwatching!  

My first stop was the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area.  Just off the highway shortly before the turnoff, I spotted my first Burrowing Owl!  And when I say singular, I mean singular.  I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even notice the little guy at the bottom of the photo until I was doing post-production.  :-( 

At the fishing pond, I saw probably a hundred adorable Ruddy Ducks

And two or three Grebes.  Western Grebes I think?

And this guy.  Who was so quick and elusive to my lens!  He quickly trotted into the brush every I raised my camera.  And, to be honest, I was mystified as to what this guy was.  There were actually about 3-5 of them but he was the only one that came into full view.  

Looks like a large blackbird, but take my word for it...it was no blackbird.  It was much larger (but smaller than a crow) and had a much longer, sharper beak.  Also he had a beautiful fanned tail like I had never seen before. 

I Googled it after I got home and it's a Great-tailed Grackle!  A cool-looking bird with a cool name.  

There were several people fishing in the pond which made for a pretty scene.  I couldn't resist snapping a shot. 

Kestrel!

Dove!  Eurasian-collared Dove?

Next stop was Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge.  But on the road, I was treated to the sight of  more beautiful birds!

Long-billed Curlews searching a freshly burnt farmer's field for food. 

And the resident Burrowing Owl couple that lives near the entrance to the NWR. 

Gambel's Quail!

White-crowned Sparrows!

Belted Kingfisher keeps watch over a canal. 

Mourning Dove!

American Avocet

Cormorant, Snow and Ross Geese, American Coot

Northern Shoveler

 Cormorants, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Ducks

Gadwall Ducks

Desert Cottontail eating!

Cottontail!

I wasn't the only photographer on the Refuge.  lol 

This is the stubborn backside of a Loggerhead Shrike!

I stopped by the southern unit of  Sonny Bono...which I didn't even know existed.  Haha

I happened across it when I was driving the backroads to hook up with SR 78 and then SR 86 to head to Anza Borrega.  

I just made a quick stop but was glad I did as I saw a flock of beautiful Snow and Ross's Geese. 

Including a stunning Blue/Dark Morph!  Another first!

I was using my car as a blind and shooting over a berm, so these aren't the greatest, but I'm excited anyway!  Woot woot!

And some of them swirled into flight (like they do frequently, only to land again a few minutes after) and I got this cool shot.  

Awwww, what a good day to be out and about on this beautiful planet with these beautiful creatures.  

I had some reservations about going as, sadly, there was an outbreak of Avian Cholera in January that killed off thousands of birds in January.  This is the problem with the shrinking Sea and loss of habitat which puts the birds that use this vital spot for migration in closer proximity.  

Save the Salton Sea!!  

But for now, I'll just be grateful for the times I get to have here while it's still a viable spot.  

xoxo

Nikon D600