Tag: Nature

Wildlife Avoid the Crowds

Sunday, January 28, 2018 210 pm 54 degrees

Dozens of people are enjoying the beautiful weather on Jim’s Bridge. Scattered white clouds are barely visible. A year ago, this bridge was under at least six feet of water as a result of our relentless January rainstorms.

Today 50 seagulls circle a small island in a “flying frenzy.” They squeak, land and settle down. Others fly, land and fly off to circle the river and return. I see a few ducks walking the riverbank snatching crumbs of food. One Egret is tiptoeing along the bank away from the crowds.

seagulls, Jims Bridge, Fair Oaks, ducks, American River
Seagulls and ducks roam the shore looking for food. The Egret is just beyond the photo’s left edge.

Riding my bike today, I visit the spot where the bike trail overlooks a sandy beach area – a popular picnic spot for families and summer rafters. Another 20 seagulls rest here. Water moves swiftly over a wide expanse of smooth boulders and sandbars that shape the character of this part of the river – given the name San Juan Rapids. I have seen rafts and ice chests overturn more than once here. Today, the river is so low a father and his son stand in ankle deep water where sandbars and boulders are showing line one-third of the way across the river channel.

When I reach Fair Oaks Bridge, I feel overwhelmed by the number of people I see. The entire area surrounding Fair Oaks Bridge and the boat launch ramp is filled with individuals and families enjoying the afternoon. Inside of five minutes, 50 people have crossed the bridge. Cyclists take group photos. Others arrive with fishing poles. Ducks swim toward the center of the river, avoiding the people.

I do my best to ignore the people and focus on a complex spider web attached to the bridge rails. I watch the graceful flight of a seagull and notice how far its wings extend. My visit here is short.

I return to Jim’s Bridge to ride home. Seagulls are still flying in huge circles from the island to the Sunrise Blvd. Bridge and back again. I wonder if this a daily physical activity? Similar to when people walk, run or cycle? Ducks sitting on one side of the river rise into the air, flapping their wings as quickly as possible and land on the opposite shore. Usually that means they spotted a person to feed them. When two take flight, all the others soon follow.

A frantic day on the American River – I saw at least 200 people in 90 minutes on two bridges, the boat launch ramp and during my ride on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Bike Trail within the American River Parkway.

 

 

Moments of Peace

Wednesday, January 31, 2018   56 degrees, 11 am

Today’s temperature warmed up quickly considering that it was 38 degrees at 7 am. I wonder why the morning is so warm?

This is the quiet season on the American River. January days at Fair Oaks Bridge have alternated between dense fog, rain and bright sunshine. No telling what the day will look like until dawn. I have noticed on some evenings the clouds that gathered at night are blown away by morning – or the other way around.

seagull, Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Bridge, mornings, American River, boat launch rampI walk to the boat launch ramp and watch a seagull standing still atop a rock just beneath the water. Another one stands at the end of the ramp. Both stare intently at me.

After several minutes of quiet contemplation, both seagulls decide to investigate another part of the river. They leave without making a sound.

A group of six Bufflehead dive in the center of the river ignoring everything else. Buffleheads skim the top of the water when they take flight, leaving a large wake behind them. Their wings flap so quickly, they remind me of hummingbirds. All I can see a blur of flapping wings crossing the river.

A dozen pigeons arrive. They circle the bridge a dozen times before separating. Only a few remain to settle on Fair Oaks Bridge. I watch them from a distance walking on the top of the Truss framework as if it were a flat sidewalk.

Such a peaceful day, it is hard to imagine this was a raging river one year ago today. The boat ramp was invisible under five feet or more of water. So many waterfowl moved to shallow waters, where they could find food and safer shelter. The riverbank homes were washed out.

 

 

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.

wake up, Fair Oaks Village, Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks Bridge, Canada Geese, Egret, Great Blue Heron, American River, water, mornings, chickens, roosters,
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.

turtles, wake up, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, water, turtles
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.

 

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.

These Beautiful Days

February 16, 2018, 7 am, 36 degrees

I enjoy many early morning experiences on Fair Oaks Bridge, the boat launch ramp and areas nearby along the American River Parkway this month. My backpack, journal and camera are constant companions.

Sometimes I don’t have words to express the joy and delight of these experiences. The beauty of these quiet mornings is a far deeper experience than that act of writing words on a page or taking photos can express. I sit and listen. I watch and wonder.

