Tag: American River Parkway

Great Blue Heron Meets Flight of Canada Geese

American River, sunrise, mist, morning, wildlife, Great Blue Heron, Canada GeeseWednesday, October 26, 2016, 710 am, 54 degrees

By the time I park the car, daylight has filled the sky and clouds are gone – all except a few random patches and streaks.  Have not seen the moon from the bridge for many days. Each morning there is so much cloud cover. There is no moon  today.

It is cool and misty outside. I wear a warm, hooded sweatshirt. My car windows are fogged – as they are every morning. I wipe the windows before leaving home and turn on the defroster.

On my walk to the bridge, I am welcomed by the morning concert from roosters in their usual places – hiding in trees. For the unaware visitor, it appears that trees talk. Without shaking a leaf, the roosters perch on a branch and sing. One lonely and very scrawny chicken emerges from a side street and sings a scratchy song for anyone to hear.Read more

Fish Ladder Opens!

 Sunday, November 6, 2016, 11 am

seagulls, salmon, American River, Nimbus Fish HatcheryAs I arrive on my bike at the Fair Oaks Bridge, I see a flock of 50 seagulls gather on the north side of the river. More fly in to join them.

Seagulls gather at two prime locations along the river waiting for their chance to nibble on remnants of salmon after spawning. Turkey vultures circle overhead. All looking for salmon.

The river’s resident egret flies in, squawks and lands on the smooth riverbank searching for food. The wildlife living at the American River are left alone with no fishing allowed. A few salmon jump and splash down. A warm day for riding, despite the cloud cover.

I wonder is the fish ladder open yet? I ride to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery to find out. Yes! Salmon have returned home. Salmon are leaping into the ladder from the open gate. A group of salmon all already crowding the holding tank at the top of the fish ladder – the last stop before salmon move into the hatchery for spawning. Crowds of people line the fish ladder to watch each salmon leap each one level upward and capture the moments in photos.Read more

Woodpecker Watch

Sunday, November 13, 2016, afternoon

Continuing my afternoon bike ride traveling to the east side of the Fair Oaks Bridge. I approach a tall and long dead tree on the side of the path that I have passed by hundreds of time. The trunk is ghostly gray with a dozen dead branches laying at its feet. Why is this tree still standing?

Riding by the tree I hear knocking and stop to look. A family of three woodpeckers are lined up on the trunk drumming on the tree. The trunk from the ground to the uppermost remnant of the trunk is covered with scars from the woodpeckers.  At the very top of the tree are two more woodpeckers. They have created a nest out of the hollow at the top of highest branch. From now on, I will be on woodpecker watch passing this tree.

American River Parkway, tree, bike path, Jedediah Smith memorial trail, woodpecker
Look for two adults standing near the tree in the lower left of the photo to visualize the size of this tree
woodpeckers, tree, American River Parkway, jedediah Smith Memorial Trail
Two woodpeckers at work

 

 

 

A Place For Peaceful Contemplation

Saturday, November 26, 2016  715 am 48 degrees

Great Blue Heron, Fair Oaks Bridge, mornings, wildlife, peaceful, waterfowl, American River
The Great Blue Heron steps carefully through the water searching for breakfast.

Two seagulls soar over the bridge as I approach. I spy the Egret on the west side looking for breakfast taking very careful steps in the water. Even gifted with three long toes to navigate over the rocks and sand, both the Egret and Great Blue Heron both walk slowly and carefully, contemplating each step.

The Egret quietly spreads its wings and gracefully flies across the river to the opposite bank. Two Canada Geese fly in quietly. On these cold mornings, the wildlife arrive slowly, spending a longer time hiding in the shrubs to keep warm. I wear gloves, a jacket and will keep my visit short on this cold, clear morning. Very few people walk or ride the bridge so far.

ducks, American River, water, wildlife, waterfowl, peaceful, Fair Oaks Bridge, mornings
Three ducks begin their morning swim.

Even in the chill, as my hands and body stiffen, and cool air crosses my face, I find an inner peace and joy from watching the daily activities of wildlife at the river – the elegant flight of the seagulls, the Egret and the Great Blue Heron. I listen carefully for distant sounds of Canada Geese approaching and follow their path as they fly over my head. I smile when hearing ducks quacking and complaining. I watch them splashing and chasing each other away.

The geese tend to be the biggest bullies of all, often chasing away the ducks getting in their way of being fed. 

When I am away from this peaceful setting, I hold these images with me as a peaceful place to pause for a few moments and feel gratitude for the natural beauty in our outdoor world.

 

Butterfly at Rest

Sunday, April 9, 1150 am

Beautiful spring day! Far too late for an early morning write.

I walk down to the boat ramp where two men prepare to go kayaking. One kayaker was the expert and the other a novice taking a lot of instruction.

Canada Goose, boat launch ramp, American River Parkway, Fair Oaks Bridge
A lone Canada goose watches and waits

Two mallards swim in. One Canada Goose joins the swim. They all stay near the riverbank.One Canada Goose stands alone at the end of the boat ramp. The water is near still, gentle motion and a clear brilliant green. Pigeons visit the river. No Egret. No Great Blue Heron. No seagulls. Lots of cyclists and walkers are out on the river. Yesterday morning it was pouring rain. Friday we had a flash flood. Today it is a beautiful spring day with puffy white clouds.

