Refuge Friday

With a busy weekend coming up I took advantage of the sunshine this morning to see what the refuge had to offer.  Not a lot of activity, but high quality! :-)
Sandhill Cranes, Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Kestrels, Great Blue Herons, ducks!
I had a lone conversation with another photographer on top of Goose Egg Hill, and I mentioned that I hadn't see any Kestrels so far. Well, on the way out of the refuge, two Kestrels posed for me - one flew by and hovered so I really couldn't miss it and the other flew up into the tree right at the gate and posed in the sun! I love these coincidences!

Enjoy!

Northern Shoveler

Sandhill Cranes

A flock of seagulls -

Red-tailed hawk

Kestrel - on the down beat!

Refuge Tuesday

A gorgeous sunshine day, cool this morning but on the way to warm! A trip to the refuge was a spontaneous reaction to a need to be out in the open.
While much of the roadway at the refuge is closed off to permit safe breeding, the areas open to vehicles had a few wonders in them - Killdeer, Sandhill Cranes, etc..
Here's some shots from the day...

The Yellow-headed Blackbird met us at the entrance - didn't see any more after that.

Some unfortunate became the dinner and left behind the feathers.

One Great Blue Heron flyby - the rest of them are further down the closed road.

Killdeer - very emphatic that I leave her space NOW!

Sandhill Cranes winging along..

A few Red-winged Blackbirds around.

I found three pairs of Sandhill Cranes - wary but not frightened.

Mama goose on the nest.

Quite a few ducks with many different colors.

Photography is fun!

I enjoy taking photographs - and I take them of many different things. Mostly Nature subjects with a few people thrown in when I see something. Here's some of the ones I came across in my recent reviews.

Evening sun

Sometimes the sunset is not the only spectacular view around - turn and look sideways or behind you and see what the sunlight is doing with the other players in the game..

Day 5 photos

Yesterday was a sunny, calm day at the ocean with lots of whale sightings and lots of seals. We had lunch in Gualala where I found the delicate Iris and the sitting Vultures. Sunset was gorgeous several times over as it morphed along..
Enjoy!

Ravens gossiping along the bluff!

Red-tailed hawk the lives around the houses..

Finally a closeup of a Black Oystercatcher ..

A Grey Whale with it's mouth open - a first time for me..

Vultures on the sand..

Delicate wonderful iris..

An ever-changing sunset - very wonderful..

Day 4 morning

Cold wind this morning, had to bundle up against the wind. Nevertheless the seals were in the water and playing - no sun so not up on the rocks.
Found more oystercatchers and then rocks with blue in them - fascinating..
Whales later..

Ravens consulting..

This guy wanted to show off and play!

Can't forget the little birds.

Love the shapes and colors.

Black Oystercatcher 

Sea Ranch Day 3 midday

I'm home alone, everyone else is in Anderson Valley drinking wine at the wineries! :-(

So some time on the bluffs was called for - here's some of what I enjoyed today.

Rainbow in the distance. (aren't they always in the distance?).

Through the looking glass...

Juvenile red-tailed watching..

Sunning on the rocks..

Trail on the bluffs..

Trees don't grow straight on the edge of the bluff..

Unknown bird on rock (haven't found out what it is yet).

Watching for whales..

Unique flowers..

Our home for the week..

A welcome visitor..