Fair Oaks Bridge, beautiful, John Muir, days, mornings, write, nature, outdoors words, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, clouds, expression Quoting from John Muir – one of America’s most respected naturalists – reflects my own experience .

 “These beautiful days must enrich all my life. They do not exist as mere pictures. . . but they saturate themselves into every part of the body and live always.”   John Muir

My mornings usually begin with greetings from Fair Oaks Village chickens – some still hiding in bushes or trees. Others roam the streets of the neighborhood on a search for breakfast. As I approach Fair Oaks Bridge, I wonder what colors will be painted across the sky today when clouds reflect the sunrise – shades of pink, fiery orange or gold? Will I see a curtain or a blanket of fog reflecting the colored sunlight that rolls slowly downriver?

spider web, experience, beauty, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, Fair Oaks Bluffs
Spider waits to capture unsuspecting prey
experiences, mornings, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, beauty, water, wildlife, spider webs, writing, photographs, John Muir
A thin sheet of ice that covers the bridge deck melts away in strips in the heat of morning sun.
quack, duck, Mallard, voice, morning, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, swim, experience, joy
She greets each morning with a series of quacks.

I listen for the daily quacks this determined duck as she patrols the American River. She is relentless; quacking for 10 minutes and hardly stopping long enough to take a breath. I can hear her voice far off in the distance as she swims away. I listen for the calls of seagulls and watch them soar high above me. Birds sing unseen in trees – a calliope, a whistle, and other chirps and calls I cannot describe. I often hear the chortle of the Great Blue Heron and honk of Canada Geese long before I see them. The Egret and Great Blue Heron always position themselves at different locations on the riverbank – staying far away from each other.

I see soft ripples widen in the water as the ducks and Canada Geese swim through the quiet river. I watch the graceful flights of snow white Egrets as they extend their long, soft wings and glide under Fair Oaks Bridge. Buffleheads dive in the center of the river channel and rise to the surface many yards away.

Photographs and written narratives record memories of these magical experiences – and create an understanding that wildlife undisturbed live by their own rhythms as we silently watch and wonder.

 

 

 

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.

clouds, reflection. morning, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, water, wildlife, writing, nature

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.

 

 

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.

Morning Companions

Sunday, April 15, 2018, 630 am     52 degrees

morning companions, pigeons, Fair Oaks Bridge, walk, American River, mornings, food, breakfast
Seemingly frustrated there is no food on this long bridge walk.

 

I hear the usual good morning calls from one lone chicken living in the bushes along Bridge Street. A dozen pigeons circle the Fair Oaks Bridge. Some land and walk the deck.

Clouds scatter across the sky as if they were blue gray spires of spun sugar with golden tips at their end. The air is still and cool. The river moves quickly downstream. As the sun emerges on the horizon, it shines brilliantly through dense cloud cover.

 

otter, Fair Oaks Bridge, American River, mornings, swim, morning companions
River otter swims just below surface beneath Fair Oaks Bridge, dives deeper and disappears.

The branch where I watch turtles sunbathe is completely underwater. A river otter surfaced from underneath the north riverbank, swam under Fair Oaks Bridge and disappeared.

I am surrounded by the morning melodies of birds singing from high trees heard and unseen. As all other wildlife leaves Fair Oaks Bridge and the nearby areas, birds continue to sing. I stand alone on the bridge, and listen to the music of my morning companions.

First Ducklings

Wednesday, May 29, 2018   7 am, 62 degrees.

Morning clouds resemble a heavy blanket of batting spread with gentle hands stretching across the sky. Birds twitter. I see my first ducklings of the year.

first ducklings, American River, fair Oaks Bridge, mornings, water, wildlifeToday I sit and enjoy this beautiful, breezy morning, always in awe at how the colors of morning change every moment. As Canada Geese approach, I hear honking in the distance. A few walkers greet me. Cyclists shake the bridge as they speed past.

first ducklings, American River, Great Blue Heron, Fair Oaks Bridge, mornings, wildlife, water        Across the river, a man prepares to launch his canoe at the boat launch ramp. I watch a ribbon of light on the river reflecting the sun move from the center of the American River channel to the south side as the sun continues to rise higher in the sky. I enjoy scenic views farther along the American River Parkway, catching up with a Great Blue Heron and fishermen waiting for the big bite.