Tag: American River

Morning Wake Up Songs

Saturday, February 3, 2018   720 am 46 degrees

Moments after I walk onto the bridge, I hear the chortle of a Great Blue Heron beneath me. It flies east under the bridge and settles on a nearby riverbank out of sight. Often arriving at 630 am, by 730, The Great Blue Heron has already surveyed one section of riverbank. I hear it chortle as it raises up to move to another site.

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Good morning Fair Oaks!

Chicken call from the neighborhood, “Time to wake up everyone!” A group of six Canada Geese fly over the bridge from the east in traditional V formation, all honking in unison. They fly about 100 yards farther, make a U-turn to fly back over my head, fly east and vanish. A single bird is perched on the bridge frame over my head. It is quietly watching. Far too large to be tiny bird I used to hear every morning singing, “Ti Too! Ti Too!” A chorus of hidden birds begins. I hear the bird that sounds like a calliope and many other bird calls I cannot identify.

Standing on the bridge I hear the female Mallard quacking once again in the distance. (See video posted in “Morning Pandemonium” on January 14)  She quacks as she swims. I continue to wonder what she is saying? Is she paddling in rhythm to her own voice? Since I cannot speak duck, I may never know. An Egret flies in from the west. A short time later, another flies in and they resume their low and elegant flight over the river to the east as a pair.

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Sunbathing turtles on a wayward tree branch

Arriving at the boat launch ramp, I see the female duck leading a line of ducks swimming upriver. Her quacking continues and I continue to hear the sound of her voice until it fades away in the distance. I walk back up to Fair Oaks Bridge. As I leave the river for the morning, I nearly miss two turtles out sunbathing.

 

Spider Spins, Seal Swims

Friday, February 9, 2018 8 am 46 degrees

Warm day, sun high, birds are twittering from nearby trees. The level of water at the American River is so low and still, an island has formed around the branch where turtles sunbathe. The Egret takes it usual place on the riverbank. The pigeons are absent.

spider, spider web, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, monrings, A collection of spider webs are attached to bridge rails. I wonder does a spider have a map in its head to create such complex webs?  As I listen to the call of a single seagull call, I think of the 100 gulls crowded on a small island at Jim’s Bridge. Most have left this part of the river. Everyday I listen for the quacks of the female Mallard raising her voice on the river. Buffleheads skim the water as they take off flying. They move far too quickly to capture in a photo.

As I walk to the boat launch ramp, a hiker atop the Fair Oaks Bluffs calls to me, “Hey. There is a seal in the river!” I see its head just above the water. The seal dives and comes out of the water much too far away to see clearly. Where did the seal come from? What wrong turn led it so far from the coast?

Moon over Fair Oaks Bridge

Saturday, February 10, 2018   630 am 46 degrees

moon, morning, darkness, light, wildlife, dawn, Fair Oaks Bridge,

 

I arrive at Fair Oaks Bridge and daylight is hiding in shadows. Chicken call out through the neighborhood as they break the silence of dawn. In the chilly stillness of morning air, birds chatter unseen. Two runners pass wearing headlamps.

An Egret walks the riverbank searching for early morning breakfast.  A crescent moon shines above Fair Oaks Bridge.  Canada Geese fly quietly over the bridge as darkness fades to light.

Mist on the river rolls in slow moving waves across the surface of the water.

Wildlife Flyway

Sunday, February 19, 2018  645 am 47 degrees

Under partially cloudy skies,  I hear the female Mallard quacking without end. I hear her voice every time I visit Fair Oaks Bridge.

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Egret walks part way across the thin branch – then flies the rest of the way to the riverbank

Two men launch a rowboat into the American River at the boat ramp and float under the bridge and downriver to the west. The air feels warm outside at first, until I begin to feel the chill on my fingers.

Today the American River looks like a wildlife flyway. So many are flying in and away.

Usually I see one Egret flying in. Today I see a pair!

The Egrets fly under the bridge just above the surface of the water, land on the riverbank at the foot of Fair Oaks Bluffs (the north, sunny side of the river) and quickly fly back in the direction where they had come. I hear the chortle of an unseen Great Blue Heron. A dozen seagulls fly west – high for the long run – and three Mallards soar under the bridge.

I hear the female Mallard still quacking in the distance. Canada Geese fly in full animated with their loud honking to the boat launch ramp and then fly under the bridge. One settles on a concrete pillar supporting the bridge directly in front of me. It looks at me and whispers. More ducks arrive. The Egrets fly off again.

 

Shadows on the Water

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 620 am, 38 degrees

The colors of sunrise change by the minute in strips of burning oranges and yellows that cast dark shadows on the American River.

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Canada Geese fly in through the mist on the surface of the water.

An Egret glides low across the water. A Great Blue Heron soars silently under the bridge. Buffleheads dive in the center of the frigid waters of the American River. Canada Geese honk as they arrive flying quickly over my head. Others fly under Fair Oaks Bridge and all I can see in their shadows on the water until they pass me – still honking.

