We arrived this morning at 7:10 because I was waiting for the sun to overpower an eastern cloud bank. It eventually managed to poke a ray or two of sunshine through the clouds and then struggled throughout the walk to provide steady light. Even with the late start the temperature was 61 degrees. All in all an excellent climate for a walk by the river.
From the photography stand point the day was less than stellar. There were quite a few birds flitting around but they insisted on hiding deep in the foliage. I tried and tried to catch one of three Blue Jays on an open branch but no luck. I had a similar experience with a couple of Flickers. I did manage to find a Wren (with a bug in his beak) but he was pretty high up in the tree. That image is below. I found a group of Cedar Waxwings high in a tree also – I think it may have been a family group. The photos I got of them were also subpar. The walk was saved right at the end when I spotted an Osprey actively working the Anticline Fishing Pond. I hustled over and the minute I arrived at the bank of the pond s/he went into a dive and came up with a nice looking fish. I got several frames of the event (after the bird came out of the water) and one of those is today’s featured image at the top of this post.
Sightings:
Birds: Osprey, Cormorant, Canada Geese, Barn Swallow, Swallows, Starlings, Mallard Ducks, Mourning Dove, Cedar Waxwings, Wren, Flickers, Blue Jays
Critters: Mule Deer, Mosquitoes
Gear: Nikon D5100, 55-300mm lens