 Two months ago, this ramp was under five feet of water and invisible. A stretch of pavement that abruptly ended in water was the only indication that a ramp was there.

The butterfly’s tiny legs grip the plant

I found a butterfly on the ground as I walked to the bridge. I picked it up and threw it into the air, thinking it needed a boost to get it going. The butterfly fell back to the ground. It lay flat with barely any movement except a little leg kicking. I carefully placed it on the stalk of a plant and it grabbed hold. I thought it may be in its final hours of life. I stood and watched it clinging to the plant. The wind blew gently against its wing. I gently moved the plant. The butterfly adjusts its legs to hold on. Still sits motionless. People pass by and no one wonders what I am looking at. I wonder if butterflies sleep?

butterfly, American River Parkway, river, Fair Oaks Bridge
Underside of the butterfly reveals its yellow spot color pattern

The American River Parkway is filled with butterflies, flying from one plant to another. This one is no longer flying. A butterfly’s life is very short. Sometimes only a few weeks. By placing the butterfly among the plants, I hope it can rest peacefully here instead of being crushed by footsteps.

River of Emptiness – After the Flood

Saturday April 22, 2017 8 am

During my morning walk, I hear birds greeting the day as they sing hidden in trees lining Fair Oaks Village and nearby streets. A few chickens greet me, still emerging from their evening hiding places in trees and under shrubs.

tree, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, flooding, water, emptinessSun is high in the sky. Dawn arrives before 6 am on these spring mornings. The sun is already over the horizon to light the morning. Thin, scattered clouds streak the sky. The green water is calmly moving downstream. Sunlight sparkles on the water. As I stand on the bridge, I hear the deep throated cooing from unseen pigeons. The river is empty. Not even one duck is out swimming this morning. All the homes, hiding places, ridges and islands for wildlife to settle on are overrun with water. The river runs high again today and so many once dry places are still flooded.

One tree with roots exposed stands as a marker to the constantly changing water level. During the peak of winter storms, the tall, thin tree was completely surrounded by water, sitting as an island several feet from the water’s edge. Today as in many recent days past, it hugs the eroded shore, roots exposed.Read more

A Wild Day at the American River

Sunday, April 30, 2017 9:30 am

Water is flowing fast and flooding the sandy banks, rocks and other land forms where people usually sit and picnic.
American River
This part of the river is called San Juan Rapids because this area is very rocky and usually fairly shallow. Water is always moving swiftly here. Today, far faster and deeper than any other time.

During the summer I can sit on a rock and dangle my feet into shallow water to cool off. More water will come as melted snow rushes down navigates through the Sierra Nevada mountains into the American River.

To my far left, I catch a quick glance at a family of Canada Geese emerging from the rocks and walking into a quiet, shallow area between rocks for a swim. Nine tiny goslings and their parents. My first sighting of babies this year! On my ride back home, I see a skinny little snake about 12” long in the middle of the bike path. I dragged it to the dirt and the back half of its body wriggled and curved. The top half was still. I think it was near death. I let it lay in peace.Read more

More Wild Day at the River

April 30, 2017, 6:30 pm 85 degrees

Visitors crowd the Fair Oaks Bridge taking professional photographs using the American River as a scenic backdrop. The riverbanks are crowded with people enjoying picnic dinners. All people, no wildlife.

As I arrive at the cement bench that has been sitting on its back all year (and shown in my latest blog). The bench is upright again! Did someone read my post or is this an odd coincidence?

American River, flooded, water, riverbank
During the summer, this area is usually so shallow, we can walk at least 1/3 of the way across the river as water rises to our knees. Now a dozen feet of the riverbank is underwater.

I ride on and sit at the riverbank and picnic area where in the fall I watched 100 seagulls, on the opposite shore to my right, wait for salmon to come by and ducks swim, splash and dive near an island to my left. Now the river is running so high, all the islands are underwater and unseen, the waterfowl have moved somewhere else along the river corridor. This section is far too deep and moving too swiftly to find food.

Six Canada geese fly over and disappear as they fly further west. As I prepare to leave the shoreline and keep riding on, I see a Great Blue Heron appear over the water and continue its flight further west. My first sighting of the year!

Waterfowl are here…where to look remains the big question.

Where is the Food?

Monday, May 8, late afternoon ride on the Parkway

I pass by two ducks on a walk for food during a short bike ride on the American River Parkway. They stop to investigate what morsels they find in the dirt. Finding nothing, they cross the path.  I continue to monitor the river to see what waterfowl have returned. The river is still too deep and the search for food remains a challenge.

ducks, American River Parkway, bike path, food, walk
Walking for food on a sunny afternoon
ducks, food, walk, American River Parkway, bike path
Wandering across the bike path

Goslings First Swim

Tuesday, May 9, about 7 pm

On my short bike ride this evening, I stop at the boat launch ramp nearby Fair Oaks Bridge to get a closer look at two new families of Canada Geese. I watch the goslings tiny webbed feet paddle through the water. An exciting day to see new life at the river!

Canada Geese, goslings, swim, American River, Fair Oaks, boat launch ramp
Two families going for a swim.
Canada Geese, gostlings, swim, webbed feet, American River, Fair Oaks, boat launch ramp
Tiny webbed feet paddle as fast as they can go.