I see small clouds of mist forming on the river bend, rolling slowly across the water. White puffy, clouds reflect like a mirror in the American River. I roam along the riverbank finding faces and shapes in the trees and branches.

A Reflecting Pool

Saturday, March 3, 2018, 710 am, 37 degrees

I enjoy this stunning reflection as I walk on Fair Oaks Bridge looking east to the sunrise – Fair Oaks Bluffs lay on the left side.

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Four Canada Geese honk loudly to greet me as they fly over Fair Oaks Bridge. They land with a splash still squawking on the west side. Two more come in and what a noise! Everyone is talking this morning. One lands on the concrete pillar supporting the bridge. I stand on the bridge deck and the goose stands on the pillar alongside. Mist flows from its beak as it continues to squawk and squawk for several minutes.

Canada Goose, mornings, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, wildlife, writing, nature, chill, whisper, honkWho is this goose calling to? What could it be saying? Finally, it quiets down and begins to whisper.

Sun emerges from the heavy cloud cover, shining in thin strips of yellow. Clouds reflect in the American River like a mirror as a thin layer of mist rolls slowly over the surface of the water. I feel the icy air of morning against my face.

Birds sing in chorus with the Canada Geese, honking once again. A single Bufflehead swims and dives in the middle of the river. It is a rare day when at least one Bufflehead is not swimming in the middle of the river diving for breakfast.

An Egret flies in, stands briefly on the boat launch ramp before flying across the river to roam the riverbank at the foot of the Fair Oaks Bluffs. A pair of Egrets fly in next and glide underneath the Fair Oaks Bridge.

Now, the morning is quiet. The sunlight casts shadows on the bridge. The reflections of clouds vanish. Several Buffleheads arrive and swim in the center of the river channel, creating a circular wake in the still, green water.

 

 

So Many Colors of Sunrise

Tuesday, March 13, 2018  7 am

Some mornings when I cannot take the time to sit and watch wildlife wake up rituals, I make a quick trip to Fair Oaks Bridge. The colors of the sunrise are so stunning. I want to capture them.

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Another beautiful sunrise at 7 am the morning after rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muscovy Duck on Watch

 

Saturday, March 10, 2018   640 am, 52 degrees

 

Muscovy duck, native, American River, Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Bridge, water, outdoors, nature, writing,I arrive at Fair Oaks Bridge to see the Muscovy duck resting on top of the bridge frame. Not sure if it is admiring the view or escaping other ducks. After a short time of observation, it flies off the bridge to circle underneath several times before leaving the area.

The Muscovy is difficult to figure out. It is native to Mexico, Central and South America and somehow it arrived here alone and became a permanent resident of the American River in Fair Oaks.

Birds chatter. Honking Canada Geese appear and fly over the bridge and out of sight. I hear the distant quack of a duck that I suspect is the same whose persistence kept up day after day on each of my visits earlier in the year. What was she complaining about so vocally? Quacking and swimming without stopping for 10-15 minutes. I could hear her tiny voice more than 100 yards up or down river on any morning.

I see a group of Mallards arrive and land with a splash. They swim near the riverbank. The Buffleheads head for the center, diving where it is deepest to scout for breakfast. The Muscovy duck flies in and joins the Mallards for a swim.

 

Shadows in the Water

Friday, March 30, 2018, 630 am, 54 degrees

sunrise, Fair Oaks Bridge, morning, American River, shadows. frogs, Canada Geese, chickens, ducks, swim, splashI hear one chicken hidden in a tree on Bridge Street on my approach Fair Oaks Bridge. It calls out to anyone who will listen. Frogs greet the morning with their own symphony. I want to record their sounds! Two Canada geese approach quickly from the west –  appearing first as dark shadows on the river. By the time I see their bodies, they are speeding over the bridge and honking as they go.

Morning clouds spread in thin ribbons, reflecting a hot orange sunrise and overlapping gray clouds. Three ducks land with a splash in the river just behind the tree perched on the edge of the shoreline. Its root system is always exposed until the river floods. The orange glow of sunrise spreads higher and casts an iridescent glow in the water.

My day here is short. I give a final glance to the shimmering water and palette of color in the sky and walk off the bridge.

Rabbit and Chickens Play

April 11, 2018, 7 am   51 degrees

rabbit, Mornings on Fair Oaks Bridge, Fair Oaks, American River, chickens
Rabbit and chickens hide in bushes along Bridge Street. They come out searching for breakfast before vanishing again.

The chickens roamed quietly on Bridge Street as I approached Fair Oaks Bridge. I heard a chorus of birds singing in the trees to my left, as the chilly air blew against my face. The sun was just emerging over the horizon through white and gray clouds. I saw two ducks swimming from shore. A few people walking past quietly on this peaceful morning. I walked across the bridge enjoying the sunrise, while my son kept his eyes on the resident rabbit munching on its breakfast.

Another short day…enjoying a few moments outdoors.