03-04-2015, 10:41 PM
It was a beautiful day yesterday and I decided to take a trip out to my secret blue heron rookery - a place that I discovered about 5 years ago. It's always been one of the most amazing birding places I go, but I've NEVER seen another birder out there. I saw a farmer looking for his sheep dog, but that's the only person I've ever seen out there. It's always special when I go...
However today was a little troubling... I'll explain as I go... but first, pics from the hike along the way...
Saw a nice White Tail Kite (I think that's what they call it) doing it's cool hovering flying while hunting up some lunch.
Found what he was looking for... (DAMN! that could have been a great shot!)
...and settled in for his meal...
From a distance, I'm not seeing a lot of activity and here I am standing under what used to be the most populated tree. There are nests, but no herons although a couple of hawks flew away right after I took this shot. There are a few herons at other nearby trees, but this one was always the 'main' one. Last time I was here, Id hear a LOUD cacophony of babies in the nest, but I'm not hearing anything today - DAMN!
I do find a part of a goat(?) skull under the tree...
There ARE herons here and I do get plenty of nice shots, but I just checked old pictures from the area and what I find it troubling. In previous years, I'd see about 25-30 herons with a few great egrets mixed in spread over three trees and yesterday I saw about 8-10 heron (no egrets) spread over 8-9 trees. SOMETHING is up... weather? drought? predators? the fact that these trees are dying and not being replaced by young ones (two had collapsed from rot since I was here last and one or two had collapsed in the previous years and there are NO young trees around.)??? It could also be just randomness of nature, but things had been consistent for 5 years. And the area seems to have plenty of water. I just don't know... I'm going to look closer at other rookeries I know of around sacramento and see what I can see...
A view of the wetlands on the other side of the levee and canal (iphone 6 pano)
some little birdies flitting about...
red winged blackbird
YES! A pelican - also got some decent video of 7-8 pelicans flying by - YAY!! I LOVE watching pelicans and they are rare out here and non existent at my river stomping grounds. Haven't seen one in a year or two...
MEGA-hawk! In the past, every time I had been here, I was greeted by a pair of HUGE hawks. One of which was always upset at my arrival and would circle over me while squawking and then speed away - EVERY TIME. But that didn't happen this time - there was a pair of hawks at the same place, but they acted normally and just left when I got too close (note the band on his leg)
a canal in the wetlands...
A full 180ยบ iphone 6 pano - that's the fedex area at the port of sacramento and my shadow in the middle
However today was a little troubling... I'll explain as I go... but first, pics from the hike along the way...
Saw a nice White Tail Kite (I think that's what they call it) doing it's cool hovering flying while hunting up some lunch.
Found what he was looking for... (DAMN! that could have been a great shot!)
...and settled in for his meal...
From a distance, I'm not seeing a lot of activity and here I am standing under what used to be the most populated tree. There are nests, but no herons although a couple of hawks flew away right after I took this shot. There are a few herons at other nearby trees, but this one was always the 'main' one. Last time I was here, Id hear a LOUD cacophony of babies in the nest, but I'm not hearing anything today - DAMN!
I do find a part of a goat(?) skull under the tree...
There ARE herons here and I do get plenty of nice shots, but I just checked old pictures from the area and what I find it troubling. In previous years, I'd see about 25-30 herons with a few great egrets mixed in spread over three trees and yesterday I saw about 8-10 heron (no egrets) spread over 8-9 trees. SOMETHING is up... weather? drought? predators? the fact that these trees are dying and not being replaced by young ones (two had collapsed from rot since I was here last and one or two had collapsed in the previous years and there are NO young trees around.)??? It could also be just randomness of nature, but things had been consistent for 5 years. And the area seems to have plenty of water. I just don't know... I'm going to look closer at other rookeries I know of around sacramento and see what I can see...
A view of the wetlands on the other side of the levee and canal (iphone 6 pano)
some little birdies flitting about...
red winged blackbird
YES! A pelican - also got some decent video of 7-8 pelicans flying by - YAY!! I LOVE watching pelicans and they are rare out here and non existent at my river stomping grounds. Haven't seen one in a year or two...
MEGA-hawk! In the past, every time I had been here, I was greeted by a pair of HUGE hawks. One of which was always upset at my arrival and would circle over me while squawking and then speed away - EVERY TIME. But that didn't happen this time - there was a pair of hawks at the same place, but they acted normally and just left when I got too close (note the band on his leg)
a canal in the wetlands...
A full 180ยบ iphone 6 pano - that's the fedex area at the port of sacramento and my shadow in the middle
