Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Central Standard


Snow Geese enjoy not being shot at at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Of course, they do not enjoy being shot at at other parts of the refuge.


After being starstruck by the Falcated Duck last week, I birded the rest of the Colusa Refuge, as well as Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Nothing too unusual besides The Sickled One....American Bittern, Redhead, Eurasian Wigeon, Bald Eagle, and almost getting the chance to get some fantastic River Otter shots. Not mellow.

My Año Tranquilo list is at 540 or so....I have to remind myself to abide by my personal rule of not going too out of my way for year birds. Good for the wallet, good for the earth, know what I'm saying? Good.


Common Gallinule. Formerly Common Moorhen. Note the lack of crazy foot lobes that American Coots sport. Colusa National Wildlife Refuge.


Gadwall pair keeping it modest. Sac NWR.


A Great Egret destroys some sort of rodent. Face-crushing. Sac NWR.


A Pied-billed Grebe holds it down. Nonchalantly. Colusa NWR.


Blue Snow Goose. They real pretty. Sac NWR.


Greater White-fronted Geese doing some neck-craning and other strange posturing. Sac NWR.


American Pipit...our only truly native pipit...other than the fantastic Sprague's Pipit, which Todd reminded me indeed still exists. Sac NWR.


Great Blue Herons always improve the scenery. Colusa NWR.

Savannah Sparrow. I should ask The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive what subspecies this is. Sac NWR.


8 comments:

  1. What kind of lens are you shooting with. It is like we are right in the flock with them. Great shots. I love the Gadwall.

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  2. Brutal egret for sure. Send that Blue Snow Goose up here, please. Thank you.

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  3. @JK - It's a AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm. The focus can be very slow, but I'm pretty happy with it.

    @Dan - Thanks bro. You should have heard it scream.

    @Jen - Don't worry about the blue goose. Go to Ocean Shores and see The Emperor. And the Queen Eider. Lots of royalty there right now.

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  4. the egret!!! WOW awesome!!

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  5. Dude, my car was messed up for the last month and is finally totally fixed as of Monday.. Ocean Shores is first on my destination list this weekend.

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  6. Um, Sprague's Pipit - at least, I've heard they exist (can't prove it by me - yet!).

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  7. Todd - You are so right! And I've even seen them! How embarrassing.

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