When I first enter the area, I enter the Harrier's domain. I can sometimes even see one of them before I get out of my car. So the first thing I do is look ALL around to see if one or both are around before I hike to the river. The male was on patrol today - not the best picture, but this is a great view of a harrier at work - they fly very low and slow looking for a snack. Sometimes they appear to stall in mid air...


I've been lucky at getting Wren pictures recently... here's a happy one with a just caught bug...


Couple of pretty butterfly pictures - I love the pastel colors




...and another rattler - DAMN! But I tried to follow Stephanie's advice and just stayed still. I think my heightened suspicion helped me see it before I got too near... My habit HAD been to keep my eyes UP - on the look out for something to shoot, but I'm making an effort to at least give a glance to every place I put a foot. The snake coiled for a possible strike, but saw that I wasn't threatening and instead of tightening the coil, he just slithered into the nearby brush...


Here's a first - a baby green heron. I've seen A LOT of green herons around here recently, but this little fellow is TINY - 1/2 the size of the norm...


Here's a little snowy egret - they are usually only a little bigger than a green heron...


...but here you can see them in the same shot... the little egret TOWERS over the green heron...


the egret got scared and ran to this tree...


the heron just bolted...


Now, this really looked good on my 2" screen... it's a blackbird harassing a crow. The black birds were giving this crow a really hard time. I heard what sounded like a crow whining. After this shot, the crow found a branch to land on - stayed for a few minutes and left with blackbirds hot on his tail... I can't tell if the crow is flying upside down or if he's arching his head all the way back... interesting shot (desaturated)


What day at the river would be complete without at least one canada goose shot...


On my way out, I spot this kite... it occurs to me that I USED to see a pair of kites in this area all of the time, but I haven't seen them since the harriers moved in. I wonder if one has displaced the other. I'll keep my eyes open...




all taken with my canon P&S SX40 on the american river near sacramento



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2012 02:24PM by hal.

Am I the only one that thinks this one is Evil? Possibly the great grand child of one of Hitchcocks birds?

GREAT shots, by the way, as always!

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Very nice! I have to dodge snakes in the backyard and pasture all the time, but luckily mine are almost always non-poisonous.

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Alpharetta, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Wonderful shots! I only wish the harriers were big enough to eat the Canada geese.

Nice snake shot too! Do you wear some tall boots, too?

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DP
Nice snake shot too! Do you wear some tall boots, too?

no, just running shoes, but I think I'll be taking my hiking boots for the rest of the season, but they only cover the ankle. I'm beginning to understand their preferred environment and I think that I'll be safer in the future armed with a little knowledge...

Great shots, thanks for posting them!

Every time I look at birds I think how successful and adaptable the dinosaur body plan was for at least a small evolutionary branch of their descendants.

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hal

Quote
DP
Nice snake shot too! Do you wear some tall boots, too?

no, just running shoes, but I think I'll be taking my hiking boots for the rest of the season, but they only cover the ankle. I'm beginning to understand their preferred environment and I think that I'll be safer in the future armed with a little knowledge...

Love that rattler! He looks fat and self-satified.

Yes on the boots. They will also help prevent pesky ankle sprains.

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[www.flickr.com] [picasaweb.google.com]

Your technique and the quality of your images are getting better and better and better.

"Your technique and the quality of your images are getting better and better and better."



And I'm incredibly jealous.

That said, the snakes freak me out a bit

Kate

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[cholulared.blogspot.com]
[www.cholulared.com]
[tech.groups.yahoo.com]

aw, shucks - thanks guys...

Beautiful snake - well fed (like Uncle Wig pointed out). I can see the bulge of a recent meal!

I'm also wondering if that snake might be a she - or it could just be an illusion that its back end looks kinda wide (doesn't taper consistently). Sorta made me think it might be pregnant. Of course, it could just be the snake needs to find an outhouse soon...

& you were right about the snake's behavior. Once the snake realizes you're not a threat, it's just happy to get out of the way and on to somewhere safer.

Yeah, this was a good snake encounter. I was able to spot him before getting dangerously close. It was close enough to startle HIM and he went into a defensive posture, but I froze six feet away and he clearly recognized that I had stopped moving forward and was not increasing the threat.

I can see why you're so attracted to these animals. Just that 15 second encounter was very interesting. Such beautiful and graceful animals. His motion from the defensive coiling to retreat all with one smooth motion was something like swimming... ice skating... dancing... it's fluid, efficient motion. Maybe next time I'll try to convince him to hang out a while so I can get pictures.

But EVERYONE that I talk to down there these days say they've spotted one or two in the last few days too. I hope I get used to it well and it doesn't be come a distraction - or worse. I was a little upset today that I had to spend so much effort making sure I was on safe footing. I have great skill in spotting wildlife, but much of that is simply constant attention.

we'll see...

get some snakeproof boots...
[www.amazon.com]

great pix!

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[www.giyf.com]

I am always impressed with snakes as far as how well they've survived with no legs or claws, etc. We only have non-poisonous snakes here in MI except for the Massasauga rattler but the venom isn't much worse than a bee sting and those snakes are quite rare. We have garter, milk, and the occasional racer. Very beautiful animals. It makes me nuts when people kill one just because it's a snake. If a rattler is threatening that's one thing but...

It would be pretty cool to see some pictures of a rattlesnake attacking, and then eating it's prey.